ALR213 - Issues, Crisis, and Risk Communication

Unit details

Year:

2024 unit information

Enrolment modes:Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online
Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Unit Chair:Trimester 2: Deirdre Quinn-Allan
Prerequisite:

Nil

Corequisite:Nil
Incompatible with: Nil
Typical study commitment:

Students will on average spend 150 hours over the trimester undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site.

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment:

1 x 2-hour weekly seminar

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment:

1 x 2-hour seminar per week (recordings provided)

Content

Organisations seek stability but are challenged daily by issues and risk. An unmanaged issue, or risk ignored, may morph into a full-blown crisis damaging more than the organisation’s reputation. History is littered with organisational failure to plan for and manage crises. When such failures occur, there is a risk of significant and lasting damage to stakeholders and communities. In a time of rapid change, organisations are also under increasing pressure from global and environmental issues which demand strategic and systematic responses to the management of issues, crises, and risk. Using a case study approach this unit will critically examine these important areas of public relations practice and help you develop the knowledge and applied skills needed to recognise problems and be able to make recommendations about how to protect an organisation and its stakeholders.

ULO These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes
ULO1 Explain the differences between issues management, crisis management, and risk management.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking
ULO2 Categorise and explain different types of crises and associated communication strategies employed by organisations

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking
ULO3 Apply issue management models to conduct threat assessment and risk analysis and create a solution for an identified public relations issue.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO5: Problem solving

Assessment

Trimester 2:
Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)
Indicative due week

Assignment 1- Case study

1600-word equivalent 40% Week 6

Assignment 2 - Case study

2400-word equivalent 60% Week 11

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Learning Resource

ALR213 Issues, Crisis, and Risk Communication has weekly study guide topics on the online unit site. Links to readings and resources are located within the study guide topics. Commence each week’s topic via the study guide. Whilst many readings and resources can be found via the University Library unit reading list, you should not rely on this list as you may miss learning activities and resources central to assessment.

Note: When using the reading list via the Deakin library, select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.

Unit Fee Information

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