Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "BUS 320"
COURSE NAME: "Public Relations"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall Semester 2012

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Favorite Michele
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 11:30-12:45
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS:
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisites: Junior Standing, EN 110 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS: by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Course Objectives:

1. To understand the role of PR in public and private companies, nonprofit organizations and agencies.

2. To appreciate the value of PR in solving problems and shaping policy.

3. To understand the link between credibility and reputation.

4. To appreciate the ethical considerations involved in PR.

4. To recognize the composite nature of today’s publics.

5. To understand the legal environments of PR practice.

6. To appreciate the communication channels used in PR and how they are evolving.

7. To learn how to write effective PR material.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

Course Description:

This course is divided into four parts. The first is an overview of what Public Relations (PR) is, its historical development and the trends affecting PR today. The second discusses the importance of sound research and the public. The third covers the role of ethics and the law. The fourth concentrates on a “hands-on” approach to PR: analysis of PR cases, planning and conducting a campaign, advertising, publicity and the media, crisis management. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on effective writing and presentation skills.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students are expected to have reached the objectives of the course. Primarily, the outcome of this course is for students to be able to understand how Public Relations operates, the differences between PR as it is conducted in the U.S. and in other parts of the world, the different aspects of effective PR (planning,communicating and evaluating), the challenges of crisis management, and to become comfortable with some of the main tools used by PR professionals: press releases, ad campaigns, presentations, crisis management communication, general business communication techniques. Students will be expected to write a PR plan and present it.

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
Public Relations Strategies and Tactics	Dennis Wilcox and Glen Cameron	Pearson	978 0 205 62323 5

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments
Public Relations Writing	Doug Newsom and Jim Haynes	Thomson	0 534 61296 2

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Effective press release writing	<span>The press release is one of the key PR tools, and the class will discuss in detail how a press release is prepared and how it is used by the media.</span>	5%
PR Plan Presentation	Students will present a PR Plan on an assigned topic to the class by using a PowerPoint presentation.  Emphasis will be placed on the steps and procedures involved in a PR plan and the effectiveness of the presentation techniques.	15%
Crisis Management Plan Presentation	Students will present a plan for the effective management of a hypothetical crisis management situation.	15%
Participation	Students are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the topic of the day and to contribute to the discussion in an intelligent way. Please see Letter Grade requirements for more details.<br />	15%
Midterm	The midterm will cover the main ideas covered in the first part of the course.	25%
Final Exam	The final exam wil be cumulative.	25%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

Grading:

Participation: 15%. Participation means contributing regularly to class in a constructive, intelligent and proactive way. Students may be asked to present the day's topic to the class. Coming in late, using cell phones or laptops equals an absence. Students who miss or are late to more than three classes may be asked to withdraw from the class. Excused absences are those that are justified by a medical certificate. Travel, family and social engagements do not constitute an excused absence.

Press Release Writing: 5%

Crisis Management Plan Presentation: 15%

PR Plan Presentation: 15%

Midterm: 25%.

Final exam: 25%

Please note that misspelled work will be returned ungraded. Late work will not be accepted. All work should be handed in to me personally.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Students are expected to come to class having read the material assigned for the day and be able to present it effectively. After three absences students may be asked to leave the class. Please see Letter Grade Requirements for more details.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Bus 320 Public Relations

Weekly Schedule, Fall 2012

Week 1: What PR is (and is not)

September 3: What is PR? Wilcox, chapter 1.

September 5: The evolution of PR in history. Wilcox, chapter 2.

Week 2: PR and the Corporate World/ Writing: the fundamental skill for PR success

September 10: PR departments and firms. Wilcox, chapter 4

September 12: PR and the corporation. Wilcox, chapter 17. Skills and attributes for a successful career in PR. Newsom, chapter 1.

Week 3: PR and Ethics

September 17: Ethical considerations in PR. Wilcox, chapter 3.

September 19: PR and Ethics: case studies.

Week 4: PR and Research

September 24: The importance of research in PR. Wilcox, chapter 5 and Newsom, chapter 4.

The Conflict management plan and PR plan presentation topics are assigned: the conflict management plan is due on November 5 and the PR plan presentation is due on November 26 and 28.

September 26: Research workshop in the JCU library: librarians will introduce students to effective research methods and explain JCU resources.

Week 5: Planning and Communication

October 1: Planning a PR program. Wilcox, chapter 6.

October 3: Effective communication in PR. Wilcox, chapter 7 and Newsom, chapters 5 and 6.

Week 6: Evaluation and Midterm

October 8: Evaluation. Wilcox, chapter 8.

October 10: Midterm.

Week 7: Communication (cont’d) and the News Release

October 15: Midterm review. Communication (cont’d): New technologies, news releases, media alerts and pitch letters. Wilcox, chapters 13-14.

October 17: The effective news release: providing news to the media. Newsom, chapter 9.

Week 8: Persuasion and Diverse Audiences

October 22: Persuasion. Wilcox, chapter 9.

October 24: Reaching a Multicultural and Diverse Audience. Wilcox, chapter 11.

Week 9: Conflict Management

October 29: Conflict Management. Wilcox, chapter 10.

October 31: Case study

Week 10: Conflict Management Presentations and Politics and the Government

November 5: Conflict Management Plan Presentations.

November 7: Politics and the Government

Week 11: Guest Lecture and Miscellaneous Activities

Week 12: Non Profit Organizations and Global Public Relations

November 19: Global Public Relations. Wilcox, chapter 19.

November 21: Non Profit Organizations. Wilcox, chapter 20.

Week 13: PR Plan Presentations

Week 14: Review for Final Exam

Week 15: Final Exam