COM 454, Communication Campaigns
Syllabus
Spring 2010

Course Overview

Description

Communication campaigns affect us every day. Be they public relations, advertising, integrated marketing, health-related or political campaigns; and whether they promote products, behaviors or ideas, all well-planned campaigns have objectives and goals. In this course we will sharpen our perspectives on campaign goals from two perspectives: that of campaign planners and that of critical consumers of campaign information. Pre: 201 and junior standing, or consent. DS

Resources

Required Reading Material
We'll work primarily from one text, but other readings from handouts and the Web will be assigned as we go.

• Wilson, L.J., & Ogden, J.D. (2008). Strategic Communications Planning (5th ed.). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt.

Laulima and Multimedia
The COM 454 Laulima site will serve as our main portal as needed for any online readings, assignments and multimedia resources. On occasion, video clips or entire video productions may be shown in class. Although many of these videos may be available in campus libraries or online, the only way to be sure that you don't miss information presented via video is to be in class. Videos shown and the discussions that follow will be fair game for exams.

Guest Speakers
Guest speakers may be invited to our class to discuss their perspectives on communication campaigns. As with other in-class activities, missing class when we have guest speakers will mean missing a valuable resource for exams and projects. 

Your Fellow Students
You and your fellow students will have many opportunities to contribute to this class. Information provided by students may be used as material for exams.  Peer evaluations will weigh heavily in any group efforts on the campaign planning project.

Student Learning Outcomes/Objectives

Success in this course means you will:

1. identify strategic communication campaigns in your communities (local, organizational, global);
2. analyze components of strategic communication campaigns;
3. apply relevant research findings and theory in discussing communication campaigns;
4. develop strategic communication campaign plans;
5. integrate social media into campaign plans;
6. critically evaluate communication campaign processes, uses and effects; and
7. explore your scholarly and career options in strategic communication.

Grading

Your final grade will be based on two midterm exams, in-class participation, attendance, and a campaign planning project that will require out-of-class participation. We will rely heavily on the course textbook as we move through the steps of the planning process. In addition to the chapter readings listed in the timeline below, activities and additional reading will be assigned from the Web, library resources and handouts throughout the semester.

Exams (2 @ 30% each = 60%)
Primary objectives: 1, 3, 4
Two major exams will cover material from class lectures, class discussion, guest speakers and assigned readings. Exams may include true-false, multiple-choice, matching and short-answer questions. THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO MAKE-UP EXAMS without proper documentation for your absence, which must be provided before the absence if at all possible. A missed exam will count as a zero.

Campaign Plan (30%)
We will discuss expectations for the project in class. In fact, the expectations for a solid proposal will be a the main focus of this course. Papers will be due and presentations will be scheduled for the final weeks of the semester. Rubrics will be provided with details as we progress.

• Written plan = 20%. Primary objectives covered: 3, 4, 5, 6
• Oral presentation = 10%. Primary objectives covered: 3, 4, 5, 6
  

Project Participation (5%)
Primary objectives covered: 4, 5, 6, 7
This portion of your grade will be based on in-class observation, peer evaluations for any team work, and the content of team reports.

Class Participation & Attendance (5%)
Primary objectives: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7
At the end of the semester, your in-class contributions will be rated based on the following.

• pattern of attendance
• pattern of punctuality
• evidence of reading and understanding reading assignments
• resourcefulness of comments (e.g., accurately citing current events)
• collegiality and respect for other students' time
• relevance of comments to course topics and materials

Missing two classes during the semester without a documented and approved excuse won't affect your grade, as long as you don't miss any exams or deadlines. Beyond that, each unexcused absence will cost one point. So three unexcused absences would mean you'd be eligible for a maximum of 4 points for in-class contributions, four unexcused absences would mean a maximum of three possible points for in-class contributions, and so on. My past experience shows that students who miss more than three or four classes often find their grades suffering well beyond the 5% for in-class contributions. For example, they miss exam questions based on in-class discussions and fall behind on team assignments.

Final Grade Requirements

A	B	C	D	F
90-100	80-89.9	70-79.9	60-69.9	59.9 and below

There will be absolutely no adjustment of grades on an individual basis (e.g., "I'm only one point away from a C, and I must get a C to graduate on time.") Any requests for exceptions will be seen as an attempted breach of fairness to the rest of the class.

Seeking Help

This course should provide a great learning experience for all of us. The success of the course depends largely on effective student-teacher interaction. Don't feel like you have to have a pressing problem to talk to me. I'll be available during my office hours unless announced otherwise. Of course, I'm often in and available at times not posted as office hours. Generally, I'll leave my office door open if I'm available. If my door is closed, that either means I'm out or that I'm in but working on deadline or getting ready for class. In any case, we can set an appointment if that works better.

Special Accommodations
Students requiring special accommodations must notify me and present appropriate supporting documentation by the end of the second week of class.

Academic Honesty
Academic dishonesty of any sort will not be tolerated. I take cheating issues very seriously, and I've had some unpleasant experiences dealing with cases of cheating in recent semesters. Please see me if you have any questions about academic honesty, and I'll be happy to discuss such issues in advance of you taking an exam or submitting your work.

Preliminary Class Timeline