Listen • Speak • Engage
San José State University
Communication Studies
COMM XXXF, Title, Section, Semester and Year
Area: Foundations
Instructor:
Your Name
Office location:
HGH XXX
Telephone:
408-924-xxxx
Email:
your email address
Office hours:
your office hours
Class days/time:
when class meets
Classroom:
where class meets
Prerequisites:
upper division standing
Catalog Description
Insert description from SJSU catalog here.
Succeeding in a Four-Unit Course
Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a
minimum of 45hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the
hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course related activities.
Because this is a four-unit class, you can expect to spend normally 12 hours per week for instruction or
preparation/studying or course related activities. Careful time management will help you keep up with
readings and assignments and enable you to be successful in all of your courses.
Engagement Unit
All 4-unit courses in Communication Studies include a unit of engagement. This unit of engagement is
designed to enrich students’ learning experiences and to facilitate student achievement of course learning
outcomes. Students enrolled in 4-unit courses are expected to spend 45 hours (average of 3 hours/week in
a regular semester) outside of the classroom to complete engagement activities. This unit is worth 25%
of the overall grade. In this class, the engagement unit is [a few words here to describe what students will
do for the engagement unit].
Desire2Learn (D2L) (or Canvas) class website
Copies of the course syllabus and major assignment sheets may be found on the class Desire2Learn (or
Canvas) website at sjsu.desire2learn.com. (or Canvas URL) You are responsible for regularly checking
messages sent via Desire2Learn (or Canvas). The announcement page will be used for updates and other
important alerts about the class. You may use Desire2Learn (or Canvas) email to contact me or use the
email address and phone number listed above.
FOUNDATIONS, Inquiry, Practice
Each course in the Department of Communication Studies primarily focuses on one of three areas:
Foundations (theoretical underpinnings of the discipline), Inquiry (research in the discipline), or Practice
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(application of communication theories and concepts to real world contexts). COMM XXXF is a
Foundations course. Although the course addresses research (inquiry), and practice (application), the
primary purpose of COMM XXXF is to [fill in info here].
Foundations Area Outcomes
This course satisfies the FOUNDATIONS area of Communication Studies learning outcomes. All
FOUNDATIONS courses, including COMM XXXF, share these learning outcomes:

Understanding Communication Theories: Demonstrate an understanding of the major
theories that have shaped the field of communication, including historical developments,
ethical issues, current trends.

Critiquing Communication Theories: Demonstrate the ability to discuss the strengths
and limitations of theoretical perspectives on communication.
Course Goals
Insert description of course and goals here. Example from COMM 133F:
Within the FOUNDATIONS area, COMM 133F is unique in that it introduces you to ethical theories and
concepts associated with the communication discipline. Ethics refers to the moral aspects of
communication. Individuals, groups, organizations, and the media confront ethical problems daily. The
ability to effectively address ethical communication issues is important and necessary in a variety of
professional and social contexts. In this course you’ll explore a wide variety of ethical theories and
concepts, evaluating their utility and effectiveness in examining the ethical dilemmas communicators
regularly encounter. Class discussions, readings, activities, and assignments are designed to facilitate
application of ethical theories to communication situations.
Course Learning Outcomes
After successfully completing this course, you will: (Example from COMM 133F; Foundations Area
LOs linked to course LOs)
CLO1. Discuss and critique fundamental theories and concepts related to ethical issues in communication.
(Theories of Communication)
CLO2. Delineate the essential assumptions underlying ethical theories relevant to the communication
discipline. (Theories of Communication)
CLO3. Recognize issues and situations that require ethical judgments. (Ethics)
CLO4. Etc.
Required Text
Textbook
Insert complete textbook citation here. Include ISBN and where students can buy the text
Other Readings
list any additional readings here
Other equipment requirements (if needed)
Include as necessary (e.g., if students need a computer and reliable internet access), alter heading, or
delete if not needed.
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Library Liaison
The Communication Studies Department encourages vigorous and ethical research as part of information
literacy for all of its students. For assistance in the library go to the King Library Reference Desk (2nd
floor; 808-2100) and utilize the Communication Research Guide available at
libguides.sjsu.edu/communication. The library liaison for Communication Studies is Crystal Goldman
Crystal.Goldman@sjsu.edu, who will help you with your questions about the library.
Classroom Protocol
Insert any additional class protocol information.
Common courtesy and professional behavior dictate that you notify someone when you are recording
him/her. You must obtain the instructor’s permission to make audio or video recordings in this class.
Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private, study purposes only. The recordings
are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not been given any rights to reproduce or
distribute the material.
Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and cannot be
shared publicly without his/her approval. You may not publicly share or upload instructor generated
material for this course such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework solutions without instructor
consent.
Dropping and Adding
You are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drops, academic renewal,
and similar topics found at sa.sjsu.edu/student_conduct.
Assignments and Grading Policy
Summarize all assignments here. You don’t need to go into extensive detail; simply refer students to
handouts or other places (such as the class Desire2Learn site) where you provide specific instructions for
each assignment. Include policies on late and missed assignments. Indicate if extra credit is available.
Include grading scale here. Identify Engagement Activity (or Activities). Example from COMM 133F
(note that Grading Scale must be in a table):
Detailed information about each assignment is available on the class Desire2Learn site.
EARLY, ON TIME, AND LATE POLICIES. Assignments associated with the project will earn a 5% bonus
if turned in early or on time and 50% (1/2) penalty if late. I will not accept early or late quizzes, late or
early online discussion postings, or late or early blog entries. You may make up one missed quiz as your
final.
Quizzes and Final: 300 points Multiple choice, covering assigned readings and class discussion. All
quizzes will be available on the class Desire2Learn website. The textbook website [URL TBA] includes
study aids and sample quizzes. For the final, you will retake the quiz (it will have new questions covering
the same material) of your choice. (CLO1, CLO2, CLO3, CLO5)
Project: 350 points. An analysis of a narrative (film, tv show, play, or novel) from two perspectives on
ethics. You may work individually, or in teams of 2-3 students. You will be graded on your Proposal (100
points), Web Presentation (175 points), and in class Oral Discussion (75 points). If you work in a team,
all team members will receive the same grade for Proposal and Web Presentation; the Oral Discussion
will be graded individually. (CLO1, CLO2, CLO3, CLO4, CLO5)
Engagement Activities: 250 points
Student time commitment: 15 hours of academic work and 30 hours of preparation
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Grade: 25% of final grade
Online discussion: 100 points. You will meet online in small groups to discuss current ethical issues,
applying course theories and concepts. (CLO1, CLO2, CLO3, CLO5)
Ethics blog: 150 points. You will blog regularly about ethical problems you encounter in everyday life
and comment on others’ blog entries. (CLO1, CLO2, CLO3, CLO5)
Grading Scale
Point Range
950-1000 points
900-949 points
870-899 points
840-869 points
800-839 points
770-799 points
740-769 points
700-739 points
670-699 points
640-669 points
600-639 points
< 600 points
Letter Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
University Policies
Academic integrity
You must be familiar with the University’s Academic Integrity Policy available at
sa.sjsu.edu/student_conduct. “Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San
Jose State University and the University’s integrity policy, require you to be honest in all your academic
course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and
Ethical development.”
I will not tolerate instances of academic dishonesty. Cheating on quizzes or plagiarism (presenting the
work of another as your own, or the use of another person’s ideas without giving proper credit) will result
in a failing grade and sanctions by the University. For this class, all assignments are to be completed by
the individual student unless otherwise specified. “If you would like to include in your assignment any
material you have submitted, or plan to submit for another class, please note that SJSU’s Academic
Policy F06-1 requires approval of instructors.”
Campus Policy in Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special
arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as
possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with
disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the DRC (Disability Resource Center) to
establish a record of their disability.
Student Technology Resources
Computer labs for student use are available in the new Academic Success Center located on the 1st floor
of Clark Hall and on the 2nd floor of the Student Union. In addition, computers are available in the Martin
Luther King Library. A wide variety of audio-visual equipment is available for student checkout from
Media Services located in IRC 112. These items include digital and VHS camcorders, VHS and Beta
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video players, 16 mm, slide, overhead, DVD, CD, and audiotape players, sound systems, wireless
microphones, screens and monitors.
Communication Center
The Communication Center is located in Hugh Gillis Hall 229 and is open Monday - Thursday 10:30AM
- 4:30PM September 11th - December 6th. The Center provides support for all students interested in
developing their personal and professional communication skills, and offers specialized support for those
enrolled in Communication Studies courses. Services include in-person workshops and self-paced online
modules via Canvas. Upper-division Communication Studies students staff the Center and are trained in
coaching students on a variety of topics related to our department courses. Enrollment in COMM 80
provides support for the Center. More information can be found through the website
http://commcenter.sjsu.edu/
Optional additional announcement:
You are strongly encouraged to use the Center; several class assignments require the use of the Center
and there will be opportunities to earn extra credit through various Center activities. To add 1 unit of
COMM 80, the section numbers are 01 – 07 and the course numbers are 40293, 40294, 40295, 42759,
42760, 42761, and 46522 respectively; no add code necessary.
Academic Counseling Center for Excellence in the Social Sciences (ACCESS)
Clark Hall Room 240, 924-5363, socsci-access@sjsu.edu
Dr. Hien Do, Faculty Director, Hien.Do@sjsu.edu, 924-5461
Valerie Chapman, Academic Advisor, Valerie.Chapman@sjsu.edu, 924-5364
All COSS students and interested students are invited to stop by the Center for general education
advising, help with changing majors, academic policy related questions, meeting with peer advisors,
and/or attending various regularly scheduled presentations and workshops. Call or email for an
appointment, or just stop by.
Learning Assistance Resource Center
The Learning Assistance Resource Center is designed to assist students in the development of their full
academic potential and to motivate them to become self-directed learners. The center provides support
services, such as skills assessment, individual or group tutorials, subject advising, learning assistance,
summer academic preparation and basic skills development. The Learning Assistance Resource Center is
located in Room 600 in the Student Services Center.
SJSU Writing Center
The SJSU Writing Center in Clark Hall 126 is staffed by professional instructors and upper-division or
graduate-level writing specialists from each of the seven SJSU colleges. The writing specialists have met
a rigorous GPA requirement, and they are well trained to assist all students at all levels within all
disciplines to become better writers. More information available at sjsu.edu/writingcenter.
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COMM XXXF, Title, Semester Here
Class Schedule
Here, include a statement such as: Subject to change with fair notice or I will announce any changes in
class or I will notify you of any changes via the Desire2Learn (or Canvas) email system.
Format the schedule similar to the example below.
May use other headings such as Week – Topic - Reading and Assignments or Week – Description –
Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
Include where and when the final exam will be held.
Week
Description
Reading
Assignments
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
15
15
16
Finals
final
date, time,
location
COMM XXXF
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