COURSE SYLLABUS
PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
PUR 3000 RVC
GENERAL INFORMATION • IMPORTANT INFORMATION • COURSE DETAIL • COURSE CALENDAR
GENERAL INFORM
PROFESSOR INFORMATION
Instructor:
Dr. Weirui Wang
Phone:
(305) 919-4428
Office:
AC2, Room 328 (BBC)
Fax:
(305) 919-5215
Office Hours:
By appointment
E-mail:
weirwang@fiu.edu
Website:
N. A.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE
This is an introductory course regarding the theory, history, practice and future of public relations. The cour
provides you a comprehensive view of the field by introducing you:
1. Definitions and overview of public relations
- As a managerial concept
- As a behavioral science
2. History of the field, from ancient beginning to modern times
- Important people, leaders in the field
- Societal factors impacting growth
3. Public relations problem-solving and planning “process”
- RACE, ROPE, other programming models
- Role of research in public relations programs
4. Public relations communication theory
- SEMDR, other communications models
- Concept of two-way communication
5. The public of public relations
- Overview of most crucial publics, including community, employees, investors, consumers, governm
news media
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:




Understand public relations as a managerial concept and a behavioral science
Know the history and recognize key professionals and institutions in shaping public relations
Apply public relations models and communication theories
Identify key publics involved in public relations
MAJOR & CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES TARGETED
TEACHING METHODOLOGY
Enter brief description of course learning experiences supporting the learning objectives. If not specified be
message will appear:
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professor directly if you have any questions.
ASSURANCE OF LEARNING
The College of Business cares about the quality of your education. For more information please visit the
Assurance of Learning site to learn more on the College's commitment to this initiative.
IMPORTANT INFORM
POLICIES
Please review the FIU policies page as it contains essential information regarding guidelines relevant to al
courses at FIU and additional information on the standards for acceptable netiquette important for online co
Below are special policies in this particular class:

Electronic communication: This class will rely on electronic communication. Assignments and course mater
will be posted on Blackboard. Students are required to check for electronic messages and postings weekly. It i
student’s responsibility to have a working email connected with Blackboard and check for messages and posti
Blackboard.

Deadlines and exam dates: If you cannot participate in the assignments or exams on the due dates, you will h
ask permission to complete the assignment before the assigned time period. You will have to ask permission a
two weeks in advance to be granted for this option. For medical or personal emergencies when prior notificat
impossible, you must submit the make-up work with appropriate documentations. Unless you have a docu
excuse, there will be no make-ups or extensions for the exams and assignments. Late assignments will rec
10%-point deduction for each day that is late.

Academic honesty: Student must follow the Standards of Conduct described in the student handbook.
(http://www.fiu.edu/~sccr/standards_of_conduct.htm). In course assignments and exams, the use of literature,
aids, or assistance from other sources should be clearly. Students are expected to use all resources, including b
journals, and computers only in legal and authorized ways. Cheating or plagiarism will result in an automatic
the related assignment or exam, and possible further disciplinary measures.

Student with disabilities: If you have any special circumstances, please make me aware of them so that you m
better accommodated. For questions and information about support services, please call the FIU Office of Dis
Services at 305-348-3532 (University Park Campus: GC 190) or 305-919-5345 (Biscayne Bay Campus: WUC
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS/SKILLS
One of the greatest barriers to taking an online course is a lack of basic computer literacy. By computer lite
we mean being able to manage and organize computer files efficiently, and learning to use your computer's
operating system and software quickly and easily. Keep in mind that this is not a computer literacy course;
students enrolled in online courses are expected to have moderate proficiency using a computer. Please go
"What's Required" page to find out more information on this subject.
This course utilizes the following tools:
1. Tool 1
2. Tool 2
3. Tool 3
Please visit our technical requirements page for additional information.
ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMMODATION
This course utilizes the following tools:
1. Tool 1
2. Tool 2
3. Tool 3
Obtain more detailed information about the specific limitations with the technologies used in this course
Review Blackboard's Accessibility Commitment for more information.
For additional assistance please contact our Disability Resource Center.
COURSE PREREQUISITES
Note to Developer (choose one)
If the course has prerequisites: This course has a prerequisite(s). Review the course catalog page for
prerequisites information.
If the course does not have prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course.
PROCTORED EXAM POLICY
Please note that the information contained in this section applies only if your course requires a pro
exam.
It is the student’s responsibility to determine whether this online course requires proctored exams by carefu
reviewing this syllabus. For detailed instructions please visit our Proctored Exam Resources page on the
Online website.
TEXTBOOK
The Practice of Public Relations (11th edition)
Author: Fraser P. Seitel
Publisher (Year): Prentice Hall (2011)
ISBN: 9780136088905
You may purchase your textbook online at the FIU Bookstore.
EXPECTATIONS OF THIS COURSE
This is an online course, meaning that most of the course work will be conducted online. Expectations for
performance in an online course are the same as for a traditional course; in fact, online courses require a d
of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology skills that can make them more demanding for some stud
Note to developer: Based on the course requirements, please update the items below.
Students are expected to:
 Review the how to get started information located in the course content
 Introduce yourself to the class during the first week by posting a self introduction in the
appropriate discussion forum
 Take the practice quiz to ensure that your computer is compatible with Blackboard
 Interact online with instructor/s and peers
 Review and follow the course calendar
 Log in to the course 1 time per week
 Respond to discussion boards, blogs and journal postings within 7 days
 Submit assignments by the corresponding deadline
The instructor will:
 Log in to the course 2 times per week
 Respond to discussion boards, blogs and journal postings within 7 days
 Respond to emails within 7 days
 Grade assignments within one to two weeks of the assignment deadline
COURSE DE
COURSE COMMUNICATION
Communication in this course will take place via Email and Blackboard Messages.
Messages are a private and secure text-based communication that occurs within a Course and among Cou
members. Users must log on to Blackboard to send/receive/read messages. The Messages tool is located
left side Course Menu (Blackboard user interface). It is recommended that students check their messages
routinely to ensure up-to-date communication.
The Email feature is an external communication tool that allows users to send emails to users enrolled with
course including the instructor and other students. Emails are sent to the students' FIU email on record. Th
tool is located on the left side Course Menu (Blackboard user interface).
Visit our writing resources page for more information on professional writing and technical communication
Note to developer: Select communication tool and delete the one not being used.
ASSIGNMENTS

10 points: 2 points X 5

Five multiple-choice or short answer assignments will be posted to help you learn the class material
Each assignment will have specific requirement and deadline. Please submit the assignment to
Blackboard by the specific deadline.
EXAMS
In order to mitigate any issues with your computer and online assessments, it is very important that you tak
"Practice Quiz" from each computer you will be using to take your graded quizzes and exams. It is your
responsibility to make sure your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements.
Assessments in this course are not compatible with mobile devices and should not be taken through a mob
phone or a tablet. If you need further assistance please contact FIU Online Support Services.

90 points: 30 points X 3

Each exam has 40 multiple-choice questions (0.75 per question)

You will be given a three-day period to take each exam.

Please find one hour within the three-day exam taking period to take the exam. You can only open t
exam once and take the exam once.

There are NO MAKE-UPS for each exam. If for any reason you find technical difficul
with the exam, please contact the Blackboard support immediately. If support cannot
help you, they will send me a note and only with this note I will be able to open it up fo
you for re-take. Make sure you take the exam between the working hours of Blackboa
support in case you have a problem (9 am-5 pm Monday to Friday).
GRADING
Exam 1
30 points
Exam 2
30 points
Exam 3
30 points
Class participation and assignments
10 points
_______________________________________________________
Total
100 points
A
AB+
B
B-
100-93
92.99-90
89.99-87
86.99-83
82.99-80
C+
C
CD
F
79.99-77
76.99-73
72.99-70
69.99-60
Below 60
Please note: Your final score will NOT be rounded up (i.e., you will get B+ if you get 89.9 in total).
COURSE CALE
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Tentative course schedule (subject to change)
Module
Date
Topics
Readings
Jan. 6-12
-
Introduction to course
What is public relations?
Chapter 1
Jan. 13-19
-
The history and growth of public relations
Communication
Chapters 2 & 3
-
Public opinion
Jan. 20-26
-
Management
Chapters 4 & 5
4
Jan. 27-Feb. 2
-
Ethics
The law
Research
Chapters 6 & 7
5
6
Feb. 3-9
Feb. 10-16
-
Exam review
Chapter 8
7
Feb. 17-23
1
2
3
-
Exam 1
Media relations/Print & Broadcast
Employee Relations
-
Community relations
8
Feb. 24-Mar. 2
-
Government relations
Consumer relations
9
Mar. 3-9
-
International relations
14
Mar. 10-16
10
Mar. 17-23
Chapters 9 & 10
Chapters 11 &
12
Chapters 13 &
14
Spring Break. No class.
-
Exam 2
Public relations writing
Chapters 15 &
16
11
Mar. 24-30
-
Writing for the Eye and Ear
Integrated marketing communications
12
Mar. 31-Apr. 6
-
Public relations and social media
Social media (Cont'd)
13
Apr. 7-13
-
Crisis management
Launching a career
Chapter 19
15
Apr. 14-20
-
Exam review
Chapter 20
16
Final Exam
Week
Exam 3
Chapters 17 &
18
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