Comm 1010-002
Spring 2015
1
Communication 1010-001 Communication Matters
Spring 2015
Tuesday/Thursday 10:45am-12:05pm
MBH 212
Instructor:
Email:
Office:
Office Hours:
Brian Rogers
brian.rogers@utah.edu
LNCO 2930, please knock
Tuesdays and Thursdays 2pm-3pm
Required Text
Wood, J. T. (2014). Communication Mosaics: An Introduction to the field of
communication, (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
(New and used copies can be purchased at University Bookstore or can be rented at
www.cengagebrain.com)
Additional readings available on Canvas.
Course Description
This course is structured to help you develop greater understanding of the complexity of human
communication and further increase your practical abilities and skills to communicate effectively in
various situations. The course is designed for students to learn about using communication for a
purpose and to gain greater sensitivity to how communication is central to our relationships and
interactions within our broader communities. You also will have opportunities to apply what you
learn to a real-world problem or need within our community. You will be learning how to improve
and further develop your own communication effectiveness within a context of purpose relevant to
our society.
Student Learning Outcomes
This course focuses on creating opportunities for you to learn and develop intellectual and practical
skill in:
-Oral Communication
-Teamwork and Problem Solving
-Critical Thinking
-Civic Engagement
Community Engaged Learning
In this course, we are emphasizing how communication impacts our world. One way to see this
impact is by actually getting out into the community and interacting with its members. Community
engaged learning enhances understanding of course concepts through enabling students to put
into practice in a community setting learned knowledge and skills.
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Social Issues for Application of Our Learning
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Health Communication
Family and Community Integration
Arts and Cultural Advocacy
Community Building in a Diverse Culture
Environmental Communication
Gender and Sexuality
Civic Responsibility for Each Other
Sustainability
University Policies
The Americans with Disabilities Act. The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its
programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities. If you need accommodations in this
class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the Center for Disability Services (CDS), 162
Olpin Union Building, (801) 581-5020, http://disability.utah.edu/ CDS will work with you and the
instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. All written information in this course can be
made available in alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services.
Drop/Withdrawal. The last day to drop (delete) classes is January 21st; the last day to withdraw
from this class is March 6th. Please check the academic calendar
(http://registrar.utah.edu/academic-calendars/index.php) for more information pertaining to
dropping and withdrawing from a course. Withdrawing from a course and other matters of
registration are your personal responsibility.
Academic Integrity. Academic honesty is required of all students. Dishonesty in academics of any
kind is a serious offense, which undermines both the reputation and quality of degrees issued by
the University of Utah. Plagiarism of any kind, intentional and/or unintentional, will result in strict
sanctions against the student per university policy. Please meet with me immediately if you are
unsure what constitutes plagiarism.
-The University Code: Section V. A. Students must adhere to generally accepted standards of
academic honesty, including but not limited to, refraining from cheating, plagiarizing, research
misconduct, misrepresenting one’s work, and/or inappropriately collaborating.
-Section V. B. A student who engages in academic misconduct ... may be subject to academic
sanctions including but not limited to a grade reduction, failing grade, probation, suspension, or
dismissal from the program or the University, or revocation of the student’s degree or certificate .
Accommodation Policy. I am able to make schedule accommodations for those who have a
conflict that involves religious/spiritual observances, University-sanctioned activities, and personal
or medical-related emergencies. If you anticipate any scheduling conflict with this course, please
speak with me and provide documentation as soon as possible. In every case, it is your
responsibility to make these arrangements.
I will not provide content accommodations for this course. The University recognizes that students’
sincerely held core beliefs might make it difficult for students to fulfill some requirements of some
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courses or majors. It is the student’s obligation to determine, before the last day to drop courses
without penalty, when course requirements conflict with the student’s sincerely held core beliefs.
Course Policies
Learning Environment: We will maintain our classroom as a productive place to learn. We are all
responsible for fostering an environment open to observing, discussing, and reflecting upon our
own and others’ communicative behaviors in order to learn. Thus, each one of us will need to be
conscious of our role in providing a place where every class member, given all our differences, will
feel and function as part of the class. If at any time or for any reason you feel uncomfortable with
the classroom environment, please contact me immediately in order to resolve/improve the
situation.
A Few Notes on “Reality”: Life is filled with beauty and ugliness, love and hate, violence and
peace, right and wrong, the sacred and the profane, the pleasing and the disgusting, the moral and
the immoral. We do not look at an ideal world in this class—we look at the world that is around us.
This means we will look at some unpleasant and controversial things in this course. Some of them
may upset you. Some of them may offend you. The study of communication is the study of our
social worlds in all of their glory and in all of their malevolence. If you have any concerns, please
feel free to speak with me.
Expectation of Students: With any luck, this class will be a challenging and growing experience for
everyone involved (including me)! To make this happen, we must all work to create an environment
that fosters each person's thinking and learning by making a commitment to
 Show up regularly and on time
 Complete all readings on time, as noted in the course schedule
 Complete all graded and non-graded activities and assignments on time
 Take responsibility for your education, including familiarizing yourself with university and
course policies, course assignments, and grading policies
 Be respectful and accountable to others in the classroom at all times
Attendance: You are required to attend class on time every day. Because of the nature of this
course, it is crucial to your community engaged learning project and group members that you are
present in class. Attendance is recorded each day. Additionally, arriving late to class is a noticeable
distraction and not appreciated. If you do arrive late, touch base with me at the end of class to
make sure I have your name recorded on the attendance sheet. If you don’t, there’s a good chance
that I won’t mark you down, and you will be considered absent that day.
You are permitted two unexcused absences. Subsequent absences will result in a 5-point
reduction from your professionalism grade for each day missed. Excused absences may be
granted for documented cases of University sanctioned activities, family or medical-related
emergencies, or religious observances. All other absences are unexcused.
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Assignment Due Dates: Each assignment has been carefully crafted and due dates purposefully
selected, thus for your successful progression in this class, you are expected to turn assignments
in on time, as indicated on the course syllabus/schedule. A grade of “0” will be assigned for missed
assignments. Please note that you cannot make up presentations, so if you fail to present on your
assigned day, you will receive “0” for the presentation. Failure to complete all graded assignments
will result in a substantially lower course grade and may result in a failing grade for the course.
Prior arrangements to take an exam early are possible in cases of a documented University-related
or medical scheduling conflict. It is your responsibility to inform me of any arrangements that need
to be made. Make-up exams will not be given.
**All written assignments are due on Canvas by 10:00 pm on the date specified. This time has
been selected in order to give you time to workout any technology bugs or issues you may
encounter; therefore, plan accordingly around this time.
Personal Electronic Devices: The use of laptops or tablets to assist with note-taking or referencing
course readings is a privilege, not a right. If electronic devices become a distraction to you or
others, the privilege may be revoked. There may be some activities (which I will notify you of) that
elicit the use of electronic devices including cell phones. However, at all other times, cell phones
are not to be used during class time.
Monitor Our Canvas Page: Our course will use Canvas as a place to store and keep important
course documents, have informal discussions, and record student grades. You should regularly
check our Canvas page throughout the semester (at least twice a week would be great!) to do this
go to
https://go.utah.edu/cas/login?service=https%3A%2F%2Futah.instructure.com%2Flogin%2Fcas
and type in your student ID and password. Select the appropriate course and you’ll find our home
page. Through this page, you will find our syllabus, assignment descriptions, class
announcements, and other class materials. Please let me know if you have questions or need help
accessing our course page.
Communicating with Brian, Your Instructor: Communicating with me is easy! My preferred method
of contact is in person (before or after class) or via email (brian.rogers@utah.edu).
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Spring 2015
Course Grades
Your grade in this class will be based on the points that you earn in the following activities (Please
note: detailed handouts will be provided for course assignments):
Presentation 1
50
Presentation 2
75
Presentation 3
100
Final Paper: Critical Analysis of Project
100
Communication Process Reflections (5 @ 20 pts each)
100
Exams (2 @ 50 pts each)
100
*Professionalism
100
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Total Points Possible
600
*Professionalism As a serious college student and a student working with a community partner,
professionalism is an important part of your everyday performance. Professionalism points are
calculated throughout the course by: (1) attendance, (2) participation in group activities, (3)
engagement in class discussions, (4) punctuality, and (5) completion of in-class or take home
assignments.
Letter
A- to A
Percentage
90-93 and 94-100
B-, B, B+
80-82, 83-86, 87-89
C-, C, C+
70-72, 73-76, 77-79
D-, D, D+
60-62, 63-66, 67-69
E
59 and lower
Description
Excellent performance, superior
achievement
Good performance, substantial
achievement
Meets minimum standard
performance and achievement
Unsatisfactory performance and
marginal achievement
Unsatisfactory performance and
achievement
I am more than willing to discuss your grade with you at any point in the semester. Any discussion
about grades should take place during my office hours or by appointment only. Grade decisions
are made by the instructor and are final. Grades are not discussed or distributed via email
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Spring 2015
Course Schedule
This schedule is subject to revision as the course unfolds; any updates will be made available
through Canvas. The readings refer to chapters in the textbook and should be read and critically
analyzed BEFORE you come to class. Presentations, assignments due, and exams are in a
bold font.
Date
Week 1
January 13th
January 15th
Week 2
January 20th
Topic/Discussion
Reading
Course Introduction and Syllabus/Schedule
Review
Why We Study Communication
Chapter 1
Community Engaged Learning
Assign Groups
Public Communication
Assign Social Issue Presentations
See Canvas (Corbett &
Kendall)
Chapter 13
Chapter 5
January 29th
Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
Assign Communication Process Reflections
Project Team Work Session and Consultations
Week 4
February 3rd
February 5th
Social Issue Presentations begin
Social Issue Presentations conclude
Week 5
February 10th
February 12th
Communication in Groups and Teams
Communication in Organizations
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Week 6
February 17th
February 19th
Professional Communication
Project Team Work Session
See Canvas (Post)
January 22nd
Week 3
January 27th
Week 7
February 24th
February 26th
Week 8
March 3rd
Preliminary Project Planning Presentations
begin
Preliminary Project Planning Presentations
begin
Preliminary Project Planning Presentations
begin
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March 5th
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Spring 2015
Mass Communication
Chapter 14
Exam #1
Impact of Communication and Ethical
Communication
Chapter 6
Week 10
March 17th
March 19th
Spring Break
Spring Break
No Class
No Class
Week 11
March 24th
March 26th
Creating Communication Climates
Communication in Personal Relationships
Chapter 7
Chapter 10
Week 9
March 10th
March 12th
Week 12
March 31st
April 2nd
Week 13
April 7th
April 9th
Week 14
April 14th
April 16th
Reading, Writing, and Researching in
Communication
Assign Critical Analysis of Project Paper
Team Project Work Session
Adapting Communication to Cultures and Social
Communities
Assign Final Project Presentations
Understanding Diversity Through Service Learning
Chapter 8
Personal and Social Media
Media and Civic Engagement
Due: Critical Analysis of Project Paper
Chapter 15
See Canvas
Week 15
April 21st
April 23rd
Final Project Presentations
Final Project Presentations
Week 16
April 28th
Final Project Presentations
Finals Week
Thursday, April 30th 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Exam #2
See Canvas (Jones & Hill)