Professor: Dr. Deborah Petersen-Perlman
Office: 407 ABAH
Phone: 726-7528 (you may leave a voice mail message at any time of the day or
night)
email: dpeters1
Office Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 2:00 p.m - 3:00 p.m.., and by appointment.
Class Meetings: MWF 12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m. Engineering 218
Class alias: comm1222-17-f2011
Text: McCornack, Steven. Reflect & Relate: An Introduction to Interpersonal Communication, 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010.
Objectives: This course will introduce theorie of interpersonal communication and will engage students in the development and enhancement of interpersonal communication skills.
By assisting students in the analysis and development of human communication skills, this course fulfills category 3 of the Liberal Education/Minnesota Transfer Curriculum requirements: Communication, Computer Science, and Foreign Languages.
Student information/grading sheets
Assignments: You will have three Unit Tests corresponding
with each of the units in the text.
These unit tests are each worth 15% of your final grade (or 60 points each, or 180 points total out of 400). The Part I Test is over chapters 1-4 and is scheduled
for October 7; the Part II Test is over chapters 5-9
and is scheduled for November 18; and Part III Test is over
chapters 10-12 and is scheduled for December 22 from 2:00 p.m. 3:55 p.m..
The test format will be a combination of true/false, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank,
short answer and essay questions.
We will have frequent In-Class Exercises which are worth 25% of your grade. These are non-graded exercises,
but you must be present to participate and receive credit for them. In other
words, if you are here and actively and respectfully participate you will earn a 25% A–or
100 points out of 400.
Finally, I will ask you to write one Paper worth 30% of your final grade, or 120 points out of 400. The specific topics will be distributed in class. Your goal in this paper is to apply the ideas from the text as they relate to your own experiences.
Here is the assignment description: Comm 1222 paper
Course Expectations: I expect you to do the readings before you come to class. I want you to ask questions about your reading and your observations of interpersonal communication. I hope you will pay attention to the exercise of interpersonal communication in your daily life. I expect you to share your observations with the rest of the class. I expect you to be an active participant in class exercises and discussions.
I expect you to move beyond the accumulation of facts to a more sophisticated
level of synthesis and integration of ideas.
I expect you to do your work on time. Start assignments the day they are given.
The earlier you get started the more able I will be to help you, and the better
your work will be. I am happy to read typed rough drafts if they are submitted
to me at least three class periods prior to the assigned due date (one week ).
I really cannot give extensions or incompletes, but if life gets the best of
you, come talk to me about it (see my note below).
I expect you to do your own work. You are expected and encouraged to get ideas and information from articles and books that you read, and from discussions and exposure to movies and the electronic media, but that work must be used responsibly. If you use ideas obtained from another source (whether it is print, electronic, film, or another person), you must give clear credit in your submission (regardless of whether it is a recording, an outline, or a paper) in the form of an endnote, a parenthetical reference, or a footnote. If you use the words of one of these sources--whether a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph or more--those works must be appropriately punctuated and attributed to their source so as to distinguish them from your own. This is also true of paraphrasing another's words. Failure to do so is plagiarism. The University Bulletin outlines the policy on scholastic misconduct. Cheating on assignments, examinations, plagiarizing or any other "act which violates the rights of another student in academic work or that involves misrepresentation of your own work will result in a failing grade" for the class. It is also unethical to submit the same paper for more than one course--don't do it!
I expect you to assume professionalism in the completion of your assignments. That means that everything you submit for a grade must be typed/word processed and proofread. Apply the same standards to your written work for this class that you would use in the completion of an assignment for your college writing course. That means you must avoid typographical, spelling and grammatical errors. If I have to mark more than five errors per page your grade will be negatively affected.
The more you participate in this learning experience the more you will get out of it. Passivity breeds boredom and contempt - avoid it at all costs.
Policies:
Individuals who have any disability, either permanent or temporary, which might
affect their ability to perform in this class are encouraged to inform the instructor
at the start of the summer session term. Adaptation of methods, materials, or
testing may be made as required to provide for equitable participation.
Back-up all work by way of computer disks and paper copy.
Submit a complete bibliography with your final paper.
ALL work submitted for a letter grade must be TYPED (or word processed with a laser-quality printer), PROOFREAD, and appropriately CITED (use endnotes or internal parenthetical citations). Make sure your name appears on all work.
If, for ANY reason, you do not attend class during the assigned periods for any of the exams, and if your excuse has been approved, you will be given an alternative 100% essay examination.
Late work will not be accepted unless it has been cleared well in advance and in writing with Dr. Petersen-Perlman. No projects more than one week past due date will be accepted under any circumstances.
No incompletes will be given.
As noted previously, extensive plagiarism--for example submitting someone else's work as your own--will result in the instigation of university-sanctioned plagiarism procedures. If two students turn in essentially the same assignment (or if I recognize it as belonging to a previous student), both are subject to these procedures. It is therefore your responsibility to prevent copying of your work by someone else in the same or subsequent quarters . There are also plagiarism policies which can be applied to copying someone else's answers during an examination or permitting someone else to copy your answers.
Turn off all cell phones and pagers in this class and put away all extraneous reading material (accepting cell phone calls or texting during class is extremely rude and will not be tolerated). I will confiscate any electronic devices which interfere with class. If there is a family emergency necessitating your availability, please discuss this with me in advance and arrange to have the departmental secretary notified so that she can alert us of the situation.
Ground Rules for Class Discussion:
I expect this class to be conducted in an open and respectful manner. To that end I have adopted Lynn Weber Cannon's Ground Rules for Class Discussion. These rules were published in her article "Fostering Positive Class, Race and Gender Dynamics in the Classroom," which appeared in Women's Studies Quarterly, 1990: 1 & 2, 130-132.
* We can assume that discrimination exists in many forms (e.g. sexism, racism, classism, ageism, homophobia, anti-semitism, ableism, etc.). Any critical understanding of these various -isms means that we need to recognize that we have been taught misinformation about our own group as well as about members of other groups. This is true for both dominant (e.g. white, male, upper class, heterosexual, able-bodied, etc.) and non-majority (e.g. people of color, women, poor and working class, gay/lesbian, disabled, Jew, etc.) group members.
* Based on these assumptions, then, let's agree that we cannot be blamed for the misinformation we have learned, but we should take personal responsibility for repeating misinformation after we have learned otherwise. This is not to suggest that any one person has a corner on truth or that disagreement with any one idea carries with it any kind of punitive response. People and groups, however, are not to be blamed for their positions.
* Let's assume that people are always doing the best they can. Let's actively pursue information about our groups and those of others. Let us share information about our own groups with other members of the class but never demean, devalue or in any way put down people for their experiences.
* Essentially what this means is that we can talk about any ideas the class agrees to discuss, but that we will do so with respect for each other as human beings. We will not engage in depersonalized name-calling. We each have an obligation to actively combat the myths and stereotypes about our own groups and other groups so that we can break down the walls which prohibit group cooperation and group gain.
* Let's create a safe atmosphere for open discussion. At times, members of the class may wish to share writing or make comments that they do not want repeated outside the classroom. If so, the student will preface his/her remarks with a request and the class will agree not to repeat those remarks.
In the interest of fairness, no early exams will be permitted. Essay makeup exams will be available only to those with credible and documented medical emergencies or personal tragedies. As a rule, no late work will be accepted and no incompletes will be given, but the monster statement above applies here as well. Keep in touch and do not procrastinate. I try to be a very approachable person and I will help you as much as I am able. I see myself as a student-centered teacher, but I want you to keep up your end of the bargain as well. Let's work together for an enjoyable and enlightening term.
Schedule for Fall 2011
September 7, 9, 12, 14-- Introductions, Syllabus, Chapter 1: Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
September 16, 19, 21-- Chapter 2: Considering Self
September 23, 26, 28:--Chapter 3: Perceiving Others
September 30-- Film: "Race: The Power of an Illusion"
October 3, 5--Chapter 4: Experiencing and Expressing Emotions
October 7--- Test #1 over chapters 1-4 + Film
October 10, 12, 14-- Chapter 5: Listening Actively
October 17, 19, 21-- Chapter 6: Communicating Verbally
October 24, 26, 28--Chapter 7: Communicating Nonverbally
October 31, November 2, 4:--Chapter 8: Developing Interpersonal Competence
November 7, 9, 11, 14, 16-- Chapter 9: Managing Conflict
and Power
November 18: Part II Test (Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
November 21, 23, 28, 30--Chapter 10: Relationships with Romantic Partners
December 2, 5, 7--Chapter 11: Relationships with Family and Friends
December 9--Film
December 12, 14, 16--Chapter 12: Relationshps in the Workplace
December 22, 2:00-3:55--Part III Test Attendance is mandatory. There are no excused absences.
EXTRA CREDIT
A number of extra credit opportunities will occur throughout the semester. Students can receive five points (per paper) of extra credit each for no more than four short papers written about the extra credit opportunities they've attended. These papers should address:
The publicity for the events attended.
The size and composition of the audience.
The interaction between the featured speakers/presenters of the event and the
audience.
Important points learned during the event/presentation.
These papers are due no later than one week after the event.
Attach a copy of the program, signed by the presenter/sponsor.
No one is obligated to participate in these extra credit opportunities, but
experience has shown that these short papers can make a difference between a
higher or lower grade.
Events will be announced by way of the class alias: comm1222-17-f2011@d.umn.edu