1. Instructor:
MichelleCrowe
Office Hours:
Thursdays from1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
or by appointment.
Contacts:
You can reach me duringbusiness
hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
miacrowe@iu.edu
Cell:812-272-5828 (text OK)
Check Canvas and your IU email
before class.
About me: I am a marketing
consultantwho has been a
successful businessowner since
2008. I have a strong writingand
healthcarebackground. I am also a
freelance magazinewriter.
I have three children and livein
Ellettsville.I grew up locally.I
graduated from Ball State
University.
“Excellingat any job is aboutdoing
the things you weren’t asked to
do.”
- Mary Egan, founder of Gathered
Table in Seattle and former senior
vice president at Starbucks
>>> BRING YOUR
TEXTBOOKS TO CLASS
1. StrategicPlanningforPublic
RelationsbyRonaldR.
Smith
2. PublicRelationsCases,
NinthEdition
Welcome to MSCH-R429: Public Relations Campaigns
The Media School INDIANA UNIVERSITY
Room: EP 205 || Monday/Wednesday: 2:30-3:45 p.m.
What to expect:
This classis intended for people who are serious aboutusingproven problem-solving
processes to solvecommunication issues.As public relations grows in its maturity,
those entering the profession must prepare to be strategic planners and leaders. This
class will offer the structure and discussion needed to comprehend the strategic
communications planningprocess.
Bringyour books to class.There will be many chances for group and class
discussion.You must show up to succeed in this class.
Public relationsprofessionalsmustbe comfortable talkingon camera, in
boardrooms and in community presentations.Prepare to practicethis with
your professional class participation.
We will talk aboutethics. Students should be ableto articulatetheir position
on ethical and legal issues in publicrelationsby the end of the course.
Prepare for many team meetings outsideof class.This classwill requirea
significantamountof preparation.
Course format and structure:
The centerpiece of this courseis to write a campaign plan for an organization.The plan
must be based on Research, identify goals and present measurableObjectives and
identify and create relevant Strategies and Tactics with a suggested plan for
Evaluation.(ROSTE)
For this projectyou will be teamed up with other students in the class(groups or four
or five) and work closely together every singleweek, both in and out of the classroom.
A community organization will beused to providestudents with a real -life
problem to solve.
At the end of the semester, the campaign will bepresented to representatives
from this organization.This 30 minute presentation is the capstone of our
work.
Deadlines
PR professionalswork in an environment of constantdeadlines. PR managers excel at
setting realisticdeadlinesin the scopeof a larger plan. Work handed in after deadline
will automatically lose10 percentage points (on a scaleof 100) for each 24 hours it is
late. The final campaign plan packetwill NOTBE ACCEPTED LATE. The best strategies
for avoidingthe latepenalty are to finish a day before the actual deadlineand to keep
backup copies of all work in progress. If I ask for a hard copy, do not come in to class
expecting to print out your assignment just before (or during!) class.
The major assignments (1000 points total)
“No longer is it enough merely to know how to do things. Now the effective
communicator needs to know what to do and why and how to evaluate the
effectiveness of the chosen approach.”
- Ronald D. Smith

2. Grading
Gradingof each major assignment will bedone on the familiar100-pointscale:
97-100 A+ Excellent work
93-96 A Excellent work, justone or two minor problems
90-92 A- Excellent work, with a few minor problems
87-89 B+ Good work
83-86 B Good work, with a few minor problems
80-82 B- Good work, but several minor (or one major) problem(s)
77-79 C+ Satisfactory
73-76 C Satisfactory,butmore reporting/editing needed
70-72 C- Satisfactory,butmuch more reporting/editingneeded
67-69 D+ Serious problems with reporting, writingor Web production
63-66 D Serious problems
60-62 D- Severe problems overall.
0-59 F Academic misconduct/failureto do the assignment.
Mistakes in spelling,grammar,styleand punctuation will be treated as technical errors .I will dock you points for grammar, AP and
especially for spellingerrors. Misspellinga namewill resultin a serious lossof points. NOTE: Each major assignmentincludes a
gradingrubric thatspells outexactly how the assignment will begraded. To avoid losingpoints unnecessarily,alwaysreviewthe
rubric before turning in an assignment.
50% - Campaign
Plan and
Implementation
500 points.Overall
group grade.
In class presentation to
assigned clients.
Professional ly bound
packet of campaign
plan required.
20% - Peer Evals
and Professional
Conduct/
Attendance
Two peer evaluations
at 50 points each, total
of 10% of grade.
Evaulations will bedue
at two different points
in the semester.
100 pointsfor
attendance and
professionalconduct
- 10% of total grade.
10% - One Case
Review
100 points - Pair up
with one other
student.
Lead a review and
class disustion.
20% - Midterm
Exam
200 points - Exam
format will test
knowledge of terms
and concepts through
essay and other
formats.
I am teaching this class because
I want to. I am invested in each
of you as a person and as a
student in this classroom.
I am very glad to meet with you
during office hours, or other
times. If you have concerns
about your grade, or you don’t
understand an assignment let’s
talk sooner rather than later.

3. Participation and
Attendance
10 percent of your grade.
Professionalismmeans that missinga classislikemissing
a day of work. I expect you to show up on time, and
show up prepared. If we startclass with a quizor
exerciseand you come in late, you will notget a chance
to make up the work.
An “excused absence” generally involves a personal or
family illness or emergency. Routine medical
appointments, job obligations,computer problems,
missed buses,meetings with advisers and scheduled
interviews (for stories or for jobs) arenot valid reasons
for missingclass.
Attendance is reflected in your grade. You may have up
to two absences with no penalty. After that, I will take 10
points of your total 100 point participation gradefor
each absence. If you miss more than ten classes total,
you will fail the class. Sincethere are no make-ups for
quizzes, you will losethosefour points as well if you miss
on a quiz day.
Participation and Professional Conduct are very important as
well.
This is not a lecture class.I will ask you to discuss items
in small groups and in the larger-classroomcontext. I
will noticeif you do not choose to participate.You must
bringyour books to class.If you do not have
your book you may not be ableto participatein
the small group work. I will noticethis
happening – we are a small class.
Also,remember to act professionally outsideof
class –this includes emails you may send me,
or the clients,or texts. Email is a critical partof
the business world and you should practice
usingitthat way. I will mark down your grade
if I feel that you are interactingwith me in an
unprofessional way.
Classroom
Management
I will useCanvas to organizeour class. This will bean important
tool for all of us to literally “stay on the same page.”
Documents on Canvas will beupdated and are the source of truth
when there is any question about an assignmentor deadline.
Changes to this Syllabus will bereflected in Canvas,should they be
necessary.
THIS IS SERIOUS STUFF.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Any academic dishonestyisconsidereda serious
violationof academic integrityand upon discovery
will be reported. I will handle all violationsof Code
according to strict Universitypolicies.
Plagiarismcauses anguish for students who are caught and
for the faculty who have no option but to take harsh
measures. I’m assumingnone of you will takeunethical
shortcuts in your work. In caseyou’re unsure about what
constitutes academic misconduct,here arethe rules.
All work must be 100 percent your own, and your work
alone. Itmust not be work from a previous class.You must
accurately quote and represent all sources in your stories.
Makingup quotes, inventing sources,liftingmaterial from
the Web and presenting it as if you had conducted your own
interviews, collaboratingon a story with a student in
another section, or coaxing/payinganother student are
examples of academic dishonesty.
The University defines cheatingas “…an attempt to useor
provideunauthorized assistance,materials,information or
study aids in any formand in any academic exerciseor
environment.” Learn more at
http://www.iu.edu/~code/code/responsibilities/academic/
Inspiration for the journey –
excerpt from Rework byJason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson