Please note that the University and the Faculty of Arts have launched a new assessment policy effective as of 1 July 2021. This new policy particularly affects LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENTS.

The Faculty policy in relation to late assessment submissions is as follows:

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – 10 marks out of 100 credit will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests, etc.

To be very clear:

·         Unless you have applied for special consideration and had your application approved, for each day your assignment is late, 10 marks will be deducted. For example, if you submit your assignment 7 days late, 70 marks will be deducted, which means you will fail that assignment.

·         If your assignment is more than 7 days late (including weekends), you will get 0 marks for your assignment.

These are serious penalties that will substantially alter your final grade and even determine whether you pass or fail this unit. Please make every effort to submit your assignment by the due date.

If you find you cannot submit your assignment on time, please apply for Special Consideration through AskMQ. Make sure you read Macquarie University's policy regarding Special Consideration requests before you apply: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration

Additional information

For unit assessment requirements and standards for this unit, please refer to the Assessment Policy (Schedule 1): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/assessment

To achieve the full benefit of learning in this unit towards successful completion of assessment tasks, it is crucial to engage with the lectures, read the set readings, and actively participate in the tutorials. The tutorials will be heavily focused on discussing important knowledge and understandings of the industry introduced in the lectures, workshopping ideas, working through scenarios, and developing projects that will form the basis of your assessments, as well as practicing important related skills relevant to a career in public relations and social media.

Lectures and Tutorials MMCC2100 consists of a 1-hour live lecture (online) and a 1-hour tutorial (online or on-campus depending on tutorial, check timetable). Lectures begin in Week 1, while tutorials begin in Week 2. 

Students are expected to engage in the lecture (live or recorded), read the assigned readings, and engage with any set tutorial/workshop tasks prior to their tutorial to ensure they are prepared for class discussions and activities. All details will be provided on ilearn and/or in the lectures.

Audio-Visual Materials 

Audio-visual materials including recorded lectures, lecture slides, tutorial materials and online readings will be available via iLearn.

Readings 

All required readings will be available electronically and linked to the weekly topics in Leganto/ilearn. It is recommended that you start with the set textbook first where listed and move on to other readings to assist with your assessment tasks if you have more time. A weekly reading guide will be available on ilearn.

Textbook

The following book is the set texbook for this unit:

Sutherland, K., Ali, S. and Khattab, U. (2019) Public Relations and Strategic Communication. Oxford University Press: Melbourne. 

The chapters in the book form the weekly readings for most weeks. Knowledge of content from both the lectures and this book will provide a solid basis for the assessment tasks and may be referenced in assessments along with any other readings relevant to your specific project or case study. 

The textbook will be available via ilearn/Leganto/the library as an e-book. As a limited number of students will be able to access the book at any one time, it is highly recommended that students purchase their own copy in case they are unable to access the library copies when needed.

If you are relying on the library copies please download relevant chapters early (there will be a download limit based on copyright restrictions) or read online (if you have reached the download limit) and log off ASAP to give everyone an opportunity.

If you'd like to purchase your own e-book you can get 20% off the e-book by using the code SAVE20 at the checkout: 

https://www.oup.com.au/books/higher-education/media,-journalism-and-public-relations/9780190304614-public-relations-and-strategic-communication-ebook?id_op=rQl9OuV-3o90

If you would like to purchase the book in print, you may try the following publishers. Updates from the publisher may be provided on ilearn as there may be some delays due to COVID-19.

Booktopia

Amazon

Zookal

The Nile

Technology required

You are expected to access iLearn: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/ at least once a week before your tutorial and keep up-to-date with lectures, announcements and new materials. You are also advised to check your student emails regularly for ilearn and unit updates. You should be able to access relevant scholarly and professional information from the library online and from broader online, media and social media sources.

You will be required to create a video capturing face-to-camera as well as slides. The suggested platforms for recording this assessment are Zoom, Echo360, or PowerPoint. If you have any issues with access to technology, please consult with the unit convenor or your tutor as soon as possible. You are advised to test out technology in the first week of the unit (don't wait until the week your assignment is due). If you have any technical difficulties please contact onehelp@mq.edu.au for assistance.

Module 1: Introduction to PR

• Week 1: Introduction to PR and the Unit, History of PR
• Week 2: Key Theories and Principles of PR

Module 2: Foundations of Public Relations 

• Week 3: Principles of Media Relations and Organisational Storytelling   
• Week 4: Research in PR: Identifying Key Publics, Channels, Messages 
• Week 5: Ethical and Legal Considerations in PR  
• Week 6: Public Relations Writing, Branding and Pitching Masterclass 

Module 3: Issues and Crisis Management 

• Week 7: Corporate Social Responsibility (Media Relations Campaign - Video Pitch Due)

(Mid-Semester Break)

• Week 8: Issues and Crisis Communication: Principles and Approaches
• Week 9: Activist, NGO and Change Campaigns (Media Relations Campaign - Written Part Due)
• Week 10: Government and Political PR: Citizen Engagement and Public Affairs 
• Week 11: International and Multicultural PR
• Week 12: Employee Experience/Internal PR (Essay Due)