Heartland Community College Humanities & Fine Arts
Communication 120: Interpersonal Communication
Course Prefix and Number: COMM 120
Course Title: Interpersonal Communication
Credit Hours:
3
Lecture Hours
3
Class Meeting Days and Time:
120-01 meets Tu-Th (11:00 – 12:15) ICB 1702
COMM 120: Interpersonal Communication
A study of communication theory and its application to interpersonal relations, including analysis
of self-concepts and perceptions, verbal and nonverbal codes, and cultural expectations.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Relationships are developed, managed, and maintained through interpersonal communication. As.
H.D. Duncan wrote, “We do not relate then talk, but we relate in
talk.” In other words, all interpersonal communication takes place within the context of a
relationship and actually defines the nature and the quality of the relationship over time.
This means that your relationships- both personal and professional- can only be
successful if you have strong interpersonal skills and a clear understanding of the
variables that contribute to appropriate and effective interpersonal interaction in a wide
variety of situations. This course will explore factors that affect communication in a variety of
relationships, including friendships, romantic, and family relationships.
COURSE GOALS:
Although this is not a “skills” course, its primary goal is to help you improve your interpersonal
communication competence. You do this by increasing your knowledge of those factors that
influence the interpersonal communication process. Several specific goals for this course include:
1) To familiarize students with current theory and research in the field of interpersonal
communication.
2) To aid students in making connections between the theories of interpersonal
communication and the real experience of their own relationships.
3) To increase students’ self-awareness and the accuracy of their perceptions of others.
4) To provide tools for increasing students’ potential to communicate effectively across a
variety of contexts: social, professional, and personal.
5) To increase students’ impression management abilities by developing an understanding
of the “rules” and expectations associated with the various interpersonal roles they play.
6) To increase students’ awareness of cultural influences on communication, particularly the
influences of gender role expectations and ethnic differences.
7) To increase students’ understanding of their own strengths and limitations as
communicators.
8) To encourage students to become active participants in the process of improving their
own communication practices by analyzing the interactions in which they participate and
those they observe.
1
Instructor Information:
Name: Brenda Vest
E-mail address: Brenda.Vest@heartland.edu or bvest703@earthlink.net
Office Hours: As part-time Adjunct Faculty do not schedule permanent office hours, I
will make myself available before and after class meetings (upon request) and by
requested appointment times. Please know that I am always willing to meet with
students to discuss any questions and concerns.
MY APPROACH TO TEACHING:
First of all, please keep in mind that I AM HERE TO HELP! My goal as an instructor is to do all
I can to create an environment in which we all can learn from each other safely, productively, and
happily. Every person in this class contributes to that environment, and together we share the
power to determine whether or not we live up to that goal.
Please do not hesitate to ask questions, or ask for help, in or out of class. (Unless there is a
privacy issue at stake, in-class is often best, since your classmates may have the same questions
or concerns that you do, and then you are helping them, too.)
If you have any special needs that it would help for me to be aware of, please do let me know. I
am committed to helping every student attain the best quality of education she or he can.
Ultimately, I believe that the quality of each student’s education is largely dependent on her or his
own efforts, attitudes, and behaviors. It is important for you to know that I will give you 110%
and do anything I can to help you as long as you show me the same courtesy and respect.
I do expect you to come to class EVERYDAY (except, of course, those days that you have proper
documentation) and I expect you to pay attention. One of my biggest pet peeves is when students
talk when other students and/or I am talking. I will respect and listen to each and every one of
you…please accord your classmates and I the same consideration. Thank you in advance.
Textbook/Supplies:
Wood, J. T. Interpersonal Communication Everyday Encounters. Belmont, CA: Thomson
Wadsworth, 2007.
METHOD OF EVALUATION (Tests/Exams, Grading System):
ASSIGNMENTS:
All assignments are to be typed with one inch margins. They should also be free of grammatical,
typographical, and stylistic errors. Errors will cost you points, so please be sure to proofread
thoroughly.
EXAMS: There will be exams over each chapter. While the format may vary, each exam will
assess your understanding of course content as well as your application and integration abilities.
Everything from the applicable chapters, class discussions, lectures, activities, etc. is testable
material. Please note: Even if a concept from your reading is not discussed in class, it may still
appear on an exam.
2
QUIZZES & ACTIVITIES: You are expected to come to class having completed the reading
and being prepared to participate in discussions and activities. From each chapter, there MAY be
a graded in-class quiz, which cannot be made up (despite circumstances). The quiz questions
should be incredibly obvious to one who has read the material. You may not make up a quiz if
you are late or absent from class.
ARTIFACTS:
You will be required to complete four artifacts over the duration of the semester. Artifacts are
papers in which you are asked to identify phenomenon outside of the classroom that are effective
EXAMPLES of course concepts discussed in class or in the text. This challenges you to apply
course concepts to real-life situations. These artifacts require you to take specific examples you
see outside of the class that represent certain class concepts and then write a brief paper
explaining HOW and WHY these examples fit certain concept descriptions. More specifically,
the concepts can be applied to
conversations between you and your partner, television shows, magazine ads, films or
anything else that may come to mind. The standard format is as follows:
Paragraph One: An introduction using standard introduction devices.
Paragraph Two: Explain the concept complete with definition and elaboration of the key
terms without discussing the event/ad/etc.
Paragraph Three: Discuss the event/ad/etc in specific detail so that I can be fully aware of the
situation at hand without discussing the concept.
Paragraph Four: Apply the concept to the event/ad/etc to show connections between the
text and your daily life.
Paragraph Five: A conclusion using usual conclusive devices.
Artifacts are to be typed, 1-2 pages in length, double-spaced.
GROUP ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
You will be asked to submit an annotated bibliography using APA style with at least 10 sourced
about the communication theory that your group has investigated. A minimum of five of your
citations must be from scholarly journals. I can/will provide a representative list of appropriate
journals if you wish.
Summarize the article/website/book/lecture (one or two sentences) and evaluate the worth of this
for your colleagues (one or two sentences). For guidelines for writing annotated bibliographies,
consider the following resources:



http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_annotatedbib.html
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/AnnBib_content.html
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/specific-types-of-writing/annotatedbibliography
3
List of Representative Theories
Communication Pragmatics / Interactional View (Watzlawick)
Competence (Spitzberg & Cupach)
Expectancy Violation (Burgoon)
Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation (Schutz)
Interpersonal Deception (Buller & Burgoon)
Marital Communication (Fitzpatrick)
Relational Dialectics (Baxter & Montgomery)
Social Exchange (Thibaut & Kelley)
Social Penetration (Altman & Taylor)
Uncertainty Reduction (Berger & Calabrese)
Symbolic Interaction Theory (Blumer)
GROUP PRESENTATION (75 PTS) – As a group, select a communication theory and share
this with the class. Plan, practice and present a 10-15 minute talk about the practical applications
of this communication theory to our study of close, personal relationships. You are welcome to
use audio-visual aids during the presentation. Please prepare a handout for each class member as
well. Your presentation will be evaluated based on comprehensive and accurate description of the
communication theory and the handout, clarity of the presentation (introduction, discussion, and
conclusion), and teamwork and evidence of cohesiveness.
COURSE PAPER (150 POINTS) – A handout/packet will be provided.
EVALUATION:
Exams – 600 pts …Approximately 50 pts per chapter – (12 chapters to be covered)
Artifacts - 100 pts (4 @ 25pts)
Annotated Bibliography – 25 pts.
Group Presentation – 75 pts.
Course Research Paper – 150 pts.
Participation - 5 pts per class
Quizzes – TBA
Final grades will be determined according to the following scale:
A = 90-100 percent
B = 80-89 percent
C = 70-79 percent
D = 60-69 percent
F = below 60 percent
4
COURSE POLICIES:
ATTENDANCE: COURSE POLICIES:
Preparation and Participation (Attendance, Punctuality, Preparation):
This is a discussion-based class, and clearly, you must be present in order to participate in
discussions. Thus, regular attendance is essential. Being absent will deprive you of valuable class
time, lower your participation points, and prevent you from fulfilling certain graded in-class
activities and quizzes, which cannot be made up. You are always responsible for all materials
distributed in your absence. If you miss class, it
is your responsibility to get notes and handouts from a fellow classmate. Absences are only
excused when proper documentation is provided (such as a doctor’s note). So here’s the deal:
Come to class, and be on time. It’s not that tough.
Every class session has a participation and preparation grade. Absence results in zero points for
that day, because small group discussions, presentations, class discussions, and activities are
impossible to make up. One or two absences will not significantly affect your grade, if the rest of
your performance is satisfactory. However, it is my policy that any student missing more than
a total of two weeks of classes throughout the semester (in your case that would amount to 4
class periods over the course of the semester) will be dropped from the roster. If this occurs
after the final drop day for refunds, you will NOT be reimbursed for the enrollment fee.
Any assignments due on the day of your absence will be due the day you return to class. If
assignments (reading, writing/research assignments) are made during the classes you miss, they
are due as per the assignment. Consequently, it would be to your benefit to talk to me about
planned absences in advance. If you have to miss class unexpectedly, call or email me as soon as
possible or talk with a classmate to find out about pending assignments.
Medical verification of illness or other proof of need for absence will make me more flexible in
working out make up assignments. In any case, students must initiate negotiations of make up
upon their return to class or via email.
In case of illness or family emergency which requires missing more than one class, I expect that
you communicate with me early in the absence so make up arrangements can be pre-arranged.
Excessive absences for any reason create an obstacle to completions of this course. Without
regular communication from and with you to negotiate changes in deadlines during these
absences, progress in, and thus completion of the course is impossible.
Punctuality is a quality that will serve you well in all areas of life. Although we may all
experience rare occasions when we are late, these occasions should be just that…”rare”.
Arriving late to class demonstrates a lack of respect for others and is disruptive. Additionally,
tardiness will negatively impact your preparation and participation points. This is not, however,
an excuse to miss class.
PARTICIPATION: You are expected to communicate in this communication class, and in order
to do so, you need to be prepared and well-informed on the topic of discussion. Participation is a
function of attendance, demonstration of having read the material, asking questions that extend
the thinking of the class and the instructor, contributing relevant examples, and demonstrating
respect for the contributions of classmates. The very nature of the communication discipline
demands that learning occur through discussion, illustration, and experience.
5
ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES:
All assignments and exams must be completed/turned in on the date assigned.
As a general rule, I will not accept any late work. Exceptions will rarely be made, if at all, and
only in special cases that I have been notified about and have approved beforehand and with
proper documentation (please ask if you do not know what constitutes proper documentation).
Exams, quizzes, and presentations cannot be made up. If you do not come to class on an exam
day or on your presentation day, you will receive a ZERO for
that assignment unless:
(1) an alternate due date has been previously approved or
(2) documentation has been provided for extreme circumstances.
I expect you to anticipate the occurrence of everyday problems (such as running out of paper or
ink or losing data and not having a back-up file) and deal with them accordingly. Running out of
ink, or broken printer/flash drive is NOT an acceptable excuse for late work! There are printers
all over campus; I will expect you to use one of these or a friend/roommate’s printer if yours is
out of order.
Incomplete Policy:
I follow the office college policy, as found in the College catalog, as illustrated by the following
excerpt: “An incomplete grade may be given to a student who, by the withdrawal date, can
reasonably be expected to pass the course. Incompletes may be granted only when justified by
extreme circumstances (e.g. serious illness, accident, death or serious illness in the immediate
family).”
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY & PLAGIARISM
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a fundamental principle of collegial life at Heartland Community College
and is essential to the credibility of the College’s educational programs. Moreover, because
grading may be competitive, students who misrepresent their academic work violate the right of
their fellow students. The College, therefore, views any act of academic dishonesty as a serious
offense requiring disciplinary measures, including course failure, suspensions, and even
expulsion from the College. In addition, an act of academic dishonesty may have unforeseen
effects far beyond any officially imposed penalties.
Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to cheating, aiding or suborning
cheating or other acts of academic dishonesty, plagiarism, and misrepresentation of data,
falsification of academic records or documents, and unauthorized access to computerized
academic or administrative records or systems. Definitions of these violations may be found in
the college catalog.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presenting of others’ ideas as if they were your own. When you write a paper,
create a project, do a presentation or create anything original, it is assumed that all the work,
except for that which is attributed to another author or creator, is your own. Plagiarism is
considered a serious academic offense and may take the following forms:
6
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Copying word-for-word from another source and not giving that source credit.
Paraphrasing the work of another and not giving that source credit.
Adapting a particularly apt phrase as your own.
Using an image or a copy of an image without crediting its source.
Paraphrasing someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a topic as if it were
your own.
6. Receiving excessive help from a friend or elsewhere, or using another project as if it were
your own.
Note that word-for-word copying is not the only form of plagiarism. The penalties for
plagiarism may be severe, ranging from failure on the particular piece of work, failure in the
course or expulsion from school in extreme cases.
{Adapted from the Modern Language Association’s MLA Handbook for Writers of
Research Papers. New York:
MLA, 1995: 26}
Notice of Cancelled Class Sessions:
Cancelled class sessions, for all HCC classes, will be listed under Cancelled Class Meetings in
the A-Z Index and under Academic Information in the Current Students page on the HCC Web
site. Go to http://www.heartland.edu/classCancellations/ to learn what classes have been
cancelled for that day and the upcoming week. Be sure to check the last column, which might
contain a message from the instructor.
SUPPORT SERVICES:
Library – The library, is located in the Student Commons Buildings at the Raab Road campus,
provides Heartland students with a full range of resources including books, online journal
databases, videos, newspapers, periodicals, reserves, and interlibrary loan. Librarians are
available to assist in locating information. For more information, please call the Library (309)
268-8200 or (309) 268-8292.
Tutoring Services – Heartland Community College offers tutoring in various forms at not cost to
Heartland students at the Tutoring and Testing Center in Normal and at the Pontiac and Lincoln
Centers. Tutors are available at convenient times throughout the week. Study groups are also
available by request. For more information about services available at each location, please call
the Tutoring and Testing Center in Normal (309)-268-8231, the Pontiac Center at (815) 8426777, or the Lincoln Center at (217)735-1731.
Testing Services – Testing Services provides a secure testing environment for students who are
enrolled in online, hybrid, and other distance learning courses; have a documented disability; or
need to take a make-up exam. Testing accommodations for students having documented
disabilities must be arranged by the student through the Office of Disability Services, and Testing
Services will only administer make-up exams at the request of the instructor. Contact Testing
Services at (309) 268-8050 for more information.
Testing Services Hours for spring 2011 are:
Monday – Thursday 8am – 8pm
Friday 8am – 4:30pm
Sunday 4 – 8 pm
Testing Services Phone Number: 309-268-8050
Testing Services Location: SCB 2001
7
Open Computing Lab – the Open Computing Lab provides free computing for HCC students at
convenient times throughout the week. The computer lab is staffed by trained Lab Assistants and
offers the use of approximately 70 computers, a scanner, a laser printer, and an electric
typewriter.
Disability Services – “If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic
accommodations, please contact Anita Moore, Director of Disability Support Services at 2688249 or anita.moore@heartland.edu”.
Syllabi disclaimer:
Changes to this syllabus will be made as the need arises. You will be informed at the earliest
convenience if a change is being made. Any change will be at the discretion of the instructor.
COURSE CALENDER
Spring 2010
Week #
1
Course Content and Activities
Jan
2
11
Tuesday – Introduction to Course Syllabus
13
Thursday – “Interviews Biographer”
Read Chapter 1 – Due Tuesday 1/18
A model of interpersonal communication
Tuesday– Quiz - Discussion – Chapter 1
Read Chapter 2 – Due Thursday 1/20
18
20
3
25
27
4
Feb
1
3
5
8
10
Thursday – Quiz - Discussion – Chapter 2 Self-concept
Read Chapter 3 – due Thursday 1/27
Tuesday – Exam – Chapters 1-2
Thursday – Quiz – Chapter 3 Perception & Communication
Hand out activities for Chapter 4
Read Chapter 4 – due Thursday 2/3
Tuesday - Return exam & Group Work
Thursday - Quiz – Discuss Chapter 4
“The World of Words”
Tuesday – Artifact #1 – due today (you may discuss any
concept/skill that we have discuss in chapters 1-4)
Exam – Chapters 3-4
Read Chapter 5 – due Thursday 2/10
Thursday – Quiz - Discussion – Chapter 5
The Nonverbal Code
8
6
7
15
Tuesday – “Taking Chance” - Movie
17
Thursday – “Taking Chance” - Movie
Exam #3 – Chapter 5 (Take home – due Tuesday 2/22)
Read Chapter 6 for Tuesday 3/1
Tuesday – Quiz and discuss Chapter 6
Read Chapter 7 - due Thursday 3/24)
22
24
8
Mar.
9
3
Thursday – ARTIFACT #2 – due today (any
concept/idea/skill discussed in chapter 5, 6, 7
MIDTERM EXAM (Chapters 1-7)
SPRING BREAK!!!!!!!!!
15
Tuesday – Quiz - Discussion Chapter 8
Comm. Climate: The Foundation of Personal
Relationships
17
22
Thursday – Complete Chapter 8
Group Work
Read Chapter 9 – due Tuesday 3/22
Tuesday – Quiz – discuss Chapter 9 – Conflict
24
Thursday – Complete Chapter 9 – Conflict
29
Tuesday –
31
Thursday - GROUP PRESENTATIONS
Read Chapter 10 – due Tuesday 4/5
Tuesday – Quiz - discussion – Chapter 10 (Friendships)
7 - 12
10
11
12
13
1
Apr.
5
7
14
15
Thursday – Quiz discuss Chapter 7
Tuesday – Complete Chapter 7
Group Work
12
Exam – Chapters 8 & 9
Thursday – Complete Chapter 10
Artifact #3 Due (8-10)
Read Chapter 11 – due Tuesday 4/12
Tuesday – Quiz - discussion – Chapter 11
Romantic relationships: Definitions & Values
14
Thursday – Complete Chapter 11
19
Tuesday –
21
Thursday – GROUP PRESENTATIONS
Read Chapter 12 – due Tuesday 4/26
Exam Chapters 10 & 11
9
16
17
May
26
Tuesday –
28
Thursday –
Complete Chapter 12
Tuesday –
Artifact #4 Due (1-12)
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
3
Quiz and discussion – Chapter 12
Communication in Families
Thursday –
Review/open
Finals 9-12
Thursday – May 12 @ 10:00 – 12:50 – Final Exam (1-12)
Final grades will be posted by midnight May 17th.
5
10