Significance of the NCA's “Dialogue on Public Relations Education” Conference

Abstract

The National Communication Association (formerly Speech Communication Association) devoted its Summer 1998 Conference to public relations education. The authors of this article contend that this conference, “Dialogue on Public Relations Education” held July 9 through 12 in Arlington, Virginia, and the massive formative research that was performed in preparation for this conference were seminal, not only in examining current public relations practice and its education, but also in advocating education norms for the future. The conference also helped formalize an emerging and much-need ecumenism among the diverse public relations divisions of scholarly associations and among educator sections of the sometimes competitive professional associations. This ecumenical endeavor has helped unify and focus the efforts of all stakeholders to assure high-quality public relations education that will best meet the future needs for public relations professional preparation.