Social Media and Online Communication

USF Course Code: SPC 4930

Prerequisite: none; taught in English.

Audience: ISA students

Contact hours: 45

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I. Course Description: 
Social networks have represented a revolution over the past few years, a space where companies and users meet and interact. Nowadays, the market is also a topic in online conversations. Companies, institutions and even individuals are offering spaces where their followers can express their opinion about the products, services and about the company, institution or NGO itself. Interaction has become an essential part of a transparent image. Listening to and responding to users is a crucial part of this process. Social networks are gaining more and more ground and developing a proper strategy, encouraging participation, responding appropriately and spreading a positive opinion.
This course will consist of an introduction to social networks, the definition of social networks, and their problems and dangers. Main social networks and their practical applications will also be studied. The Community Manager, his work as a motivator and mediator between the company and the users, will also be covered. The course will then cover crisis resolution and mistakes to avoid.
After working with social networks, students will design and present practical examples during the class. They will explain in class the best way to run a social network for different kinds of purposes. Students will have to adapt and justify their profiles on the social network in order to be as successful as possible. The course might also include the visits of professionals in this field.

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II. Learning Outcomes: 
-    be familiar with the most important and used social networks and the best way to act in each one.
-    know the last trends in SEO positioning
-    be familiar with the key words to use in the search engines, 
-    be able to position a company in the first position in search engines. 
-    react accordingly when facing all kind of situations in diverse social networks
-    apply Customer Service Orientation to the social networks 
-    be aware of the latest programs and tools in this field

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III. Course Content (order of content may be modified):
Unit 1 - What does the web 2.0 entail? What is a social network?
Unit 2 - Benefits and risks of social networks.
 Unit 3 - Main social networks and practical applications. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Blogs, Linkedin, Pinterest, Foursquare, Instagram. The importance of the blog as a social media project. Introduction to the SEO. Other social networks. Advertising and its impact on social networks.
 Unit 4 - The Community Manager. The social media plan. Tasks and responsibilities.
 Unit 5 - The online corporate reputation.
 Unit 6 - New social tools to take into account.

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IV. Bibliography: 
Compiled by lecturer and online resources

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V.I. How to succeed in this course?
A good deal of your success in this course depends on your self-management skills. Take the initiative and develop self-study habits to assure you stay on track as this course will be covering the material quickly. 
Come prepared for the discussion that will take place in this course. Remember that active and meaningful participation is taken into account as part of the evaluation. 

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VI. Grading scale:
Final grades will be calculated according to the following scale:

Grading Scale (%)

94-100         A

90 – 93        A-

87 – 89        B+

84 – 86        B

80 – 83        B-

77 – 79        C+

74 – 76        C

70 – 73        C-

67 – 69        D+

64 – 66        D

60 – 63        D-

0 – 59          F

Grade dispute: 
The deadline for claiming grades is 30 days from the receipt of the certificate at the university of origin.

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VII. Course Policies

VII.I. Attendance: 
Class attendance is mandatory and is taken every class day and it is reflected in the course attendance sheet.
An 85% attendance rate is required for the successful completion of the course. Perfect attendance will be taken positively into account in the participation section. 
If a student exceeds this limit, 1 point will be taken off of the final grade (Spanish grade). Reaching a 20% of unexcused absences means that the transcript for this subject will show “not attended course”. 
Excused absences: Medical Certificates that will be considered only if issued by a physician (not notes from the family explaining the student’s absence). The certificates must include the exact dates for which a student should be excused for having missed classes. Courses cannot be audited, so attendance is possible only for students enrolled in a specific class. 
Punctuality: Students are expected to arrive on time to class and to return directly to class after class breaks. Arriving 10 minutes late (or more) and/or early class departures are considered unexcused absences and will be taken into account as half an absence. 

Attending class is not only the presence in the classroom. The professor will encourage active participation in the course and it will be taken into account as part of the evaluation.  

Auditors: Courses cannot be taken as auditors, thus attendance is possible only for students enrolled in a specific class.

VII.II. Conduct in class.
Students who actively participate in classroom activities and who maintain a professional and respectful attitude will be evaluated positively. Students must not eat or use laptops during the class (unless specifically authorized by the teacher).  

VII.III. Late work. 
One half point will be taken off (from the learning activities grade) for homework that is submitted late repeatedly. Late assignments will be corrected but will not be graded. 
Missing a class does not release the student from completing the homework assigned or studying the topics covered in class that day. 

VII.IV. Make-up exams:
If a student cannot be present for an examination for a valid reason (see V.II.) and approved by the teacher and academic direction, a make-up exam will be given. 

VII.V. Quizzes retention:
After quizzes are graded, the professor will review the examination with the class and collect all exams. The quizzes will be retained for one semester following the current one, and then they will be destroyed. 

VII.VI. Academic Honesty:
Students are expected to act in accordance with their university standards of conduct concerning plagiarism and academic dishonesty. 

VII.VII. Special accommodations: 
Students with special needs who require reasonable accommodations, special assistance or specific aid in this course (either for properly making-up classes, taking exams, etc.) should direct their request to Academic Coordination during the first days of the course in the case that they did not report it when submitting the Health Form. 

Teaching staff is required to report any disclosures harassment or violence of any kind.