Week 1

Wednesday (1/6)

In Class:

• Course introduction
• Website overview
• Print and sign course contract

For Next Time:

• Register account on website
• Comment on Personal Introductions post
• Read Corporate Communication Project page
• Comment on Corporate Communication Project Questions post

Friday (1/8)

Due Today:

• Signed course contract
• Comment on personal introductions post
• Comment on Corporate Communication Project Questions post

In Class:

• Discuss Personal Introductions post
• Introduce Corporate Communication Project
• Discuss Corporate Communication Project Questions

For Next Time:

• Read "JetBlue Apologizes after Passengers Stranded"
• Read JetBlue's Customer Bill of Rights
• Watch this video from contemporary JetBlue CEO David Neeleman
• Read "Be the Guy with the Megaphone"
• Read "10 Steps to Recovery for 'Jet Black and Blue'"
• Read TCT Chapter 5: Ethics in the Technical Workplace
• Read Luntz Words That Work excerpt
• Read Parsons Ethics in Public Relations: A Guide to Best Practice excerpt
• Read Ruff and Aziz Managing Communications in a Crisis excerpt
• Comment on Reading Response #1

Week 2

Monday (1/11)

Due Today:

• Comment on Reading Response #1

In Class:

• Discuss the front page post "Traits of Effective Reading Responses"
• Discuss JetBlue case study
• Discuss professional ethics

For Next Time:

• Read TCT Chapter 3: Readers and Contexts of Use
• Read TCT Chapter 8: Organizing and Drafting
• Comment on Reading Response #2

Wednesday (1/13)

Due Today:

• Comment on Reading Response #2

In Class:

• Recap professional ethics readings
• Discuss readers and contexts
• Discuss organizing and drafting

For Next Time:

• Crisis Analysis due
• One-minute Crisis Analysis presentation

Friday (1/15)

Due Today:

• Crisis Analysis
• One-minute Crisis Analysis presentation

In Class:

• Share one-minute Crisis Analyses presentations
• Vote which corporate crises to pursue

For Next Time:

• Read TCT Chapter 4: Working in Teams
• Read Jalajas and Sutton "Feuds in Student Groups"
• Comment on Reading Response #3

Week 3

Monday (1/18)

No classes

Wednesday (1/20)

Due Today:

• Comment on Reading Response #3

In Class:

• Sign up for corporate crises
• Team building exercise

For Next Time:

• Read the Wikipedia entry on Gantt Charts
• Read "Featured Gadget: Gantt Charts in Spreadsheets"
• Watch "Making a Gantt Chart with Excel"

Friday (1/22)

In Class:

• Discuss Google Docs
• Watch "Google Docs in Plain English"
• Look through the Google Apps YouTube channel
• Look through Google Docs help
• Begin Gantt Charts

For Next Time:

• Read Compose, Design, Advocate "A Rhetorical Process for Designing Compositions"
• Read Compose, Design, Advocate "Laying Out a Design Plan"
• Design Plan draft due

Week 4

Monday (1/25)

Due Today:

• Design Plan draft

In Class:

• Design Plan draft workshop
• Discuss Design Plan criteria

For Next Time:

• Design Plan due
• Read This information about formatting a press release
• Read "Press Release Format Guidelines"
• Read "Tips, Guidelines and Templates for Writing an Effective Press Release" and "Common Press Release Mistakes"
• Read "10 Essential Tips for Writing Press Releases"
• Read some FDA press releases
• Read this Marler Clark press release
• Read this Diamond Pet Food press release
• Read this MPAA press release
• Press Release draft due

Wednesday (1/27)

Due Today:

• Design Plan
• Press Release draft

In Class:

• Press Release draft workshop

For Next Time:

• Read TCT Chapter 17: Letters and Memos
• Read The Purdue Online Writing Lab's information about memo writing
• Memo draft due

Friday (1/29)

No classes

Week 5

Monday (2/1)

Due Today:

• Memo draft

In Class:

• Memo draft workshop

Wednesday (2/3)

In Class:

• Discuss making audio recordings with Audacity

Friday (2/5)

In Class:

• Discuss making video recordings with Windows Movie Maker

For Next Time:

• Recorded Message draft due

Week 6

Monday (2/8)

Due Today:

• Recorded Message draft

In Class:

• Recorded Message draft workshop
• Discuss Corporate Communication Project postmortem

For Next Time:

• Gantt Chart due
• Press Release due
• Internal Memo due
• Recorded Message due
• Postmortem due (as email attachment)
• Revised Design Plan (optional)
• Revised Crisis Analysis (optional)

Wednesday (2/10)

Due Today:

• Gantt Chart
• Press Release
• Internal Memo
• Recorded Message
• Postmortem (as email attachment)
• Revised Design Plan (optional)
• Revised Crisis Analysis (optional)

In Class:

• Create class Corporate Communication Project rubric
• Introduce Instructions Project

For Next Time:

• Read TCT Chapter 20: Instructions and Documentation
• Read Instructor Blog: Instructions
• Comment on Instructions Project questions
• Comment on Reading Response #4

Friday (2/12)

Due Today:

• Comment on Instructions Project questions
• Comment on Reading Response #4

In Class:

• Discuss creating instructions
• Discuss Instructions Project questions

For Next Time:

• Bring a relevant instruction set to class (or locate one online) and your rhetorical analysis of it

Week 7

Monday (2/15)

Due Today:

• Bring a relevant instruction set to class (or locate one online) and your rhetorical analysis of it

In Class:

• Discuss rhetorical analyses of instruction sets

For Next Time:

• Read TCT Chapter 10: Designing Documents and Interfaces
• Read TCT Chapter 11: Creating and Using Graphics
• Read Instructor Blog: Design
• Comment on Reading Response #5

Wednesday (2/17)

Due Today:

• Comment on Reading Response #5

In Class:

• Discuss design

For Next Time:

• Read TCT Chapter 12: Revising and Editing for Usability
• Read Instructor Blog: Usability
• Draft design plans for both instruction sets due

Friday (2/19)

Due Today:

• Draft design plans for both instruction sets

In Class:

• Discuss draft Design Plans
• Discuss usability testing

For Next Time:

• Instruction set rough drafts and usability tests due

Week 8

Monday (2/22)

Due Today:

• Instruction set rough drafts and usability tests

In Class:

• Administer usability tests

For Next Time:

• Design Plans due
• Individual Final Instruction Sets rubric due

Wednesday (2/24)

Due Today:

• Design Plans
• Individual Final Instruction Sets rubric

In Class:

• Generate class Final Instruction Sets rubric

Friday (2/26)

In Class:

• Final Instruction Project revisions
• Discuss Instructions Project postmortem

For Next Time:

• Final Usability Tests
• Final Instruction Sets due
• Postmortem due

Week 9

Monday (3/1)

Due Today:

• Final Usability Tests
• Final Instruction Sets due
• Postmortem due

In Class:

• Midterm review

Wednesday (3/3)

In Class:

• Midterm

Friday (3/5)

In Class:

• Discussion day

Week 10

Monday (3/8) - Friday (3/12)
Spring break: No Classes

Week 11

Monday (3/15)

In Class:

• Service Learning Project introduction
• Discuss Service Learning Project questions

For Next Time:

• Comment on Service learning exercise post

Wednesday (3/17)

Due Today:

• Comment on Service learning exercise post

In Class:

• Discuss Service learning exercise

Friday (3/19)

In Class:

• Client visit

Week 12

Monday (3/22)

In Class:

• Team building exercise

For Next Time:

• Read TCT Chapter 21: Proposals
• Comment on Reading Response #6

Wednesday (3/24)

Due Today:

• Comment on Reading Response #6

In Class:

• Discuss proposals
• Discuss Client Document ideas
• Begin Gantt Chart

For Next Time:

• Proposal draft due

Friday (3/26)

Due Today:

• Proposal draft

In Class:

• Proposal workshop

For Next Time:

• Logo due (in groups)

Week 13

Monday (3/29)

Due Today:

• Logo (in groups)

In Class:

• Create class logo
• Begin posters (in groups)

For Next Time:

• Poster due (in groups)

Wednesday (3/30)

Due Today:

• Poster (in groups)

In Class:

• Create class poster

Friday (4/2)

No class

Week 14

Monday (4/5)

In Class:

• Work day

For Next Time:

• Materials draft due

Wednesday (4/7)

Due Today:

• Materials draft

In Class:

• Materials workshop
• Client visit to provide feedback

For Next Time:

• Read TCT Chapter 16: Preparing and Giving Presentations
• Comment on Reading Response #7
• Final versions of posters due

Friday (4/9)

Due Today:

• Comment on Reading Response #7
• Final versions of posters

In Class:

• Discuss presentations
• Select class poster

Week 15

Monday (4/12)

In Class:

• Discuss presentations
• Work day

For Next Time:

• Materials draft due

Wednesday (4/14)

Due Today:

• Materials draft

In Class:

• Materials workshop

For Next Time:

• Presentation rubric

Friday (4/16)

Due Today:

• Presentation rubric

In Class:

• Work day

For Next Time:

• Gantt Chart due
• Proposal due (two hard copies)
• Client Materials due (master files)
• Client Presentations due
• Postmortem (as email attachment) due

Week 16

Monday (4/19)

Due Today:

• Gantt Chart
• Proposal (two hard copies)
• Client Materials (master files)
• Client Presentations
• Postmortem (as email attachment)

In Class:

• Client Presentations

Wednesday (4/21)

In Class:

• Exit interviews
  • 11:00: Ando Hirsh, Maximilien
  • 11:05: Bonenclark, Samantha Renee
  • 11:10: Cameron, Jenna Paige
  • 11:15: Cummins, Courtney Moran
  • 11:20: Dawkins, Megan Ann
  • 11:25: Deibel, Deanna Leigh
  • 11:30: Dumais, Chelsea Lake
  • 11:35: Eagle, Katie Grace
  • 11:40: Esquivel, Laura A.

Friday (4/23)

In Class:

• Exit interviews
  • 11:00: Hodges, Rachel Imelda
  • 11:05: Holfelder, Chase Alexander
  • 11:10: Irwin, Amanda Lynne
  • 11:15: Jones, Jasper Leron
  • 11:20: Kavit, Brooke Elizabeth
  • 11:25: Midgette, Andrew M.
  • 11:30: Robin, Anne Sophie Aline Francoise
  • 11:35: Serrano, Bess
  • 11:40: Stilson, Kiyo Elizabeth