TO:
Curriculum Committee
FROM:
David Tafler, Head of the Communication Department
RE:
Proposed Curriculum Revision in Communication
DATE:
January 26, 2004
In 1999 the Communication Department revised its curriculum with the intent and
commitment to assess its functioning in four years. Last summer the Department held a
two day retreat to evaluate this curriculum. The attached proposal lays out the fine tuning we deemed necessary during this retreat process.
At the outset we call to the Committee’s attention a few terms and central operating
principles of the curriculum:
1. The Communication major is divided into three distribution areas: Discovery,
Structure, and Practice. A description of these areas appears in Section I.
2. In the Communication Department, number levels signify distinctions in degree of
difficulty of material and expectations of student work. That is, introductory courses
are numbered 100-200 and advanced courses 300 and above.
3. The major is, and will remain. a nine course major with the exception of Honors
students, who will now need to successfully complete ten courses to graduate with
Honors.
Members of the Department are available to meet with the Curriculum Committee for
further information or elaboration. We appreciate the Committee’s guidance in
preparation of this revised proposal.
1
GUIDE TO THE PROPOSAL
The Communication Department is proposing a revision of the requirements for the
major and a revision of the requirements for the Communication Honors Program. We
note at the outset that the number of required courses remains at nine. The following
changes are proposed:
1. Three new courses:
a. A new required sophomore level advanced theory/method course
b. One new 200 level elective course, Patriotism and the Press
c. A new upper level course required of Communication Honors Students
only
2. A change in course number and major distribution area for Audience Analysis to
more accurately reflect the level of the course material.
3. A name change for Sport Media.
4. A “D” designation for Race and Representation.
5. The elimination of an existing required course, the Practicum in Communication.
6. Change in requirements for Communication Honors Program as a result of newly
added required seminar (see 1c above).
The proposal is organized in the following sections:
SECTION I. Current and Proposed Major Requirements (table) and accompanying
narrative overview.
SECTION II. Description and Rationale for all proposed changes.
SECTION III. Outline of the Current Requirements for students in the Communication
Honors Program and Proposed Changes to the Program Requirements.
SECTION IV. Staffing Summary.
SECTION V. Notes on Transition.
SECTION VI. Syllabi and Outlines for the Three Proposed New Courses.
SECTION VII. Completed Curriculum Committee Forms.
SECTION VIII. Appendix
1
SECTION I
COMMUNICATION MAJOR STRUCTURE
Note: Majors are required to complete a minimum of 9 courses.
CURRENT (9 courses)
PROPOSED (9 courses)
COM 101, 102 Introduction to Communication (B) does
not fulfill major requirement
REQUIRED COURSES (3)
COM 201, 202. Media and Society
COM 231, 232. Documentary Research
COM 965. Practicum in Communication
ELECTIVES (6) (1 from each of three distribution
areas; at least 4 at 300 level or above)
DISCOVERY
COM 208, 209. Communication in the Global
Community
COM 210, 211. Media: Legal and Constitutional Issues
COM 212, 213. New Information Technologies
COM 214, 215. Audience Analysis
COM 225, 226. Journalistic Traditions
COM 240, 241. Methods of Film and Video Analysis (A)
COM 242, 243. Twentieth Century Media: Film, Radio,
Television (H)
COM 251. Fundamentals of Visual Communication
COM 101, 102 Introduction to Communication (B) does
not fulfill major requirement
REQUIRED COURSES (3)
COM 201, 202. Media & Society
COM 231, 232. Documentary Research
COM 301, 302. Media Theory and Methods*
ELECTIVES (6) (1 from each of three distribution
areas; at least 4 at 300 level or above)
DISCOVERY
COM 208, 209. Communication in the Global
Community
COM 210, 211. Media: Legal and Constitutional Issues
COM 212, 213. New Information Technologies
COM 216, 217. Patriotism and the Press*
COM 225, 226. Journalistic Traditions
COM 240, 241. Methods of Film and Video Analysis (A)
COM 242, 243. Twentieth Century Media: Film, Radio,
Television (H)
COM 251. Fundamentals of Visual Communication
STRUCTURE
STRUCTURE
COM 312, 313. Media Industries
COM 316, 317. Mass Persuasion and Propaganda (B)
COM 344, 345. Documentary Film (A)
COM 346, 347. Exploratory Cinema (A) (H)
COM 370, 371. Popular Culture and Communication
COM 372, 373. Race and Representation
COM 374, 375. Gender, Communication and Culture
COM 378, 379. Sport Media
COM 440, 441. Film Theory and Criticism
COM 312, 313. Media Industries
COM 314, 315. Audience Analysis**
COM 316, 317. Mass Persuasion and Propaganda (B)
COM 344, 345. Documentary Film (A)
COM 346, 347. Exploratory Cinema (A) (H)
COM 370, 371. Popular Culture and Communication
COM 372, 373. Race and Representation (D)
COM 374, 375. Gender, Communication and Culture
COM 378, 379. Sport, Culture and Media
COM 440, 441. Film Theory and Criticism
PRACTICE
COM 216, 217. Communication and Public Relations
COM 321, 322. Writing for the Media
COM 334, 335. Health Communication
COM 336, 337. Environmental Communication
COM 338, 339. Organizational Communication
COM 351. Video Production
COM 361. Radio Production
COM 365. Hypermedia
COM 431. Documentary Field Work
COM 467. Advanced Electronic Media Production
INDIVIDUALIZED STUDY/RESEARCH,
INTERNSHIP AND PRACTICUM
COM 960. Communication Internship does not satisfy a
requirement in the major
COM 965. Communication Practicum
COM 970. Communication Independent Study/Research
PRACTICE
COM 216, 217. Communication and Public Relations
COM 321, 322. Writing for the Media
COM 334, 335. Health Communication
COM 336, 337. Environmental Communication
COM 338, 339. Organizational Communication
COM 351. Video Production
COM 361. Radio Production
COM 365. Hypermedia
COM 431. Documentary Field Work
COM 467. Advanced Electronic Media Production
INDIVIDUALIZED STUDY/RESEARCH &
INTERNSHIP
COM 960. Communication Internship does not satisfy a
requirement in the major
COM 970. Communication Independent Study/Research
HONORS
COM 500. Communication Honors Seminar*
* New course
** Course changed to 300 level, new distribution area
 (D) designation requested
 Change in course title
2
Narrative Overview of Communication Major Requirements (CURRENT)
Majors will complete a minimum of nine courses, including the following required core
courses:
COM 201, 202: Media and Society
COM 231, 232: Documentary Research
COM 965: Practicum in Communication
Six electives within the major, including at least one course from each of the three
distribution areas: Discovery, Structure, Practice (described below). At least four of these
electives must be at the 300 level or above.
COM 201, 202 Media and Society, and COM 231, 232 Documentary Research, should
normally be completed prior to fulfilling additional major requirements. These courses do not
count toward the distribution requirements within the major.
COM 965, Practicum in Communication, must be completed at an approved off-campus site.
Enrollment in the Practicum is restricted to juniors and seniors.
Distribution Areas
DISCOVERY
These courses emphasize the breadth of the field of Communication. They are introductory
courses that provide an overview of different sub-specializations within the field.
STRUCTURE
These courses use communication theories and methodologies to provide in-depth exploration
of significant communication institutions, traditions or cultural forms.
PRACTICE
These courses provide students with opportunities to become producers, not merely
consumers, of print, video, and audio information. Each course gives students in-depth
opportunities to put theory into practice through research, writing, or electronic production.
3
Narrative Overview of Communication Major Requirements (PROPOSED)
Majors will complete a minimum of nine courses including the following required core
courses:
COM 201, 202: Media and Society
COM 231, 232: Documentary Research
COM 301, 302: Media Theory and Methods (Prereqs: COM 201, COM 231) NEW
COURSE
Majors will complete six electives within the major, including one course from each of the
three distribution areas: Discovery, Structure, Practice (described below). Note: the three
required courses listed above do not count toward the Discovery, Structure, Practice
distribution area requirements.
Majors will complete at least four courses at the 300 level or above.
Note: Internships do not fulfill one of the six elective requirements.
COM 201, 202 Media and Society, and COM 231, 232 Documentary Research, should
normally be completed prior to fulfilling additional major requirements.
COM 301, 302 Media Theory and Methods, should be completed after successful completion
of COM 201 and COM 231.
Distribution Areas
DISCOVERY
These courses emphasize the breadth of the field of Communication. They are introductory
courses that provide an overview of different sub-specializations within the field.
STRUCTURE
These courses use communication theories and methodologies to provide in-depth exploration
of significant communication institutions, traditions or cultural forms.
PRACTICE
These courses provide students with opportunities to become producers, not merely
consumers of print, video, and audio information. Each course gives students in-depth
opportunities to put theory into practice through research, writing, or electronic production.
4
SECTION II
DESCRIPTIONS AND RATIONALE FOR PROPOSED CHANGES TO
COMMUNICATION MAJOR
1) INTRODUCTION OF THREE NEW COURSES
a. A required sophomore level advanced theory/methods course (see Appendix for
course outline)
COM 301 (302): Media Theory and Methods
Explores classic and contemporary media theories and research methodologies including the historical and
philosophical foundations of paradigm formation in media research, the social and institutional contexts that
led to the emergence of the communication discipline, and current controversies within the field. This
course builds upon principles and concepts introduced in Media and Society.
Prerequisites: COM 201 (202), Media and Society, and COM 231 (232), Documentary Research.
RATIONALE
The proposal for the new course, Media Theory and Methods, emerges in response to the
department faculty’s collective assessment that our students’ understanding of communication
research and their experience in the advanced elective courses will be enhanced by such a
course. Students typically begin the Communication major with COM 201 Media and Society
(some come by way of COM 101, Introduction to Communication). Media and Society
“introduces students to social science approaches to the study of communication
phenomena” (course catalogue). In this introductory level course, they gain a broad and basic
understanding of the range of methodological and theoretical approaches to communication
research. Assignments in this course—a journal article critique, an annotated bibliography, a
literature review—generally familiarize students with the conventions of communication
scholarship.
Students go on to have intensive first-hand experiences with qualitative research
methods in COM 231, 232 Documentary Research. The proposed new course builds on the
“first exposure” to theory and method that students encounter in COM 201 and COM 231,
and more thoroughly prepares them for their advanced elective courses in the major.
Such advanced level focus on theory and method is a typical offering in
communication programs in both liberal arts institutions and research universities across the
country. A partial list of these schools includes: University of Pennsylvania, New York
University, Marist College, Wake Forest University, Pomona College, University of Southern
Maine, Rutgers University, Carleton College, Hamilton College, Macalester College, Vassar
College, Hope College, Boston College, College of Wooster, Gonzaga College, and
University of Delaware.
5
b. A new 200 level elective course (see Appendix for syllabus)
COM 216 (217): Patriotism and the Press
This course looks at the history of the contested relationship between patriotism and the press. It begins
from the Civil War, the first American conflict in which the press played a significant and controversial role,
and continues to contemporary arguments over the media’s appropriate role in the conflicts involving
international terrorism. Among the questions to be explored are the public’s right to know, reporters’ access
to the battlefield, and government censorship.
Meets the Discovery distribution requirement within the major. Prerequisite: COM 101,102, Introduction
to Communication, or COM 201, 202, Media and Society, recommended but not required.
RATIONALE
The institutional and legal contexts in which the media operate in the United States have
changed dramatically since the advent of the “War on Terrorism” and the passage of HR
3162, The USA Patriot Act. This elective course provides historic perspectives on press
freedom during times of national crisis, a critical examination of the new information
environment, the implications of this environment for freedom of expression, for press theory
and practice, as well as its impact on electronic communications. The course was developed
in conjunction with the Center for Ethics’ 2002 program, “Patriotism in a Global Era: The
Boundaries of Home.” It has been taught successfully twice as a special topics course.
c. A new 500 level Honors course required for Honors students only (see Appendix for
reading list)
COM 500: Communication Honors Seminar
Each year this course will have a different thematic focus, which will allow honors students to engage with
faculty and visiting lecturers in challenging dialogues and research experiences, which will culminate in the
production and presentation of an original research project or creative work based on the seminar theme.
Provides students with extensive opportunities to work closely with faculty mentors in developing their
research project and creative work. Enrollment limited to Honors Program students only, during the senior
year (or by permission of faculty instructor).
RATIONALE
Our goal in creating this new course is to raise the rigor of the Honors Program by routinizing
and formalizing already existing practices. Two central experiences currently define the
Honors Program: a yearly faculty-student colloquium and the research project and
presentation in the spring semester of the senior year. As stated in the 2003-2004 Muhlenberg
College Catalog, the Honors Program
allows qualified students the opportunity to enrich their experiences in communication
theory, history, and practices. Honors students must participate in a faculty-student
colloquium which usually meets once each semester, and produce an original
research or production project which they will present to the faculty and their peers in
a colloquium setting. They will also have opportunities to participate in a program of
periodic lectures and field trips. To qualify, students must maintain at least a 3.5
Grade Point Average in the major, and a 3.3 Grade Point Average overall.
Participation in the Honors Program is not automatic; qualified students must
prepare a written application. Applications are subject to faculty review. (p. 100)
6
For several years, the Communication Honors Program has been active in hosting seminarstyle “colloquia” open to all Honors students. These colloquia, organized once a year, have
featured a number of nationally and internationally prominent scholars. (For a list of recent
visiting Honors scholars, see Appendix.)
During their visits to Muhlenberg, typically lasting 2-3 days, these scholars have conducted
workshop sessions with our Honors students as well as delivered public lectures for the wider
campus community. The goal of these sessions has been to model further scholarly
excellence for students.
The second defining experience of the Honors Program occurs in the spring semester of the
senior year. The department has required its Honors students to further develop and publicly
present the research project or creative work that they regard as the best work that they have
done in Communication at Muhlenberg.
The introduction of the required Communication Honors Seminar will routinize these
experiences and make the Honors Program more rigorous by formalizing our expectations for
original student work into a course context where students can develop advanced projects and
receive individual mentoring. The requirement that the Honors research project or creative
work be developed within a credit-bearing experience is similar to honors requirements in
Biology, Business Administration, and Psychology at Muhlenberg, and comparable to honors
programs in communication departments across the country.
The course will be offered no more than once per year, or as student membership in the
Communication Honors Program warrants. Although a single instructor will coordinate and
assume formal responsibility for the course, the entire full-time Communication faculty will
periodically participate in the course and make themselves available to mentor students.
Coordination of the course will rotate from year to year as part of Communication faculty
regular teaching loads.
The new requirement for Honors students will go into effect with the Class of 2008. Until fall
2008, COM 500 will be offered as an elective, but enrollment will be restricted to Honors
students. (See Section V, “Notes on Transition,” for a complete discussion of implementation
of changes). Beginning with the Class of 2008, to graduate with honors in Communication,
students must successfully complete the Honors Seminar, meet the GPA requirements of
Honors in Communication (a minimum of 3.5 in major, 3.3 overall), and meet other
requirements of the Honors Program as stipulated in the college catalog (see guidelines
above).
See Section III of proposal for overview of changes to Honors Program requirements as a
result of this rationale.
7
2) A CHANGE IN COURSE NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION AREA FOR COM 214:
AUDIENCE ANALYSIS
COM 314 (315): Audience Analysis
Examines the concept of audiences from a variety of qualitative and quantitative research perspectives: as
"victims," users, subcultures, and market commodities. Television ratings, public opinion polls, and other
strategies for measuring audience feedback are analyzed and assessed.
Meets the Structure distribution requirement within the major. Prerequisite: COM 201, 202, Media and
Society.
RATIONALE
This course explores complex theoretical and methodological concepts that are better-suited
to upper-level students, hence the change from 200-level to 300-level. The material,
expectations and requirements for the course are in line with those of a 300 level course. The
audience-centered theories examined in the course also fall more precisely within the
Structure area within the Communication major course distribution rubric. This change is
also consistent with the department’s goal to restrict the Discovery area to 200-level courses.
3) A CHANGE IN TITLE FOR COM 378, 379: SPORT MEDIA
COM 378 (379): Sport, Culture and Media
Explores the cultural artifacts, historical developments, and related systems of power that comprise sport
media. Students observe, document, and analyze mediated sport and its prominence in our cultural
environment. Includes analysis of the conventions of sports journalism (electronic and print) and
transformations in those arenas.
Prerequisite: COM 101, 102,Introduction to Communication or COM 201, 202, Media and Society,
recommended but not required.
RATIONALE
Despite an accurate description in the course catalog, on the department’s web site, and in the
syllabus, the current title Sport Media has led students to expect a course exclusively focused
on sports writing. The proposed title more accurately reflects the course material,
assignments, and positioning of the course in the Structure distribution area of the curriculum.
Structure courses use communication theories and methodologies to provide in-depth
exploration of significant communication institutions, traditions or cultural forms – in this
case sport media.
8
3) A “D” DESIGNATION FOR COM 372: RACE AND REPRESENTATION (see
Appendix for syllabus)
Com 372 (373): Race and Representation
Explores the social construction of the concept of race and barriers to communication erected by prejudice,
discrimination, and marginalization of minority voices. Examines topics in multicultural, cross-cultural, and
interpersonal communication as well as documents, personal narratives, and media images. Primary
emphasis is placed upon African-American experience in the U.S.
RATIONALE
According to Academic Policy Committee guidelines offered to Curriculum Committee, to
satisfy “D” a course must “focus on the practices and perspectives of one or more human
societies outside the geographic boundaries of Europe or the United States, or the practices
and perspectives of one or more marginalized ethnic minority populations within Europe or
the United States.” Through readings, videos, and campus speakers, Race and Representation
typically focuses on experiences of historically marginalized populations within the United
States. Of special consideration in this course are the experiences of African-Americans in the
U.S.
The guidelines for the “D” perspective designation further state, “courses may focus on
historical or contemporary subject matter, and they may adopt a survey, in-depth, or
comparative approach. In the case of a comparative approach, at least half of the material
covered in the course must fall clearly within the bounds of the D perspective.” Nearly all
course materials for COM 372 fall within the boundaries of the D perspective. Because the
prism of race has shaped and continues to shape the American experience, Race and
Representation must focus both on historic and contemporary materials. From classic studies
(e.g., Myrdal) to contemporary reflections (e.g., Guinier and Torres), students encounter
arguments about how race functions to marginalize some and privilege others. Assignments
for the course engage students in the tasks of interrogating the challenge of speaking about
race. Students also read materials written and edited (Navigating the Color Line, Volumes 12) by students enrolled in past semesters of the course taught by Dr. Sue Curry Jansen.
“To fulfill the Diversity & Difference requirement, a course must bring students to an
encounter with subject matter (peoples, ways of life, ideas) presently under-represented
within the European and Anglo-American traditions that dominate our curriculum.” Students
encounter subject material in Race and Representation that is under-represented in our
curriculum and authored by persons who identify as members of marginalized populations
and articulate multiple perspectives about processes of marginalization (e.g., Trinh T. Minhha, Marable). Further, students learn to encounter and articulate their own racialized locations
by engaging in group and written work to articulate “how we say we.”
Guidelines for the “D” perspective include, in particular, “the study of ethnic minority groups
within Europe or the United States that have extensive historical ties to a non-European
civilization, though they may have been influenced by European or Anglo-American cultures,
e. g., Native American, African-American, Mexican-American, Asian-American.” While Race
and Representation attends primarily to African-American experiences in the U.S., it includes
experiences theorized and documented by other ethnic minority groups in the U.S. (e.g.,
Asian-American).
9
5) THE ELIMINATION OF AN EXISTING REQUIRED COURSE, COM 965:
COMMUNICATION PRACTICUM
COM 965: Communication Practicum
Designed to provide both an educational experience and an opportunity to work with professionals in
practical preparation for a career, the Practicum includes a significant academic (written and/or production)
component. Under faculty supervision, students will serve as interns with newspapers, television and radio
stations, advertising agencies, public relations firms, publishers, and health, environmental, sports, and
human and public service organizations.
Prerequisite: COM 230, 231, Documentary Research, and instructor permission.
RATIONALE
Currently, the Practicum is a graded, off-campus work/internship requirement for completion
of the Communication major (for college policy and current departmental requirements see
http://www.muhlenberg.edu/communication/practicum). The department recognizes the
important role that Internship experiences often play in Communication students’ learning,
but as we assessed the curriculum in our retreat this summer, we found no compelling reasons
for retaining it as a required experience for which students earn a letter grade. We expect
that eliminating the Practicum requirement will somewhat decrease the demand for internship
experiences, especially in the summer, but that there will nevertheless continue to be strong
student enrollment in COM 960, Communication Internship. In coming to this determination
we considered the following:

While many of the experiences students have in the context of the Practicum
are valuable (e.g., on-site professionalism, technologies unique to particular
work sites), they cannot replace sustained intellectual engagement and guided
inquiry anchored in the classroom context.

While it was not a decisive factor in our curriculum decision, we did consider
the fact that required internship experiences, as opposed to elective internships,
are more vulnerable to institutional liability litigation.

Students interested in off-campus work-learning experiences may elect to
roster an internship (Pass/Fail – Note: Page 41 of the Muhlenberg College
Catalogue 2003-2004 states, “No course for which a student elects to enroll on
a pass-fail basis may be used to satisfy a general academic requirement or
major/minor requirement. ‘Pass-fail only’ courses offered within the students
major or minor also do not meet any degree requirement.”) According to
college policy, Pass/Fail experiences do not count toward majors.
Consequently, as consistent with college policy, students choosing an
internship in Communication may not count a Pass/Fail course unit toward
their major requirements.

With the elimination of COM 965 (Practicum), COM-960 (Internship)
accounts for all internship experiences in the department.
10
SECTION III.
OVERVIEW OF HONORS PROGRAM AND PROPOSED CHANGES
The current Honors Program is described in the course catalogue as follows:
The Honors Program allows qualified students the opportunity to enrich their experiences in
communication theory, history, and practices. Honors students must participate in a facultystudent colloquium which usually meets once each semester, and produce an original
research or production project which they will present to the faculty and their peers in a
colloquium setting. They will also have opportunities to participate in a program of periodic
lectures and field trips. To qualify, students must maintain at least a 3.5 Grade Point Average
in the major, and a 3.3 Grade Point Average overall. Participation in the Honors Program is
not automatic; qualified students must prepare a written application. Applications are subject
to faculty review.
In addition to completing the 9 course major requirement, Honors students are currently
required to:
1. Participate in a faculty-student colloquium once per semester;
2. Produce in their senior year an original research or production project;
3. Present their project to the Communication faculty and their peers in a colloquium
setting.
With the proposed addition of COM 500, in order to graduate as a Communication major,
Honors students will be required to:
1. Complete a total of 10 courses in the major by enrolling in COM 500 during their
senior year (or earlier by permission of instructor);
2. Participate in a faculty-student colloquium once per semester;
3. Produce in the Honors Seminar an original research or production project based on the
seminar theme;
4. In addition to work within COM 500, students will present their project to the full
Communication faculty and their Honors Program peers in a colloquium setting.
11
SECTION IV.
STAFFING SUMMARY
All changes to the curriculum can be achieved without the addition of new faculty.
Furthermore, all changes to the curriculum can be achieved within load by the current faculty
of eight members.
The three (3) changes of number, name, and perspective designation involve courses
taught regularly in the department and thus require no new staffing.
1. A change in course number and major distribution area for Audience Analysis to
more accurately reflect the level of the course material
2. A name change for Sport Media
3. A “D” designation for Race and Representation
One new course, COM 216 (217), Patriotism and the Press, has been taught as a special
topics course by Dr. Jim Schneider, a full-time faculty member, within load.
COM 301 (302), Media Theory and Methods, will be offered once per year and will rotate
among members of the eight full-time faculty within load.
COM 500, Communication Honors Seminar, will be offered as enrollment in the Honors
Program warrants. Note: Communication faculty will support Honors students in their work
to complete the Honors Program through independent study if enrollment does not permit
rostering of the course.
COM 500 will rotate among members of the eight full-time faculty within load.
12
SECTION V.
NOTES ON TRANSITION
I. Three (3) of the proposed changes could go into effect immediately upon approval of
the Faculty of the College.

A name change for Sport Media

A “D” designation for Race and Representation

The elimination of an existing required course, COM 965, Communication Practicum.
Current majors would be free to substitute an alternative course in the major to satisfy
the nine-course requirement for completing the major.
II. The remaining proposed changes would be introduced with the incoming Class of
2008 in the fall semester 2004

COM 500: Communication Honors Seminar (required for Honors students only)

COM 301, 302: Media Theory and Methods (required for all Communication majors)

COM 216, 217: Patriotism and the Press

COM 314, 315: Audience Analysis
13
SECTION VI.
SYLLABI AND READING LISTS
1. COM 216, 217: Patriotism and the Press – Previous Syllabus
2. COM 301, 302: Media Theory and Methods – Course Description and
Tentative Reading List
3. COM 372, 373: Race and Representation – Previous Syllabus
4. COM 500: Communication Honors Seminar – Course Description and
Tentative Reading List
14
COM 216
Spring, 2003
Taylor 07
M, W, 9:00-10:15
Prof. Jim Schneider
Walson 107, x 3436,
jdschnei@muhlenberg.edu
Office Hrs: M, W, 3:00-5:00
Patriotism and the Press
Introduction
The trauma of 9/11/01 has prompted outpouring of patriotism in the land, according to
many observers. It has also given new urgency to a set of questions about the role of the press
in the midst of these kinds of national crises and traumas, especially those invoking patriotism
as a virtue. What is the role of a free press in these situations? Should it be a loyal cheerleader
for the official policy, no matter what it is? Or should it be independent, critical, or
investigative? Should it present all points of view, even those opposed to the powers that be?
Or should it be the channel for conventional or official wisdom”? How about objective,
balanced, unbiased? Are these appropriate expectations of press coverage? And what do any
of these terms mean anyway? What standard should we use for evaluating the press in these
circumstances, and who should decide?
This course will examine these and related questions having to do with the
problematic relationship between patriotism and the press. Using the events of 9/11 and
subsequent developments as a springboard, we will analyze the functions and performance of
the press in a national crisis such as the “war on terror”--and the impending war on Iraq-utilizing the resources of our readings, viewings, lectures, discussions, papers, and projects.
Our Guides
One of our main guides on this journey is a compilation of post-9/11 observations on
the present state of journalism by an impressive collection of respected journalism scholars,
under the title of Journalism after 9/11, edited by Barbie Zelizer and Stuart Allen. These
challenging and provocative observations and critiques will sometimes go over identical
ground, albeit from different perspectives, but they all raise issues and questions worthy of
our consideration as we seek an understanding of this institution so vital to the future welfare
and security of our nation and the world.
Along with this text, however, we will also have a series of background readings
related to the issue of patriotism and nationalism, the history and functions of the press, the
role of the press in a democratic society, questions of propaganda, analyses of the
performance of the press in the first Gulf War, tools for analyzing press reports, the dangers
of stereotyping, and related issues, along with a discussion of the potentials and problems of
the press in the future. Many of these are collected in a reading packet, to be purchased in
the Bookstore, and some will be available online. But some of our material will also come
from the daily news reports of events as they happen, so be prepared to adjust our schedule
accordingly.
15
Students should come to class having read the assigned readings and fully prepared to
discuss them. To assist in this effort, we will be introducing the Cognitive Mapping
Approach to the processing of reading material. This will be explained in class.
To supplement our readings, we will also view a series of videotapes related to the
topic at hand. But equally important are the discussions provoked by these materials, because
in discussion we are able to work through some of our own ideas and find our own voice in
what should be a public debate.
Purpose
The purpose of this course is to help the student develop a greater understanding of
the journalism in the midst of trauma, terror, and war, when the invocation of patriotism is
common, an ability to weigh the merits of various arguments related to the press coverage of
wars and conflicts, and greater incentive to be a participant in determining the future of our
nation and our world.
Student Requirements
Two Exams, a midterm and final, 20% of grade each
Three Papers, 6-8 pages long, on assigned topics, each 15% of grade
Short Exercises, Class Attendance, Class Participation, 15% of grade
All students are expected to attend all class sessions, which will be reflected in their
class participation credit as well as the quality of their work. Work that is tardy in submission
will be marked down. Students are also expected to abide by the Academic Honor Code and
do their own work. Discussions with classmates about the issues raised in class can be very
valuable in helping you clarify your thinking, but your arguments and analyses should be
yours.
The instructor is available for consultation during office hours or any other mutually
agreeable time. If you have any concerns about the course materials, the class requirements,
or your work, feel free to talk with him.
COURSE SCHEDULE
(Subject to some revision, to be announced in class)
Week of
Jan. 13 Introduction to Course
What are the issues?
Read Pat Aufderheide, “Therapeutic Patriotism” (handout)
Text, Foreward
Jan. 20 No Monday class: Martin Luther King Day
The Experience of 9/11 and the Challenges to the Press
Text, Introduction, Chp. 1
Video, 9.11
Jan. 27 Background: Nationalism
Shafer, “Toward a Definition of Nationalism”
Anderson, “Imagined Communities”
Horne, “We are all intellectuals”, “The Enchantment of Modern Society”, “’Myths’ of Race,
Sex, Nation”
Video: Flag debate
16
Feb. 3 Definitions of Patriotism
Text, Chp. 11
Jensen, “Goodbye to Patriotism”, http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~rjensen/home.htm
Hightower, “Showing Patriotism in a time of terrorism” (handout)
Video: Media and the Image of War
Feb. 10 A History of News Research
Text, Chp. 4
Schudson, “The Sociology of News Production Revisited”
Davis, “News and Politics”
Video: The World is Watching
Feb. 17 The Structure of News: Economics
Text, Chp. 5
Video: TBA
Feb. 24 Organizational Issues
Text, Chp. 14
Feb. 26: Midterm Exam
----------------------------------------------Spring Break--------------------------------------------March 10 News and Propaganda: Gulf War I
Taylor, “Information Wars Since 1990”
Cheney, “Talking War: Symbols, Strategies, and Images”
Video: After the War
March 17 Analysis of News: The Narrative Form
Bird & Dardenne, “Myth, Chronicle, and Story”
Tuchman, “Representation and the News Narrative: The Web of Facticity”
March 24 Analysis of News: Photography and Language
Text, Chp. 3
Silberstein, “From Terror to War”
Silberstein, “From News to Entertainment”
Video: TBA
March 31 Analysis of News: Stereotyping
Text, Chps. 6, 12
Silberstein, “Schooling America”
Video: TBA
April 7 Analysis of News: Internet and Tabloids
Text, Chps. 7, 8
April 14 Alternative Sources
Readings: TBA
April 21 No Monday class
April 28 News and the Future of Democracy
Text, Chp. 13
17
COM 301, 302: MEDIA THEORY AND METHODS
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND TENTATIVE READING LIST
Course Description: Explores classic and contemporary media theories and research
methodologies including the historical and philosophical foundations of paradigm formation
in media research, the social and institutional contexts that led to the emergence of the
communication discipline, and current controversies within the field. This course builds upon
principles and concepts introduced in COM 201, 202, Media and Society.
This new course will introduce students to: (I.) theories of communication; (II.) methods of
communication research; and (III.) readings by key scholars in the discipline.
I. Theories of Communication to be examined (including but not limited to):
1. Magic Bullet Theory
2. Two Step Flow
3. Agenda Setting
4. Framing Analysis
5. Media Priming
6. Gatekeeping
7. Marxist Theory
8. Critique of Cultural Imperialism
9. Theories of the Frankfurt School
10. Mass Society Theory
11. Political Economic Theory
12. Cultivation Theory
13. Catharsis
14. Social Learning Theory
15. Diffusions of Innovation
16. Interactional Approach
17. Symbolic Interactionism
18. Selective Exposure/ Selective Perception
19. Festinger’s Theory of Cognitive Dissonance
20. Uses and Gratifications Approach
21. Reception Theory
22. Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion
23. The Spiral of Silence
II. Methods of Communication Research to be introduced:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Experimental Research
Survey Research
Textual Analysis
Content Analysis
Ethnography
Participation-Observation
Focus Group Interviewing
18
III. Preliminary List of Course Readings (selected excerpts):
1. Baxter, L. A., & Babbie, E. (2004). The basics of communication research. Belmont,
CA: Wadsworth.
2. Bryant, J., & Zillmann, D. (Eds.). (2002). Media effects: Advances in theory and
research (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
3. Cantril, H. (1940). The invasion from Mars: A study in the psychology of panic.
Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
4. Gans, H. (1980). Deciding what’s news: A study of CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly
News, Newsweek and Time. NY: Vintage Books.
5. Gramsci, A. (1971). Selection from prison notebooks. (Q. Hoare & G. N. Smith, Eds.
& Trans.). London: Lawrence & Wishart.
6. Greenberg, B. S. (1982). Television and role socialization: An overview. In D. Pearl,
L. Bouthilet, & J. Lazar (Eds.), Television and behavior: Ten years of scientific
progress and implications for the eighties, Volume II: Technical Reviews (pp. 179190). Rockville, MD: U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.
7. Hovland, C. I., Lumsdain, A. A., & Sheffield, F. D. (1949). Experiments on mass
communication. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
8. Katz, E., & Lazarsfeld, P. F. (1955). Personal influence: The part played by people in
the flow of mass communication. Glencoe, IL: Free Press of Glencoe.
9. Klapper, J. T. (1960). The effects of mass communication. NY: Free Press.
10. Krippendorf, K. (1980). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology.
Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
11. Lasswell, H. (1927). Propaganda technique in the world war. NY: Peter Smith.
12. Lazarsfeld, P. F., Berelson, B., & Gaudet, H. (1948). The people’s choice: How the
voter makes up his mind in a presidential election. NY: Columbia University Press.
13. Lowery, S. A., & DeFleur, M. L. (1995). Milestones in mass communication research
(3rd ed.). White Plains, NY: Longman.
14. Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1970). The German ideology. (C. J. Arthur, Ed. & Intro.).
NY: International Publishers.
15. McCombs, M. E., & Shaw, D. J. (1972). The agenda-setting function of mass media.
Public Opinion Quarterly, 176-187.
16. McQuail, D., & Windhal, S. (1981). Communication models for the study of mass
communication. NY: Longman.
17. Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, self and society from the standpoint of social behaviorist.
Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
18. Merton, R. K. (1938). Social structure and anomie. American Sociological Review, 3,
672-682.
19. Merton, R. K. (1973). The sociology of science: Theoretical and empirical
investigations. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
20. Merton, R. K., Fiske, M., & Curtis, A. (1946). Mass persuasion: The social
psychology of a war bond drive. NY: Harper and Brothers.
21. Morgan, M. (Ed.). (2000). Against the mainstream: The selected works from George
Gerbner: NY: Peter Lang.
22. Park, R. E., & Burgess, E. W. (1924). Introduction to the science of sociology.
Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
19
23. Radway, J. (1984). Reading the Romance. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North
Carolina Press.
24. Rogers, E. M. (1994). A history of communication study: A biographical approach.
NY: Free Press.
25. Ruddock, A. (2001). Understanding audiences: Theory and method. London: Sage.
26. Schroder, K., Drotner, K., Kline, S., & Murray, C. (2003). Researching audiences.
London: Arnold.
27. Shils, E. (1970). Remembering the University of Chicago: Teachers, scientists and
scholars. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
28. Signorielli, N., & Morgan, M. (Eds.). (1990). Cultivation analysis: New directions in
media effects research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
29. Signorielli, N. (1986). Selective television viewing: A limited possibility. Journal of
Communication, 36(3), 64-75.
30. Sumser, J. (2001). A guide to empirical research in communication: Rules for
looking. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
31. Tedesco, N. (1974). Patterns in prime-time. Journal of Communication, 24(2), 119124.
32. Vidmar, N., & Rokeach, S. (1974). Archie Bunker’s bigotry: A study in selective
perception and exposure. Journal of Communication, 24(1), 36-47.
33. Watzlawick, P., Beavin Bavelas, J., & Jackson, D. D. (1967). Pragmatics of human
communication: A study of interactional patterns, pathologies and paradoxes. NY:
W. W. Norton
34. White, D. M. (1950). The gatekeeper: A case study in the selection of news.
Journalism Quarterly, 27(4), 383-390.
35. Wimmer, R. D., & Dominick, J. R. (2000). Mass media research: An introduction (6th
ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
20
Race and Representation
Communication 372
T-Th 11:00-12:15
Dr. Jansen
Communication Building (Commons) 115
Office: Communication Building (Commons) 101
Office Hours: Tues. 2:30-5:00, Thur. 2:00-3:30. Other times by appointment.
Virtual office hours: anytime at jansen@muhlberg.edu. Email is often the
quickest way to contact me to answer quick questions or to make an
appointment. (Telephone: 664-3480 or 3482).
Texts:
Course Pack of Readings available in bookstore.
Lani Guinier and Gerald Torres, The Miner’s Canary: Enlisting Race, Resisting
Power, Transforming Democracy (2002)
Muhlenberg students, Navigating the Color Line, Volume 2 (2001) available
from instructor –free!
Course Structure:
The first 12 weeks of the course will be conducted as a seminar. That means that
all students will be expected to prepare for class discussions in advance, and to
actively participate in the cognitive mapping process. The total amount of reading for
the course is relatively modest, and many of the individual assignments are short.
This is to allow you ample time and opportunity to give each reading careful
consideration.
The last 3 weeks of the course will consist of editorial and production workshops in
which we will work collectively to produce a book of selected student essays:
Navigating the Color Line: Volume 3.
Course Requirements:
All students must fulfill the following requirements:
1. Regular attendance.
2. Submit all work on time.
3. Complete all assigned reading by the beginning of the week following its
assignment. For example, you should be prepared to discuss readings listed
under Week #2 by Tuesday of Week #3.
4. Be a prepared to actively participate in cognitive mapping each of the
assigned readings in class. See last page of syllabus for cognitive mapping
instructions.
5. View all assigned videos, and complete viewing guides when they are required.
This means you must make-up any videos that you miss due to absence. Video
schedule will be available shortly.
6. Complete a mid-term exam and a comprehensive take-home exam.
7. Complete a 6-8 page autobiographical essay on Navigating the Color Line.
21
8. Participate in editing and producing a collection of autobiographical essays.
9. You will, periodically, be expected to attend evening lectures when appropriate
speakers visit campus. You will be compensated with some release time from
class.
10. Submit to the grueling experience of pop quizzes if they become necessary.
Other procedural matters: All assignments are subject to the rules of the Academic
Behavior Code as specified in the Muhlenberg College Student Handbook. We will
discuss academic honesty in class, but you are also responsible for familiarizing
yourself with the contents of the Handbook. Students with documented learning
disabilities are encouraged to identify themselves to the instructor early in the
semester. Every reasonable effort will be made to create a learning environment in
which all students can thrive.
Grading:
A special note regarding pop quizzes. The quality of class discussions will determine whether or not
there will be pop quizzes in this course. As a student, I intensely disliked pop quizzes; as a professor I
both dislike giving them and correcting them. I hope we can avoid them. Pop quizzes will be used only
if we, as a group, have trouble creating lively, broadly participatory, informed and informing class
discussions. If we do have to have pop quizzes, there may be as few as one or two or as many as a
dozen. No matter how well class discussion may be going, however, we will at some point very early
in the semester, have one, dry run, quiz, so that you will know what to anticipate if they do become
necessary. This trial quiz will be graded, but I will not record the grade. It is designed to alleviate any
anticipatory anxiety that conscientious students may have about the prospect of pop quizzes, and to
keep those who may be tempted to coast --by, what I hope will be, the relaxed atmosphere of the class-among the ranks of the conscientious.
Grading (without pop quizzes):
Class Participation (discussion of readings) 12.5%
Mid-term Exam 20%
Take-Home Examination 25%
Autobiographical Essay: Navigating the Color Line 30%
Editing and Production Workshop Grade 12.5%
=100%
Grading (if pop quizzes are used):
Class Participation (discussion of readings) 5%
Mid-term Exam 15%
Take-Home Examination 20%
Autobiographical Essay: Navigating the Color Line 30%
Editing and Production Workshop Grade 10%
Pop Quizzes 20%
=100%
22
Course Orientation:
Most people in this society have strong feelings and opinions about race and
racism, but few communicate their views freely. Some are silenced by fear, some
wish to avoid embarrassment, controversy, offense, conflict, etc. Some hope silence
itself has powers that can heal the wounds of racial oppression. Some simply do not
know what to say; they do not know how to talk about race in informed and
constructive ways. Some claim race is not a problem or not their problem, and
retreat from discussions of race or racism.
Silence or denial, "the ostrich approach," is not an option for professional
communicators in the Twenty-first Century. This option is not foreclosed by moral or
ethical sensibilities alone: what conservatives like to call "political correctness"
(although presumably morally and ethically responsibly people do try to avoid hatespeech, offensive imagery and stereotypical representations of racial and ethnic
minorities). To the contrary, the changing nature of communication technologies
themselves has rendered the ostrich approach obsolete and counter-productive. The
national and international reach of mass media and of computer mediated messaging
systems has transformed audiences and audience demographics. These advanced
media systems require professional communicators to learn how to navigate the color
line successfully: how to effectively represent race and to frame messages which can
transcend both racial and national boundaries. To inspire, inform, entertain, resolve
or fuel conflicts, proselytize, persuade, propagandize or sell, communicators need to
know how to address (or "target") diverse audiences. They need to know how "the
prism of race" fractures and distorts language, perceptions, communications, and
interpretations. They need to discover new, informed and reflexive, ways of crafting
words, images, and messages.
This course is designed to create "hearing spaces" for interrogating the concept of
race and the legacy of representational practices shaped by racism. Many of the
readings selected for inclusion in this syllabus are controversial. They are intended
to provoke reflection and dialogue. Students are expected to read them carefully, to
identify and challenge the authors' assumptions, to carefully weigh the evidence they
present, and to articulate their own reasoned positions on the issues they explore.
Reading Assignments:
Readings are listed by week, author and title. Readings in the Guinier and Torres
book, The Miner’s Canary, carry the notation (G&T) while readings from the course
pack are identified as (cp). Readings from Navigating the Color Line are not listed in
the week-by-week assignments; you are expected to navigate them on your own, and
to use them as a model for your own major contribution to the course and the ongoing publishing project. The sooner you start reading Navigating, the better: early
reading give your own creative juices time to ferment. With few exceptions, readings
are in chronological order in the course pack. You should complete readings during
the week in which they are assigned (including the first week). Stick to this schedule
so that the reading load will be equally distributed over the semester even though we
will probably lag behind in class discussions. There may be a modest amount of
additional reading assigned as our class discussions develop. Note: because of time
constraints, we are skipping three chapters of The Miner’s Canary; these chapters
are nevertheless highly recommended as optional reading.
23
Week #1: Aug 27 & 29: 'Sticks and Stones...Names and Faces...': Problems of
Language, Representation, and Articulation.
Readings:
LeNoir, Image Distortion Disorder (hand-out to be read for Thursday's
class)
Marable, Reconciling Race and Reality (cp)
Gates, What's in a Name? (cp)
Week #2: Sept 3 & 5: An American Dilemma.
Readings:
Ellis, Jefferson's Cop-Out on Slavery (cp)
Myrdal, The Negro Problem as Moral Issue (cp)
Pieterse, White Negroes (cp)
Week #3: Sept 10 & 12: The Social Construction and Reconstruction of Race in
America.
Readings:
Ignatiev, “Smoked Irish” from How the Irish Became White (cp)
G & T, Prologue to The Miner’s Canary, pp. 1-10
The Hungry Mind Race Questionnaire (hand-out). Read the questionnaire
carefully, and think about your responses to it. Be prepared to discuss your
response to question #11, in light of this week’s reading.
Week #4: Sept 17 &19: The Color of White
Readings:
DuBois, Double-Consciousness and the Veil (cp)
Hooks, Reflections on Race and Sex (cp)
G & T, Political Race and Magical Realism, pp. 11-32
Week #5: Sept 24 & 26: The Prism of Race
Readings:
Marable, The Prism of Race (cp)
Marable, Education, Faith and the Promise (cp)
Jensen, White Privilege Shapes the U.S. and More Thoughts on Why
System of White Privilege is Wrong (cp)
G & T, A Critique of Colorblindness, pp. 33-66
Week #6: Oct 1 & 3: Playing Monopoly
Readings:
Hooks, Critical Interrogation: Talking Race, Resisting Racism (cp)
Lorde, Age, Race, Class, and Sex (cp)
Langston, Tired of Playing Monopoly (cp)
G & T, Race as a Political Space, pp. 67-82
Week #7: Oct 8 & 10: Marking the Unmarked Category
Readings:
Pence, Racism—A White Issue (cp)
24
Waters, Optional Ethnicities: For Whites Only (cp)
G & T, Race as a Political Space, pp. 82-107
Hand-out, to be announced
Week #8: Oct 17: Race and Power
Readings:
G & T, Rethinking Conventions of Zero-Sum Power, pp. 108-130
Week #9: Oct 22 & 24: Self and Other: How We Say We
Readings:
Gates, 'Race' as the Trope of the World (cp)
DeBeauvoir, Woman as Other (cp)
Cesare, Between Colonizer and Colonized (cp)
Trinh T. Minh-ha, Third World (cp)
G & T, Watching the Canary, pp. 254-267
Mid-term exam Nov. 22nd covers readings through Week #8.
Week 10: Oct 29 & 31: What is Wrong with this Picture?
Readings:
Iyer, The End of Empire (cp)
Madrid, Missing People and Others: Joining Together to expand the
Circle (cp)
Takaki, A Different Mirror (cp)
G & T, Watching the Canary, pp. 267-283
Week 11: Nov 5 & 7: Racial Reconciliation: How Do 'We' Get There From Here?
Readings:
Early, Understanding Integration (cp)
Hooks, Beloved Community (cp)
G & T, Watching the Canary, pp. 283-302
Autobiographical Essay due Nov 7th.
Note: Most essays will go through several revisions before they are polished enough to
be included in the collected volume of class essays. This is, however, a graded
submission. It should represent your best work.
Week 12: Nov 12 & 14: Racial Reconciliation: How Do 'We' Get There From
Here?
Reading:
Reed, America: The Multicultural Society (cp)
Lorde, The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action (cp)
William Julius Wilson, Bridging the Racial Divide (cp)
Week 13: Nov 19 & 21: Racial Reconciliation: How Do 'We' Get There From
Here?
Take-Home exam due no later than Nov 19th at 11 a.m.
Editorial and Production Workshop sessions start Nov. 19th.
25
Week 14: Nov 26: Navigating the Color-Line: A Work-in-Progress
Editorial and Production Workshop Sessions
Week 15: Dec 3 & 5: Navigating the Color-Line: A Work-in-Progress
Editorial and Production Workshop
26
COM 500: COMMUNICATION HONORS SEMINAR
Course Description and Tentative Reading List
COM 500: Communication Honors Seminar
Each year this course will have a different thematic focus, which will allow honors
students to engage with faculty and visiting lecturers in challenging dialogues and
research experiences, which will culminate in the production and presentation of an
original research project or creative work based on the seminar theme. Provides students
with extensive opportunities to work closely with faculty mentors in developing their
research project and creative work. Enrollment limited to members of the Communication
Honors Program.
Becker, H. (1986). Writing for social scientists: How to start and finish your thesis, book, or
article. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Carey, J. (1989). Communication as culture: Essays on media and society. Boston: UnwinHyman.
McChesney, R. W. (1999). Rich media, poor democracy: Communication politics in dubious
times. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
Mosco, V. (1996). The political economy of communication: Rethinking and renewal.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Peters, J. D. (1999). Speaking into the air: A history of the idea of communication. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press.
Schiller, D. (1996). Theorizing communication: A history. New York: Oxford University
Press.
Schiller, H. (1989). Culture, Inc.: The corporate takeover of public expression. New York:
Oxford University Press.
Simpson, C. (1996). Science of coercion: Communication research and psychological
warfare, 1945-1960. New York: Oxford University Press.
Smythe, D. (1981). Dependency road: Communications, capitalism, consciousness, and
Canada. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Wasko, J. (2003). How Hollywood works. London: Sage.
Williams, R. (1985). Keywords: A vocabulary of culture and society. New York: Oxford
University Press.
27
SECTION VII.
COMPLETED CURRICULUM COMMITTEE FORMS
28
Curriculum Committee
New Course Proposal Form
(due to CC by Friday November 14, 2003)
Name COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT
Date Revised: 01/26/04
Department
COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT
Proposed Course Title and Number COM 216 (217): Patriotism and the Press
(Please contact the registrar for course number information.)
Please indicate when the course will be next offered.
Fall 2004
Has this course been offered previously as a Special Topics course or under a
different title? If so, please indicate the title, when it was taught, and
enrollment.
The course was offered twice as a Special Topics course in 2002 as part of the Center
for Ethics’ 2002 program entitled “Patriotism in a Global Era: The Boundaries of Home” and
again in 2003.
Will the course carry a perspective designation? If so, which? The course will
not carry a perspective designation.
Catalog Description
(Please indicate whether the course has prerequisites and will carry a perspective
designation.)
This course looks at the history of the contested relationship between patriotism and the press. It begins
from the Civil War, the first American conflict in which the press played a significant and controversial role,
and continues to contemporary arguments over the media’s appropriate role in the conflicts involving
international terrorism. Among the questions to be explored are the public’s right to know, reporters’ access
to the battlefield, and government censorship.
Meets the Discovery distribution requirement within the major. COM 101 (102) Introduction to
Communication or COM 201 (202)Media and Society recommended but not required.
Will the course create additional staffing needs? Please explain. The course will
not create additional staffing needs. It will be offered by one of the department’s eight full-time faculty
members within load.
Signatures:
Submitted by
_____________________________Date__________
Department Head _____________________________Date__________
Please attach the following to the proposal form: All requested material
included in accompanying proposal.
1. A rationale for the course. (Please include an explanation as to how the new course will fit current
departmental offerings or other academic programs as well as information regarding projected enrollment.)
2. A rationale for the perspective designation. (If you are requesting a perspective
designation, please explain how the course fulfills the perspective criteria. Your rationale should include the relevant
portion of the catalogue and APC descriptions of the perspective criteria and should be as specific as possible
regarding how the course will meet these.)
3. A syllabus or tentative course outline including a proposed reading list.
29
Curriculum Committee
New Course Proposal Form
(due to CC by Friday November 14, 2003)
Name COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT
Date Revised 01/26/04
Department
COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT
Proposed Course Title and Number COM 301(302): Media Theory and Methods
(Please contact the registrar for course number information.)
Please indicate when the course will be next offered. Fall 2005
Has this course been offered previously as a Special Topics course or under a
different title? If so, please indicate the title, when it was taught, and
enrollment. The course has never been offered before.
Will the course carry a perspective designation? If so, which? The course will
not carry a perspective designation.
Catalog Description
(Please indicate whether the course has prerequisites and will carry a perspective
designation.)
Explores classic and contemporary media theories and research methodologies including the historical
and philosophical foundations of paradigm formation in media research, the social and institutional
contexts that led to the emergence of the communication discipline, and current controversies within the
field. This course builds upon principles and concepts introduced in Media and Society.
Prerequisites: COM 201 (202), Media and Society, and COM 231 (232), Documentary Research.
Will the course create additional staffing needs? Please explain.
The course will be taught within load by one of the department’s eight faculty members. Responsibility
for teaching the course will rotate among Kahlenberg, Leggett, Pooley, Sullivan, and Taub-Pervizpour.
Signatures:
Submitted by
_____________________________Date__________
Department Head _____________________________Date__________
Please attach the following to the proposal form: All requested material
included in accompanying proposal.
1. A rationale for the course. (Please include an explanation as to how the new course will fit current
departmental offerings or other academic programs as well as information regarding projected enrollment.)
2. A rationale for the perspective designation. (If you are requesting a perspective
designation, please explain how the course fulfills the perspective criteria. Your rationale should include the relevant
portion of the catalogue and APC descriptions of the perspective criteria and should be as specific as possible
regarding how the course will meet these.)
3. A syllabus or tentative course outline including a proposed reading list.
30
Curriculum Committee
New Course Proposal Form
(due to CC by Friday November 14, 2003)
Name COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT
Department
COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT
Proposed Course Title and Number
Date 01/26/04
(Please contact the registrar for course number information.)
COM 500: Communication Honors Seminar
Please indicate when the course will be next offered.
Spring 2005
Has this course been offered previously as a Special Topics course or under a
different title? If so, please indicate the title, when it was taught, and
enrollment.
The course has not previously been offered.
Will the course carry a perspective designation? If so, which?
The course will not carry a perspective designation.
Catalog Description
(Please indicate whether the course has prerequisites and will carry a perspective
designation.)
Each year this course will have a different thematic focus, which will allow honors students to engage with
faculty and visiting lecturers in challenging dialogues and research experiences, which will culminate in the
production and presentation of an original research project or creative work. Provides students with extensive
opportunities to work closely with faculty mentors in developing their research project and creative work.
Enrollment limited to members of the Communication Honors Program.
Prerequisites: COM 201 (202), Media and Society, and COM 231 (232), Documentary Research and instructor
permission. COM 301 (302) is recommended.
Will the course create additional staffing needs? Please explain.
The course will rotate among the Communication faculty and will be taught within load.
Signatures:
Submitted by
_____________________________Date__________
Department Head _____________________________Date__________
Please attach the following to the proposal form: All requested material
included in accompanying proposal.
1. A rationale for the course. (Please include an explanation as to how the new course will fit current
departmental offerings or other academic programs as well as information regarding projected enrollment.)
2. A rationale for the perspective designation. (If you are requesting a perspective
designation, please explain how the course fulfills the perspective criteria. Your rationale should include the relevant
portion of the catalogue and APC descriptions of the perspective criteria and should be as specific as possible
regarding how the course will meet these.)
3. A syllabus or tentative course outline including a proposed reading list.
31
SECTION VIII.
APPENDIX
Recent Honors Program Visiting Scholars

2003—DeeDee Halleck, independent documentary filmmaker, community media
activist, and Professor Emeritus of Communication, University of California, San
Diego, author of Hand Held Visions: The Impossible Possibilities of Community
Media.

2002 — Dan Schiller, historian of communication and Research Professor of
Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, author of
Digital Capitalism and Theorizing Communication.

2001—Robert McChesney, Research Associate Professor of Communication at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, author of Rich Media, Poor
Democracy and co-author of Our Media, Not Theirs and political economist of
communication whose research has been central in mobilizing democratic media
activism.

2000—Barbie Zelizer, former journalist, scholar of journalism, popular culture and
collective memory, Professor of Communication at the University of
Pennsylvania, author of Remembering to Forget: Holocaust Memory Through the
Camera's Eye.
32