EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS | SPRING TERM 2010

Public Relations CommunicationsStrategic

WINTER TERM 2009 WINTER TERM 2009

Week 1Overview & Intro to PROpenMic

Week 2 - 5Research, planning and prep for PROpenMic management

Week 6PROpenMic Week

Week 7Professional development: networking & portfolios

Week 8 - 9Speeches & Presentations

Portfolio Review & Final Mini reviews; final portfolio

ConnectInstructor: Kelli Matthews Email: kmatthew@uoregon.edu

Office: 215D Allen Office Hours: noon - 1:30 Tue/Thu or by appointment

TextbookMade to Stick

by Chip & Dan Heath Available via Amazon

Barnes & NobleThe Duck Store

Presentation Zenby Garr Reynolds

Available via AmazonBarnes & Noble The Duck Store

Course DescriptionDuring this class, you will prepare messages in clear, concise terms for strategic communication applications.

You will learn to communicate in ways that connect with publics using a variety of material. You will exercise advanced communication skills by delivering messages

in an appropriate persona, tone, voice and style that will also retain audiences’ attention. You will develop

knowledge for assessing whether social media are appropriate for particular situations, and you will learn rules for engaging in online communication with publics.

Through this course you will discover in both traditional communication and in social media the powerful

influence of strategic communication.

Prerequisites: J350 Public Relations Principles, J440 Public Relations Writing

Work of the CourseThe assignments in this course were created to approximate the nature of tactics that you might be responsible for executing with three to five years of

experience in public relations. I expect you to think as a professional and stretch yourself to write and produce as

a professional.

My objectives for the course: • Apply theories from J350: Public Relations Principles

to write strategically for defined outcomes

• Build on the foundation from J440: Public Relations Writing by using an appropriate voice and style for

publics• Advance technical skills developed in J440, paying

special attention to strong verbs, brevity and colorful

language• Execute specialized forms of writing for a portfolio,

such as new media and presentations• Develop an understanding of how to strategically use

social media and evaluate online efforts

My ExpectationsYou will be expected to think, to be creative, to manage multiple deadlines and to pay attention to detail. If

something is unclear – come see me. If you want to brainstorm ideas – come see me. I’ve designed this class, and the assignments, to reflect the nature of work

that you’ll find in many agencies.

Grading CriteriaTo ensure a consistent, clear grading policy, I will use the following grading scale, which is based on content, in

addition to the number and severity of the edits I make to your documents.

Basic Edit ExamplesSpelling error, fragment, missing period, factual error, poor content

Advanced Edit ExamplesWordiness, passive voice, AP style, lack of strategic thinking, poor framing, organizational problems, comma placement, not following class format, lack of parallel

structure.I will accept passive voice when I cannot improve your

sentences by using active voice.

A (4.0 or 90-100): Excellent You can make between zero and three advanced edits. Your work exhibits excellent comprehension and

performance. The material is ready for publication and shows outstanding scholarship, mastery of facts, narrative

flow, writing and news judgment.

B (3.0 or 80-89): Above AverageYou can make four to seven advanced edits. Your work does not have basic errors. It exhibits good comprehension

and performance. The material is written well. It shows mastery of the subject and good scholarship, but you need

to make minor changes before publication.

C (2.0 or 70-79): Meets Minimum StandardsYou can make eight to 11 edits (basic, advanced or both). If the work has a basic edit, it starts at a C. In the real world,

a major edit jeopardizes a quick promotion and if caught by a client, it would damage the organization-client

relationship. Firms have lost clients because of spelling errors.

D (1.0 or 60-69): Does Not Meet StandardsYou would need to make 12-15 edits (basic, advanced or

both). If the work has at least two basic edits, it starts at a D. The work exhibits borderline comprehension and

performance.

F (0.0 or 59 or below): Unacceptable You need to make at least 16 edits (basic, advanced or both). The work demonstrates unsatisfactory

comprehension and performance.

The Assignments You will complete eight major assignments, most with multiple components. Most assignments are due the Tuesday after the week they are assigned, a few have

alternate due dates, please refer to the class calendar.

Graduate students will be expected to complete 3 additional writing assignments as determined by their interests and will be added onto one of the topic units

listed.

Grading Criteria: Each assignment grade is taken as a raw score and the point value is assigned based on the complexity (assignments with more components have a

higher point value).

Some assignments are eligible for a revision. The final grade will be determined by averaging your first and second versions.

GRADING SUMMARY GRADING SUMMARY GRADING SUMMARY

Social Media Press Release Points20

Personal Blog Assignment13 posts + 6 comments

Points10 points each post5 points each comment

Social Media Profiles/ParticipationTwitter, LinkedIn

Points10 points each

PROpenMic Community ManagementQuality of content, participation

Points100

PROpenMic Site MapAnalysis of site, sections and best content

Points20

PR PodcastOutline of podcast

Points20

Video Treatment/Project Description

Points20

PresentationSlide deck & speech

Points100

E-Portfolio Points20

Individual Portfolio Review Points20

Attendance & Participation Points20

Course Calendar Download the course calendar at www.prosintraining.com/J452

Classroom ProtocolYou are expected to be in class on time, every time the class meets. Every student is expected to accept responsibility for getting assignments, understanding precisely what is expected, and getting the work done to a high professional standard on or before specified deadlines.

DisabilitiesStudents with documented disabilities who may need accommodations, who have any emergency medical information the instructor should know of, or who need special arrangements in the event of evacuation, should make an appointment with the instructor as early as possible, no later than the first week of the term.