Communication Theory, Grad Version
Syllabus: COMM 625 F01 (crn 73753)
University of Alaska Fairbanks, MW 3:40-5:10, DUCK 406
Fall 2016
Instructor: Karen Taylor
Email: (this is probably the easiest way to reach me)
Work Phone: 474-6818
Office Hours: M-W 1-2 p.m. (or by appointment)
Office Location: 503C Gruening Bldg.
Required Texts: All readings will be available on Blackboard. Primary texts will be selected for each week by the students who are signed up for the appropriate time slot. Readings will be posted by each Monday in preparation for class the following Wednesday.
Course Description & Goals
Required course for the master's degree in Professional Communication. The course is designed to acquaint students with both the historical evolution of the discipline against the backdrop of the evolution of the social sciences and with the theoretical perspectives of knowledge-building that have marked that disciplinary evolution. Students will learn the contextual interconnectedness of philosophy and theory. Finally, Communication Theory will also make the essential connections between theoretical perspectives and their professional uses.
IMPORTANT: The research paper is an independent project. Students are advised to consult with the instructor for early feedback, and are encouraged to use the Writing Center or peer feedback processes. As a graduate level class, it is assumed that your writing is already fully proficient and that your time management skills are sufficient to produce final projects without mini-deadlines along the way except as set by each student individually.
Course Assignments/Evaluation
Memory test final exam = 21%
Theory Selection: by the end of November, you must add two candidate names, arguing why they are important and should be included for consideration = 14% (2@5pg each)
Presentations: selection and posting of primary text, analysis of a theory (three times) re: philosophical assumptions, research tradition = 27% (3@ 30min each)
Reading questions = 21% (7@ 1pg each)
Final paper: for one of your potential thesis research topics, explicate relevant theory = 24% (15pg)
Statement of Policies for this Class
Student Responsibilities:
A: ATTENDANCE. All students are expected to attend every class and the final exam. Attendance is a graded element of this course. You are also responsible for in-class activities (which cannot be made up). There are some circumstances for which absence is unavoidable, such as illness or family emergency. I must be notified of an absence before or on the day it occurs either through a phone message or via e-mail, and receive documentation of the reason as soon as possible thereafter. A student with an unexcused absence on the day of their presentation will receive a zero for that presentation. There will be no accommodation for students who are absent on the day of the scheduled final exam.
B: PARTICIPATION: This is a skills development course, requiring student participation. Participation in discussions and activities is required. Each class period provides the opportunity to earn up to four participation points, with one for contributing through listening, two for contributing relevant comments, and three for good questions. Written contributions on Blackboard count. Negative participation points can also be earned, for any behavior deemed disruptive (cell phones, talking while others speak, arriving late, etc.).
C: TIME. Each student must be prepared to spend time in class and outside of class. Readings are expected to have been completed prior to the day they are listed on the syllabus. Quizzes can begin at any time during the class period, and additional time on the quizzes will not be granted. Quizzes cannot be made up without written documentation of justifiable absence.
D: ETHICAL STANDARDS. All interaction in the classroom is to be consistent with the Credo for Ethical Communication of the National Communication Association, which has been adopted by the Department of Communication. Any suspected plagiarism will be penalized, as laid out in the university policy. You are expected to be familiar with the university’s regulations as laid out in the Student Code of Conduct.
E: STUDENT SUPPORT: All students are eligible to use the services at the Student Health Center, and are encouraged to go (and get documentation). Students with special needs or concerns need to contact Student Support Services (474-6844) for documentation to present to Instructor. The Office of Disability Services (474-7043) provides accommodations to students with disabilities. The instructor will also attempt to make reasonable accommodations for students with alternate learning styles/needs, whether documented or not, if the student raises these concerns as early as possible.
LIST of THEORISTS on EXAM
Aristotle
Austin
Barthes
Baxter&Montgomery
Bormann
Buber
Burgoon
Burke
Carbaugh
Deetz
Fisher
Foucault
Giddens
Giles
Habermas
Harding
Heider
Hofstede
Janis
Latour
McLuhan
Mead
Nass
Orbe
Pearce&Cronen
Petronio
Petty&Cacioppo
Rogers
Sapir&Whorf
Shannon&Weaver
Shaw&McCombs
Sherif
Tannen
Walther
Weber
SCHEDULE
Aug 29-31 Epistemology, ontology, axiology, and the role of theory
Sept. 5-7 Theorizing about communication, and defining?
Sept. 12-14 A theory useful for living my own life better
Sept. 19-21 A theory useful for helping my workplace
Sept 26-28 A theory useful for doing (teaching?) public speaking
Oct. 3-5 A theory useful for guiding (explaining to?) others regarding difficult encounters
Oct. 10-12 A theory useful for making good-enough guesstimates of future actions
Oct. 17-19 A theory useful for making others do what we want
Oct. 24-26 A theory useful for understanding the world we live in today
Nov. 1-2 A theory useful for changing the world
Nov. 7-9 No class, instructor at NCA
Nov. 14-16 Theory and Research relationships
Nov. 21-23
Nov 28-30 A theory useful for seeing/thinking about things in a new way
Dec. 5-7 A theory useful for impressing
Final Exam Wednesday Dec. 14, 3:15-5:15
SIGN-UP SHEET
My Life: ______
At Work: ______
Speaking: ______
Difficult Encounters:______
Predict Future: ______
Influence: ______
Understanding Today: ______
Change World: ______
Think Anew:______
Impress: ______