Nancy Brown
Liberal Arts Statement
The goal of my field of work-public relations-is to influence
attitudes and behaviors of those who are important to an employer
or client. To be effective at influencing others, we have to have
an accurate understanding of the desires, needs and priorities of
those we wish to influence. The major goal of liberal arts studies
is to enable us to understand others, whether in business or in
life. I can't imagine researching target audiences and individuals,
or creating public relations strategies using that research,
without the benefit of my liberal arts education.
Public relations work relies heavily on written communications,
and in creating these communications we often have to write using
the voice and motivations of others. The more closely we study
subjects such as fiction, history, psychology and sociology, the
more effective we can be at capturing the essence of the
individuals we represent to the individuals we wish to reach.
However, the most important gift that study of the liberal arts
offers us is the joy of learning throughout our lives. Certainly
that has served me well when we consider how the public relations
profession has changed over more than three decades. More
importantly, the ongoing desire to know more has significantly
enriched my personal life by introducing me to new interests and
passions. This is a precious gift, given in the form of dedication
and generosity by my Butler faculty members-my sincere thanks to
them all!