COMM 553-Health Communication Campaigns
Course Syllabus
Online Course
Western Kentucky University
Department of Communication
Fall 2014
Ellen W. Bonaguro, Ph.D. (Dr. B)
Department of Communication
154 Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center
(270) 745-6206
Ellen.Bonaguro@wku.edu
Office Hours: TBA
Central Standard Time
COURSE DESCRIPTION: COMM 553 (3.0 hours) is a graduate course in Health
Communication Campaigns that is being offered online for fall 2014. This is the first time the
course is being offered at WKU (although the field of health communication has been growing
since the 1970’s). The International Communication Association created a Health Communication
Division in 1975 and that is when more researchers began to reflect on the importance of
communication to the area of health behaviors and health care delivery. We will focus on
communication research and theory as it relates to health communication campaigns. This is a
useful class for students who are interested in understanding how communication campaigns are
planned, implemented, and evaluated. This course is targeted at students that want to study a
growing area in applied communication studies, or who are considering a career in the health care
field. This course focuses on the important role communication plays in the delivery of health
communication campaigns.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Explain the history and origins of health communication campaigns.
Reflect on personal beliefs about the role campaigns plays in health
behavior and health care delivery.
Apply communication and health theories to help explain factors that affect the creation and
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delivery of health communication campaigns.
Evaluate and analyze health communication campaigns.
Explain the effect of new technologies on campaigns.
Examine how culture and other variables affect message design and campaign effectiveness.
Demonstrate competency in analyzing and interpreting health communication campaign research.
Research, analyze, and write about a specific health communication campaign.
Demonstrate competent written and analytical communication skills necessary for effective
performance in this course.
REQUIRED BLACKBOARD SITE: Go to the WKU homepage and click on the Blackboard
link. Log on using your WKU ID and password. Then click on COM 553-700. Course
assignments, PowerPoint presentations, announcements, class discussion boards and grades will
be available through this website.
REQUIRED SKILLS FOR ONLINE COURSE: In order to be successful in this class you
need to be able to have regular access to a computer that can handle all the functions in
Blackboard. You must be able to navigate all the features in Blackboard in order to access your
work and complete your assignments. Know how to create, send, open, close, and save files and
attachments with Microsoft applications. We will use all BB features in this course.
Learn about BB at http://www.wku.edu/Dept/Support/online/bbtutorial.html
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard,
immediately call the WKU IT Help Desk (270-745-7000). You can also visit
http://www.wku.edu/helpdesk. for assistance. WKU-IT is the best source of help regarding
technical difficulties.
FORMAT: This is a graduate seminar class that relies heavily on student discussion based on
processing, and analyzing course readings. This course combines assigned readings, lecture notes,
class discussion boards, activities, exams, and papers to examine the important role
communication plays in developing health communication campaigns. It is necessary for you to
complete all assignments. The readings and other material provided on BB are important as they
serve as the foundation for your responses in creating postings for the discussion board, exams,
and other forms of assessment.
REQUIRED READINGS: Rice, R.E., & Atkin, C.K. (2013). Public communication campaigns
(4th Ed). Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA.
Articles will also be posted in Blackboard learning modules with additional resources.
PARTICIPATION POLICY: Successful online learning requires active participation and to
“attend to” the course requirements in a timely manner. Participation is defined as signing in to
the COMM 553 Blackboard site, completing readings and other assignments. Your participation
is tracked on Blackboard. Expect substantive participation with a minimum of three days per
week. Meet this minimum participation to stay active in the class. If this participation requirement
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is not met for two consecutive weeks then a final course grade of F will be given.
CLASSROOM CIVILITY: Let’s build a classroom climate that is comfortable and respectful
for all of us. Respond in a professional manner in all your online interactions. Avoid racist, sexist,
homophobic, or other negative language that may unnecessarily exclude members of our campus
and online classroom community.
COMMUNICATION: Communication is a very important part of our class. Not only are we
studying about communication we are relying on it as a means for you to be successful in
completing an online course. Office hours provide an opportunity for us to discuss the course and
your assignments. Please visit me during my office hours (FtF or online) so that I can give you
individual assistance. If my office hours don’t fit your schedule, please let me know so we can
schedule a more convenient time. E-mail (sent only from your WKU E-Mail address) is the best
way to contact me and it is important to put COMM 553 in the subject header, write your
message using correct grammar and spelling, and sign the email with your name. Please don’t
send me long e-mails. If you have a very long message then you should call rather than email. Be
sure to leave your name, a phone number that I can reach you at, and a short message. I will
always try to get back to you as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours during weekdays.
ASSIGNMENTS: All assignments are due on the date specified in the Tentative Course
Schedule. There is no make-up work in this course. Please review the course outline and note
when work is due so that you don’t miss assignments or exams. All assignments must be typed
and submitted through the Safe Assignment page in Blackboard. Do not send your assignments to
my email address. For assistance with how to turn in an assignment in Blackboard, view the
tutorial at http://www.wku.edu/inf3tech/atech/vide3tut3riasl/assignment_student.htm. Written
work must be in a standard Microsoft Word format including 12 point font, double spacing, and 1
inch margins at the top, bottom, right, and left sides (review APA style). In the case of multiple
pages, the paper must include a footer located in the upper right corner with a page number and
your name on every page.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Western Kentucky University and the Department of Communication are committed to the
highest standards of ethical conduct and academic excellence. Issues of academic misconduct
include a range of offenses including: copying the work of other students, plagiarizing other
sources by incorrectly citing sources, presenting someone’s information as your own without
crediting the source, incorrectly citing primary sources from a secondary source, submitting
assignments previously submitted for another course without prior consent of both professors,
and cheating on exams.
The Department takes academic offenses seriously. Professors may routinely ask students to
submit their written work to a plagiarism detection database. Any student found guilty of
academic dishonesty will receive one of the following consequences at the discretion of the faculty
member: written warning, reduced grade on the assignment, failing grade on the assignment,
reduction in course grade, failing grade in the course, and/or referral to the University Disciplinary
Committee. This course uses Safe Assignment for all projects.
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STUDENT ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE: Please take advantage of all the additional academic
support available to you on the WKU campus. Please use The Writing Center (Cherry Hall 123,
745-5719) and have a tutor help you with your writing assignments. The work you turn in to me
must use correct grammar, spelling, and APA Style. The Learning Center in the Academic
Advising and Retention Center (DUC A330, 745-6254) has trained tutors that can help you.
Both centers have WKU websites and provide you with additional information.
http://www.wku.edu/english/writingcenter/writingcenter.php
www.wku.edu/tlc/ For help on APA Formatting visit: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
REASONABLE ACCOMODATIONS: Students with disabilities who require accommodations
for this course must be registered with the Office of Student Disability Services (270- 745-5004).
Please provide me with a letter from SDS outlining your accommodations for this course.
Information about the Office of Disability Services can be found at http://www.wku.edu/sds/
ASK ONLINE-this is a Discussion Board that is always open for your use. If you have a
question about a reading, an assignment or project, please post it in this DB. I will try to answer it
as soon as I can. Often times your classmates will also provide clarification.
Assignments and Grading Summary (points)
Reading Summary and Critique (4 @25)
Discussion Board (5 @ 20)
Critical Analysis Paper
Campaign Project
Campaign Project Presentation
Exam
Total:
Grading Scale
A= 495-550
B= 440-489
C= 385-439
D= 330-384
F= 329 and below
10
0
10
0
10
0
10
0
50
10
0
55
0