Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Social Media Management (Face-to-Face)

COMM 4030-01

Course: COMM 4030-01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: COMM
CRN: 11451

Course Description

This course focuses on how to use and process user-generated content (UGC), organization of social media posts, and big data information to make analyses, recommendations, optimizations, and predictions for brand constructions on social media. By using case studies, usability tests, eye-tracking technology, and social media plan projects, students will also learn practical steps and response strategies for social media-based branding and crisis management. (Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): COMM 1030 and COMM 2030 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: D-

Required Texts

We do not have a required textbook for this class. The class content can be found on Canvas.

Learning Outcomes

Student who successfully complete this course will:
  • Learn about brand constructions on both visual- and relation- based social media platforms
  • Learn how to design, create, and conduct social media usability test for a brand’s social media page
  • Know how to analyze the results from social media usability test by using both quantitative and qualitative research methods
  • Be able to use traditional mass communication theories with new perspectives to analyze the social media related issues
  • Know the use of big data analysis on users connections and behaviors on social media
  • Learn crisis responding and risk detecting strategies on social media
  • Be able to make a comprehensive and industrial-standard social media strategic handbook for the real customers.

Course Requirements

Please Do NOT publish any of your assignments from this class via Internet and other public media platform(s) without all of the necessary permission(s).
  1. Class practices (20% of final grade; 5% of final grade for each): We will have some class practices based on the topics we will cover during the class (such as brand identity, social media crisis management, survey analysis, eye tracking technology).
  2. Fake social media influencer detection report (11% of final grade): We will learn some methods to detect the fake social media influencers. Using what you will learn from class and your personal experiences, you will be asked to find 2-3 fake influencers on any social media platforms (could be Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn...).
  3. Social Media Brand Acceptance Analysis(11% of final grade): In the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), there are certain key variables: External Variables, Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Attitude Toward Using, Behavioral Intention to Use, Actual System Use. In this assignment, you will be asked to choose a social media brand and analyze this social media brand based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM).
  4. Social media management handbook project (25% of final grade; 5% of final grade for each): Please Do NOT publish any of your assignments from this class via Internet and other public media platform(s) without all of the necessary permission(s). Since the survey is one of our class assignments, please DO NOT send the survey questionnaire(s) to the public and publish your survey questionnaire(s) via any public media platform(s). Since the visual based usability test is needed to complete our class assignments, please DO NOT send the visual based usability test content to the public and publish the visual based usability test via any public media platform(s).
Based on the organization you select, you will create a social media management plan for this organization. The plan should include: 
   Part 1: The Use of Specific Branding and Maintenance Strategies.
   Part 2: Issue Detecting and Responding Plan on Social Media.
   Part 3: Social media viewers feedback survey report.
   Part 4: Visual based usability test report (Part 1).
   Part 5: Visual based usability test report (Part 2).
You can always show the instructor what you have done and discuss what you will do during the semester.
5. Social Media Management Handbook Project Presentation (7% of final grade): You will be asked to make a presentation in the class to show each part of your Social Media Management Handbook Project.
6. Attendance (26% of final grade; 1% of final grade for each): Regular attendance and participation is strongly encouraged in this course. Attendance will be checked and taken for each class. You will earn 1% of your final grade for attending each of our classes during this semester. Legitimate absences (including documented illness, family emergency, school-approved function) will not be considered as losing percentage point(s) of your final grade for this part.
If you are ill or instructed to isolate or quarantine, the evidence of your illness or other status may be required. Please vigilantly monitor your health. If you wake up feeling sick, you should avoid coming to class. I will figure out a way to help you for our class on a case-by-case basis. However, I will not be recording class sessions unless required separately by the Student Accommodation office for individual cases under the law, nor will the class be broadcast over zoom. Based on each specific case, I will figure out the way to help our class member(s) who may miss the class(es) to understand the class content.

Course Outline

Week 1 (01/07/2026-01/11/2026): Class Introduction
Week 2 (01/12/2026-01/18/2026): 1. Brand Development Part1 2. Clients Introductions
Week 3 (01/19/2026-01/25/2026): 1. Brand Development Part2 2. Client meeting(s)
Week 4 (01/26/2026-02/01/2026): 1.Brand Development Part2 2. Brand Personality
Week 5 (02/02/2026-02/08/2026): 1. Dark side of social media Part 1 2. Dark side of social Part 2
Week 6 (02/09/2026-02/15/2026): 1. Dark side of social media Part 3 2. Crisis Management
Week 7 (02/16/2026-02/22/2026): 1. Crisis Management Concept 2. Crisis Management Planning
Week 8 (02/23/2026-03/01/2026):  Audience survey
Week 9 (03/02/2026-03/08/2026):  Audience survey
Week 10 (03/09/2026-03/15/2026): Spring Break
Week 11 (03/16/2026-03/22/2026): 1. Questionnaire design lecture based on Qualtrics 2. Audience analysis
Week 12 (03/23/2026-03/29/2026): Eye tracking technology
Week 13 (03/30/2026-04/05/2026): 1. Lecture from the Visual Communication Research Lab 2. Planning on usability test for Social Media Management Handbook project
Week 14 (04/06/2026-04/12/2026): Working on usability test in the Visual Communication Research Lab
Week 15 (04/13/2026-04/19/2026): 1. Using variables and data to make predictions 2. Social Media Management Handbook project presentations
Week 16 (04/20/2025-04/23/2026): 1. Social Media Management Handbook project presentations 2. Q & A

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

For each assignment, please submit it before deadline as your first submission. You will get an initial grade and detailed feedback based on your first submission. By using my feedback, you always can modify your assignment and re-submit it until the last day of the semester (04/23/2026).Your latest version of this assignment will be graded by the end of this semester as the final grade for this assignment.

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation is strongly encouraged in this course. Attendance will be checked and taken for each class. You will earn 1% of your final grade for attending each of our classes during this semester. Legitimate absences (including documented illness, family emergency, school-approved function) will not be considered as losing percentage point(s) of your final grade for this part.
If you are ill or instructed to isolate or quarantine, the evidence of your illness or other status may be required. Please vigilantly monitor your health. If you wake up feeling sick, you should avoid coming to class. I will figure out a way to help you for our class on a case-by-case basis. However, I will not be recording class sessions unless required separately by the Student Accommodation office for individual cases under the law, nor will the class be broadcast over zoom. Based on each specific case, I will figure out the way to help our class member(s) who may miss the class(es) to understand the class content.

Department A.I. Guideline

AI cannot substitute for foundational learning. Students must acquire disciplinary knowledge and critical thinking skills in order to evaluate AI outputs appropriately. In cases where assignment instructions allow for AI use, students must certify that they have reviewed, verified, and edited all AI outputs, which may include AI prompts used. Students should treat AI as a partner in thought and creation, not as a shortcut or a substitute for human expertise, ethics, and judgment. Students should not input sensitive, personal, confidential, copyrighted or proprietary information into public AI tools (such as ChatGPT) as it is illegal and violates expectations of privacy and academic/creative work.

AI is allowed for certain assignments (see assignment instructions for details). Presenting AI-generated work as entirely one's own in a course that does not permit such use, or using AI in ways explicitly prohibited in assignment instructions, constitutes a violation of SUU Policy 6.33: Academic Misconduct and opens the violator up to a series of potential sanctions.

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.