Ron Smith, Professor of Communication
smithrd @
buffalostate.edu
878-6008 (phone) … 878-4697 (fax)
Bishop
210
Office hours: Every day by appointment
Deborah Silverman, Assistant Professor of
Communication
silverda @ buffalostate.edu
878-3606 (phone) ... 878-4697
(fax)
Bishop 225
Office hours: MW 1-2:30, TR 9:30-10:30, or by
appointment
Catalog Description
Study of the principles and social
responsibility of public relations and advertising. Fact-finding, planning,
communication, and evaluation. Theories and uses of public relations and
advertising in contemporary society.
Prerequisites Courses
COM-210 and COM-215, or permission of
instructor
Text:
Smith: Strategic Planning for Public Relations
(1st edition 2002 or 2nd edition 2005)
Class Web site
faculty.buffalostate.edu/smithrd
Purpose
This is the introductory and foundational course for
the study of public relations and advertising. The primary goals of this course
are two-fold:
- To introduce students to the four-step management process
for persuasive communication
- To provide opportunities for students to
apply this process in various situations involving public relations and
advertising
Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students should be
able to show competency in meeting the following objectives:
- to explain
the development, role, and functions of public relations and advertising
-
to discuss ethical and professional considerations of public relations and
advertising
- to identify various persuasive techniques in effective
communication
- to display an understanding of the role that research and
evaluation play in planning for public relations and advertising
- to show
an ability to target publics and define objectives specific to various
publics
- to apply the process of planning for public relations or
advertising to an actual organization
As a student in COM301, you will be treated as you can expect to be treated in the work place; that is, as an adult professional, each responsible for your own performance.
Attendance
As a public relations or advertising professional,
you will be expected to be on the job every day. And as a student, you learn
best when you come to class. Therefore, you are expected to come to every
scheduled class meeting on time and prepared to participate. You may be absent
for no more than 15 percent of class meetings. For this semester, that means 4
is the maximum number of allowable absences. Any more than 4 absences will
result in a maximum possible course grade of C.
Assignments
You will receive ample notice of assignment
deadlines. All writing assignments must be typed and proofread. Because of the
professional nature of this class, standards of grammar, punctuation and
spelling will be expected in every writing assignment the student submits.
Neatness and a professional look also are expected.
Assignments are due on
the assigned day, either in class or in the instructor's office or e-mail prior
to 5 p.m. Late assignments will be accepted only until the next class meeting,
with a 10-point late penalty. Any assignment turned in after that will receive
only a minimum passing grade of 60 points. Note: Working on an assignment for
this or any other class is no excuse for missing or coming late for class.
Participation
Active class participation involves more than
mere physical presence. You are expected to be actively involved in this class.
Take the initiative in discussion and projects; ask relevant questions;
contribute to the over-all learning environment of this class. This is known as
active learning. Class discussions will be wide-ranging and open; no
relevant topic will be off-limits. Students are encouraged to share their media
experiences, insights and professional observations. Class discussions must be
conducted in an environment of respect and tolerance – for both people and
their ideas.
Special Needs
Students with disabilities or special needs
should should make these known to the instructor. More importantly, they should
contact the Office of Disability Services (120 Twin Rise South Wing, 878-4500).
Based on recommendations from that office, students may receive needed
assistance, such as additional time or a quiet space to take exams, a reader
for exams, and so on.
Student-Teacher Communication
Students are encouraged to
contact either instructor with questions about course content or academic
progress. E-mail contacts for instructors are noted at the top of this section.
Instructors will initiate contact with students using the college e-mail
address that each student has; if you prefer a different e-mail account, set
your Buffalo State e-mail to automatically forward all mail to your preferred
account.
Workload
Each student begins this class with the presumption
that s/he is an average student capable of advanced undergraduate work.
Students will determine their grade from this basis according to their academic
performance. SUNY criteria for minimal out-of-class work is two hours for each
hour of class time; students should expect to spend adequate time in reading,
researching and writing homework assignments, and studying for exams. This is
known as independent learning, a hallmark of an educated person.
Students in COM 301 also can expect to spend a significant amout of time on
group projects. Contribution to the team effort will factor in each student's
grade for group projects.
Academic Integrity
Each student is expected to make an honest
effort in this class and to be scrupulous in maintaining academic integrity.
Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated, and college guidelines on
academic misconduct will be enforced. Guidelines on
avoiding
plagiariam are available at the department Web site:www.buffalostate.edu/communication.
Examinations ... 40%
This course will feature three
examinations based on the textbook, Web site, and class presentations. It also
will feature a series of quizzes based on assigned readings; the average of
these will count as a fourth examination grade. Thus each exam grade is worth
10 percent of your final course grade.
Mini-Projects ... 25%
Several mini-projects will involve
short reports on assigned topics.
Participation ... 10%
This part of the final grade will
include the professor's assessment of each student's participatory role in the
class. It will involve objective data such as attendance and timely submission
of assignments, as well as subjective assessment of the student's attitude,
interest level, and so on. Attendance at the final class meetings for student
presentations week is mandatory; absence from either class will result in the
loss of 10 points from the final course grade, a complete letter grade.
Project Proposal ... 25%
Using planning scenarios related to campus life, students
will work in teams during class time to learn the four phases of an integrated
communication campaign. Later as a final course project, students will work in
teams of two to develop an integrated communication campaign (combining public
relations and advertising) to address a particular issue for an organization of
your choice. See Smith's Nine Steps of Strategic
Communication for an outline of the planning process for public relations
and marketing communication.
See two sample student project, along with my written critique and evaluation of each: Denny's Restaurant: Image-Boosting Campaign and National Endowment for the Arts: Visibility and Support. Though these sample may have a few flaws and shortcomings, each received an "A" grade. Use these samples as guides, but use common sense in preparing your own project report.
Connect with Ron Smith's home page.
http://faculty.buffalostate.edu/smithrd