PRL2000 Public Relations Practice and Techniques

PRL	2000	74602	1, 2008	ONC	Public Relations Practice and Techniques	1.00	Toowoomba
Subject	Cat-nbr	Class	Term	Mode	Description	Units	Campus

Academic group:	FOART
Academic org:	FOA003
Student contribution band:	3A
ASCED code:	080509

Staffing
Requisites
Synopsis
Objectives
Topics
Texts
Student workload
Assessment details
Important assessment information
Assessment notes
Other requirements
Production date
PDF version

STAFFING

Examiner: Barbara Ryan
Moderator: Aidan Burke

REQUISITES

Pre-requisite: PRL1002 and PRL1001

SYNOPSIS

Public Relations Practice and Techniques provides advanced professional preparation for students in public relations. The course builds on theory and practice taught previously in the major. As public relations professionals, students need to understand salient public relations theories and practices, how public relations strategies originate and their usefulness and shortcomings in explaining, predicting and organising public relations campaigns.

OBJECTIVES

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1.: explain and apply key public relations and related theories;
2.: describe, explain and apply public relations campaign planning processes;
3.: describe the strengths and weaknesses of key contemporary public relations practices in the context of their applicability to various problems;
4.: describe and apply research in the design, application and evaluation of an applied public relations project;
5.: describe and apply public relations strategies and tools/tactics and be able to differentiate the strategic from the tactical;
6.: develop their campaign in which the concepts and theories in this course are embedded.

TOPICS

	Description	Weighting (%)
1.	Introduction to Public Relations Campaigns	10.00
2.	Building the Campaign Plan: The Research stage Research for Campaign Planning Research Methodology, Cases and Problems	25.00
3.	Building the Campaign Plan: The Adaptation Stage Organisational Culture Setting Goals, Infrastructure and Support	20.00
4.	Building the Campaign Plan: The Strategy Stage Developing the Campaign Implementation Strategy Designing the Plan Cases and Problems	20.00
5.	Building the Campaign Plan: The Evaluation Plan	15.00
6.	Advanced Public Relations Challenges	10.00

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

PRL2000 Study Package

Austin, EW & Pinkleton, BE 2006, Strategic public relations management: planning and managing effective communication programs, 2nd edn, Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates, Mahwah, New Jersey.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ACTIVITY	HOURS
Assessments	30.00
Directed Study	35.00
Lectures	26.00
Private Study	50.00
Tutorials or Workshops	26.00

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Description		Marks out of	Wtg(%)	Due date	Notes
ASSIGNMENT 1(THEORY DISCUSSION		30.00	30.00	31 Mar 2008	(see note 1)
ASSIGNMENT 2 CAMPGN DEV & GRP		70.00	70.00	04 Jun 2008	(see note 2)

NOTES

1.: This assessment item relates to Objectives 1 & 2.
2.: This assessment item relates to Objectives 3 - 6.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Attendance requirements:
It is the student's responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. For this course, normal class attendance consists of one one-hour lecture and one two-hour tutorial per week.
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To successfully complete an individual assessment item, a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks or a grade of at least C-. This statement must be read in conjunction with Statement 4 below.
Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval, then a penalty of 5% of the total marks available for the assignment will apply for each of the first FIVE working days late, after which a zero mark will be given.
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
Students must attempt all items of assessment to pass the course. A final grade is determined on the basis of the total accumulated points after all pieces of assessment have been attempted and is assigned in accord with Faculty regulations.
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks / grades obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
Examination information:
There is no exam for this course.
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Given the details under (6) above, there are no deferred exams for this course. However, if any deferred/makeup work is granted, it would have to be submitted by a date set by the examiner.
University Regulations:
Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6 Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm

ASSESSMENT NOTES

(a) The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must lodge the assignment at the USQ. (b) All Faculty of Arts assignments must be lodged in the Faculty Assessment Centre on the Ground Floor of Q Block no later than 12 noon on the due date. (c) In the event that a due date for an assignment falls on a local public holiday in their area, such as a Show holiday, the due date for the assignment will be the next day. Students are to note on the assignment cover the date of the public holiday for the examiner's convenience. (d). Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be despatched to USQ within 24 hours if requested by the Examiner. (e) In accordance with University's Assignment Extension Policy (Regulation 5.6.1), the examiner of a course may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances such as documented ill-health. (f) Students who have undertaken all of the required assessments in the course but who have failed to meet some of the specified objectives of the course within the normally prescribed time may be awarded the temporary grade: IM (Incomplete-Makeup). An IM grade will only be awarded when, in the opinion of the examiner, a student will be able to achieve the remaining objectives of the course after a period of non-directed personal study. (g) Students who, for medical, family/personal, or employment-related reasons, are unable to complete an assignment or sit for an examination at the scheduled time, may apply to defer an assessment in the course. Such a request must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. One of the following temporary grades may be awarded: IDS (Incomplete - Deferred Examination; IDM (Incomplete Deferred Make-up); IDB (Incomplete - Both Deferred Examination and Deferred Make-up).

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

This public relations course maintains high standards of spelling, grammar, syntax and style. Faults in any of these could render a project or proposal unacceptable.
Students can expect that questions in assessment items in this course may draw upon knowledge and skills that they can reasonably be expected to have acquired before enrolling in the course. This includes knowledge contained in pre-requisite courses and appropriate communication, information literacy, analytical, critical thinking, problem solving or numeracy skills. Students who do not possess such knowledge and skills should not expect to achieve the same grades as those students who do possess them.
Students will require access to email and have internet access to USQConnect for this course.

This version produced 28 Aug 2009.