ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY
COMM 2090: Communication and Conflict in Groups and Teams
Fall 2013
Instructor:
Elizabeth Otto
E-mail:
eaotto@stkate.edu (preferred method of contact)
Office:
Speech Building, Room 209 Mail #4044
Phone:
651-690-6682
Office Hours: Saturdays from noon to 12:50 p.m. and after class by appointment
Mondays, Wednesdays: 10:00 a.m. to noon
Course Information:
Schedule: Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. Location: Speech Building, Room 205
We will complete significant work in our course Desire 2 Learn site.
Department Identity:
Communication is central to the human experience.
Communication is how meaning arises and communion is formed.
Communication is our fundamental tool for constructing more nearly perfect selves, more
fulfilling relationships, and more just societies.
Communication is a craft that can be learned through mindful and dedicated work.
Our department honors and strengthens women's voices to confront and transform an
unjust world.
Our curriculum emphasizes analysis and practice to cultivate competent and responsible
practitioners of oral, written and electronic communication.
Our classrooms build community through group work and dynamic, inclusive discussion.
Our faculty partner with students to create a collaborative relationship for learning.
Our students engage with ideas, each other and the community to understand, develop and
articulate informed positions.
Our graduates employ their communication skills to work tirelessly toward the inextricably
bound projects of self-fulfillment and global justice.
Course Description:
Communication in Groups and Teams looks at group dynamics from a variety of contexts—
work teams, families, even social groups— to explore why some teams work while others
dysfunction. Students apply theory through participation in a variety of small group and
team experiences. The class focuses on topics such as: role emergence, leadership, task
accomplishment, decision-making, and group culture. Conflict resolution is addressed
throughout the course.
Text:
Cragan, J. F, Kasch, C.R. & Wright, D. W. Communication in small groups: Theory,
process and skills, (7th ed.) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing, 2009
Course Objectives:
By the end of the course students will be able to:
 use various theories of group dynamics to explain group communication, including
communication patterns, roles, leadership, and conflict resolution
 understand how diversity can influence group communication and leadership
 engage in building a shared group identity (CR talk)
 engage in effective problem-solving and decision-making
 effectively participate in a group project that involves goal-setting, planning, and task
management as all group members offer leadership
Group Work:
All students are required to participate in a small group and complete a number of tasks that
will require meeting (face-to-face or virtually) outside of class to fulfill course requirements.
Each group member will evaluate others to determine 10% of each group member’s overall
score in the class. Also, a project team can vote by unanimous decision to separate from a
team member if she does not pull her weight. If a group unanimously decides to disavow
this member, then the deviant member has the option of completing a 30-page review of
literature in a selected area of group communication determined by the instructor.
Teaching/Learning Strategies:
This is a communication course; therefore, my goal is for us to explore communication as a
class by engaging in it. Your participation is directly related to the quality of the educational
experience you will have. While you are listening to others, taking part in a class
discussion, working with classmates on an in-class exercise, or presenting to the class, your
total attention should be focused on class activities.
Course Outline: This schedule is subject to adjustment at the instructor’s discretion.
CLASS MEETING
TOPICS
READINGS
WEEK 1
 Syllabus and introductions
 Discuss Chapter 1:
Class meeting on:
Defining Small
 Characteristics of small groups
September 7
Group Comm
 Types of small groups
 Discuss Chapter
 Skills for collaborating across time and
10: Collaborating in
space
Virtual Teams
WEEK 2
Online
 Due by midnight on Sunday, Sept 15:
“I was at my best” online presentations
 Group ethical standards
WEEK 3
Class meeting on:
September 21
 Due by midnight. on Sunday, Sept 15:
Ethical Dilemmas online discussions
 Read Chapter 2
 Due in dropbox by 1:00 p.m. on
Saturday, Sept 21: Reflection #1
 Discuss Chapter 2:
Learning Core
Group
Communication
 Introduce group project
 Model of small group communication
o Decision-making theory
o Role theory
o Interpersonal theory
o Symbolic convergence theory
WEEK 4
Online
 Frequently played roles
 Skills for enhancing role performance
 Due by midnight on Sunday, Sept 29:
Group roles online discussions
WEEK 5
Class meeting on:
October 5
 Read Chapter 4:—
pages 105-114 and
posted PowerPoint
 Saturday, Oct 5: TIP presentations
 Functional Theory
COMM 2090 Fall 2013 Syllabus
Page 2 of 6
 Read Chapter 7
and posted
PowerPoint
 Read Hirokawa
 Discuss Hirokawa
CLASS MEETING
WEEK 6
Online
TOPICS
 Group problem-solving practice
 Work on project proposal
 Due by midnight on Sunday, Oct 13:
Post problem-solving process/solution
WEEK 7
Class meeting on:
October 19
 Due by 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct 19:
Group Project Topic Proposal
READINGS
 Use Hirokawa
chapter as
Reference
 NONE
 Saturday, Oct 19: Exam #1
Chapters 1, 2, 4, 10 and Hirokawa
 In-class midterm group assessment
WEEK 8
Online
 Theories for leading small groups
 Problem-solving leadership skills
 Due by midnight on Sunday, Oct 27:
Post to leadership discussion forum
and submit Reflection #2 to dropbox
WEEK 9
Class meeting on:
November 2
 In-Class: Chapter 6 Comp Check
 Communication skills for managing
diversity and trust
 Group work time
WEEK 10
Online
 More effective meetings
 Groups and organizational culture
 Due by midnight on Sunday, Nov 10:
Post to discussion forum and submit
Reflection #3 to dropbox
WEEK 11
Class meeting on:
November 16
 In-Class: Chapter 9 Comp Check
 Factors influencing group conflict
 Groupthink
 Read Chapter 6:
Leading Small
Groups and posted
PowerPoint
 Read Chapter 5
 Discuss Chapter 5:
Managing Diversity
and Relational
Trust
 Read Chapter 9:
Facilitating Work
Groups in Orgs
and posted
PowerPoint
 Read Chapter 8
 Discuss Chapter 8:
Managing Group
Conflict
 Skills for managing group conflict
WEEK 12
Online
 Due by midnight on Sunday, Nov 24:
Group project progress report
 NONE
WEEK 13
Thanksgiving Break
WEEK 14
Online
 Work time for groups
 NONE
 Work time for groups
 NONE
WEEK 15
Class meeting on:
December 14
 Due at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, Dec 15:
o Final Group Presentations
o Final Group Products
o Final Written Reflection
o Written Peer Evaluation
 Due by midnight on Sunday, Dec 7:
Response to progress report feedback
COMM 2090 Fall 2013 Syllabus
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 NONE
Method of Evaluation
Assignment
Baggage Inventory
“I was at my best” Online
Online Discussions
Short Written Reflections
Team Identity Package
Problem-Solving Case
Exams
In-Class Group Exercises
Group Project
Group Peer Evaluation
TOTAL
Points Assigned
----4 @ 10 points each
3 @10 points each
----In-Class Exam:
50 points
Ch 6 Comp Check: 10 points
Ch 9 Comp Check: 10 points
Final Reflection:
60 points
2 @ 10 points each
Topic Proposal Paper: 20 points
Group Progress Report: 30 points
Project Presentation to Class: 50 points
Project Assessment: 50 points
Total
5 points
15 points
40 points
30 points
30 points
30 points
130 points
20 points
150 points
50 points
500 points
Assignments
Online Discussions: You will contribute to four different online discussions. No late online
discussion contributions will be accepted for credit.
Short Reflections: You will complete three one- to two-page reflections that demonstrate
your insight into your group’s function and process.
Team Identity Package: Each group will create a team name, a visual representation, and
a slogan. This identity package will be presented to the class audience.
Exams: You will take one in-class exam that will include multiple choice, true/false, and
matching questions, along with a few short answer/essay questions. For material covered
after midterm, you will complete short comprehension checks in place of a longer exam.
Also, you will compose a summary reflection on your group as a take-home final.
In-Class/Short Assignments (Inventory, Problem-Solving Case, Group Exercises):
You will complete some assignments as part of the class meeting. You must be present at
the class meeting to earn points for in-class group exercises.
Group Project: Your group will identify a community need and complete a project to
address that need. You will propose your topic and report on your progress in short group
papers. At the end of the semester, you will present your project process to the class and
deliver your completed project to someone who will benefit from it. You will be assessed for
your presentation and for the overall quality of your project.
Group Peer Evaluation: Your group members will evaluate your semester-long
performance as a group member in a written reflection, and the scores from this evaluation
will be 10% of your total grade in this course.
COMM 2090 Fall 2013 Syllabus
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Grading Scale:
100-93% A
82-80%
B-
69-65%
D+
92-90%
A-
79-77%
C+
64-60%
D
89-87%
B+
76-73%
C
59-0%
F
86-83%
B
72-70%
C-
Grade Appeals:
A student who would like to protest a grade with the intent of changing it should contact me
within one week of receiving the graded assignment. She should schedule an appointment
and prepare reasons to support the appeal in advance of this meeting.
A student who would like to discuss a grade with the intent of better understanding the
assignment but NOT changing the grade should not hesitate to speak with me informally
before or after class.
Attendance
You are expected to attend class meetings. For every absence, you are responsible for
material covered in class and assignments due in the subsequent class meetings. If you
must miss class because you contract an influenza-like illness, please communicate with
me as soon as is reasonable. If you disappear without communicating with me, do not
assume that you’ll return to class without penalty. Not completing the online assignments
by the posted deadlines is equivalent to missing an in-class meeting.
If you miss three or more class meetings, I may ask you to withdraw from the course.
Late Written Work:
All written homework is due at the time I collect it in class. If you do not submit your
assignment at that time, it will be considered late EVEN IF you submit it later that day. All
late assignments will earn only half of the points they would have earned if they had been
turned in on time.
I will not accept late work submitted more than one week after its original due date. When
assignments are due in face-to-face class meetings, I expect you to submit a printed
assignment. Do NOT e-mail me your assignment because your printer is broken or you did
not allow enough time to print.
Missed Exam
If you miss the in-class exam, it is your responsibility to make arrangements for taking that
exam within one week. If you do not make arrangements with me BEFORE 1:00 p.m. on
Saturday, October 26, you will lose 20% from your total exam score.
Missed In-Class Work:
This class involves in-class activities. If you are absent for the activity, you are not eligible
to earn credit. The only exceptions to this policy may occur IF you talk with me before an
absence, or a serious illness or emergency keeps you from attending class AND you
contact me and your group as soon as is reasonable. You will not earn points for in-class
work your group completes while you are absent.
COMM 2090 Fall 2013 Syllabus
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Basic Classroom Mechanics:
Please turn your phone to silent and store it somewhere out of sight during class. Do NOT
send or receive text or e-mail messages or during class.
If you are late to class, please enter quietly. Do NOT ever enter or exit the room while a
classmate is presenting.
Please do not use our class meeting to multi-task. Completing work for another class,
scribbling in your day planner, texting on your handheld device, or surfing the Internet are
not behaviors that are acceptable during class meetings.
If you repeatedly violate these performance guidelines or you commit an egregious
violation, I may deduct points from your assignment scores.
Questions via E-mail:
Please be reasonable in your expectations about when I will respond to e-mailed questions.
If you e-mail me in the evening, I may not respond until the next business day. If the only
time you have to complete homework is on the Friday night before class, please review the
assignments in advance so you will have time to ask and get a response to any questions.
I ask that you please do not send me completed written assignments via e-mail and ask,
“Will you look this over to tell me whether I’m doing it right?” If you have no idea how to
complete an assignment, please see me before or after class or make an appointment to
talk in person or on the phone.
That said, I am very willing to answer specific questions about your assignment. Here are
some examples of specific questions I would be thrilled to answer via e-mail:
 “I want to apply the concept of groupthink in my short paper to an incident that
happened in our group. Can you read that section and let me know whether you
think I’ve used the concept correctly?”
 “We’re working on our presentation, and we’re not sure if we’ve defined symbolic
convergence theory the right way. Can you take a look at slides 9 and 10?”
Please do your best to avoid asking questions answered in the assignment guidelines.
Academic Honesty
If you plagiarize an assignment, you will earn a zero for that assignment. You will not be
allowed to complete any extra credit to compensate for this zero. A flagrant plagiarism
offense may also result in course failure or expulsion from the university.
Plagiarism is defined as the intentional or unintentional use of someone else’s words or
ideas without giving the originator proper credit and/or attempting to pass off someone
else’s words as your own.
Special Needs
Students with physical, sensory, cognitive, learning, or psychological disabilities should
contact me and the O’Neill Center during the first week of the semester to discuss possible
accommodations.
COMM 2090 Fall 2013 Syllabus
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