Of the many ways to appreciate the different approaches to scholarship in public relations or strategic communication (PR/SC), understanding the main schools of thought - or perspectives - is perhaps the most vital. Although the titles given these schools vary, the following are generally seen as the major schools: excellence/functionalism/management; advocacy/rhetoric/persuasion; dialogue/relationships; and critical/cultural. The focus of this course is the excellence/functionalism/management school. To highlight this focus, the course will be known as:

Managing Excellence in a PR/Strategic Communication Function/Department.

Many, if not most, organizations today have a PR/SC function. That function, like other support, staff functions such as Human Resources (HR), Finance, Strategy & Planning or Information Technologies (IT), does not generate revenue for the organization and is instead a cost center. As a cost centre, the PR/SC function is allocated resources - or budget - either from the overall organizational budget and/or from charging other staff functions or the revenue generating functions - such as Research and Development/Innovation, Marketing, or Sales - for the communication advice, services and work it performs for them. Which begs the following question: Is there, then, a connection between the resources allocated to the PR/SC function and the perceived quality of the advice, services and work and the perceived excellence of the management of these capabilities offered to these internal clients?

This course will focus on management excellence of, and within, the PR/SC function. By drawing on management, strategic communication and public relations theory and research, the course will strive to identify and critically assess a body of knowledge significant to the management of ‘in-house’ PR/SC functions within organizations. The course will consider contending concepts and perspectives - while stressing the practical application of this knowledge. Indeed, the course is structured in a way to acknowledge that some or many of the students in this Master’s Program may wish to explore a career in PR/SC and enjoy success in increasingly more important management positions.

With emphasis on PR/SC management excellence, the course will examine five aspects of management: Function Leadership; Function Structure, Organization and Capacity; Function Roles, Services, Capabilities and Competencies; Function Strategizing and Planning; and Function Measurement and Evaluation. Each aspect of management is important to the ability of the PR/SC function to serve the needs of the organization as well as provide internal clients with advice, services and work.

Attendance is mandatory. Students can miss a maximum of two session due to justifiable reasons - as approved by the Instructor - without acquiring further penalty.

Performance evaluation is based upon the following aspects:

1. 25% - Attendance and Active participation in the course (a marking rubric will be available and used by the Instructor)
2. 75% - Preparation of a two-three (2-3) page assignment after each class (except for the first class), (a marking rubric will be available and used by the Instructor). That assignment will be a statement of the student’s personal learning from that particular class. At minimum, the student will answer the following questions in their text:
   1. Using bullet points, what concepts were addressed in class today?
   2. Which three concepts were of significance to you and why?
   3. What information from the readings or from the instructor’s presentation heightened the degree of significance to you?
   4. In your mind, are these three concepts straightforward enough to be easily understood and applied in actual PR/SC practice, or not? Why or why not?
   5. If you were a PR/SC manager, how would you utilize these three concepts in your management role?