COMM 4333, Spring 2010, p. 1

UBLIC

ELATIONS

EDIA

DVERTISING

RITING

COMM 4333 ·

PRING

2010

Professor: Barbara B. Nixon, Ph.D. (ABD)Office: Lakeland, FL



Office Hours: TBAPhone: 901-BNIXON4 (Google Voice, for text or voice mail) or barbara.b.nixon onSkypeBlog:http://publicrelationsmatters.com Twitter:BarbaraNixonE-mail:bbnixon@seuniversity.edu

UNIVERSITY MISSION STATEMENT:

Southeastern, a dynamic, Christ-centered university, fosters student success by integratingpersonal faith and higher learning. Within our loving Pentecostal community, we challengestudents to a lifetime of good work and of preparing professionally so they can creatively servetheir generation in the Spirit of Christ.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

A course designed to give practical experience in producing publicrelations and advertising campaigns including press kits, press releases, ad design, copy,newsletters and basic marketing.

COURSE OBJECTIVE:

This course is intended to help students understand the varioustechniques employed in managing a public relations communications program. Studentscompleting this course should be able to apply the various decision-making, writing, editing anddesign techniques necessary to create a media program including communications rangingfrom personal to mass, and from controlled to uncontrolled.

REQUIRED TEXT:

Wilcox, D. (2009).

Public relations writing and media techniques

(6th ed.). Boston, MA: PearsonEducation.A recent

Associated Press Style Book,

preferably 43

edition (red cover)

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT:

At least one USB drive (minimum 1G)Pack of multi-color markers

See Tentative WEEKLY SCHEDULE (p.7)

COMM 4333, Spring 2010, p. 2

GRADING:

350 points Written Assignments200 points Blog / Engagement & Participation200 points Readiness Assessment Tests (AKA RATS)150 points Social Media News Release / Final Project100 points Final Exam (There will be a comprehensive, BlackBoard-based, finalexam.)

Total possible points 1000

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS:

The following writing assignments will be accomplishedduring the course of the semester. Assignments may include: several news releases,personality profile, PSA (15-30-60), fact sheet, photos with captions, media contact list,pitch letter, promotional item, feature story and media advisory. Assignment pointvalues and specific guidelines will be further explained as the time approaches. Rubricsfor each assignment will be made available.

BLOG / ENGAGEMENT & PARTICIPATION:

Starting early in the semester, you will createoriginal content for your blog; it will be through this method that I will be able to assessyour engagement and participation in this course. You will add new content to yourblog

, including comments you post to others’ blogs,

weekly. Specifics about the contentof your blog will be shared during the first month of class.

RATS:

Expect one Readiness Assessment Test every week in this course; these areconducted via the Assessments area in BlackBoard. Most RATS will be based on materialfrom your textbook, but there may also be AP Style and current events questions onRATS. Unless stated otherwise, you will work individually and have one hour tocomplete each open-book quiz. You can take each of the RATS twice, and the higher of the two scores count.

FINAL PROJECT:

Your final project will consist of a social media news release for yourclient, including text, audio, photo(s) and perhaps video. Details on this assignment willbe shared before Spring Break.

FINAL EXAM:

There will be a comprehensive, BlackBoard-based, final exam.

COURSE POLICIES:1. Responsibilities of Students:

Each student is expected to commit to the following guidelines:a.

Preparation

—

the class discussion will mean little if text material is not read and theassignments are not prepared in advance.b.

Presence

—

unique thoughts and insights cannot be contributed to group discussions,or to student learning, if you are not present. The SEU attendance policy should beyour guide and is a minimum attendance policy.

COMM 4333, Spring 2010, p. 3c.

Promptness

—

late arrivals disrupt the class and adversely impact the decorum of theprocess. This is unprofessional.

Note: Three times late equals one absence forevaluation purposes

.d.

Participation

—as part owner of the discussion, it is each student’s responsibility toshare in the advancement of the group’s collective skills and knowledge

Academic Honesty

—

Any instance of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, willbe handled in accordance with the Student Handbook.f.

Specific Policies

—

If you cannot be present for a class, you are responsible forcontacting a fellow student by using email in order to find out what was covered inclass the day you were absent and what will be covered in the next class.

Material will be covered in class that is not presented in the textbook. This material mayinclude information included in lectures, additional readings, and in-class exercises. Exams willinclude this material as well as material assigned in the textbook.

Material

not turned in when due will NOT be accepted and will earn a grade of zero.

Unlessotherwise specified, all assignments must be submitted using either a Microsoft Office product(Word, PowerPoint, etc.) or Adobe PDF; if I cannot open an assignment or the file is corrupt,you cannot earn credit on the assignment.

4. Attendance is important.

Any absences in excess of what is allowed by the SEU policy setforth above will result in an appropriate grade reduction.

It is your job to keep track of your total absences; I am not responsible for reminding you about your total absences.

On speechdays, if you are tardy you must wait to enter the class until the speaker has completed her orhis speech; you will be able to tell when speeches end by listening for the applause. Under nocircumstances should you enter the class during a student speech. This is distracting to thespeaker and is considered a violation of violation of the statements regarding classroomdecorum and speech day behavior found below.

5. Failure to take a exam or quiz on the assigned

date

will result in a ZERO for thatexam

unless the absence is

approved in advance

by the instructor or is an emergency that isexcused by the Dean of the College of Fine Arts.

If you travel with an athletic team or are amember of another SEU approved club or group, you are responsible for submitting assigned material prior to your departure or via email while traveling.

6. Cell Phones and Electronic Devices:

Because your friends and family may not know yourclass schedule, turn off your cell phones in class. Ringing cell phones are annoying anddisruptive, especially during speeches.

Furthermore

, because of the advance technology of textmessaging and digital imaging, the use of any personal electronic devices (cell phones, PDAs,iPods, headphones, etc) is prohibited during examinations. The use of any such item during anexamination will result in immediate dismissal from the classroom and the examination.