Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convenor, Lecturer
Lauren Gorfinkel
Contact via Email
Mondays 2-3pm via Zoom
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MMediaComm or MPlan
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
The objective of this unit is to develop practical media communications skills, including: strategy writing, budgeting and professional presentation. The unit offers real-life case studies as well as a possibility of pitching ideas to client organisations.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Late Assessment Submission Penalty
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to written reports and recordings only. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Written Analysis | 40% | No | 2024-08-30 |
Communications Strategy Pitch | 30% | No | Week 9 or 10, in tutorials |
Communications Strategy Report | 30% | No | 2024-11-01 |
Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 44 hours
Due: 2024-08-30
Weighting: 40%
Through a written task, students will apply theoretical concepts covered in the course to practical situations. Refer to iLearn for further information.
Assessment Type 1: Project
Indicative Time on Task 2: 33 hours
Due: Week 9 or 10, in tutorials
Weighting: 30%
Your consultancy will present a PR strategy to your client. Your goal is to convince your client that the strategy you have put together will solve the communication challenges they are currently facing and your team will provide the best possible results for them. All team members are expected to have a speaking role and members should work together to ensure smooth and logical links between each speaker. Each student will receive an individual mark for their presentation. Refer to iLearn for further information.
Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 33 hours
Due: 2024-11-01
Weighting: 30%
The assessment requires you to work in a small group as a communications consultancy to develop a comprehensive communications plan (PR strategy) for your client. Each student will be responsible for a component of the report. Refer to iLearn for further information.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
2-hour seminars will run from Weeks 2-12.
Students enrolled in the online option will be part of the Friday 11am-1pm hybrid class.
Consultations
Online Zoom consultations with the teaching staff will be available every week up to Week 13 when the final reports are due.
Please feel free to share your ideas and work-in-progress to check that you are on the right track.
If the consultation time does not suit, please feel free to arrange a time via email.
Readings
The set textbook for this unit is:
Johnston, J. and Glenny, L. (2021) Strategic Communication: Public Relations at Work. Routledge: London and New York.
An electronic version of the textbook will be available via Leganto with a limited user license. It is highly recommended that you purchase your own copy.
Other recommended readings will also be available on Leganto.
Out-of-class commitment
This unit is a 10-credit point unit. This means that you should allocate approximately 10 hours of study per week for this unit (including in non-teaching weeks).
Roughly speaking each week this time should be spent on:
Assessment preparation includes such activities as:
Teamwork
Teamwork is an essential component of this unit, particularly for the pitch and report. Expect to work with fellow students while developing the strategy campaign both during tutorials and outside of class time and bring a positive attitude towards collaboration with peers.
While you will ultimately be marked on your own parts of the presentation and report, you will need to work effectively in a team to ensure the various parts are cohesive and fit well together.
Feedback in this Unit
Feedback in this unit to individuals, groups, and the class/cohort may be made available in multiple forms, including:
Samples of assessments, as well as detailed marking rubrics for all assessment tasks, will be made available on iLearn.
Please don't hesitate to request feedback as you need it.
Emails
Generally, student emails will be replied to within 48 business hours. Students should not expect emails to be returned on weekends and after hours.
Students should ensure that they can receive emails sent to their MQ email addresses.
This unit will make extensive use of iLearn https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/. Required readings, comprehensive information on assessment tasks and important announcements will be posted to iLearn. Make sure you check iLearn and your Macquarie University email account regularly during this unit.
For technical support go to: http://mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/informatics/help
For student quick guides on the use of iLearn go to: http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/guides.htm
This unit will have a focus on ethical engagement and communications for social good.
The first module will be focused on theory and case studies.
The second module will be focused on creating a campaign planning, research and applying lessons learnt from the case studies. Students will work in groups to workshop and create original campaigns.
MODULE 1 – THEORY AND CASE STUDIES
Week 2 – Introduction to Strategic Communication and the Unit / Overview of Assessments
Week 3 – Ethical Issues in Strategic Communication / Corporate Social Responsibility / Avoiding Crises
Week 4 – Not-for-Profit Campaigns
Week 5 – Government Campaigns
MODULE 2 – CREATING CAMPAIGNS
Week 6 - Campaign Planning Workshop 1: Client / Competitors / Key Issues (WRITTEN ANALYSIS DUE)
Week 7 – Campaign Planning Workshop 2: Goals and Objectives / Key Publics / Key Messages
Week 8 – Campaign Planning Workshop 3: Strategies and Tactics / Pitching
MID-SEMESTER BREAK
Week 9 – Campaign Planning Workshop 4: Timeline and Budget (PRESENTATIONS)
Week 10 – (PRESENTATIONS)
Week 11 – Campaign Planning Workshop 5: Monitoring and Evaluation / Report Writing
Week 12 - Strategic Communications Careers / Futures
Week 13 – [No class] (REPORT DUE)
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Unit information based on version 2024.03 of the Handbook