Online Public Relations/Advertising Syllabus

 

Department of Mass Communications

   Course Syllabus
MCM 201 Online PR/Advertising (3 Credit Hours)

                                      

Professor John P. Hayes

Office: N1-262

Phone: 2530- 7089

E-Mail: hayes.j@gust.edu.kw

Office Hours

S-T-T from 1-2 pm

M-W from 4-5 pm

      By Appointment       

Class Meetings:

Section (1) Su-Tu-Th 2-2:50 pm Room N4-104

Section (52) Su-Tu-Th 3-3:50 pm Room W4-203

                                                                              

I.  Course Description

Prerequisite: MCM 141. This course introduces students to the use of Internet by different organizations to achieve goals for advertising and public relations purposes. Students are presented to different concepts such as online advertising/PR strategies, online advertising/PR reach, the association between online research and online advertising/PR, online targeting audience for advertising/PR and online message design.

II. Course Learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of this course, students are expected to:
1.       Define terminology typically used in online PR/Advertising activities. 

2.      Apply writing and creative techniques and skills as required by online media.

3.      Think creatively about online media and how to use these media to develop PR and advertising campaigns.

4.      Create, critique, analyze and evaluate online PR/Advertising campaigns.

5.      Meet deadlines!

6.      Utilize online platforms and tools including blogging, Facebook campaigns, Twitter communications, etc.

7.      Exhibit professional behavior and accomplishment by presenting a portfolio of work at semester’s end. 

III. Methods of Course Delivery

Lectures and demonstrations by the professor, and student team and individual projects and reports. Team projects will require students to work together outside of class time.

IV. Course Educational Resources

1.     Reading lists and materials, as well as online documents, will be provided throughout the semester.

2.     www.MCM201.Blogspot.com provides a platform for teacher/student communication and interaction; students are advised to log in to the site several times weekly.  

V. Basis for Evaluating Student Work Performance

Grading Rubrics are posted at www.MCM201.Blogspot.com

Each student’s class performance will be assessed on the basis of the following grading scheme:

	Course Activity	Percent of Final Mark
1.	Midterm Assessment (week of March 27) . . . Do not make any plans to travel and do not miss classes this week!	25%
2.	In-class Announced Quizzes	20%
3.	Individual & Team Projects, Reports & Homework Assignments	25%
4.	Final Assessment (May 28-June 7)	30%
	In-class participation and contributions, including attendance	See Rubric www.mcm201.blogspot.com
	Total	100%

Final Letter Grades will be based on the following Percentage & Grade Value Scales:

A           =      95 % - 100 (4)       C      =      73 % - 76 (2.0)

A-          =      90 % - 94 (3.7)      C-     =      70 % - 72 (1.7)

B+         =      87 % - 89 (3.3)      D      =      60 % - 69 (1.33)

B           =      83 % - 86 (3.0)      F       =      Less than 60 (0)

B-          =      80 % - 82 (2.7)      DL    =      Delayed

C+         =      77 % - 79 (2.3)      FA    =      Failure due to absence

NOTE: in-class activities cannot be “made-up”. If you missed a class that included a quiz, an exam, a team project, or when extra credit may have been allotted, you cannot make up the work and you will not receive credit unless you attended the class and completed the assigned work.

VI. University Policies

Academic Dishonesty

“Academic dishonesty is a serious offense which may lead to probation, suspension, or expulsion. There are several forms of academic dishonesty. One form is plagiarism--the use of an author’s ideas, statements, or approaches without crediting the source. Another form is the recycling of one’s own work without informing the reader of the prior presentation of the same material. Academic dishonesty also includes cheating or assisting another person in cheating (GUST Bulletin, 2009-2010, p. 41).”

A student who commits academic dishonesty will receive a grade of F (for the respective assignment, quiz or exam) and will be referred to Student Counseling.

Class Attendance Policy

See “My GUST Attendance Record Is My Responsibility,” for all details related to attendance requirements for this course, and to understand how missing class will affect your grade. Your Professor will distribute copies of the document during the first week of the semester; each student is to review the document and sign it, indicating that he/she understands the requirements and will abide by the document. The document is also available for review at http://mcm201.blogspot.com.

From the GUST Bulletin:

“The University requires regular and timely attendance at all classes. Attendance is registered in the student information system (PeopleSoft) by the students as they enter the classroom by swiping their identification card over a card-reader. Repeated tardiness or absences will result in warnings, and, if absence continues, the instructor can decide to fail the student due to absence. Students should inform their instructor of any foreseen absence. Students excused from class for valid reasons by their Deans shall be permitted, if possible, to make up work missed; but the Dean must have notified the instructor in writing (GUST Bulletin, 2009-2010, p. 39).”

The University’s rules on class attendance are clear.

1-    A student will receive a first warning if missing 3 hours.

2-    A student will receive a second warning if missing 6 hours.

3-    A student will receive a third warning if missing 9 hours.

4-    A student may receive a dismissal if missing 10 hours.

Please note: Each student is personally and solely responsible for managing class attendance. The best policy is to attend each class session. If you receive a warning from the university and you believe it’s inaccurate, do something about it immediately and do not wait until the end of the semester. Contact the appropriate personnel and make certain that your attendance record is correct. Once an FA is issued it’s difficult to change it and you will have to prove that you attended any class that the university indicates you missed. Please come to class on time (arrive early). The classroom door will be closed 5 minutes after the start of the class; please do not enter when the door is closed.  . . . As noted above and emphasized here: See “My GUST Attendance Record Is My Responsibility,” for all details related to attendance requirements for this course, and to understand how missing class will affect your grade.

Course Expectations

-           Always come to class early

-       Read assigned materials in advance of class

-       Provide accurate, neat and complete assignments

-       Adhere to the professor’s rules for assignments

-       Participate in class discussions

-       Meet every deadline!

-       Speak only English in the classroom and in meetings with the professor

-       Write in English when completing assignments

-       Respect conventional class manners such as turning off cell phones (or similar electronic device) and disengaging from chatting with classmates about topics unrelated to the class. (For more on this and related issues, please read Student Code of Conduct in GUST Bulletin, 2009-2010, p. 41). 

-       Follow the professor’s guidelines and rules outlined in “My Gust Attendance Record Is My Responsibility” and other documents handed out by the Professor and/or available at http://mcm201.blogspot.com.

Please note: The Professor reserves the right to change the syllabus, content, and grading scale during the semester.

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