WRITING FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS & ADVERTISING :: COMM 4333 :: SPRING 2012

Professor: Office: Office Hours: Phone: Blog: Twitter: E-mail: Barbara B. Nixon, Ph.D. (ABD) Bolin 217 See http://bit.ly/ProfNixonOfficeHours 863-667-5554 or barbara.b.nixon on Skype http://publicrelationsmatters.com @BarbaraNixon bbnixon@seu.edu

UNIVERSITY MISSION STATEMENT: Southeastern, a dynamic, Christ-centered university, fosters student success by integrating personal faith and higher learning. Within our loving Pentecostal community, we challenge students to a lifetime of good work and of preparing professionally so they can creatively serve their generation in the Spirit of Christ. COURSE DESCRIPTION: A course designed to give practical experience in producing public relations 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 various techniques employed in managing a public relations communications program. Students completing this course should be able to apply the various decision-making, writing, editing and design techniques necessary to create a media program including communications ranging from personal to mass, and from controlled to uncontrolled. REQUIRED TEXT: Wilcox, D. (2009). Public relations writing and media techniques (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education. A recent Associated Press Style Book, preferably 45th edition (it says 2010 on the cover), the AP Style app for iPhone or iPad, or a subscription to the AP Stylebook online Students will also need to subscribe to Ragan Communications PR Daily and to join Poynters NewsU REQUIRED EQUIPMENT: At least one USB drive (minimum 1G) Pack of multi-color markers

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GRADING: 350 points 300 points 100 points 100 points 100 points 50 points

Written Assignments Blog NewsU Courses AP Style Quizzes Social Media News Release / Final Project Final Exam (There will be a comprehensive, BlackBoard-based, final exam.) 1000

Total possible points

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS: Early in the semester, you will choose a client to write for. All writing assignments will be geared toward this one client. Assignments include news releases, personality profile, public service announcement, broadcast news release, fact sheet, photo with caption, media contact list, advertisement, speech script and media advisory. With the exception of two news releases (which all students will complete), you will contract with me for which other assignments you will complete. Assignment point values and specific guidelines will be further explained as the time approaches. Rubrics for each assignment will be made available. BLOG: Starting early in the semester, you will create original content for your blog; it will be through this method that I will be able to assess your engagement and participation in this course. You will add new content to your blog, including comments you post to others blogs, weekly. Blog posts that are posted after their due dates may not be graded or earn credit. There will be at least two graded Blog Checkpoints, plus a final assessment of the blog. Citing sources in your blog is just as important as it is in any academic paper you write; plagiarism is not tolerated. Specifics about the content of your blog will be shared during the first month of class. NEWS UNIVERSITY COURSES: You will sign up for a free NewsU account during the first week of class. See the Tentative Weekly Schedule for course names and deadlines. Course Reports and their associated BlackBoard quizzes are due during the assigned week; late course reports / quizzes are not accepted and will not earn any credit. AP STYLE QUIZZES: Most Associated Press Style quizzes are administered via BlackBoard. Unless stated otherwise, you will work individually and have one hour to complete each open-book quiz. You can take each of the quiz twice, and the higher of the two scores count. (NOTE: There will also be at least one closed-book AP Style quiz that will be conducted in class.) FINAL PROJECT: Your final project will consist of a social media news release for your client, including text, audio, photo(s) and perhaps video. Details on this assignment will be shared during the first month of class. FINAL EXAM: There will be a comprehensive, BlackBoard-based, final exam.

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COURSE POLICIES: 1. Responsibilities of Students: Each student is expected to commit to the following guidelines: a. Preparationthe class discussion will mean little if text material is not read and the assignments are not prepared in advance. b. Presenceunique thoughts and insights cannot be contributed to group discussions, or to student learning, if you are not present. The SEU attendance policy should be your guide and is a minimum attendance policy. c. Promptnesslate arrivals disrupt the class and adversely impact the decorum of the process. This is unprofessional. Note: Three times late equals one absence for evaluation purposes. d. Participationas part owner of the discussion, it is each students responsibility to share in the advancement of the groups collective skills and knowledge e. Academic HonestyAny instance of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, will be handled in accordance with the Student Handbook. f. Specific PoliciesIf you cannot be present for a class, you are responsible for contacting a fellow student by using email in order to find out what was covered in class the day you were absent and what will be covered in the next class. 2. Material will be covered in class that is not presented in the textbook. This material may include information included in lectures, additional readings, and in-class exercises. Exams will include this material as well as material assigned in the textbook. 3. Material not turned in when due and in the manner specified will NOT be accepted and will earn a grade of zero. Unless otherwise 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. Pay close attention to which assignments are to be posted to BlackBoard and which are to be posted to your blog (or both). 4. If there is a discrepancy between the grade shown for an assignment in BlackBoard and your own records of a grade, it must be brought to the professors attention via e-mail within one week of when the grade is posted. 5. Attendance is important. Any absences in excess of what is allowed by the SEU policy set forth 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 speech or guest speaker days, if you are tardy you must wait to enter the class until the speaker has completed her or his speech; you will be able to tell when speeches end by listening for the applause. 6. Failure to take an exam or quiz on the assigned date will result in a ZERO for that exam unless the absence is approved in advance by the instructor or is an emergency that is excused by the Dean of the College of Fine Arts. If you travel with an athletic team or are a member of another SEU approved club or group, you are responsible for submitting assigned material prior to your departure or via email while traveling. COMM 4333, Spring 2012, p. 3

7. Cell Phones and Electronic Devices: Because your friends and family may not know your class schedule, turn off your cell phones in class. Ringing cell phones are annoying and disruptive, especially during speeches. Furthermore, because of the advance technology of text messaging 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 an examination will result in immediate dismissal from the classroom and the examination. 8. Agreement with Syllabus Content: This syllabus is an agreement between the professor and the student, between me and you, to respectively provide and complete a worthy learning experience. By remaining a registered student in this course, you have identified your understanding of and agreement to the obligations set forth in this syllabus for satisfactory completion of this course, including the course policies as well as the assignments. The professor reserves the right to modify this syllabus during the term. All other academic policies are described in the Student Handbook. IMPORTANT SEU POLICIES Students with Disabilities Southeastern University is committed to the provision of reasonable accommodations for students with learning and or physical disabilities, as defined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 1973. If you think you may qualify for these accommodations, notify your instructor. You will then be directed to contact the Director of Academic Success at 863-6675157. Testing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Tests are administered for each department at the request of each professor to provide special accommodations for those affected by learning disabilities, vision and physical impairments, attention deficit disorder, and testing anxiety/phobias. These accommodations are provided on a daily basis for the student and professors. Class Attendance Policy Students are both expected and encouraged to attend classes regularly. The lack of attendance will affect a students grade. For traditional fall and spring semesters, a student may miss a class without penalty equal to the number of times a class meets per week as follows: If the class meets once a week a student may miss one class. If the class meets two times a week a student may miss two classes. If the class meets three times a week a student may miss three classes.

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If a students absences exceed the number of times a class meets per week, a professor may: Subject the student to a penalty of not more than one letter grade based on attendance alone. Recommend to the Vice President for Academic Affairs that a student with excessive absences be withdrawn from the course. If a student misses a class and there is an in-class activity/assignment/quiz on that day, makeups are not allowed. Program directors must provide lists of students participating in authorized university activities or field trips to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Once approved, program directors must provide copies of the lists to the participating students for submission to the students instructors. Faculty must take this information into account as they log attendance and not consider it an absence. Working within the framework of the above guidelines, faculty will clearly articulate their attendance policy in the course syllabus. Prolonged and/or unusual absences not covered by the policy may be appealed to the Vice President of Academic Affairs by either the professor or the student. Appeals must be submitted in writing. Final Exam Every professor is obligated to administer a final exam or hold an appropriate class during the regularly scheduled exam period. Every student is obligated to take the final exam or attend that appropriate class during the regularly scheduled exam period. Please plan accordingly and carefully for final exams. You must not plan vacations, ministry appointments, weddings, airline flights, or any other similar activity or engagement that will conflict with the final exam schedule. Also, do not schedule any of these activities so close to your final exam that the commute to the activity conflicts with the final exam schedule. Final exams will be administered in the room where the class normally meets. Students with more than 3 exams scheduled on one day can petition the instructor and department chair/college dean to take one of the exams another day.

Communication Statement Southeastern University requires all faculty, staff and students to use their Southeastern email address for official university communication. Students are required to check Southeastern email daily as they will be held accountable for all communications sent through this medium. Course Evaluations In order to help us to assess the effectiveness of our courses and instructors, if you receive a course evaluation for this course, you are required to complete it.

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BARBARA B. NIXONS TEACHING & LEARNING PHILOSOPHY

Several years ago, a colleague shared with me this quotation by longshoreman and philosopher Eric Hoffer: In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. This quotation struck a chord with me. Put simply, my overarching goal in teaching is to ensure that our world has more learners than learned. I am fortunate to be in a role in life where I can have an impact on our future world leaders. What do I expect from my students? Students should be fully read on all of the chapters (or other reading assignments) and to be ready to discuss any part of the readings. Students should raise questions when they are uncertain of the material we are discussing, including questions that I will have no easy (pat) answer for. Students should make every effort to gain the most value that they can from the class. They should want to become independent learners. Students should become aware of not only how what happens in the world (current events) impacts them, but also how what they do impacts the world. Campus is not a cocoon.

And what can my students expect from me? Because I am aware that students learn in many different ways, I will not lecture at my students daily from behind a raised podium. Instead, I will provide instruction to them in an interactive manner, even in online courses. In a typical week, students will experience partner discussions, small group discussions, Internet scavenger hunts, and even crossword puzzles, in addition to short (less than 20 minute) lecturettes. Death by PowerPoint will not happen in my class. I will provide them with the most current information I have available. I stay current on topics and trends in the industry. I will stay abreast of current technology and apply it in the classroom whenever it adds to the learning experience. (Examples include current software, podcasts and blogging, to name a few.) I will make every effort to help guide students through the issues that they raise, and we will seek resolution together. I will make every effort I can to make sure that students understand the issues and concepts my courses present. When I have positive feedback to share, I will share it openly in the classroom and call attention to students by name in the process. My goal in this is to enhance or maintain the students selfesteem, not to break it down. There are plenty of other places in the world where their selfesteem may be diminished. Constructive criticism will still be provided to students, but not by name in front of a whole class. I expect for us to have fun in class. Laughter and learning go hand in hand in my book. If we are not enjoying ourselves in class, theres something amiss. And perhaps most importantly, I will listen to my students so that I can learn from them, too.

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WRITING FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS & ADVERTISING :: COMM 4333 :: SPRING 2012
TENTATIVE WEEKLY SCHEDULE (as of 8 January 2012)
WEEK 1 2 3
CLASS DATE(S) January 12 January 17, 19 TOPIC/ASSIGNMENT Course Overview Sign up for NewsU account (in class) Tapping the Web and New Media Social Media 101 (incl. blogging & microblogging) Getting Organized for Writing Becoming a Persuasive Writer AP Style Bootcamp Blog Checkpoint #1 Avoiding Legal Hassles Blog Editorial Calendar Due Finding & Making News Distributing News to the Media All Five AP Style Quizzes Due Writing the News Release Media Contact List Due Blog Checkpoint #2 Creating News Features & Op-Eds News Release #1 Due READINGS

Ch. 12 Ch. 1, 2 Also, Cleaning Your Copy (NewsU); submit Course Report & BlackBoard Quiz (CR/BBQ) by midnight on Sunday News Sense: The Building Blocks of News (NewsU) + submit CR/BBQ by midnight on Sunday Ch. 3 Also, The Lead Lab (NewsU) + submit CR/BBQ by midnight on Sunday Ch. 4 Ch. 11 Ch. 5

January 24, 26

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Jan. 31, Feb. 2

February 7, 9

February 14, 16

February 21, 23

Feb. 28, Mar. 1 March 6, 8 March 13, 15

March 20, 22

March 27, 29

13

April 3, 5

14 15 16

April 10, 12 April 17, 19 April 24, 26 FINAL EXAM

Ch. 7 Also, The Language of the Image (NewsU) + submit CR/BBQ by midnight on Sunday SPRING BREAK! Preparing Fact Sheets, Advisories, Media Kits & Pitches Ch. 6 Media Advisory Due Ch. 8 Selecting Publicity Photos & Graphics Also, Reporting Across Platforms (NewsU) + News Release #2 Due submit CR/BBQ by midnight on Sunday Writing for TV and Radio Ch. 9 Photo & Caption Due Also, Writing for the Ear (NewsU) + submit Infographic Due CR/BBQ by midnight on Sunday Getting Along with Journalists Giving Speeches & Presentations Personality Profile Due Ch. 11, 15 PSA Due Broadcast News Release Due Using Direct Mail and Advertising Ch. 16 Blog Due Measuring Success Ch. 19 Speech Script Due Ad Due Course Wrap Up SMNR/Final Project Due Complete the Final Exam in BlackBoard before Tuesday, May 1, at 1:50 p.m. = Required Assignment = Contracted Assignment

See my BlackBoard and my blog for specific details on assignments. Written assignments will be due on Sundays (at the END of the week) by 11:59 PM unless otherwise noted. NOTE: The above schedule and procedures are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances. When possible, you will be provided at least one class day of advance notice of any changes. Its always smart to check your e-mail & Twitter before coming to class each day.

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Consent to Comply
I ______________________________________________ Students Name (print)

have read, understand, and will keep in my possession the Course Syllabus for COMM 4333, Southeastern University, 2011/2012. I understand that in compliance with the syllabus and the Student Handbook, for both instructional and evaluation purposes, I may be responsible for electronically submitting my written work to Turnitin. With the affixing of my signature below, I agree to comply to the terms therein. _____________________________________________ My Signature ______________________________________________ Date

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