Communications 468
Corporate & Nonprofit Public Relations
Fall 1997
Dr. Diane F. Witmer, APR
Office Hours: MW 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
MW 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
T 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Course Goals and Objectives:
Corporate and Nonprofit Public Relations is an advanced class
that is designed to help you develop an understanding of public
relations in a variety of contexts. Through the use of case
studies and a consulting project, this course provides you with
an opportunity to gain hands-on public relations experience
that will prepare you for professional practice.
Learning Outcomes:
This course will help you learn the critical thinking processes
involved in solving organizational problems and making public
relations decisions. You will have an opportunity to explore
some of the cutting edge issues facing public relations
practitioners in today's increasingly technological and global
environment.
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
* identify key public relations issues in corporate and
not-for-profit organizations.
* utilize basic strategies and tactics of public relations.
* identify and analyze organizational problem from a public
relations perspective.
* compare and contrast public relations in corporations and in
not-for-profit organizations.
* develop a public relations campaign or research project for
a corporate or not-for-profit entity.
Successful completion of the objectives listed above will
enable you to:
* challenge and re-evaluate commonly held perceptions of the
role and function of public relations in corporations and
not-for-profit organizations.
* produce high-quality work under the pressure of deadlines.
* evaluate the effectiveness of your work.
* think critically about public relations problems and how to
solve them.
Texts and Study Materials:
Goldman, J. (1984). Public relations in the marketing mix.
Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Publishing Group.
Howard, C. M., & Mathews, W. K. (1985). On deadline: Managing
media relations. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, Inc.
Pincus, J. D., & DeBonis, J. N. (1994). Top Dog. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Daily study of radio or television newscasts and one major
daily newspaper (e.g., The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, or
Wall Street Journal).
Regular attendance and careful notes from class activities,
lecture, and discussion.
Additional readings and assignments as announced in class.
Grades:
You may earn a maximum of 100 points during the semester (this
conveniently works out to 100 percent of your grade). Final
course grades are assigned as follows:
90 - 100 points = A 60 - 69 points = D
80 - 89 points = B 0 - 59 points = F
70 - 79 points = C
If your final grade is between two point values, I will round
"X .4" down, and "X.5" up. In other words, a 79.4 is 79, or a
C+, but a 79.6 is rounded to 80, which is a B-. If you want to
play on the safe side, you can boost your grade by earning some
extra points as described in the "Additional Activities"
section of this syllabus.
A Word About Grading: Grades are based upon quality of work
expected of college students at the upper-division level. This
means all oral and written work must meet certain standards,
which are listed below.
For a grade of C, the work meets the average level of
competence expected for upper-division college work. It will:
* conform to the type of assignment and tasks assigned.
* be ready on time, at the beginning of class.
* meet the objectives of the assignment.
* include all special elements of the assignment (e.g.,
outline, bibliography, memos, etc.).
* demonstrate reasonable directness and competence.
* be free of serious grammatical, punctuation, syntax, or word
usage errors.
* cite all words or ideas drawn from the work of others.
For a grade of B, the work meets the above average level of
competence expected for upper-division college work. It will
include all the qualities of "C-level" work, plus:
* demonstrate originality and depth of thought.
* include thorough and exhaustive research.
* display clear organization and professional presentation.
* incorporate clear, concise evaluation criteria.
* demonstrate skillful presentation, avoiding distraction from
conveyance of the message.
* indicate efficient use of resources (including financial).
For a grade of A, the work meets an excellent level of
competence for upper-division college work. It will include
all the qualities of "B- and C-level" work, plus:
* constitute a true contribution to the knowledge or beliefs
of the reader or audience.
* sustain positive interest, feeling, and/or commitment in the
reader or audience.
* demonstrate vividness through the use of language.
* demonstrate fluency and polish that strengthens the impact
of the message.
* provide a genuine service to the client or recipient.
* be of professional-level written or oral presentation
quality.
Below average work (Grade D or F) has major deficiencies, which
do not meet upper-division level requirements.
Overall Course Grade: Your overall course grade is based on
your performance in the following class activities:
Course Activities:
You may earn points toward your final course grade by
completing assignments and participating in class activities.
Each activity is worth a maximum number of points as follows:
Group Grades:
Proposal, Contract, & Presentation 20 points
Final Agency Report & Presentation 30 points
Grade with Partner:
Case Study Analysis 30 points
Individual Grades:
Final Individual Report on Agency Project 10 points
Individual Performance on Agency Project 10 points
TOTAL 100 points
Group Activities (50 points):
This course involves intensive group work, so a portion of
class time will be set aside for group meetings to discuss
progress of your project and to plan the future course of your
campaign. Some of these meetings appear on the syllabus. Other
in-class group meetings will be added as needed.
For purposes of this class, your group will be a public
relations consulting firm, and you will work to meet the
special needs of a corporate or not-for-profit client. This
means that throughout the semester, your group must act as a
cohesive unit, and group activities produce a single Group
Grade that is the same for each member. The Group Grade is
based upon:
The overall quality of the group project elements.
* The written and oral group presentations of the proposal and
final reports.
* The efficiency, skill, and professionalism displayed by the
group in interactions with the client, the group executive
director, each other and me, and general group cohesiveness.
* Other written and oral presentations to the class and/or
client.
NOTE: You'll need to provide a copy of your agency materials to
both the instructor and the client, as well as retain a copy
for your group.
Proposal & Contract (20 points):
Information and examples for these materials will be
available in a course packet.
Final Group Report (30 points):
This is the matching "bookend" to the proposal. It reports
what work you accomplished and evaluates your agency's
efforts. To do this, you will compare your proposed goals,
objectives, timelines, and budgets to those you actually
accomplished. To organize the final report, use the TTT
model (tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them,
then tell them what you told them):
Introduction
* Previews of the rest of the report; recaps problem and
summarizes conclusions.
* Overview of group activities
* Reports your progress: goals, objectives, what you
accomplished, what you didn't accomplish
* Summarizes for the client how the extent to which goals
and objectives were or were not achieved.
Problems and Solutions
* Elucidates the original problem, the organizational
goals, your corresponding goals, and the objectives.
* Provides an up-to-date report on the current status of
the problem, goals, and objectives, emphasizing the
agency's work.
Project Management
* Summarizes how the project was managed.
* Outlines the agency members' division of labor
* Reports the final budget: Specific expenditures and how
they compared with the budget
* Outlines the final schedule as milestones actually were
accomplished; describes and how closely the agency met
its original timeline and explains reasons for changes in
schedule.
Conclusion
* Describes and discusses campaign successes and problems,
including what worked exceptionally well, what didn't,
how similar problems might be avoided in the future.
* Answers the question of what lessons the agency and the
client can learn from this experience--which is the
question all practitioners ask themselves upon completing
a program.
* Offers the client recommendations for future public
relations programs.
Appendix
* Includes samples of all the work you completed, including
fliers, brochures, PSAs, news releases, etc.
* Includes samples of the results of your work, including
press clippings, internal reports, memos from the client,
etc.
HINTS:
* Use journals to reconstruct group activities. Get
feedback from the instructor before presenting your final
report to the client. Turn in an early draft so you can
revise before submitting to client. Make at least two
copies of all agency reports: One for the instructor and
one for the client. Also be sure to keep a copy for
yourself.
NOTE:
Teamwork is an essential element of public relations. I will
provide guidance, but part of the learning experience in this
course is that of resolving within your group any problems that
arise. After group negotiations and a group meeting with me, a
group can, by unanimous vote, dismiss a team member for poor or
non-performance. If a group member is dismissed, his/her grade
for the group project will be a zero.
Individual Grades on Group Project (20 points):
Individual Performance on Group Project (10 points): Your
Individual Group Project Grade is part of your overall course
grade, and is based upon:
* Your individual participation as a group member, which is
defined as your readiness to share in group
responsibilities, your cooperation with other group members,
your willingness to "pitch in" and help with group tasks,
and your ability to do things when and where you promise to
do them. If you fail to perform and are dismissed from your
team, you will receive a zero on this project.
* Your efficiency, skill, and professionalism in performing
your assigned consulting role, including class and client
oral or written presentations.
* Your performance in completing 6 weekly journal reports.
These reports should be no more than one or two pages, type
and double spaced. You will use them to keep a record of
your group's progress, any obstacles you encounter, specific
tasks assigned and completed, and your general observations
of the public relations process as it relates to your client
and your group.
* Your performance in completing all project-related
individual reports and tasks.
* On-time completion of your resuṃ. This should follow a
standard resuṃ format, and should be approximately one
page. Minimum components of the resuṃ include:
* Education.
* Relevant experience (do not include high school related
activities).
* Honors and awards.
* Professional affiliations (Examples: Public Relations
Student Society of America or student sections of Women
in Communications, International Association of Business
Communicators, etc. are appropriate to list.).
Final Individual Report on Group Project (10 points):
This report should be no more than two pages, typed and double-
spaced, and answer the following questions:
* What is the most important thing that you learned about
public relations and agency work in this course?
* On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best, how would you
evaluate your own performance on the group project? Why?
Justify your rating.
* On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best, how would you
evaluate the performance of each of the other members of
your team? Why? List each group member by name. For each
group member, provide your rating and a justification for
your rating.
* On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best, how would you
evaluate your team as a whole? Why? Justify your rating.
Hint: Be honest about your own performance and that of
others. Be sure to support your evaluations with SPECIFIC
information, and examples.
Grade with Partner (30 points)--Case Study Analysis:
We will discuss crisis communications, and analyzing several
cases in this class. This assignment involves working with a
partner to investigate and offer a solution to a public
relations problem that you select. The primary criterion for
selecting the case study is that it must present a challenge to
a real person or organization from a public relations
perspective. Your case should be relatively current. (Please
don't choose the Johnson & Johnson Tylenol case, which has been
done to death!)
Once you've determined the case you'd like to analyze, you will
prepare a typed paper (including citations and a bibliography
that indicates the sources you've used to support your ideas).
You also will deliver a formal, polished, 15-20-minute class
presentation.
The Paper
Your paper and oral presentation should answer the questions
that appear below. Be sure to support your arguments with
excerpts and/or paraphrases from published sources. Be sure to
cite your sources properly in the text of your paper and in an
alphabetical list of references.
Fact Summary
* What is the background of the person or organization?
* What are the past public relations activities of the person
or organization?
* What are the past public relations successes or failures of
the person or organization?
* Who are the relevant publics for this person or
organization?
* What is the nature of the relationship that currently exists
between the entity you chose and its publics?
Problem Identification
* What is the issue at hand?
* How did the issue arise?
* Who are the salient publics for this issue?
* What was the person or organization/s overall goal for the
problem it faced?
Proposed Activities
* What public relations goals might help the person or
organization attain its overall goal?
* What activities or means would you propose for attaining
this goal? (Hint: Look for incongruence between goals and
the existing campaign.)
* How different is your proposal from the person's or
organization's actual activities?
* How practically feasible is your proposal? Consider such
things as money, logistics, personnel, time, and other
resources in assessing the practicality of your
recommendations.
* Provide some sample messages that may help the organization
publicize the strategies you have suggested in your
proposal.
* Provide some sample illustrations for the strategies you
have proposed.
* How will the success or failure of your proposed activities
be measured?
The Presentation
You and your partner should each present half of your analysis
in class. You will be graded individually, but your personal
presentation should constitute part of a unified whole, so it
should be rehearsed and polished. I encourage you to use
illustrations or visual aids for your presentation, although it
certainly isn't mandatory. Be sure to dress appropriately.
Preparation
Your first order of business will be the selection of a partner
and several possible cases that you both think are appropriate.
I will set aside class time for you and your partner to discuss
your case with me and get approval on the case you select.
Select your case as early as possible so you will have time to
gather enough information for your case study analysis. As
always, you can consult with me at any time for guidance on the
project. I also have a few examples of cases from past
classes, which you are welcome to review.
Additional Activities:
You have an opportunity to earn up to 5 extra points toward
your final grade by putting forth some extra effort as follows:
Your Photograph (2 points):
I'd like to get to know you and to remember your name. You can
help me speed up the process by providing me with a photograph
of yourself with your name (the first name should be the one
you prefer I use in class) neatly printed on the front. A
clear photocopy of your student ID card with personal
information blocked out will do. Please keep it snapshot size.
For credit, this is due Tuesday, September 2.
Public Relations Event (3 points):
You have a number of opportunities to attend public relations
events during the semester. Keep your eyes open for
professional chapter PRSA, IABC, or WIC events (including
luncheons and meetings), department-sponsored events, and
student PRSSA or IABC meetings. Check with me in advance for
approval on other PR-related activities. Be sure to submit to
me proof of your attendance in the form of a one-page, written
report and documentation of your attendance (a program,
receipt, verification signed by an officer, or similar
material).
For credit, documentation of all events is due Tuesday, November 18.
Notes:
This course emphasizes the ethical practice of public
relations, which is based on personal integrity. Any proven
case of plagiarism or violation of university standards of
conduct will result in immediate failure of the class.
If I find that attendance falls when a guest speaker is
scheduled to visit the class, I will be forced to cancel any
further guest visits for the semester.
Tentative Schedule
This is a preliminary schedule. It is almost certain to change, so please
be sure to stay current on reassigned due dates and activities!
Assignments must be completed prior to each scheduled class meeting.
Additional assignments may be announced. Italicized assignments due indicate
optional extra credit work.
G = Goldman text
H&M = Howard & Mathews text
P&D = Pincus & DeBonis
Week
Number Date Topic Assignment
1 Aug 26 Intro & Overview
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2 Sep 2 Individual meetings & Resume
Agency formation G, 1-2
H&M 1-2
Photo
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3 Sep 9 Writing proposals &
contracts H&M 3-4
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4 Sep 16 Working in teams G 3-4
Proposal draft
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5 Sep 23 Working with the media H&M 5-6
Final proposal &
Presentation
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6 Sep 30 Working with the media H&M 7
Agency contract
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7 Oct 7 Video case studies
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8 Oct 14 Tools H&M 8-11
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9 Oct 21 Marketing & public relations G 8-10
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10 Oct 28 Tools (con't) G 11-12
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11 Nov 4 Case studies P&D Part I
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12 Nov 11 Agency P&D Part II
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13 Nov 18 Case study presentations PR Event
Case study report
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14 Nov 25 Thanksgiving Vacation NO CLASS
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15 Dec 2 Agency P&D Part III
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16 Dec 9 Agency Presentations P&D Part IV
Group report
Individual report
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Dec 15-20 FINALS WEEK
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September 20, 1997.