COMM 4368: Public Relations Campaigns (Fall 2011)
• Taught by: Kimberly Paisley (Speechwriter for the President of Shell Oil)
• Public relations campaign strategies and case histories, including the design of a public relations program for selected clients. Campaigns based on the RACE (Research, Action Planning, Communication Confirmation, Evaluation) model including background, SWOT analysis, situation analysis, core opportunity, goals, objectives, key publics, primary and secondary messages, strategies, tactics, task calendar, budget, communication confirmation and evaluation criteria and tools.
• This class consisted of a midterm, PR assignments (elevator speeches, SWOT analysis, triggering events, etc.) and a semester long PR campaign (report and oral presentation) for a professional client (Houston Public Library Foundation). The semester long campaign was a team project, and Sarah was the team lead.
COMM 4367: Issues Management (Fall 2011)
• Taught by: Dr. Jennifer Vardeman-Winter
• Examines the communication strategies used by major organizations with a strong emphasis on case studies, conducting research for organizations, resolving issues and crisis communication.
• This class consisted of a co-facilitation speech, two tests, multiple research assignments, an issues management project working with a professional organization (The Epilepsy Foundation) that included a 20 page report, an oral presentation and a communications message. The issues management project was a team project, and Sarah was the team lead.
COMM 3369: Public Relations Writing (Spring 2011)
• Taught by: Philip Emery (Assistant Director, Media Relations for the University of Houston)
• Preparing memoranda, releases, reports, publicity features, public service announcements, speeches and other specialized writing.
• This class consisted of writing a media kit, feature story, press release, weekly blogs, creating a brochure, writing an oral presentation for others and presenting a presentation written by someone else.
COMM 3368: Principles of Public Relations (Spring 2011)
• Taught by: Dr. Lan Ni
• Public relations theories and techniques in business, government and the social services.
• This class consisted of three tests, a 10 minute presentation, a paper analyzing a case study and a paper outlining Sarah’s career goals.
COMM 3356: Business Professional Communication (Fall 2010)
• Taught by: Suzanne Buck
• Communication activities in business and professional settings with emphasis on oral presentations, interviews, negotiations and group processes.
• This class consisted of three 5 minute oral presentations and a final. Each presentation was a team presentation (totaling 20 minutes). Sarah was the team lead for each presentation.
COMM 3353: Information and Communication Technologies I (Fall 2010)
• Taught by: Dr. Shawn McCombs, Dr. Youmei Liu and Dung Huynh
• COMM 3353 explains Internet and basic transactions across the World Wide Web in the convergent mass communication computing environment. It also explores the intersection and implications of information and communication technologies.
• Sarah created a website using only html and no other software in this course.
COMM 3324: Photojournalism I (Fall 2010)
• Taught by: Richard Carson (Photographer for the City of Houston)
• Techniques of taking and developing pictures for the mass media. Strong emphasis on editing photos in Photoshop and creating digital art.
• This class consisted of 10 photo assignments, an oral presentation and a video in Final Cut Pro.
COMM 3311: Editing for Print and Digital Media (Fall 2010)
• Taught by: Charles Crixell (News Editor for the Houston Chronicle)
• Editing messages such as press releases, advertising, news and features for print, broadcast and digital media; headline and caption writing; introduction to publication design; photo use and cropping; graphics, visuals.
• This class consisted of two tests, writing multiple news stories and editing previously published articles.
COMM 2310: Writing for Print and Digital Media (Spring 2010)
• Taught by: Charles Crixell (News Editor for Houston Chronicle)
• Cognitive and mechanical skills required to produce news, public relations and advertising messages that are ethical, clear, concise, complete, compelling and accurate. Gathering information from online and traditional sources.
• Sarah wrote a profile article and a topic story in this class.
COMM 2300: Communication Research Methods (Spring 2010)
• Taught by: Dr. William Douglas and Dr. Zhiwen Xiao
• COMM 2300 focused on social science and qualitative research methods in communication.
• This class consisted of three tests and had no essays or projects.
COMM 1302: Communication Theory (Fall 2009)
• Taught by: Dr. Robert Heath
• COMM 1302 focused on different perspectives in communication processes and theories.
• Sarah wrote a 1500 word essay which explains and discusses the nature of communication, the impact that language
(vocabulary and idioms) has on thought and action, and the connection between language and other theories by context.
COMM 1301: Media and Society (Fall 2009)
• Taught by: Keith Houk
• COMM 1301 focused on mass communication and overviewed media structures, media messages, mass audiences
and the impact of media on society.
• Field Project: Sarah’s field project was written about the television show Desperate Housewives. She analyzed behaviors
and stereotypes of the show’s characters, long-term effects of watching the program, and the ad content.
World Cultures and Literatures and German Language Classes
WCL 4352: Frames of Modernity II (Spring 2012)
• Taught by: Dr. Alessandro Carrera (Director of Italian Studies)
• Major theoretical trends in contemporary World Cultures from the end of World War II to present. Theme for this semester was Living in the End Times. Dealt with the issues of Memory and the Afterlife, Nuclear Holocaust, Return of Gnosticism, Zombies as a Democratic Hero and the Apocalypse.
• This course consisted of weekly readings, three papers (1, 2 and 3) and film assignments.
WCL 2351: World Cultures through Literature and Arts (Spring 2012)
• Taught by: Dr. Valerie Olson
• WCL 2351 explores local and global dynamics through works of literature, art, and film. Themes of the course include empire, identity, transnationalism, globalization, diaspora, representation, and environment.
• This course consisted of four essays, one research paper, a 15-minute oral presentation and books assigned to be read weekly.
GERM 3333: German Conversation and Composition (Fall 2011)
• Taught (in German) by: Dr. Julia Kleinheider
• This course is designed to enhance reading, writing, and oral communication skills in German through an exploration of the history and culture of German-speaking lands. As a discussion platform, the course takes a cultural studies approach to German cultural history of the first part of the twentieth century: the Wilhelmine Empire, the Revolutions of 1918/19, the Weimar Republic, and Germany under National Socialism.
• This class consisted of daily readings, one test, four essays and a 10-minute oral presentation.*
GERM 3330: Reading German Texts (Fall 2011)
• Taught (in German) by: Dr. Julia Kleinheider
• Textual analysis with selected fictional and nonfictional readings in German. Development of reading and writing skills. Besides language and culture instruction, this course also offers an introduction to scholarship, including research methods, paraphrasing, quoting and summarizing.
• This course consisted of daily readings, two tests, a 15-minute oral presentation and a six page paper.*
GERM 3111: Advanced Conversational German (Fall 2011)
• Taught (in German) by: Tanja Klaus-Hellmann
• Advanced level intensive practice in spoken German; free discussion of contemporary topics, using visual materials, listening comprehension exercises, and articles from German newspapers and magazines.
• This course was a one hour lab with weekly recording assignments and class work.*
WCL 2352: World Cinema (Spring 2011)
• Taught by: Dr. Sharon Marquart
• Major cinematic works from Latin America, Asia, Middle-East, Europe, and Australia in relation to contemporary topics such as globalization and migrations. Cinema as a global art form.
• This course consisted of group assignments, weekly essay quizzes, out of class films, a five page paper and a six page paper.
GERM 2332: Intermediate German II (Spring 2011)
• Taught (in German) by: Tanja Klaus-Hellmann
• Guided conversation and composition; oral reports based on listening comprehension exercises and written material; review of major grammatical structure. Reading of short literary texts and nonfiction.
• This course consisted of daily homework, three tests, three shorts essays, analysis of a German book and a five minute oral presentation.*
GERM 2331: Intermediate German I (Fall 2010)
• Taught (in German) by: Tanja Klaus-Hellmann
• Guided conversation and composition; oral reports based on listening comprehension exercises and written material; review of major grammatical structure. Reading of short literary texts and nonfiction.
• This course consisted of daily homework five short essays, three tests and analysis of a German play.*
GERM 1502: Beginning German II (Spring 2010)
• Taught (in German) by: Tanja Klaus-Hellmann
•Thorough foundation in structure of the German language concentrating on basic skills of reading, writing, understanding, and speaking German, emphasizing oral proficiency and communicative, interactive language learning. Introduction to the culture of German-speaking countries.
• This course consisted of daily homework, nine short writing assignments and two tests.*
GERM 1501: Beginning German I (Fall 2009)
• Taught (in German) by: Tanja Klaus-Hellmann
• Thorough foundation in structure of the German language concentrating on basic skills of reading, writing, understanding, and speaking German, emphasizing oral proficiency and communicative, interactive language learning. Introduction to the culture of German-speaking countries.
• This course consisted of daily homework, eight short writing assignments and two tests.*
KIN 1304: Public Health Issues in Physical Activity and Obesity (Spring 2012)
• Taught by: Dr. Brian McFarlin
• Analysis of the effect of obesity and physical activity on disease risk and the effect of aerobic exercise on weight control and health promotion.
HLT 1353: Personal Health (Summer 2011)
• Taught by: Stephanie Kellam
• Scientific facts and principles applied to healthful living and prevention of disease.
MUSI 1220: Class Piano I (Spring 2010)
• Taught by: Do Hee Kim
• Essentials of piano playing for students without previous instruction and furthering technique and reading ability of those with previous musical background.
MUSI 3330: Listening to Music Masterworks (Fall 2009)
• Taught by: Jaemi Loeb
• An introduction to the masterworks of Western music from Gregorian chant to the present.
*= all assignments written, spoken or read in German
Course descriptions found at catalog.uh.edu.