UHCL students set new program record with ‘Thank a Professor’ campaign
Every spring, Dr. Anna Klyueva , associate professor of communication and public relations at University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL), teaches a course in strategic campaign planning. The course involves UHCL students, particularly those pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Communication , engaging in service learning projects with internal and external clients. This year, the students collaborated with the UH-Clear Lake Center for Faculty Development’s ‘Thank a Professor’ program and the Galveston County Museum. In previous years, their collaborations have included projects with the Children’s Museum of Houston, Care-Kter Renovation Group, the startup Onlinevisas.com, UHCL’s Tobacco Free Campus campaign, and the Bryant Museum, among others.
This year, the spring 2024 campaign was led by students Hannah Green, Zach Jernigan, Velisha Patel, Tabitha Ross and Adejani Sanni. They utilized the skills developed throughout their academic careers at UHCL to address real-world communication challenges in a controlled, educational setting where learning from mistakes is encouraged. According to Dr. Klyueva, the course enables students to practice a wide array of skills including design, writing, public speaking, video editing, social media management, research, teamwork, and collaboration.
“Students work all semester to research, design, implement, and evaluate their communication efforts, culminating in the final presentations for their clients,” said Klyueva. “For many students, working with a class client on service learning projects is an opportunity to have hands-on experience in the field, network, build their resumes, and even land internships and jobs.”
Green and Jernigan, who are both set to graduate this spring with their degrees in communication, shared that the core message of the ‘Thank a Professor’ campaign was “gratitude is the attitude.” The campaign aimed to foster a sense of appreciation within the campus community, thereby strengthening the bond between students and professors.
“We wanted to cultivate a cohesive community at UHCL centered around appreciation,” said Green. “Working on this campaign with the mentorship of Dr.Klyueva was nothing short of positive and a great opportunity within our careers,” she explained. “This course gave us a real experience that will benefit all of us in our future professions.”
Jernigan said the campaign was time-consuming but worth it.
“The campaign wasn’t a single presentation, but more like six or seven,” said Jernigan. “One of my favorite things about the campaign was the student research conference (SCRCA), where we conducted actual research at the conference by having students participate in the program, as well as fill out our survey.”
Velisha Patel, an international student majoring in Psychology with a minor in Communication, led the campaign team. She stressed the importance of teamwork and clear role distribution within the group, which facilitated effective collaboration and idea refinement.
“From the outset, we established clear roles within our team, ensuring each member knew their responsibilities,” said Patel. “As the team leader, my focus was on organization, collaboration, and coordination, while my teammates specialized in their respective areas,” Patel explained. “Our approach involved collecting ideas collectively and then refining them. We engaged in numerous healthy discussions, fostering a learning environment where everyone's input was valued.”
Patel added each team member brought dedication, motivation, and a collaborative spirit to the table, which streamlined the campaign organization process.
“ Without a doubt, our campaign was a resounding success,” said Patel. “We achieved our objectives of raising awareness and participation, and garnered recognition and support from the students, faculty, and staff at UHCL. Their belief in the campaign's purpose ensured that our message resonated effectively.”
Patel added that the skills gained from the course would greatly benefit her future career in industrial and organizational psychology.
“The course significantly improved my communication skills, which are vital for interacting with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders effectively,” said Patel. “Moreover, the practical experience in public relations has provided me with the ability to cultivate positive and impactful relationships within organizations.”
The campaign was notably successful, generating over 130 thank-you notes for faculty, which marked a 300% increase in submissions and set a new record for the program. Patel highly recommends the strategic planning course to communication majors and other students interested in acquiring practical skills in communication, collaboration, leadership, and creativity.
For more information about UHCL’s Communication Program, visit www.uhcl.edu/human-sciences-humanities/departments/communication-studio-arts/communication/ .
