TOPICS: EVENT PLANNING AND COMMUNICATION COM 315V-2X- Tuesdays from 4:00 6:30 p.m. Fall Term, 2011 Professors: Beth Pittenger Telephone: 407-758-4887 E-mail: epittenger@rollins.edu Office: Communication Dept. Office Hours: By appointment Class Dates, Time and Location: Tuesdays (1/11-4/26); 4:00-6:30 p.m.. Classroom: 170 Fairbanks Building, RoomTBD Note: Since this class is based in HHS, Fall Break is not observed so A&S students are expected to attend class on October 11. Please note that class meets on Tuesday, Nov. 22, the day prior to Thanksgiving break. There is not a formal final exam period.. Text: Silvers, Julia Rutherford. Professional Event Coordination. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2004. ISBN: 978-0471263050, Retail: $70.00, Used: $52.50. Welcome to the Fall Term '11 at Rollins and to COM 315 Event Planning and Communication, a cross-listed class that blends students from both the Arts & Sciences and the Hamilton Holt programs for a new and frequently requested topic. Since we re all part of one Rollins community, we re working together toward common academic goals and achievements. Since this class builds on other Communication classes, you should enhance your abilities to: 1) Present well-reasoned, organized, supported, and presented messages (individual, group, projects, written materials, visuals, etc.) that will be effective in varied situations; 2) Fine-tune skills of building client/audience relationships via content adaptation, preparation, and interactions; 3) Research, plan, organize, and implement projects, presentations and papers; 4) Work effectively, responsibly, and ethically in a group responsible for a major project, and understand that the groups will be evaluated by peer grading; 5) Listen to, analyze, evaluate, and appreciate presentations; and 6) Improve organizational, group interaction and responsibility, and presentation skills. As we work together, we will reinforce the art and science of creating projects, working in groups, and planning presentations from several perspectives. You will consider theoretical, ethical, and pragmatic aspects and choices. You will analyze, observe, and participate in the process of event planning, working in groups, interviewing, and speaking. You will enhance planning and analytical skills. You will structure two major projects (one common event planned as a group and one personal final project for which you will do a full event design plan) as well as a few less intense yet important projects. The work will require you to focus on listening, effective and collaborative group work; receive instructor and peer assessments; and present three brief speeches. You should appreciate the vital nature of group process as well as individual planning/for your effectiveness as an event planner and effective communicator. 1
During the semester, you will complete the following projects; specific details will be presented in class: 1. Plan, implement, and assess a major event a Professional Networking Roundtable to be sponsored by Communique, the Rollins student public relations group affiliated with the Florida Public Relations Association. The date is Tuesday, November 15, at the Galloway Room in Mills Memorial Center from 6:45 8:00 p.m. (time may differ slightly.) This project will involve understanding the scope and importance of the overall event; working on a committee with class peers to develop a portion of the event; assisting other committees as requested (all students will be asked to help stimulate student attendance at the event); using peer evaluations to measure the work of members of your committee group; attending the event, and evaluating the event. This project requires multiple communication skills, time management, patience; and a proactive, collegial manner. Remember, you will need to attend the event. Evaluate both the project as a whole and peer evaluate the other members of your committee. Forms for evaluating both aspects of the projects will be distributed; criteria for evaluation and space to explain your rankings will be on the forms. 2. Create a plan for a significant event that you will choose based on personal preference, realistic possibility of implementation, and instructor approval. On dates noted on the weekly matrix, you will get the event approved, prepare a status report(s), submit a highly detailed event plan in a folder to the instructor, and orally present your event to the class as though they were your client. The event plan should include a detailed statement of goals/objectives, timelines (overall and day of), and a detailed budget. The appendices in the class text will help you create a plan sheet relevant to your event. Be very careful to include details and anticipated outcomes. Touch on areas covered in the text chapters, understanding the each event may have a greater emphasis on some aspects of the event rather than others. Create a matrix and time line for your plan, using the goals/objectives, timelines, and budget as separate parts of the final paper. 3. Interview two event planning professionals who work in areas of interest to you. Once the potential interviewees are approved by the instructor, you will be responsible for all details of the interview. Questions you ask should be based on class discussions, readings, guest speakers, and your personal aspirations. A summary of each interview will be submitted on the date assigned in class. Details will be discussed in class prior to beginning the project. 2 4. Attend or volunteer at two significant events and assess each of them by considering the pros/cons of the event and recommending five things for each event that could be changed to make an encore even more effective. 5. Present three speeches as assigned on the matrix. In addition to an informal, ungraded introduction on the first night of class, you will present three somewhat
3 brief speeches as assigned during the term. One of these speeches may be a concise elevator speech, another may be a brief persuasive speech as to why a potential client should select you as an event planner for a special project, and the third will be an informative overview of your own final project as it relates to potential needs of your classmates (who may role-play as your client.). 6. Participate in class discussions and interact with guest speakers. Strong and appropriate questions will be welcome. Students may be asked to serve as hosts for guest speakers; responsibilities will be explained in class. There will be nine objective quizzes on the text material; specific answers will be required. The text material is the responsibility of the student; however, every attempt will be made to present highlights in class; students are expected to read the chapters prior to class and ask questions during class. The reading assignments are spaced throughout the course; see the syllabus matrix for specifics. There is a possibility that the order of chapters may be switched to accommodate the guest speaker s schedule, so an attitude of flexibility is required. Please remain up-to-date with the reading assignments. A reminder: the major group project(s) (tentatively the Professional Networking Roundtable, Communique (student public relations group) meetings, and/or a Communication Department lecture program depending on the section in which you are enrolled): your assigned project(s) must be completed and implemented on the assigned date(s). The project(s) will be assessed by the class, the guest evaluations, and graded by the instructors (one shared instructor s grade for the project.) Individual work on the project will be evaluated by the members of the committee on which you serve, i.e., peer grading. All projects must be submitted by the dates assigned; if they are not, grades will be lowered by 10%. The interviews with event planners are due on the date indicated; the interviews must be approved in advance by the instructor. The final event design project must be approved by the instructor before work is begun; you will need to submit a one page proposal indicating what you wish to do and why it is important to you. The final project must be submitted and presented on the date(s) assigned (or earlier) or it will not be accepted; it must be typed and presented in a folder. Yes, this class is intense and the expectations are high. The types of learning experiences are varied as the subject of Event Planning requires a multitude of communication skills.. Through reading, guest speakers, and discussion you learn theory as well as its application to real situations. Through group work and projects, you learn the importance of planning, responsibility to a shared objective, time management, and negotiation. Through speaking you learn to be concise, direct, and listener oriented. Through objective quizzes, you experience a specific test form that complements the more open, expansive form of the graded projects and group evaluations. Through peer critiques you learn to deliver and receive feedback and peer evaluation constructively. Attendance and participation are priorities. One unexcused absence is understandable; other unexcused absences will result in a lower final grade. Students who miss an hour of class (arrive late or leave early) will have points
deducted from their final grade. If there are special concerns or circumstances, please talk with Prof. Planck or Prof. Pittenger the first day of class. Do not be a "no-show" on the day of a scheduled project; you may not have the opportunity to make it up, or, if you do, the grade will be discounted by at least 10 percent. Fall Break (October 11) and the Tuesday prior to Thanksgiving (November 22) are not excused absence for A&S students. There is not a formal final exam period. A few reminders are relevant: 1) Aside from the major class project(s), select your own topics, interviews, or projects within the parameters of the assignments and/or the approval of the instructor. Be sure they are relevant to this class, adapted specifically to this audience, credible, useful, and interesting for you, and open to research. Your choices for interviews and final projects need to be improved by the instructor before implementing the project. 2) All evaluations, interview reports, final projects, or other submissions should be prepared as Word documents; they are due on the date assigned. Also, they should be submitted in a single-side format, and, if a narrative such as the interview reports or project/peer evaluation, double-spaced. 3) Oral presentation style should be extemporaneous: minimal notes, no manuscripts, no memorized speeches; no reading aside from direct quotations or statistics. Do not be dependent on Power Point or similar, although they may be used in moderation. All written projects must be compiled and presented in an appropriate manner; pay attention to format, grammar, punctuation, and other aspects related to professional submissions. Please visit the Writing Center if you need assistance. The class offers an excellent opportunity to expand your reading and observations about aspects of this wide-ranging subject. Use a search engine to generate ideas or resources. You are encouraged to peruse topics/publications related to events in book stores and on Amazon.com. Visit local bookstores and peruse the Business Communication sections. In addition, read periodicals and professional journals featuring articles related to events. Watch event coverage on C-Span, PBS, or similar media. In essence, be aware, alert, and analytical of events and communication situations around you. At this point in time, there are many choices, opportunities, and situations in the world. Voices are heard in numerous forms and forums. These may be a consideration in all of your class projects, especially the major project for which you will work in a group all semester. Listen analytically and process content from a reasoned perspective. Note the content, ethical dimensions, and presentation of messages. Observe audience adaptation, question/answer techniques, language use, and professional control. Be responsible in your behaviors, and adapt to the group norms. When it is your opportunity to present, strive to influence with intelligence, dignity, reason, honesty, integrity, conviction, and other best practices as you work to earn the respect of your group members and other listeners. 4
Honesty and respectful communication is expected in this class, Included in this syllabus is a page explaining two important College policies; please read them carefully. The Rollins College Academic Honor Code will be in effect for all projects, quizzes, reports, and presentations. You are asked to write and sign the AHC on all papers you submit for grading. On the same page is a statement regarding persons with disabilities and/or needing academic accommodation; please read it carefully to ensure that any needs are met in a timely manner. Students with concerns about writing reports or papers should consider an appointment with a peer consultant at the Writing Center at TJ s; appointments are available online. The information in the syllabus, especially the weekly schedule, is tentative. Should there be a need to alter the schedule or projects, the instructor(s) will make the adjustments and notify the students in an appropriate and timely manner. If you choose to apply the knowledge you gain in this class to projects for other classes, organizations, business or personal situations, you may find your academic work and personal life enriched. If you expand the content application to leadership roles, community engagement, career positions, relationships with people, and, especially, work situations, you may find additional rewards. In essence, be alert, aware, and analytical of communication and project management situations in which you are involved. The results can be highly gratifying. Questions? Let's talk! 5
COM 315 1X FALL, 2011 TOPICS: EVENT PLANNING & COMMUNICATION TENTATIVE GRADING VALUES Quizzes on text chapters Major Class Project(s) Instructors overall project grade - 25 points Peer grade for student participation - 20 points Peer group s grade for project - 5 points Student s grade for project - 5 points (for personal work on project) Presentations 3 presentations at 8, 12, 20 points each Event Observations 2 observations at 10 points each Interview Reports 2 reports at 15 points each Final Project Written project as defined in syllabus (Oral presentation pointes included In the Presentations section.) 150 points 55 points 40 points 20 points 30 points 35 points Total points: 330 points Letter grades will be assigned at the end of the term by percentiles. Generally, 93% and above will yield grades in the A and A- range, 83-92% includes B-, B, and B+, etc. The final range may be adjusted by the instructor; it will not be raised to a higher percentage. You may determine your percentile at any point by dividing the number of points earned by the number of points possible. All projects are required on the date specified in the syllabus matrix. Exact speaking dates for the oral presentations will be assigned in class.. Attendance matters. More than one unexcused absence will result in your final grade being lowered one level for every additional absence. If you miss an hour of class, this will be counted as an absence unless there is a documentable reason. You must be present and prepared the days your projects are scheduled; if you miss one, you may not be allowed to make it up and you will receive a 0 for the project. If you miss an inclass project and are able to make it up, your grade will be discounted by at least ten percent. Please remember the unique nature of the crops-listed class, and the need to be present on October 11 and November 22. 6
If there are special circumstances, speak with Prof. Planck the first day of class or prior to any absence that might be excused. If there is an emergency situation, call her when reasonably possible: 407-646-1885 or send an e-mail message: cplanck@rollins.edu. Honesty and respectful communication in class matter greatly. Cheating and/or disrespectful comments to others cannot be accepted. The Academic Honor Code policies will be in place without exception. The AHC statement should be written and signed on all papers/projects submitted for grading. The professor may adjust the weekly schedule, projects/requirements, or point values as necessary; students will be notified in class. If you have questions or desire clarification concerning any of the policies, please accept your responsibility to speak with Prof. Planck the first week of class. 7