COMX 420/514: section 800
Issues in Organizational Communication
Course Outline
Spring, 2015
Latest Revision = 1-20-15
instructor: Steve Coffman
office hours: T 1715-1730 online
chat: T 1730-1830
email: use our course email at dtl to contact me. FERPA prevents me from returning
personal information via an unsecure method.
The University asked me to put this statement in my syllabi.
Students with Disabilities:
MSU Billings is committed to providing equal access. If you anticipate barriers
related to the format or requirements of this course, please contact me so that we can
discuss ways to ensure your full participation in the course. If you determine that
disability-related accommodations are necessary, please contact Disability Support
Services (657-2283; located in Room 135 in the College of Education). We can then
plan how best to coordinate your accommodations.
Academic Support Center:
The Academic Support Center of MSU Billings provides tutoring services to support
the academic success students. Any MSUB/City College student can utilize the
services on either campus. The ASC is staffed with student tutors, professional
tutors and instructors who are trained to tutor in a variety of subjects. Tutors are
available to assist students with math, writing, reading, anatomy and physiology, and
other specialty areas for specific majors. Tutoring services are "free" as they are
already paid for as part of your student fees. The ASC hours are as follows:
· University Campus – Located in the SUB
Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, and
Sunday nights from 6-9 p.m.
· City College Campus —Located in the Tech Building
Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
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This syllabus is subject to change. Changes will be noted in the online version of the
syllabus located at my website.
Text: There is no required text for this course. Instead, readings are available via electronic
reserve. Access is located in the course schedule.
Student Learning Outcomes: Students in the Organizational Communication 420/514
course should be able to: 1) identify and explain the theoretical concepts central to the study
organizational communication and 2) recognize the communication behaviors that reflect
those concepts. Further, 3) students should be able to speak well and 4) write competently.
Grading:
A. Your attendance at and willingness to participate in online chats is strongly
encouraged. Undergraduates are required to attend six (8 graduate students) chats, OR
write six (8 graduate students) responses to the chat logs, OR some combination of the
two. Chat log responses are due at 1700 on the Sunday following the chat. Late
responses will not be accepted. I hope that you will only use options 2 and 3 in the
event that work prevents you from attending chat.
Chat participation:
Attend 6 (8 grads) chats and/or respond to 6 (8 grads) chat logs = met the requirement.
Attend 5 (7 grads) chats and/or respond to 5 (7 grads) chat logs = subtract 10 points
from final grade.
Attend 4 (6 grads) chats and/or respond to 4 (6 grads) chat logs = subtract 20 points
from final grade.
B. Similarly, willingness to participate in online discussions is also strongly
encouraged. Undergraduates and graduates are required to comment in the five
threaded discussions (I won’t grade the introductions threaded discussion). Comments
on others’ posts count as a comment. Late responses will not be accepted. Threaded
discussion participation:
Threaded discussion participation:
Attend 5 threaded discussions = met the requirement.
Attend 4 threaded discussions = subtract 5 points from final grade.
Attend 3 threaded discussions = subtract 10 points from final grade.
C. There will be 4 essays designed to encourage application and critique of course
material. These papers will be graded by three criteria: 1) clear conceptual content, 2)
appropriate application of theory and 3) compositional competence. The average of
these four essays will count as 100% of your final grade unless you fail to meet the chat
requirement. (outcomes 2,4) These papers will be due as noted in the course
schedule. These papers must be deposited in the appropriate dropbox.
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The attached paper files must be titled in the as follows: (your first and last name) (your
course and section number) (paper number) as in Linda Kelly 420-800 paper 1. (See
illustration below.) This is so that I will know what paper folder to put the paper in without
having to open the file. Papers should be submitted as word documents (.doc). If you use
a Mac, submit papers via the rich text format (.rtf).
Finally, late papers will be accepted with a penalty. This is because papers written after
chat will obviously have an advantage over those written prior to chat. The penalties are
as follows: one day up to one week late = -10 points; > 1 week to < 2 weeks = -20
points; > two weeks = 0 for the assignment.
Students are expected to do their own work, and adopt the honor system for academic
honesty (see student handbook).
Each paper will be graded as follows:
no paper = 0
minimally acceptable paper = 70+%
acceptable paper = 80+%
excellent paper = 90+%
Kelly, Linda
Feedback Left:Dec 14, 2013 1:42 PM
Feedback Read:Dec 18, 2013 10:23 AM
Linda Kelly 420 paper 1.docx (19.63 KB)
Hi Steve, Paper attached. Thank you for everything!
Linda
*** When I grade your papers and chat responses I use the reviewing feature in word. I
always comment on papers and my comments should show up in bold, brown words.
Viewing my comments on your papers has become more complicated. This is because
Information Technology has installed Windows 2013 on my computer. One result of this is:
that which was simple and automatic has become manual and more complex. So here are
some instructions for viewing my comments in a different colored font.
1. In the dropbox for your paper, open the returned (graded) paper.
2. You might be able to see the comments in black print, or not.
3. On the ribbon at the top of your screen, click on reviewing. It should show up like the
screen below. Turn on “track changes” (click on it).
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4. Click on the “simple markup” icon and change it to “all markup” as pictured below.
5. You should now be able to view the comments and you can save the paper as well.
Course Format:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Extensive readings related to course topics.
Audio lectures accompanied by Powerpoint visuals.
Written assignments.
Discussions of course content.
Chats covering course content.
Course Topics:
(date)
(assignment)
1/20
Office time = 1715-1745. No chat. Introduce yourself in the “introductions”
discussion. Come back later (before 1/27) and comment on others’ posts.
1/27
Conceptual Foundations of Organizational Communication. Access the
reading and PowerPoint in the content unit.
2/3
What went wrong? Access the reading and PowerPoint in the content unit.
View “externalities” and “democracy, ltd.” videos.
2/10
Discussion of Krugman’s “rich and poor.” Access the NPR audio in the
content unit.
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Easter Island Collapse case study. Access the reading and PowerPoint in the
content unit.
2/17
Dialogic communication and political practice. Access the reading and
PowerPoint in the content unit. View Stanley Deetz video.
Paper 1 Assignment for undergraduate and graduate students at 1700 on
2/17. Access the assignments via the content unit.
2/24
Power and Politics. Access the reading and PowerPoint in the content unit.
3/10
Post-structural organizing. Access the reading and PowerPoint in the content
unit.
Paper 2 assignment for undergraduate and graduate students at 1700 on
3/10. Access the assignments via the content unit.
3/17
Adam Smith: Enlightenment and capitalism. Access Alan McFarland’s lecture,
Robert Reich’s 2 minute summary and PowerPoint in the content unit.
3/24
Feminist organizing. Access the reading and PowerPoint in the content unit.
3/31
Administrative evil. Access the reading and PowerPoint in the content unit.
View “The Corporation” segment on “(evil) mindset.”
4/7
Impact of technology. Access the reading and PowerPoint in the content unit.
Paper 3 assignment for undergraduate and graduate students at 1730 on
4/7. Access the assignments via the content unit.
4/14
Emergent organization. Access the reading and PowerPoint in the content unit.
View Linda Putnam’s lecture excerpt on Taylor’s theory.
4/21
Storytelling. Access the reading and PowerPoint in the content unit. View “room
to wiggle” and “star wars” video.
Paper 4 assignment for undergraduate for graduate students at 1730 on
4/21. Access the assignments via the content unit.
4/28
Final office time: 1715-1745. I will be in the chat room to answer any final
questions.