Some classes offering valuable experiential learning opportunities to Schieffer College students, such as TCU’s ad and public relations agency, Roxo, will look a little different this fall. Faculty members are altering their typical lesson plans and thinking creatively in order to provide students with the meaningful learning experiences their classes are known for.
Sarah Angle, a strategic communication instructor and the Roxo faculty advisor, says she plans to host Roxo class meetings on Zoom and account team meetings in person on campus. Because of the physical distancing protocols, each account team, which consists of six students, will have an opportunity to use the agency room one day a week. Clients meetings with be held on Zoom.
A Zoom session screenshot featuring members of the Roxo agency from the Spring 2020 semester.
Coincidentally, students in Roxo began using Slack at the beginning of the Spring 2020 semester. “It was a saving grace,” said Angle. She said they used Zoom and Google Docs inside the Slack app and Angle said using those communication tools helped the agency become fully digital.
Angle says this new reality is teaching her students to thrive in a digital workspace. She tells them, “This is what everyone else in the world is doing right now. This is hard, but it’s preparing you for reality. You’re building resilience that will last a lifetime.”
Angle says she knows the experience of working at an agency will still be valuable. “I think we’re trying to make the best of the situation we’re in.” She says students will still get great portfolio pieces from their time working for Roxo as well as real-world experiences they can reflect upon when applying and interviewing for jobs.