Instructor: Dr. W.A. Kelly Huff 146 Williams, 529-3542 e-mail: huffwa@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu
Office Hours: Monday 2p.m. to 4 p.m./Wednesday 11a.m. to 12 noon/Thursday 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Textbook: None
Catalog Course Description: "Interdisciplinary practicum
involving students from art, communication, and marketing.
Students are divided into
three competing, interdisciplinary teams and work for a semester on an
actual client's current
promotional problem.
The team's campaign solutions include primary research and market analysis,
campaigns strategy
development, budget, and
media plans, fully produced electronic media and graphic design for print
advertising and other
sales support materials.
Program incorporates contemporary technology and industry standard materials
and research.
The unique expertise and
facilities of the art, communication, and marketing programs are fully
integrated within each
team. Each campaign
is formally presented to the client at the end of the semester. Prerequisite:
major status in mass
communication, COM 211,
permissions of instructor."
Course Objective: This course will provide realistic
learning experiences in the planning, production and evaluation of public
relations, media, and advertising
materials in an atmosphere which also stresses the administration and management
of
public relations campaigns.
Operating under a “PR Agency” format, class members will, through formal
contact with
campus and community organizations,
receive, administer, and accomplish actual public relations campaigns.
The
orientation of the course
is one of creating a professional atmosphere that will match, as nearly
as possible, the climate
one would encounter as part
of a public relations staff. Instructional modes will concentrate
on PR techniques used in
planning and accomplishing
projects. Two unit tests will measure mastery of the instructional
material and account for
about one-fourth of the
final grade. Remaining evaluations will be based on (1) the performance
of PR tasks, (2)
supervisory work, (3) hours
devoted to project work, (4) the quality of work produced, (5) the instructor’s
observational judgment of
professional attitudes and work involvement, (6) the final portfolio presentation
of campaigns.
Attendance: In accordance with university policy,
students will be allowed no more than three unexplained absences
beginning with the first
official day of class. This course should serve as a model of the expectations
in the public relations
and advertising industry
and moreover the professional world. Important information pertinent
to specific assignments
will be covered during each
class. Therefore, it is necessary for students to be present and
prepared for every meeting
throughout the course.
Grade Scale: A = 90 to 100 points, B = 80 to 89, C = 70 to 79, D = 60 to 69, F = 59 and Below
Class Procedures
First hour each week – presentation of public relations and advertising techniques.
Second hour each week – critique and discussion of projects, displays of material in progress.
Third and fourth hours each week – project work.
Work hours on projects: As noted above, two hours
of class time is provided for project work, allowing a definite time for
teams to be together.
Since an often-used academic standard states that each class hour should
require two hours of
outside-of class work, students
should expect that they will work at projects for a number of hours in
addition to the time
provided “in class.”
Clients will be professional, campus, or community groups wanting public relations and advertising assistance.
Account executives
from the class (opportunity to volunteer) will be the contact person with
the client and will be
responsible for the management
and completion of projects. Team members should not contact the client
unless cleared
with the executive.
Team members:
The class is designed to provide realistic experience at all levels.
Consequently, everyone should be
engaged in the production
of materials. This may mean that an account executive from one client
contact will be doing
copy or art, for instance,
for another account executive.
Materials clearance: All copy for clients will be
processed through the copy chief, art through the art director and
research through the research
director, with the objective of accuracy and consistency. To accomplish
this, all copy,
art, etc., as it is produced,
will bee placed in a “To Review” basket in our office. After the
materials are checked by
the appropriate person,
they will be initialed and placed in the “Reviewed” basket, where they
can be picked up by
account executives or team
members.
Materials: The class is building a file of guidance
and reference materials (i.e., printing costs information). These
materials
will be available in our
office.
Weekly reports: In order that everyone knows exactly
where a project is, can spot potential problems and arrange for
proper completion, each
class member will complete a weekly progress summary sheet provided by
the instructor.
Final Portfolio: As a project summary, basis for
project grade, and training device for portfolio construction (Important
in
mob application!), each
student will present an end-of-the-term portfolio to the instructor.
The portfolio will include: (1)
a “diary” of the person’s
involvement in projects, (2) comments and critiques on the project
and the person’s learning
experience, (3) samples
of work done (preliminary and finished). Clear organization of the
portfolio will be important.
Each student should keep
samples, in addition to those in the class portfolio, for future personal
use.
Client evaluations: A letter or memo from the client
to the instructor at the end of the project obviously may be useful.
The
instructor will make copies
for the student’s future use.