IS IT REALLY ENOUGH?

A symbol of a showing a helping hand by giving back to the community
source: www.anitagrant.com

I have recently noticed a trend in organisation involved in Corporate Social Investment (CSI ). CSI is defined as an innovative solution to an organisation or society most pressing issues and to bring change  to the community.

 Our School Representative Council (SRC )  has recently started a CSI programme by giving lunch boxes to deserving students that need financial assistance,they only do that for the ones that did not get meals bursaries from NSFAS offices. Student had to apply at the beggining of the year in order to receive lunch everyday at school. This is a good initiative that is being implemented by the SRC because in a way they looking after their internal public by giving back to the community(students) and meeting the needs of the students.The question that comes to my mind is , Is it really enough? what happens to the students when they get home or on weekends? are they saying students only get hungry when they are on campus?what about the other needs such as toiletries?

What comes to my mind is can't the SRC offer more or get some sponsors to help out?

all in all this was a great initiative because this won't only benefit the students but it will benefit UJ as an organisation  because definatly a good word of mouth is circulating out there.

You are a brand: online reputation management




picture showing different social networks that create a brand
source: http://www.job-interview-site.com/

 

A brand is a person gut feeling about a product, service or company. There is so much hype on how social media is taking over traditional media, most of us have started to engage in different social media platforms for different reasons, and so are organisations. As individuals we  are representing our own personal brand, whatever you do, engage yourself in you are marketing yourself as a brand.

According to NEW AGE studies have shown that 99% of global employers are using social media as part of their recruitment strategy and 80% of jobs are found through networking, this means that as students we need to be careful on how we position our personal brand, it could be about what we update or the  kind of pictures we upload  this could have a negative effect on our brand and could prevent us from getting that dream job later in life. Online reputation management is very important to Public Relations students or anyone going to a corporate field because it sells you as a person, and could make or break you as a brand.





Brand image that shows that as person you incharge of your own personal brand
source: http://www.darrenspruyt.com/



Organisations no longer rely on Curriculum Vitae (C.V) or cover letters to have background check but they turn to google, hence we need to be careful what we do in public avoid taking nude pictures or pictures while you drunk and posting them on  social networks because that creates a perception that  you are a drunkard, irresponsible, unreliable and can not be trusted as a brand and who would hire a person like that? Let us use social media platforms in a positive way, for more information on how to be savvy or create an effective brand http://www.jobs.co.za/

Are Universities promoting public drinking?



picture by: nytimes.com



University can be over whelming especially in times of  tests and assignments, and having time to have a beer or two with friends is a need, Campus Pubs can be the right place to do just that without worrying about driving home or being robbed on your way home. Students feel that having a bar/pub is a good idea because it is a place where you get to meet other students, relax  and also promotes safe drinking but in my opinion  there is no safe or responsible drinking when there is alcohol involved because they will always be that person who will miss behave.

 Having a pub on campus can be a very contradicting issue because it goes against University principles and parents send students to Universities in order for them to get educated  and not to promote alcohol abuse, this could have a bad image/reputation for the University if parents knew that students had access to alcohol on campus.



These are the disadvantages of having Pubs on campus


• Disrespecting lecturers
• Poor attendance leading to F7
• Vandalising school property when drunk
• Student death relating to alcohol-stabbing, fighting and shooting
• Unplanned pregnancy from unprotected sex

 It is a known fact that students will get hold of alcohol one way or the other but it would have been better if it was not campus.                                                                                                                                    



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