COMM 235 Sections 2 and 3
Introduction to Public Relations
Summer 2007
Time/Room:Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in Spori Room 136
Sec. 2 meets 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Sec. 3 meets 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Instructor: J. Ward Hicks
Office: Spori 231
Telephone:496-3047
Office Hours:Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m. to 12 noon andby appointment
Required Texts:The Practice of Public Relations, Tenth Edition, by Fraser P. Seitel
The Post Register (You will have the opportunity to sign up for a subscription in class.)
Scroll (Student newspaper)
Recommended Text: The PR Style Guide by Barbara Diggs-Brown and Jodi L.G. Glou
Course Description
IntroductiontoPublicRelationsexploresthehistory,philosophy,andpracticesofpublicrelationsinbusiness,government,educationandotherorganizations.Itintroducestheconceptsofeffectivelyandcrediblycommunicatingpositiveperformanceandofdemonstratinganentity’sconcernforthepublicgood.Thecoursecoverstheevolutionofpublicrelations,itsimportanceasamanagementfunction,recognitionofkeypublics,impactofinstantelectronicmedia,strategyandexecutionofpublicrelations,andthefutureofthefield.
Objectives:Uponcompletion,youshouldunderstandthesekeyconcepts:
- The guiding principles of communications relative to public relations;
- The vital role of public relations in modern organizations;
- Howtoaddressandresolvepublicrelationsproblems;
- Tools, techniques and media used by public relations practitioners;
- Theimportanceofethicsandcredibility;
- Basicsofpublicrelationsresearchandevaluation;
- Theimportanceofpublicrelationsasamanagementfunction;
- HowtheInternetandWorldWideWebhaveimpactedtheprofession;
- How to recognize, respect and emulate quality public relations efforts.
Class Policies
Come to every class and be on time. History has shown that there is a strong positive correlation between class attendance and final grades. You will not be allowed to make up missed quizzes, in-class work, and assignments.Minor illnesses, dental appointments, part-time job obligations, etc. are not valid reasons for missing class. There is no such thing as an “excused absence” except in cases of serious illness, hospitalization, death in the family, or pre-authorized university activity.
You will be allowed to drop one low quiz score during the semester.
Assignments: You will be asked to complete assignments during this course. Answers to the questions from these assignments should be thorough and include your rationale for your opinions, but should not generally exceed one typewritten page in length. Your write-up should include your own opinions regarding the writings; i.e., what you learned from it, what might have been done differently, how the event or analysis may affect the way you will handle a similar situation when working for a professional organization.
No hand-written assignments will be accepted. All assignments must be typewritten, and double spaced excluding same-day work assigned in class. Papers should be professionalin presentation and grammatically correct. Spelling and grammatical errors reflect a general careless attitude.
Assignments from the book:
Always type the question first and then follow the question with your typed answer.
I will deduct five percent for each error found in spelling, grammar or sentence mechanics.
I will also deduct five percent for papers that are not stapled. Failure to write the questions will also result in a five percent deduction.
Please be sure that you read your paper and edit any errors before submitting it to me.
Late assignments will not be accepted after the due date. This means assignments must be collected when called for by the professor and not later. If you must miss a day of class when an assignment is due, such assignment must be handed in before your departure.
Tests: Mosttestswill be administered in the testing center. Missed tests will not be made up,unless you and I have made prior arrangements due to extraordinary circumstances. Material for the test will come from your reading and from class discussions.
Quizzes/In class activities: Several quizzes will be given periodically throughout the semester. Information for the quizzes will come from topics that have been discussed in class and from your reading assignments. You will also be quizzed on current events that relate to public relations. Please keep abreast of national and regional news that pertain to public relations. Be sure you read each edition ofThe Post Register and Scroll and come to class prepared to discuss current news events from a positive or negative public relations perspective. All quizzes will generally be given during the first 10 minutes of class.
Group Presentations: You will be required to participate in two group presentation projects during the semester. More information about the group projects will be given later.
Newspaper Portfolio: Throughout the semester, you will be receiving a subscription to the Post Register newspaper. You will use various news articles for in-class discussion and for creating a portfolio. More information about this project will be given later.
Plagiarizing will be grounds for an “F” grade and perhaps additional discipline. Plagiarism is defined as “taking ideas or writing from another and passing them off as one’s own.” Giving proper credit and citing sources is imperative when quoting or replicating portions of another’s work. Students may study together, but straight copying of assignments or ideas demeans your skills, undermines your character and is unacceptable.
ADA Policy: In compliance with applicable disability law, qualified students with a disability may be entitled to “reasonable accommodation.” It is the student’s responsibility to disclose to the teacher any special need she/he may have before the end of the first week of class.
Cell Phones: All cell phones should be turned off during class hours. An exception may be made with prior approval for an emergency.
Honor Code:One of the major goals at BYU-I is that of providing quality educational opportunities in a rich spiritual environment. To obtain this desired level of spiritual influence, students are asked to observe all points of the Code of Honor including dress and grooming standards.
Children in Classrooms: Children are not allowed to be present in BYU-Idaho classes due to space restrictions, fire code compliance, and the need to limit distractions.
Course Schedule: This schedule is subject to change. Notice of any changes will be made with as much advance notice as possible. It is understood that certain events may occur which may make advance notice impossible. Therefore, students are reminded that they are expected to be in attendance at all times. Please check your university email to ensure you have received notices or changes in plans.
Evaluation: Grades will be determined by the following criteria:
Test scores …………………………………………………..10 percent
Text cases and other assignments……………..………….….20 percent
Quizzes/In class activities………………………………...….10 percent
Two-person PR Case Study Presentation……………...…….10 percent
Group project PR Campaign Presentation …………...……...25 percent
Newspaper Portfolio…………………………………...…….10 percent
Attendance and academic contribution to the class……….....15 percent
Your attendance and your academic contribution to the class are very important.Unexcused absences will result in a five percent deduction from your attendance gradefor each class session missed.Developing a pattern for being late to class will also affect your attendance grade.
However, if you attend all class sessions (on time) and provide academic contribution to classroom discussions, you will receive 100 percent for your attendance grade.
Your appropriate involvement will stimulate learning and enhance group synergism. Please come to class prepared to discuss material from the text and current news events from a positive or negative public relations perspective.
GradingScale:94-100%A74-76%C
90-93%A-70-73%C-
87-89%B+67-69%D+
84-86%B64-66%D
80-83%B-60-63%D-
77-79%C+0-59%F
Basic Rules to Remember
Always bring your textbook to class.
Do not send me an email or voicemail saying you won’t be in class today and is there anything you need to know.
No make-up work.
Keep an electronic copy and a hard copy of all your work.
When writing and completing an assignment, always speak from the perspective of a public relations practitioner—not from a student’s perspective.
Don’t use generalities such as, “We’ll tell the media,” or “We’ll tell the public,” Get specific. Give details. Explain how you will tell the media or how you will tell the public. Lots of people come up with ideas, but the tough part is how to implement them.
Final Note
This syllabus constitutes the instructor’s view of how this course will be conducted this semester. This syllabus may, at the option of the instructor, be modified as the semester progresses.