JOUR (CRN: 80447) INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS (3sch) Dr. Amy Muckleroy Carwile Fall 2010 Class Meets UC335 (Monday 9:30 am to 12: 15 pm)

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1 JOUR (CRN: 80447) INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS (3sch) Dr. Amy Muckleroy Carwile Fall 2010 Class Meets UC335 (Monday 9:30 am to 12: 15 pm) Office: UC223 Phone: Office Hours: Monday 8 to 9 am, Wednesday & Friday 8 to 10:30 am, OR BY APPOINTMENT REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS/RESOURCES: Course readings are available in the Library. Ask for the folder at the Information Desk and make copies prior to class each week. COURSE DESCRIPTION: This three-hour course offered by the Mass Communication program examines public relations theory and practice in an International context. As Public Relations practices have evolved, research in this area has grown and much of the research in Public Relations is done outside of the United States. Because Public Relations has been in practice in many countries for decades, an examination of Public Relations practices outside of the United States is a major focus of the course. Students will have the opportunity to examine Public Relations practices in the United States and other countries through selected readings and classroom discussions. STUDENT LEARNER OUTCOMES: Upon completion of JOUR397-International Public Relations, students will have knowledge of the following: 1) A broad understanding of public relations theories 2) Ability to identify and discuss public relations terminology and issues such as roles, ethics, power, stakeholders, publics, and so forth. 3) Exhibit the ability to research, and analyze an international public relations campaign using R.O.S.T.E. (Research, Objectives, Strategies, Tactics, Evaluation) 4) Create and present findings from campaign selected for evaluation COURSE OUTLINE The course is designed to meet the following objectives: 1) Familiarity with public relations theories and research methodologies 2) Develop an understanding of (and become conversant in) public relations terminologies through class discussion and readings 3) Select, obtain and analyze a public relations campaign through a semester-long project 4) Completion of an academic conference style presentation based on findings from campaign evaluation

2 COURSE REQUIREMENTS and POLICIES Information regarding readings and assignments will be discussed in class. Correspondence regarding the course may be sent to a student s TAMU-T account or through the Blackboard system. Students should check both Blackboard and TAMU-T accounts regularly, as they are responsible for the information sent there. Should a student need to contact Dr. Carwile at times other than before or after class, or during office hours, THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY IS VIA . Cell Phone Policy--While these devices are very useful and necessary in today s busy lives, they are a significant distraction in the classroom environment. Thus, all cell phones and pagers must be turned off and left in off mode from the time a student enters the classroom until class is dismissed. If a student ignores this policy, he or she will be asked to leave and will be charged with an absence for that day regardless of how long he/she has been in class. Harassment--Sexual harassment violates federal civil rights laws and University nondiscrimination policy. Texas A&M University-Texarkana is committed to providing and promoting an atmosphere in which students can engage fully in the learning process. Toward this end, all members of the University community must understand that sexual harassment is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated. The University s policy regarding sexual harassment is clear and explicit. We abide by the policy, located at: Attendance, and Tardy Policy--This course is designed for collaborative learning. This means that comprehensive presentation of information occurs during every class period. Expectations are that students attend class regularly and be a functioning member of the class. Throughout the term, students will be engaged in active discussions of the week s reading assignments and should be prepared to contribute to the learning process. Accordingly, a record of attendance is kept beginning with the first meeting day of the term. Students are permitted two (2) absences for the term without penalty. I encourage you to use these absences wisely. For EACH additional absence, the student s FINAL GRADE WILL BE REDUCED BY ONE FULL LETTER GRADE. Should you accumulate six (6) absences, you will receive an automatic F for the course regardless of your accumulated point total. Tardies are also recorded. Three (3) tardies equal one (1) absence. Students that do not miss any class sessions earn 10 extra credit points added to their final point total. Make-up work/late work Policy--Students are expected to adhere to course schedules and turn in work as scheduled. Any missed assignments may be made up only with PRIOR instructor approval. Extra Credit Policy--Extra credit assignments are not routine. If offered, please take advantage of these opportunities. METHODS OF EVALUATION Students will be given a variety of learning assessments throughout the course to determine how well they are achieving the learning outcomes for the course. Students earn points for specific assignments and final course grades will be determined based on the total number of points accumulated. There are 650 total points available. The following chart explicates point values for all assignments in the course. Dr. Carwile reserves the right to add or delete assignments as necessary throughout the semester. Should a student have a question regarding a grade for an assignment in this course, he/she must wait 24 hours before discussing it with Dr. Carwile. Grade disputes must be in writing and should include reasoning

3 for the dispute. It is optimal if these discussions take place during Dr. Carwile s regularly scheduled office hours or at a scheduled appointment. ASSIGNMENT POINT TOTAL % of FINAL GRADE Thought Paper # Thought Paper # Thought Paper # Presentation Grade (final project) Final Portfolio (including final written paper) Participation FINAL POINT TOTAL GRADING SCALE POINT RANGE GRADE EQUIVALENT LETTER GRADE 585 to to 100 A 520 to to 89 B 455 to to 79 C 390 to to 69 D 0 to to 59 F TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE The course schedule at this point is a tentative one, and Dr. Carwile reserves the right to make changes as necessary. August 30, 2010 Syllabus, course expectations, discussion of PR September 6, 2010 HOLIDAY class does not meet September 13, 2010 Thought paper 1 due; Discussion of readings; Organization submitted for approval September 20, 2010 Discussion of readings; Initial contact with organization made (bring ) September 27, 2010 Discussion of readings October 4, 2010 Thought paper 2 due; Discussion of readings October 11, 2010 Discussion of readings; project checkpoint October 18, 2010 Discussion of readings October 25, 2010 Discussion of readings; project checkpoint November 1 Thought paper 3 due; Discussion of readings November 8 Discussion of readings November 15 Discussion of readings; FINAL project checkpoint November 22 Discussion of readings November 29 Portfolios due; Final Presentations December 6 Final Presentations CLASS ASSIGNMENTS Course readings for discussion You may ask at the Library s front desk for the course reserve folder and make copies. Thought papers these papers are your thoughts about International Public Relations based on a specific reading for that week. You should be conscientious regarding grammar, spelling, etc. as

4 you write. Significant errors will result in a lower grade. These papers are your opportunity for critical thinking and analysis of the article or book chapter assigned for the paper. You should discuss how you believe it relates to International Public Relations and the theories, methodologies, or concepts discussed in class. DELVE DEEPLY INTO YOUR OWN THOUGHT PROCESSES!!!! Presentation presentation of your findings will be graded based on your powerpoint, your delivery, your enthusiasm, your adherence to conference presentation style, and your analysis. You should be able to confidently, and professionally answer questions from the audience. During the semester, you will be given more detailed directions. This assignment will give you practice in delivering an academic conference-style presentation. You should plan to dress accordingly. FYI: guests from the university or community may be invited to attend. Final Portfolio this is the largest assignment and the largest percentage of your grade in this course. You will have numerous checkpoints to keep you on track throughout the semester and you are strongly encouraged to begin IMMEDIATELY. The goal of this assignment is for you to select an organization with an international presence (your organization must be approved by Dr. Carwile) and you are encouraged to select an organization that interests you. For instance, if you are a soccer player, you could select an international soccer team, or the World Cup organization. If you are interested in global warming, select an organization (international in scope) that works with governmental agencies in this area. Within reason, your organization is your choice. There will be no duplicates, nor work groups. This is an individual project. You will make contact with this organization, explain your project, provide my contact information to the organization, and request a copy of a recent (last 2 years) Public Relations campaign developed by the organization. NONE of this may be printed from the company s website. You must actually obtain an ORIGINAL campaign information or media kit. Once you have obtained the material, you will analyze it based on R.O.S.T.E. We will discuss this method in class. You will write an APA style paper (8 to 10 pages) and present your findings (see assignment above) to the class. Again, you should pay close attention to your grammar, spelling, and organization errors will impact your grade negatively. Pay close attention to checkpoint due dates; missing them will reduce your grade. Your portfolio has 2 versions, an electronic version (on CD) and a bound version; both must be turned in. Participation because there is no common text for the course, students are expected to complete readings prior to attending class and be prepared to discuss each reading as a group. If you do not ask questions, answer questions, and participate in the discussion regularly, you will not earn these points. CULTURAL DIVERSITY The Mass Communication Program and the College of Education and Liberal Arts are committed to providing an atmosphere of learning that is representative of a variety of perspectives. In this class, students will have the opportunity to express and experience cultural diversity as they pertain to the classroom environment. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Academic honesty is expected of students enrolled in this course. Cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification of research data, plagiarism, and undocumented use of materials from any source constitute academic dishonesty and may be grounds for a grade of F in the course and/or disciplinary actions. For additional information, see the university catalog.

5 DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS Texas A&M University - Texarkana, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, may request reasonable accommodations through the Texas A&M University-Texarkana Disability Services Offices by calling Thereafter, any student requesting such accommodation should meet with Dr. Carwile to discuss any accommodations or special needs. This should be done at the beginning of the semester because retroactive accommodations will not be given. A&M-TEXARKANA ADDRESS Upon application to Texas A&M University-Texarkana, an individual will be assigned an A&M- Texarkana account. This account will be used to deliver official university correspondence. Each individual is responsible for information sent and received via the university account and is expected to check the official A&M-Texarkana account on a frequent and consistent basis. Faculty and students are required to utilize the university account when communicating about coursework.

6 SIGN BELOW and RETURN THIS PAGE TO DR. CARWILE This page is due before or during the 2 nd class meeting (September 13, 2010) By signing below, I am indicating that I have read the entire syllabus for Dr. Carwile s JOUR397 International Public Relations course. Further, I understand ALL policies and procedures for this course and agree to abide by them as outlined in the copy of the syllabus provided to me. I understand that the course calendar is tentative and all assignment descriptions may be elaborated upon during regularly scheduled class meetings. I understand that I am responsible for completing all work as scheduled. I understand that poor attendance will result in letter grade deductions as outlined in the course syllabus, and that late work will not be graded without prior instructor approval. I also agree to abide by Texas A&M University-Texarkana s Student Code of Conduct while enrolled as a student in this course. Signature Date Printed Name Campus Wide ID#