Assignment:
Course Description
Explores strategies for leading and communicating effectively with both internal and external audiences during crisis situations. Discusses the development of a communication plan and how to craft and deliver messaging during the crisis situation.
Course Textbook(s)
Ulmer, R. R., Sellnow, T. L, & Seeger, M. W. (2019). Effective crisis communication: Moving from crisis to opportunity (4th ed.). SAGE.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Apply crisis communication theory to real-world crisis situations.
2. Evaluate leaders' approaches to crisis communication and action.
3. Apply strategies for communicating and leading during times of uncertainty.
4. Apply strategies for communicating a message to neutralize risk or scandal.
5. Create opportunities for positive messaging in the midst of crisis, in order to support the organization, its people, and its brand.
6. Evaluate ethical demands of the leader during crisis situations.
7. Create a leadership communication plan for a crisis situation.
8. Develop strategies for leading the organization toward crisis recovery and renewal.
Academic Integrity
Honesty and integrity are taken very seriously at Waldorf University. All students should be familiar with the Waldorf University Academic Integrity Policy (found in the current Student Handbook) and the consequences that will result from breaches of this policy.
Course Structure
Communication and Leadership
Crisis Communication and Leadership
1. StudyGuide: Course units contain a Study Guide that provides students with the learning outcomes, unit lesson, required unit resources, assignments, and supplemental resources.
2. Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit.
3. Unit Lesson:Unit Lessons, which are located in the Study Guide, discuss lesson material.
4. Required Unit Resources: Units contain Required Unit Resources from one or more chapters from the textbook and/or outside resources.
Part I: Introduction and Outline
The final project in this course is to create a crisis communication plan. From within the course syllabus, review the assignment instructions for the final project. Approach the project as if you are the director of communications for an organization, which can be a for-profit or non-profit organization.
Please use complete sentences within the outline/introduction and be sure your outline/introduction applies course concepts. Draft the outline/introduction by performing the following actions:
Describe the industry/organization you are representing.
List the stakeholders (specific customers, clients, shareholders, and other groups) that your organization serves and/or impacts.
Explain any concerns or challenges the organization might face, including potential risks, previous crises, or other issues that will need to be considered when you develop the crisis communication plan.
Find an existing crisis communication plan for a similar organization, and link to the document. Identify at least two lessons described that are followed in the plan.
Discuss whether or not any lessons are evident in the plan and the impact, if any, on the effectiveness of the plan.
Part II: Code of Ethics
Create a code of ethics for leaders responding to crisis events. The code must have at least 10 original, ethical guideline statements, include statements that are written in complete sentences (For example, accountability is a guiding principle, but it is not a specific guideline. Instead, an ethical guideline based on the principle of accountability might be, "We will publicly acknowledge errors in production, policy, or judgment that harmed stakeholders."), and include guidelines that demonstrate you are applying course concepts.
For examples of codes of ethics, you can conduct a search for policies from organizations and industry associations like the one you have selected for the project. Be sure to review the codes only to familiarize yourself with the types of statements that are included and the overall format.
To complete the assignment, you must write original guidelines. Ensure that you do not plagiarize another policy by using guidelines contained in existing codes.
Your introduction, outline, and code of ethics all together in one document must be at least three pages in length. Adhere to APA Style when creating citations and references for this assignment. APA formatting, however, is not necessary COM 5360, Crisis Communication and Leadership 3
PowerPoint Presentation
PowerPoint Presentation
Review Example 4.1 on pages 49-53 of your textbook. Using the 10 lessons as a guide, assume the role of a crisis communications consultant hired by BP one month after the spill has been contained. Develop a PowerPoint presentation for BP leadership to use during a press conference that will be given within the next week, with the purpose of employing positive messaging, repairing the company's image, and explaining the company's future plans.
The presentation must be at least eight slides, not including the introduction or citation slide. Use image repair theory (described in Chapter) as a framework for your approach.
When using images in a public presentation, you can use any of your own original images for which you own the copyright (such as photos you took yourself). If you search for images online, keep in mind that some photos might not be public domain (i.e., free to use). They could have a copyright that requires either permission or purchase to use. To avoid copyright infringement, it is best to use photos that you can clearly identify as public domain. Free stock photos (which are public domain photos and do not have a copyright) are available at https://www.freeimages.com/.