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ALR213 - Issues, Crisis, and Risk Communication

Year	2025 unit information
Enrolment modes:	Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online
Credit point(s):	1
EFTSL value:	0.125
Unit Chair:	Trimester 2: Deirdre Quinn-Allan
Prerequisite:	Nil
Corequisite:	Nil
Incompatible with:	Nil
Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment:	1 x 2-hour on-campus seminar per week
Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment:	1 x 2-hour online seminar per week (recordings provided)
Typical study commitment:	Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site.

Content

Organisations seek stability but are challenged daily by issues and risk. An unmanaged issue, or risk ignored, may morph into a full-blown crisis damaging more than the organisation’s reputation. History is littered with organisational failure to plan for and manage crises. When such failures occur, there is a risk of significant and lasting damage to stakeholders and communities. In a time of rapid change, organisations are also under increasing pressure from global and environmental issues which demand strategic and systematic responses to the management of issues, crises, and risk. Using a case study approach this unit will critically examine these important areas of public relations practice and help you develop the knowledge and applied skills needed to recognise problems and be able to make recommendations about how to protect an organisation and its stakeholders.

Learning outcomes

ULO	These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can:	Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs)
ULO1	Explain the differences between issues management, crisis management, and risk management.	GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking
ULO2	Categorise and explain different types of crises and associated communication strategies employed by organisations	GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking
ULO3	Apply issue management models to conduct threat assessment and risk analysis and create a solution for an identified public relations issue.	GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving

ULO

These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can:

Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs)

ULO1

Explain the differences between issues management, crisis management, and risk management.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO2

Categorise and explain different types of crises and associated communication strategies employed by organisations

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO3

Apply issue management models to conduct threat assessment and risk analysis and create a solution for an identified public relations issue.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO5: Problem solving

Assessment

Trimester 2:

Assessment Description	Student output	Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit)	Indicative due week
Assignment 1: Case study	1600 words or equivalent	40%	Week 6
Assignment 2: Case study	2400 words or equivalent	60%	Week 11

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Learning resource

ALR213 Issues, Crisis, and Risk Communication has weekly study guide topics on the online unit site. Links to readings and resources are located within the study guide topics. Commence each week’s topic via the study guide. Whilst many readings and resources can be found via the University Library unit reading list, you should not rely on this list as you may miss learning activities and resources central to assessment.

Note: When using the reading list via the Deakin library, select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.

Unit Fee Information

Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

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