The syllabus

Advertising and The Media
Dr. Kelley Crowley
M/W/F 10-10:50 a.m.

Learning materials will be provided on a Google Drive and class blog

Course Description

As a social institution, advertising plays a critical role in our daily lives. Not only does it affect the way we buy and consume products, it also affects the way we think and form attitudes and opinions about social and political issues that are critical in our society. Therefore, as a consumer and audience of adverting messages, we need to have a critical understanding of advertising's role to form our own perspectives on the role of advertising in the society. Specifically, the course will examine the social, economic, and legal aspects of advertising. Students will have the opportunity to explore these concepts through the development of ads

Learning outcomes

At the conclusion of the course, you should understand the following:

1. The function of advertising in society.
2. The social influences of advertising.
3. The cultural aspects of advertising.
4. The ethical implications of advertising.
5. The legal aspects of advertising. 
6. The creative aspects of adversing. 

Grading Criteria for All Assignments

There are three components to your grades:
Completness: Addresses deadlines and adherence to directions 

Strategy:  Addresses appropriateness and accuracy of the content and approach

Technique: Addresses spelling, grammar, punctuation, AP style and other formatting issues. 

Written assignments will be graded in the following manner:

·      You will receive an “A” on an assignment if all of the following are met: The work is rigorous, creative, and shows a thorough knowledge of the materials. It is an excellent piece of work written in a clear and concise manner. Few, if any, errors of fact or writing are present. All aspects of the assignment are present and exceptionally completed.

·      You may receive a “B” on an assignment if any of the following occur: The work has a few errors but shows a good effort at comprehending the material. It contains clear, understandable writing with some care and expression of knowledge. The writing needs more clarity, more development and/or more examples. The work may be missing some of the subtleties of the assignment.

·      You may receive a “C” on an assignment if any of the following occur: It is an adequate but superficial completion of the assignment. A number of assignment components are missing or not completed adequately.  The discussion or argument is unsubstantiated or examples are missing. Sources are poorly cited, many errors of fact are present, or writing and grammar are inadequate.

·      You will get a “D” on an assignment if you: 1) fail to follow assignment directions/suggestions, 2) fail to complete at least ¾ of the assignment, or 3) fail to show an understanding of the materials (indicating you did not do the readings or you are not applying them). Getting a “D” or below means that you should talk to the instructor immediately.

How to get a good grade in this class 

• Every assignment will be turned in on deadline. (Exceptions are pre-agreed.)
• Every assignment will follow the direction as stated in class and/or agreed to by you and me
• You will participate in class discussions offering insights to what was read and what you thought about it.
• You will offer up ideas, links, articles, videos and other ancillary materials to make the class more rounded on a regular basis.  
• You will articulate, based on the criteria above, why you think you deserve a particular grade for the assignment and for the class. 

Week	Topic
Jan 15-19	What does Advertising mean in society?
Jan 22-27	What is rhetoric?
Jan 29-Feb 2	The social influences of advertising
Feb. 5-9	The cultural aspects of advertising.
	The ethical implications of advertising.
Feb. 19-23	The legal aspects of advertising.
Feb. 26-March 2	Putting it together
March 5-7	Spring Break
March 12-16	The Creative Side and Message Strategy
March 19-23	Copywriting/ Design and Production
March 26-30	MORE Copywriting/ Design and Production
April 2-6	The Consumer Audience/ Strategic Research
April 9-13	Presentation Skills
April 16-20	Workshop
April 23-27	Workshop
April 30-May 4	Presentations
May 7-11	FINALS