Rationale: (Including Instructional Goals and Key Quality Indicators):

                "Public Relations Problems:  Cases, Concepts, and Campaigns" provides students with the opportunity to examine in depth the steps of researching, planning, implementing, and evaluating public relations campaigns and programs; to analyze case histories; and to design appropriate public relations campaigns and programs for selected clients and sponsoring organizations

As in other PR courses, assignments are geared toward honing the writing and critical thinking skills so important for success in public relations. Projects encourage the student to participate in his or her own education through self-directed learning.

A graduation requirement for all majors in the Department of Communication, Theatre and Languages is the presentation of a portfolio which demonstrates competencies in Northwest Missouri State University's Instructional Goals and Key Quality Indicators.  Some items from this class, which may be used to fulfill that requirement are:

Specific objectives which this course meets include:

1. Analyze public relations campaigns and programs.               
2. Prepare an appropriate proposal for public relations campaign or program based on research of potential clients and the relevant publics.
3. Prepare objectives, strategies and tactics as part of a public relations campaign.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of current issues and practices in the field, including priority research questions and the need for strategic planning.
5. Understand the use of theory in public relations and use formal and informal research methods to develop a PR plan.
   
6. To develop a sense of professionalism and ethics in the practice of public relations.

Methods of Instruction:

Methods of instruction include lectures (using Silicon-Chalk), group discussions, eCompanion discussions, and individual and group presentations.

Course Evaluation:

Exercises (5 x 30)                                         150 points

Assignments (5 x 70)                                     350 points

Webliography (5 x 10)                                      50 points

Final project                                                    50 points

TOTAL                                                           600 points                             

80 – 89% = B

70 – 79% = C

60 – 69% = D

59% and below = F

Books on reserve in the Northwest Missouri State University library:

Dennis L. Wilcox, Glen T. Cameron, Philip H. Ault and Warren K. Agee. 2003. Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics, 7th edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

 Matera, F.R. and R.J. Artigue. (2000). Public Relations Campaigns and Techniques, 7^th Ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Recommended Periodicals:

Students should be reading on a regular basis from publications in the field of public relations. Examples are Public Relations Tactics (available through PRSSA membership); Communciation World (available through IABC membership); and PR Week (a weekly tabloid). In addition, students should be reading national and international publications available online, such as Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Toronto Globe and Mail.

Policy Statement:

1. Students are expected to attend all regularly scheduled class meetings. Students who miss more than three classes will lose a letter grade, more than six classes two letter grades.
2. Work missed due to an unexcused absence will be made up at the discretion of the instructor.
3. Students are responsible for all material in the text, all supplemental assigned reading, and all material presented in class.
4. If a written assignment is turned in late, students will receive a 10% penalty per class day. No late assignments will be accepted once final examination week begins.
5. Missed participation activities may not be made up for full credit.

Plagiarism Statement:

To avoid plagiarism, those who use words or ideas (including spoken, printed, electronically retrieved, or recorded sources) from another person’s work, must document the source. 

To document a direct quotation in APA style, writers must:

1.        include quotation marks around the material or indent it within the text to indicate their use of the source;

2.        provide parenthetical notation indicating the date (required), page number (if available); and

3.        include the name of the author (if available) or the title (if no author is given) either in the introduction to the quotation or within the parenthetical citation.

To document a direct quotation in an oral presentation, speakers must:

1.        say the word “quote” to verbally replace written quotation marks; and

2.        include the name of the author (if available) or the title (if no author is given) either immediately before or after the quotation. 

3.        outline oral presentations consistent with the above rules for written material.

Instead of quoting writers or speakers, you may paraphrase the facts and ideas of others, by fully digesting the concepts, then stating them in your own words and sentence structure; but you must still credit the sources as in the above notes.

This statement is adapted from one developed by Department of English.  It is used with their permission.

Style Statement:

The Department of Communication, Theatre, and Languages requires students to use APA style in all materials submitted for academic credit.  Use of another style may result in a reduced grade.  For examples of how to use APA style go to the Library Webpage.