Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Social Media Strategies (Face-to-Face)

COMM 3030-01

Course: COMM 3030-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: COMM
CRN: 32032

Course Description

This course focuses on how to strategically use each platform to engage, inspire, and inform. Students will learn to write for each platform, segment, target, develop message tactics, write SM plans, work with clients and measure effectiveness. Each student will develop and promote an SM communication project such as a blog and complete the class with a portfolio of social media work. (Fall, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): COMM 2030 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: D- Prerequisite Can Be Concurrent? Yes (COMM 2030)

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

1. Learn the best practices in social media PR
2. Learn social media strategies and community engagement.
3. Learn to leverage social media platforms and trends.
4. Learn the basics of brand building.

Course Requirements

Discussions (10%)
Discussions allow students to interact with the each other and the content.
Blogging (Content Creation) (20%)
Semester project: Students should have created a brand in the previous 2030 course and now it is time to build and promote that brand. 

Social Media Plan/Calendar (20%)
Semester Project: Students develop a social plan and calendar for the blog topic they have chosen. Each week students enter data on a google spreadsheet.

Social Media Platform Discovery (20%)
The purpose of these assessments is to gain an understanding of the social media platform and how it can be used in your social media marketing strategy.

Case Study (20%)
To identify how businesses or organizations use different strategies to market their brand.

Final Project Presentation (10%)
Students will give a final presentation showcasing the strategies and campaign results of their semester project.

Course Outline

Module 1 – Blogging 
Module 2 – Impression Management/Networking 
Module 3 - UX/UI - Website basics 
Module 4 - Goals, Strategies and Tactics 
Module 5 - Content creation, curation and mapping 
Module 6 - Audience Analysis
Module 7 - Competitor Analysis 
Module 8 - SEO Basics 
Module 9 - Final Project

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

No late assignments will be accepted except for serious medical crisis or other extenuating circumstances that will be judged on a case-by-case basis.  We try to mimic true industry standards and missing deadlines are not an option.

Attendance Policy

Daily attendance is not required, but this is a hands-on class and much of the work for this course will be completed in-class. Missing class will cause you to miss completing assignments and negatively affecting your overall grade.

Course Fees

No course fees are connected to this class. 

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.