COM 240.40: Interpersonal Communication
Winter 2016, T Th 11-12:23 Room 202 - North Campus
Mindy S. Maples, M.A.
maplesmindys@jccmi.edu
mindymanalp@yahoo.com
Course Description: Students will learn to improve communication in one-on-one and small
group situations. In this course, students will examine basic verbal and non-verbal elements
affecting communication between individuals in family, peer group, and work contexts. Specific
units of discussion include intrapersonal perspective, conflict resolution, self-disclosure,
message generation, intercultural messages and non-verbal communication.
Associate Degree Outcomes:
Jackson Community College’s Board of Trustees has determined that all of our graduates should
develop or enhance a variety of important skills while enrolled in courses. The ADOs for this
course include:
 ADO 2: Speak clearly, concisely and intelligibly (proficient)
 ADO 9: Work productively with others, recognizing individual contributions
to group success (Developing Level)
 ADO 10: Understand and respect the diversity and interdependence of the
world’s peoples and cultures (developing)
JetNet will be used a great deal in this course. The following are steps to obtain
access to JCC’s JetNet services:
1) Go to JCC Website: www.jccmi.edu
2) Click on a tab at the top titled “online classes”
3) Login: first seven letters of last name, first seven letters of first name, middle
initial. Use no spaces, for example Jennifer Ann Smith would login as: smithjennifea
4) Password for JCC Accounts: Your password is your first and lasts initials, the two
digit date
of your birth, the last two digits of your birth year and the last four digits of your student ID.
5) Click on this Comm 240 located on the bottom, left side of the page
6) On the next screen, click on “Latest News.” You will find all relevant
material at this location.
Required Course Materials: Spiral bound notebook for journaling
Text: Interpersonal Messages: Communication and Relationship Skills, by Joseph A.
Devito
Assessment of Grades:
*All work must be typed in 12-point, legible font. Handwritten work will not be
accepted with the exception of journal work.*
1.) Positive Participation and Preparedness (100 points)
2.) Cross-Cultural Presentation (Group Project): Students will be assigned a group. Each
group will choose another country’s culture to research and present to the class. Each portion of
this assignment will be assigned to different group members. A Power Point presentation is
required. At least 3 slides per student. Use concepts and terms for the text. Other visual aids can
also be included. (100 points)
3.) Personal Discovery Project: Take an online personality test, either Meyers-Briggs or
Four Temperaments. Find a description online. Write about your personality type and your
discoveries. (2-3 pages) (100 points)
4.) Scene Analysis: Students will select and show the class a scene from a movie or television
show and discuss the verbal and nonverbal miscommunication aspects. Choose a scene from a
TV show or movie that you like, one that demonstrates communication problems. The scene
should be 3-5 minutes in length; Then the analysis portion should be 3-5 minutes in length as
well. First, show the class the scene. Then discuss what is happening in the interpersonal
relationships depicted. You must use a minimum of 5 terms or concepts from the textbook. A
typed outline or bullet points are due with this assignment. Please bring 2 copies to class. (100
points)
5.) Family Culture Project: Students will create a written document that explores their
family culture. They will write about their families based on all of the information integrated
within the text regarding family life and family culture. 3-5 pages in length (200 points)
6.) Journal Entries: At the start of each class students will be given a quote or question to
which they will respond. A minimum of 3-5 sentences is expected for each entry. In addition,
students will be asked to journal about their reactions to articles dealing with interpersonal
communication. At times, they will be asked to work in groups on this project. (50 points)
7.) Response Papers Students will analyze interpersonal communication dynamics present
within the films viewed in class. In each paper, students should decide whether they
relationship present in the film are healthy or dysfunctional. Give concrete examples from the
film of verbal and non-verbal messages sent and received between the individuals. This is an
analysis paper not a plot summary. 2-3 pages are expected. Reference the text quite often in the
paper. The following questions must be addressed:
1) What communication problems are depicted?
2) How are they addressed/resolved/handled, if at all?
3) Are there any communication lessons or tools which could be applied to your life?
More specific questions may also be posted on JetNet pertinent to a particular movie.
(50 points each = 200 points)
8.) Chapter Notes 2-3 pages minimum (typed, double spaced, 12 point font) is expected per
chapter from textbooks. Bullet points or outlines are acceptable. Notes are due the first
day the chapter is discussed. See course calendar. Extra credit may be given for
superb work. (10 @ 20 points each = 200 points)
9.) Final Exam (200 points)
Attendance: Attendance is crucial for success in this course. A significant portion of the
student’s grade comes from in-class participation and from pop quizzes. More than 2 absences
will result in the reduction of the student’s final grade. An attendance sheet will be passed
around at the beginning of class. Students will be responsible for signing this sheet if they arrive
late.
Missed Assignments: Exams, tests, and major projects may be turned in late or re-scheduled
if the student has a legitimate excuse such as serious illness or emergency. (A doctor’s notes will
be required.) Students must make arrangements with the instructor for tests and/or exams to
be re-taken within a week of the missed class.
Office Hours: By appointment only an hour before class or in a local Starbucks 
Help: Please email me if you need help outside of class. I will be happy to assist you.
Remember, no question is a stupid question  Furthermore, tutorial services are also available
through JCC.
Tutors (plus additional services for academic success) can be accessed by calling 7968415 or visit the Center for Student Success, Bert Walker Hall room 123.
“Students requiring special assistance (including those affected by the Americans with
Disabilities Act) should contact the Center for Student Success. This is the first step in acquiring
the appropriate accommodations to facilitate your learning.”
Academic Integrity: Academic honesty is expected of all students. It is the ethical behavior
that includes producing your own work and not presenting other’s work as your own, either by
plagiarism, by cheating, or by helping others to do so.
Classroom Protocol: Please turn off cell phones or place them on vibrate upon entering
class. Refrain from texting or accepting calls. If an emergency develops, please step in the hall
to use your phone even to text. Nearly every class session, students will be asked to participate
in discussions and teambuilding activities. Please refrain from talking or being disruptive in
anyway. Come with positive, supportive, and cooperative attitudes.
Journals: Students will need a notebook or binder to serve as a journal. Every class session, a
journal prompt, somehow relating to communication, will be placed on the board. Students will
be asked to journal in response, writing at least one paragraph for every prompt. They will be
asked to share voluntarily at random times. Students should bring journals to every class
session. It is the student’s responsibility to get any missed journal prompts. Journals will be
graded at the end of the semester.
Grading scale:
4.0 95%—100%
3.5 90—94
3.0 85—89
2.5 80—84
2.0 75—79
1.5 70—74
1.0 65—69
0.5 64 or under
HQVs : Grade 1 – 1/26
Grade 2 – 2/15
Grade 3 – 3/21