[Mr. Marker] voted as Northwestern University has voted: Marketing communications-including advertising, sales promotions, direct marketing, public relations, database marketing with e-marketing-should be taught in the Medill School of Journalism's top-ranked department of integrated marketing communications instead of in the general management degree program of [NU's] Kellogg School of Management.
Mr. Marker confirmed with me that he [meant] the Northwestern IMC graduate program [when his article referred to] the "one program seemingly knocking down the high fences between marketing and communications departments." Our graduate students are educated and trained to be business managers in marketing communications in a fast track, full-time 15-month degree program.
Their salaries as work-experienced graduate students are highly competitive to the strongest business schools in areas related to marketing. Companies and agencies pay $1,000 per week for students during a summer internship.
The future leaders in the marketing communications field will have one foot in business and one foot in communications with which they will help corporations and not-for profit organizations manage their future. The future of our fields demands first a more integrated professional within marketing communications and then a professional integrated with the balance of business, including marketing, finance, production and human resources.
Clarke Caywood
Chair, Department of Integrated Marketing Communications
Northwestern University
Evanston, Ill.
Lowering the bar
I just wanted to applaud Scott Donaton's column "No laughing