Principles of Public Relations Mondays, January 26-‐May 4, 2015 Time: 6:00 – 9:05 p.m. Mass Communications Bldg. 2nd floor, Room 213 MCOM 2193 -‐ CRN 27672 Spring 2015 Department of Mass Communication College of Liberal Arts University of Central Oklahoma Instructor: Christi Jeffreys, M.A. Office Location: COM 210 Office Telephone: 974-‐5489 Departmental Telephone: 974-‐5303 Departmental Fax: 974-‐5125 Office Hours: M 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. E-‐mail:
[email protected] Communication Please use D2L email to communicate with me. I will check email frequently. All announcements, including schedule changes, will be posted through News on the course home page
[email protected] Course Description Principles of Public Relations provides an overview of the public relations profession from its historic beginnings to its contemporary role in society. The course provides a foundation for public relations and for the Strategic Communication sequence by exploring definitions, history, theories, principles, strategic planning, management practices and career possibilities. Prerequisite(s) ENG 1113 and 1213 and sophomore standing or above. Transformational Learning Objectives (“Central Six”): http://www.uco.edu/central/tl/index.asp Transformative learning goals (the “Central Six”) have been identified as: Discipline Knowledge; Leadership; Problem Solving (Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities); Service Learning and Civic Engagement; Global and Cultural Competencies; and Health and Wellness. This course addresses four of the university’s transformative learning goals. Discipline Knowledge: Students will examine current research for effective presentations in professional settings. Leadership: Students will demonstrate effective presentations skills for professional settings. Problem Solving (Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities): Students will research professional presentations in connection to their specific career goals, interview someone in a hiring position within their chosen career, write a paper, and present their findings to the class. Health and Wellness: Through the practice and improvement of communication skills, students will build their social and interpersonal communication abilities.
Course Text/Supplies/Links 1. “Public Relations Strategies & Tactics,” 10th edition (2012), by Dennis L. Wilcox and Glen Cameron. ISBN: 978-‐0-‐205-‐77088 Course Objectives This course is designed to: 1. Define the role and process of the profession. 2. Explain the theoretical foundations, the evolution and history of public relations. 3. Outline and illustrate the use of the four-‐step process. 4. Explain common legal and ethical concerns. 5. Discuss the strengths of public opinion and the factors that influence opinion. 6. Present information about career opportunities. 7. Explain how practitioners influence and interact with internal and external publics, including the media. 8. Describe commonly used communication tools and tactics. Course Requirements You will participate in a variety of learning experiences: readings, lecture, discussion, project work (both inside and outside of class), guest speakers, observations, research, writing assignments, exams and presentations. Weekly Assignments: There will be weekly assignments that are due at the beginning of class every Monday. The assignments are the questions at the end of each chapter titled Review and Discussion. If you know you are going to miss a class or be late, these assignments must be turned in BEFORE class, no exceptions. I will drop your lowest assignment score before calculating your final grade. Project: You will complete a project and give a presentation near the end of the semester. Details will be discussed the first day of class and a separate handout will be given to you. Exams: You will have three exams during the semester. Exam 1 and 2 will be take home exams and due back to me by the next class period. The final exam will be multiple choice, short answer and essay. You will have the entire class period to take this exam and turn in to me once you have finished. Late work: I do not accept late work. If you’re going to miss, you must turn in your assignment before the class you are missing. There are no exceptions. Attendance Policy: Your attendance is required. You are allowed one absence (excused or unexcused) during the course. After that your grade will drop one letter. Each additional absence will result in an additional letter-‐grade reduction. After five absences you will receive an F in the course. Note: Leaving class early will be counted as an absence. Tardy Policy: I expect everyone to be professional and be on time, we will have guest speakers often so please be courteous of their time. If you are occasionally late, please slip in quietly and take the seat nearest the door. If you are habitually tardy, I will schedule a private conference with you to discuss and put in writing consequences for further tardiness. Coming in more than 15 minutes late will be counted as an absence.
Photo Policy: Please ask before taking pictures of lectures, examples, and other course material. I reserve the right to deny any request to take pictures of course material. Texting and Web Surfing: Please make sure to silence your phone during class time. During breaks you can then step outside class to take care of your business. No web surfing unless it has to do with school work. Course Grade Determination Letter Percentage Grade of Total A 90+ B 80-‐89 C 70-‐79 D 60-‐69 F Below 60
Course Points 720-‐800 640-‐719 560-‐639 480-‐559 0-‐479
GRADE CALCULATION: 200 – Weekly Assignments 200 -‐ Class Participation 100 -‐ EXAM 1 100 -‐ EXAM 2 100 -‐ PROJECT 100 -‐ FINAL EXAM
Proposed Schedule January 26 February 2 February 9 February 16 February 23 March 2
March 9 March 16 March 23 March 30 April 6 April 13 April 20 April 27 May 4
No assignments due Assignments due at beginning of class Assignments due at beginning of class Assignments due at beginning of class Assignments due at beginning of class Assignments due at beginning of class Guest Speaker – Jennifer Lindsey McClintock – Public Information & Marketing for OKC Parks and Recreation Assignments due at beginning of class EXAM 1 – Chapter 1 -‐ 12 No class – Spring Break
Orientation Read and Discuss -‐ Chapter 1,2 Read and Discuss -‐ Chapter 3,4 Read and Discuss -‐ Chapter 5,6 Read and Discuss -‐ Chapter 7,8 Read and Discuss -‐ Chapter 9,10
Assignments due at beginning of class Guest speaker -‐ TBA Assignments due at beginning of class Guest speaker -‐ TBA Assignments due at beginning of class Guest speaker -‐ TBA Assignments due at beginning of class Assignments due at beginning of class EXAM 2 – Chapter 13 -‐ 21 Project Due – Class Presentation Last Day of Class
Read and Discuss -‐ Chapter 13,14
Read and Discuss -‐ Chapter 11,12
Read and Discuss -‐ Chapter 15,16 Read and Discuss -‐ Chapter 17,18 Read and Discuss -‐ Chapter 19,20 Read and Discuss -‐ Chapter 21 Review for Final Exam FINAL EXAM
Instructor Policy Standards for Written Work: All assignments must be typed and are expected to meet college-‐level standards of proficiency. Handwritten work will not be accepted. If students do not have access to computer equipment, or if students need help with their writing, please notify me, and I will advise you of the appropriate campus services and facilities. Participation: In-‐class activities include discussions and group exercises. You should read the textbook chapters assigned prior to class and turn in assignments at the beginning of class in order to prepare for these activities. The proposed schedule includes all reading assignments. If the schedule changes substantially, I will notify you in class and I will post an announcement on D2L. This is another important reason to check the course D2L daily. UCO Student Code of Conduct: Students are responsible for all information in the Student Code of Conduct 2012-‐2013. This can be accessed on the Student Affairs Publications website at http://broncho2.uco.edu/conduct/code.html. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND PLAGIARISM: The UCO Student Code of Conduct describes Academic Dishonesty and outlines the steps for disciplinary action in the Guidelines for Alleged Academic Dishonesty. This information can be found in Section III, C, 3 & 4. Academic dishonesty: Includes but is not limited to the “giving” and “taking” of improper assistance in examinations and assignments; not adhering to correct procedures for identification of sources in reports and essays and all creative endeavors; intentional misrepresentation; cheating; plagiarism; and unauthorized possession of examinations. The UCO Student Code of Conduct provides further details. Additionally, any work submitted as an assignment for one class may not be submitted for credit in another class, without prior permission of the professor. Any work so submitted will receive an automatic "0." Plagiarism: When a student submits any assignment for a course (written, oral, videotape, audiotape, photograph or Web Site), the student will submit entirely original work or will properly cite all sources utilized in the preparation of the assignment. Without proper citation, the student is guilty of plagiarism, which is not tolerated at UCO. As a student, you are responsible for understanding what constitutes plagiarism. You should talk to your professor to ensure that you can recognize and avoid all types of plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs in two primary ways: 1. Word-‐for-‐word copying, without acknowledgement, of the language or creative work of another person. Having another person complete all or part of your assignment is plagiarism and is clearly forbidden. But, in addition, the student should include NO written, video, audio, or photographic material from an existing source, no matter how brief, without acknowledging the source. When using the written words of an existing source in your assignment, either place the borrowed words in quotation marks or set the quotation aside as a block quotation. Additionally, you must include the citation for the material in your assignment. This applies to even the briefest of phrases if they are truly distinctive. 2. The unacknowledged paraphrasing of an author’s ideas. The student should no more take credit for another person’s thoughts than for another person’s words. Any distinctive, original idea taken from another writer should be credited to its author. If you are not sure whether or not an author’s idea is distinctive, you should assume that it is: no fault attaches to over-‐ acknowledgement, but under-‐acknowledgement is plagiarism. Most style manuals (e.g.,
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association) provide information concerning how to paraphrase and cite the ideas and writings of existing sources. Students may be dismissed from the university for plagiarism. University guidelines provide a range of disciplinary action dependent upon the severity of the offense including but not limited to: requiring a substitute assignment, awarding a reduced grade, awarding a failing grade for the assignment, awarding a failing grade for the course, or expelling the student from the university. Acknowledging that instances of plagiarism may range from minor to severe, the Department of Mass Communication allows the course professor to determine the severity and the disciplinary action for the first instance of plagiarism committed by a student in the professor’s course. However, if that student commits plagiarism a second time in the course, departmental policy requires that the student receive both a failing grade (“F”) for the course and a referral to the UCO Student Conduct Officer. Students should make sure they understand professor expectations for sources and content to be cited. Turnitin.com Plagiarism Syllabus Statement: UCO subscribes to the Turnitin.com plagiarism prevention service. Students agree that by taking this course, all required assignments may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted assignments will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com restricted access reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such assignments. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com website. Turnitin.com is just one of various plagiarism prevention tools and methods which may be utilized by your faculty instructor during the terms of the semesters. In the UCO Student Handbook, there is a process for contesting any plagiarism allegations against you. Department of Mass Communication Policies – Spring 2015 College of Liberal Arts University of Central Oklahoma Departmental Phone: (405) 974-‐5303 Website: http://www.uco.edu/la/masscomm/ UCentral Student Media has an app! Go to iTunes to download it for free! Follow the department Twitter account @UCO_MCOM “Like” the UCO -‐ Department of Mass Communication Facebook Page! MCOM Majors Email: The department, the college, and the university utilize the UCO email addressed assigned to each UCO student. Official information will be emailed through the UCO system. Students have the option of forwarding their UCO email to a personal email account if preferred. For information, go to http://www.uco.edu/technology/student/email/index.asp. If students do not check their UCO email, they risk missing vital information. If you do not use your UCO email account, please forward your UCO email to an email account you check frequently. Student Advisement MCOM has two Student Success Advisors for MCOM majors. Each student is responsible for seeking advisement information each semester in order to graduate in a timely manner. • Ms. Heather Peck o Office: COM 103 A o Phone: 974-‐5108 o Email:
[email protected] • Mr. Gary Parsons o Office: COM 103 o Phone: 974-‐5108 o Email:
[email protected] UCentral Student Media: http://www.uco.edu/la/masscomm/ucentral/index.asp UCentral is the student media network at the University of Central Oklahoma, featuring traditional
media (television, radio, newspaper) and new media (web, netcasts, social networking) created by students majoring in professional media. UCentral is located within the Mass Communication Department on the campus of UCO. Spring Events • Monday, January 12: First Day of Spring Classes! • Monday, January 19: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – UCO Classes Dismissed • Friday, March 13: Oklahoma Research Day, NSU, Tahlequah campus • Monday-‐Sunday, March 16-‐22: Spring Break • Thursday-‐Friday, March 26-‐27: UCO Transformative Learning Conference • Wednesday, April 1: College of Liberal Arts Symposium (All classes pre-‐empted between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm.) • Monday-‐Friday, May 4-‐8: Finals Week • Saturday, May 9: Graduation (Probable date for MCOM/CLA Graduation Ceremony) Expectation of Work Full-‐time college students are expected to spend approximately 40 hours each week in class attendance and study outside of class. According to Regents’ policy, for each hour in class a student is expected to spend two (2) to three (3) hours studying for the class (OSRHE II-‐2-‐34). For each three-‐ credit hour course, the Regents expect students to study/prepare 6-‐9 hours per week. “At the University of Central Oklahoma, we help students learn by providing transformative experiences so that they may become productive, creative, ethical and engaged citizens and leaders contributing to the intellectual, cultural, economic and social advancement of the communities they serve. Transformative learning is a holistic process that places students at the center of their own active and reflective learning experiences. All students at UCO will have transformative learning experiences in five core areas: leadership; research, creative and scholarly activities; service learning and civic engagement; global and cultural competencies; and health and wellness.” Class Attendance: (Taken from the Faculty Handbook) The university expects students to regularly attend classes in which they are enrolled. Faculty members are expected to establish specific attendance policies governing their classes. Attendance policies must appear in the course syllabi. Faculty members may require appropriate documentation to verify absences. Students are responsible for work missed due to absences. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate a request to make up class work or examinations missed. Individual policies must allow for a reasonable but not unlimited, number of excused absences, for legitimate reasons. Excused absences approved by faculty members should be consistently applied to all students. An excused absence means that an instructor may not penalize the student and must provide a reasonable and timely accommodation or opportunity to make up exams or other course requirements that have an impact on course grade. Excused students should be allowed the same opportunities as students who were present in class. Faculty members are obligated to honor the following circumstances as excused absences: a. travel considered part of the instructional program of the university and requiring absence from class (e.g. field trips, research presentations, etc.); b. invited participation in activities directly and officially sponsored by and in the interest of the university (e.g. athletic teams, debate teams, dance company, etc.); in cases of student athletes, refer to UCO Compliance Policy Manual for Athletics or contact the Faculty Athletic Representative; c. jury duty; d. military obligation (See Appendix K in Faculty Handbook.) e. serious illness, medical condition, pregnant and parenting students’ rights (as outlined in Title IX), accident, or injury; and
f. death or serious illness in immediate family Additional policies for this course are included in the Spring 2015 UCO Student Information Sheet and Syllabus Attachment that can be accessed at http://www.uco.edu/academic-‐ affairs/files/aa-‐forms/StudentInfoSheet.pdf Amendments to Syllabus: I, the professor for this course, reserve the right to amend the syllabus at any time. The contents of this syllabus are subject to revision 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the entire semester. You are put on notice that the contents of this syllabus may change during the course of the semester. If there are any changes, I will post the changes on D2L and make an announcement on D2L.
