Introduction to Interpersonal Communication (COM 110-01)
Spring 2009, Tuesday/Thursday – 1:00 to 2:15 p.m., Beckman 210
Instructor: Dr. Jennifer Bevan
Office Address: Moulton Center 248 (inside Communication Studies Dept. Office in MC241)
Office Phone: (714) 532-7768
Office Hours: M: 2:15-3:45 pm; T: 12:15-12:45 pm & 2:15-3:15 pm; TH: 11:45-12:45 pm; by appt.
E-mail: (this is the best way to reach me)
Class Webpage: www.chapman.edu/blackboard (click on the “Logging in to Blackboard” link if you have trouble logging in)
Required Text: DeVito, J. A. (2008). The interpersonal communication book (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Course Goals and Strategies:
The overall goal of this course is to help students become more competent communicators in interpersonal interactions. The course strives to introduce students to a wide variety of perspectives on interpersonal communication and encourages students to enlarge their understandings of the theory and practice of interpersonal communication.
To achieve the above goals, you should be able to successfully identify, understand, and apply the following by the end of the semester:
1) The overall principles of interpersonal communication and its role in our daily lives
2) Key theories/concepts/models of interpersonal communication as a transactional process
3) The channels of verbal and nonverbal communication as they relate to interpersonal relationships
4) How culture, perception, and the self are intrinsically related to the process of interpersonal communication
5) The role of interpersonal communication in specific relational contexts (i.e., romantic partnerships, families, friendships)
6) How to recognize your own strengths and weaknesses as a communicator
Class Conduct and Expectations:
In order to create and maintain a supportive communication environment, I require the following in the classroom:
1) You must refrain from side-conversations, reading non-related materials, and doing anything else that might make it difficult to hear/pay attention to others in the class.
2) NO CELL-PHONES, PDAS, MP3 PLAYERS, or anything else that could cause a distraction will be permitted in class (please turn your phones/PDAS off or leave them elsewhere when in class)
3) I heavily discourage coming late to class or leaving class early. This type of behavior is rude and disturbing to me and to your fellow classmates.
4) You are here by your choice. I expect this class to be as important to you as your other obligations. When possible, I do not let outside obligations burden my participation in this course; I expect you to do the same.
5) I also expect that you will be prepared to participate in class discussions and in-class assignments when you come to class – this means that you have read and critically evaluated the assigned chapters before class and are ready to engage the material and each other.
6) Please be respectful of your fellow students and me when participating in class discussions. I will not tolerate inappropriate outbursts or language.
7) You may use laptops in class ONLY for taking class notes. If I find that you are spending time online or are working on other things, I will ban all laptops in class.
Ethics:
Chapman University is a community of scholars that emphasizes the mutual responsibility of all members to seek knowledge honestly and in good faith. Students are responsible for doing their own work, and academic dishonesty of any kind will be subject to a range of sanctions by the instructor and referral to the university’s Academic Integrity Committee, which may impose additional sanctions up to and including dismissal. Using the ideas or words of another person, even a peer, or a Web site, as if it were your own, is plagiarism. See the Undergraduate Handbook for the full policy. I take this policy extremely seriously and do not consider your being uninformed about what plagiarism is and is not to be an acceptable or justifiable excuse!
Students with Disabilities:
If you have a documented disability and are in need of alternate class accommodations, you are invited to meet with me as soon in the semester as possible to discuss your needs. Please also contact the Center for Academic Success (130 Cecil B. DeMille Hall, email: , phone: 714-997-6828) to register and coordinate arrangements for accommodations and services.
BlackBoard:
BlackBoard is an essential method for me to disseminate information about the course to you. For example, I use BlackBoard to post all grades, provide the syllabus, exam reviews, and information about the concept application paper and supply basic PowerPoint notes before our class meetings. Please look under “Course Documents” and/or “Course Information” for these documents.
Please Note: You are REQUIRED to log on to BlackBoard in this course and I expect that you will check it at least the morning of each class meeting, if not daily. If there is a change in the class (e.g., cancellation, due date, or topic changes, etc.), email through BlackBoard will be the primary source for my dissemination of this information to you. It is thus your responsibility to check the email address that is linked to your BlackBoard account daily (which is your chapman.edu email account unless you change it). Not checking your email account frequently is not an excuse for missing important class information disseminated via BlackBoard email. Grades (including final course grades) will ONLY be posted on BlackBoard and will not be given via email due to security concerns.
Evaluation:
Each student will complete the following three forms of evaluation (total point value in parentheses) for a total of 540 points:
1) Exams (4 @ 100 points each = 400 points total): Each exam will consist of a combination of true-false, multiple choice, and/or matching items and will cover approximately one-fourth of the course material. You must bring a Scantron sheet and #2 pencil with you on test days. The final exam, which will be held from 10:45 to 1:15 on Tuesday, May 19 (our scheduled final exam period), is NOT cumulative.
2) Assignments/Attendance (60 points total): A number of unannounced assignments will be given throughout the semester. They may include observing communication behavior in the “real world” or via media sources shown in class and reporting/interpreting those observations, in-class writing assignments or group work, and/or reflecting on your interpersonal communication and relationships. If you miss class on a day that an assignment is given out or completed in class or do not hand an assignment in on time, you will not receive any credit for the assignment or be able to make the assignment up. There are no exceptions to this assignment policy – please do not ask. It is thus expected that you will attend class each day to receive and complete assignments – these assignments are designed to not only have you apply and better understand course material, but also to encourage your attendance in class. I DO NOT accept these assignments via email – you must turn in a paper copy to me in class or to my mailbox in MC241 before the assignment is due. There will be approximately 6 to 8 assignments over the course of the semester and the lowest assignment grade will be dropped; thus, you can miss one assignment due to absence without penalty. Excessive class absences (i.e., missing 20% or more of class meetings) result in the inability to contribute to in-class lectures and group discussions and will be taken into account in this portion of the class grade as well.
3) Concept Application Paper (80 points total): In this paper, you will consider a full-length film in class and apply the interpersonal concepts in the film to class content. The paper will be 6 to 8 pages in length. Details about this concept application paper will be provided on Tuesday, March 31st and the paper is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, May 5.
IMPORTANT NOTE: I am strict about you turning assignments in on time and taking exams the days they are scheduled. Exams can only be made up/turned in late if you have a university-sponsored activity and notify me ahead of time in writing OR if you have a valid and legitimate excuse and you provide me with acceptable written documentation. Valid and legitimate will be decided on the basis of evidence provided but never involves non-refundable plane tickets, road trips, concerts, early vacations, outdoor recreation, or any other random and unverifiable absence. If you are sick when an exam is given, you must provide a legitimate doctor’s note that indicates the days that you were unable to attend class. This must be turned in at the time you take the exam. Doctor’s notes must be originals (no photocopies, carbons, faxes, or emails). If an absence is known ahead of time, you must make arrangements before the exam is distributed. You MUST notify me within 24 hours before or after the exam to discuss a possible exam make-up or you will not be allowed to make it up.
2nd IMPORTANT NOTE: It is highly recommended that you record and keep track of each grade you earn in this class – I use GradeBook on BlackBoard to calculate final course grades and it is your responsibility to inform me if there is a grading error by the day of the final exam. Failure to complete any of the exams will result in your automatic failure of this course.
Grading Disputes:
You are welcome to come in during office hours or at another pre-arranged time and review any of your individual grades or your grade in the course. Although I do not anticipate any problems, it is possible that we may disagree on a particular grade. I am open to discussion about grades; however, there are some guidelines that are to be followed for such discussions to take place. First, grades are not discussed in the classroom. Second, grades will not be discussed unless you provide me with your written viewpoint before our meeting. Third, I will only consider individual written grade change requests for one week from the day each grade is posted on Blackboard. Don’t wait until the last week of class to review your test results!
Grade Distribution:
A 93%-100% / C 73%-76%A- 90%-92% / C- 70%-72%
B+ 87%-89% / D+ 67%-69%
B 83%-86% / D 63%-66%
B- 80%-82% / D- 60%-62%
C+ 77%-79% / F 0%-59%
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
NOTE: Readings and assignments must be completed by the dates they are assigned. I reserve the
right to change the schedule as needed.
DATE: TOPIC: ASSIGNMENT:
2/3 (T) Introduction to the course/Discussion of syllabus Read syllabus
before class; bring
copy to class
PART I: Interpersonal Communication: What is it, where does it come from, and how do you do it?
2/5 (TH) Lecture 1: Introductory Perspectives Chapter 1
DATE: TOPIC: ASSIGNMENT:
2/10 (T) 2/12 (TH) Lecture 2: Intrapersonal Communication DeVito pp. 55-61
and Self-Disclosure & 193-199
2/17 (T) & 2/19 (TH) Lecture 3: Perception in Communication DeVito pp. 61-75
2/24 (T) Catch-up Day/Exam 1 In-Class Review Bring your
notes/text to class
2/26 (TH) Exam 1 – includes all assigned readings, lecture
notes, and audiovisual materials for Lectures 1 through 3
**Bring a Scantron sheet and #2 pencil to class with you!**
3/3 (T) Lecture 4: Culture and Communication Chapter 2 &
DeVito pp. 156-158
3/5 (TH) & 3/10 (T) Lecture 5: Nonverbal Communication Chapter 6 & pp. 99-100
3/12 (TH) & 3/17 (T) Lecture 6: Verbal Communication/Conversation Chapter 5 &
DeVito pp. 179-193
3/19 (TH) Catch-up Day/Exam 2 In-Class Review Bring your
notes/text to class
3/24 (T) Exam 2 – includes all assigned readings, lecture
notes, and audiovisual materials for Lectures 4 through 6
**Bring a Scantron sheet and #2 pencil to class with you!**
PART II: Communication within Specific Interpersonal Relationships Contexts and Situations
3/26 (TH) & 3/31 (T) Lecture 7: Interpersonal Relationship Stages/Theories Chapter 9
3/31 (T) & 4/2 (TH) Movie Viewing for Concept Application Bring your
Paper notes/text to class
4/7 (T) & 4/9 (TH) No Class – Enjoy Spring Break!
4/14 (T) Lecture 8: Growth and Deterioration of Relationships Chapter 10
4/16 (TH) & 4/21 (T) Lecture 9: Family Relationships DeVito pp. 259-266
4/17 (Friday) Last day to drop a class with a final grade of “W”
4/23 (TH) Catch-up Day/Exam 3 In-Class Review Bring your
notes/text to class
4/28 (T) Exam 3 – includes all assigned readings, lecture
notes, and audiovisual materials for Lectures 7 through 9
**Bring a Scantron sheet and #2 pencil to class with you!**
4/30 (TH) Lecture 10: Friendship DeVito pp. 247-252
5/5 (T) Lecture 11: Romantic Relationships and Love DeVito pp. 252-259
Concept Application Paper Due at the Beginning of Class
5/7 (TH) Lecture 12: Conflict in Interpersonal Relationships Chapter 12
5/12 (T) Lecture 13: Interpersonal Power and Influence Chapter 13
5/14 (TH) Catch-up Day/Exam 4 In-Class Review Bring your
notes/text to class
5/19 (T) from 10:45 – 1:15 Exam 4 – includes all assigned readings, lecture
notes, and audiovisual materials for Lectures 10 through 13
**Bring a Scantron sheet and #2 pencil to class with you!**
(Note: Exam 4 is NOT cumulative)