COMM 100: Course Syllabus
COMM 100: Communication and Social Process
This syllabus includes the following sections:
Course Overview
Course Objectives
Required Textbooks
Course Requirements
Course Policies
Academic Policies
Course Outline
COURSE OVERVIEW
Communication is intertwined with all aspects of human activity. Without the ability to communicate, we could not
form relationships, enter into society, or even understand the world around us. Communication is such a central,
natural part of our daily lives that we often take it for granted, rarely questioning what we mean by the very term
“communication.” Yet, this most commonplace activity becomes very complex once we try to systematically
understand or theorize it. We start to see what we think of as “natural” as an elaborate system that we learn,
model, and co-create.
The general goal of this course is to introduce students to an array of theories that have attempted to answer the
question: “What is communication?” We will start from the perspective that communication is a social process;
that is, it is an ongoing, dynamic means through which we build our identities, our relationships, and our
understanding of the world. Our focus will be on exploring some of the central people and theories that have
contributed to shaping the discipline of communication studies. Thus, we will also use these theories of
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COMM 100: Course Syllabus
communication to ask, and attempt to answer, the question: “Why does communication matter?”
As we will discover, this discipline contains many different perspectives. These perspectives may conflict,
complement, or complicate each other. However, it is the complexity of not only individual theories, but also the
field, that reminds us why communication theories are as multifaceted and complex as the communication they
are attempting to describe. To help navigate our way through all these perspectives, we will also learn some
ways to critically evaluate communication theories and their underlying assumptions. We will combine our
reading of the texts with critical discussion and assignments where your own experience and perspective will
play a key role in puzzling through this complex concept and everyday reality we are calling “communication.”
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this course are to
introduce students to the field of communication studies
familiarize students with some foundational theories in communication studies
introduce basic concepts in critical thinking and the process of theorizing
apply communication theories to everyday situations
challenge students to explore the unfamiliar and re-examine the familiar by analyzing and applying
communication concepts.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS
See the course description for current textbook information.
Library Services (including eReserves)
Students enrolled in Carolina Courses Online have access to the UNC Library System. Visit Distance Education
Library Services to access a wide array of online services and resources including eReserves, online databases,
online journals, online books, and live help with research and library access. Most online resources require you
to log in with your Onyen and password. If you have any trouble finding the resource that you need or logging in
to a resource, you can contact the library through the contact information at Distance Education Library Services.
You can chat live about your problem, or send an email to request assistance.
Additional Services
If you are having trouble with your writing in this course you can contact the Writing Center’s online resources.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Grade Distribution
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Discussion Forum
30 percent
Assignment 1
10 percent
Assignment 2
20 percent
Assignment 3
20 percent
COMM 100: Course Syllabus
Final Exam
20 percent
Discussion Forum Participation
We will use Sakai’s Forums tool throughout the semester to have class discussions. Unless otherwise noted, for
each lesson you are required to
complete the Discussion Forum assignment (listed at the end of each lesson)
read over the entire Discussion Forum over the weekend
post two replies to your classmates’ posts.
To receive credit, you must post by the due dates on the course Schedule. In general, you will complete the
Discussion Forum post by Tuesday; then you will be expected to respond to at least two of your classmates’
posts by Friday; and Extra Credit by Monday of the next week.
Under the Writing Guidelines tab, see the official COMM 100 Discussion Forum Rubric for writing standards of
posts and responses to receive credit.
If the due date is different because of a holiday, a break, or an assignment due date, then it will be noted in the
Schedule.
To receive credit for your posts, you are also required to properly cite all of the material that you reference in
your posts, including at least one in-text quote within each post. These in-text quotes are from the reading
material from that lesson, not from the summaries in the assignment sheet. You will also be required to include a
works cited reference of your cited material for every lesson’s posts.
Paper Assignments
There will be three paper assignments throughout the course. The due dates are listed in the Schedule. The
instructions for each paper assignment are available via links in Sakai's left navigation bar. These paper
assignments will give you an opportunity to apply what you have learned in the course—to put your theory into
practice!
Extra Credit and Assignment Drafts
Extra credit assignments can be compared to a safety net for a tightrope act, or money in the bank to use for
later. No matter how much work you might put into a class, life happens: you might have taken on too many
credits; you might get sick and under-perform. Sometimes the results of your labor might not be what you
expected--it could be a forum post or your responses to other students, one of the three main writing
assignments, or your final. However, if you complete extra credit assignments, you can make up some of the
points you lost with these unforeseen mishaps. The extra credit assignments consist of the weekly Review
Questions, Posts that use Online Exploration, or any readings not covered in the forum that week.
The final is based on the review questions. By completing these extra credit assignments you will accomplish
the following:
1. earn extra points towards your grade
2. prepare for your final and assignments ahead of time
3. provide a learning tool for your fellow classmates that will count towards your participation in class.
Think of extra credit as the triple-threat that will shield you from a dissatisfactory grade in the class.
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COMM 100: Course Syllabus
Final Exam
Your final exam consists of two parts, which will be available here in Sakai on the dates indicated in the
Schedule. You will access Part 1 in the Final Exam section and Part 2 in the Assignments section. You may use
your text and Course Pack on the exam, but no outside sources. You will need to be familiar with the Glossary of
Terms to complete your exam correctly. You can find more detailed information about the final exam in the final
lesson of the course.
COURSE POLICIES
Work Load
You should reserve about four to five hours per lesson to complete the readings and assignments for this course.
There are roughly fifty to seventy pages of assigned reading material for each lesson. It is essential that you take
the time to read, reread, and take notes.
Grading Scale
The work in this course is graded on a standard 10-point scale as outlined below:
A
A-
94–100 Excellent (well written, well organized, appropriately researched, and with few spelling or
90–93 grammar errors)
B+ 87–89
B 83–86
B- 80–82
Good (still well done, but with some noticeable writing, organization, or spelling/grammar errors)
C+ 77–79
C 73–76
C- 70–72
Satisfactory (fulfills requirements with average writing, organization, research, and spelling or
grammar)
D+ 66–70
D 60–65
Needs Improvement (falls short of several criteria and/or presents major deviation from
assignment)
F
Failing/Unsatisfactory (work that fails the requirements of the assignment or course)
< 60
Late Work
Work that is up to one week late will have one full letter grade for paper assignments (or 10 points) deducted.
(Note that forum posts are 10 points, so a late forum post receives an automatic zero.) After one week, all
other assignments will automatically receive a zero. If you encounter extenuating circumstances (such as illness,
family emergency, work conflicts, and so on), the late penalty will be waived if you let me know in advance of the
due date, or in exceptional circumstances on the due date. After-the-fact excuses will not be accepted.
It is extremely important for you to save copies of any work you send to me via email. If I don’t receive your work,
you must have a duplicate copy that indicates the date it was sent to prove that you submitted the assignment on
time. It is your responsibility to maintain copies of your sent emails, as there is no way to guarantee that any
email message will be delivered. Because of the potential for technical difficulties on Sakai, I suggest you
ALWAYS compose your posts and responses on WORD first, and then apply it to the site. If you lose your work
due to problems with Sakai or turn it in late, you will not receive credit for your posts.
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COMM 100: Course Syllabus
ACADEMIC POLICIES
By enrolling as a student in this course, you agree to abide by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
policies related to the acceptable use of online resources. Consult the Acceptable Use Policy on topics such as
copyright, net-etiquette, and privacy protection.
As part of this course, you may be asked to participate in online discussions or other online activities that may
include personal information about you or other students in the course. Make sure you are respectful of the rights
and protection of other participants under the UNC-Chapel Hill Information Security Policies when participating in
online classes.
When using online resources offered by organizations not affiliated with UNC-Chapel Hill, such as Google or
YouTube, note that the terms and conditions of these companies and not the University’s Terms and Conditions
apply. These third parties may offer different degrees of privacy protection and access rights to online content.
You should be well aware of this when posting content to sites not managed by UNC-Chapel Hill.
When links to sites outside of the unc.edu domain are inserted in class discussions, be mindful that clicking on
sites not affiliated with UNC-Chapel Hill may pose a risk for your computer due to the possible presence of
malware on such sites.
Standards for Writing, Proper Citation, and the UNC-CH Honor Code
As a UNC student, you are expected to uphold the University’s Honor Code. All work that you produce must be
your own! Plagiarism is a serious offense and will not be tolerated in this course. Be sure that you understand the
correct way to cite scholarly material when completing assignments by consulting the Chicago Manual of Style. If
you have any additional questions about what constitutes plagiarism, or how to properly cite a source, you
should contact me. You should view this brief Plagiarism Tutorial created by the librarians of UNC-Chapel Hill,
Duke University, NC State University, and NC Central University.
You must cite any sources that you use in your written work, including the discussion forum, using MLA or APA
format. You will always need to include a works cited/references page, and you will need to use proper in-text
citation. For additional information on how to properly cite sources, the University Libraries has an informative
page on citing sources. A lack of proper citation (or a complete neglect of it) could be defined as plagiarism and
is considered a serious offense within the university Honor Roll Policies.
The UNC Instrument of Student Judicial Governance defines plagiarism as:
“deliberate or reckless representation of another's words, thoughts, or ideas as one's own without
attribution in connection with submission of academic work, whether graded or otherwise.”
(Instrument of Student Judicial Governance, Section II.B.1)
In plain English, plagiarism means using another person’s thoughts, ideas, or written works (whether in whole
or in part) and passing them off as your own. Whether you intended to plagiarize or not, if you use someone
else’s work without acknowledging this through a proper citation, you are essentially stealing their work, and
breaking the UNC Honor Code, as well as the principles of academic integrity.
Office of Accessibility/Special Accommodations
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COMM 100: Course Syllabus
If you are a student with a documented disability, you can receive services through Accessibility Resources &
Service. You must self-identify through Accessibility Resources to receive services or accommodation from either
of these offices. Accessibility Resources works closely with programs, offices, and departments throughout the
University to help create an accessible environment.
The office is located in Suite 2126 of the Student Academic Services Building (SASB), 450 Ridge Road, Chapel
Hill, NC, and is open from 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. You can contact them by phone at
919-962-8300 or 711 (NC-RELAY) or by email at accessibility@unc.edu. For more information, visit Accessibility
Resources & Service.
COURSE OUTLINE
Lesson 1: Introduction
Lesson 2: Why Theory and Critical Thinking Matter
Lesson 3: The Building Blocks of Communication: Semiotics
Lesson 4: Theories About Symbolic Activity: Symbolic Interactionism
Assignment 1 is due
Lesson 5: Interpersonal Communication: Interactional Theory and Dialectic Theory
Lesson 6: Rhetoric: Traditional Approaches
Lesson 7: Challenges to Traditional Rhetoric: Narrative Theory
Assignment 2 is due
Lesson 8: Cultural Studies: Myth, Ideology, and Representation
Lesson 9: Performance Studies: Dramaturgic Theory (Performance of Self in Everyday Life) and Performance
Ethnography
Lesson 10: Communication and Culture: Standpoint Theory, Speech Communities, and Organizational Culture
Lesson 11: Critical Communication Theories: Feminist Theories, Muted Group Theory, and Critical Race
Theories
Assignment 3 is due
Lesson 12: Theories of Communication Media: Media Contexts
Lesson 13: Theories of Communication Media: Media Effects
Lesson 14: Course Review
Final Exam
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