Interpersonal Communication
COMM 2500 - 001 Spring 2012
Mon/Wed/Fri 9:00 am - 9:50 am EDUC 134
Instructor: Katie Harris Email:
Office: Hellems 10 (west side basement) Office hours: Mon. 11 am – 12 noon & by appt
Course Information
Course Description
Relationships are fundamental to our lives, and we have all spent a great deal of time learning implicit rules about how to communicate in these relationships. In this course, we will use communication research and theory to develop our insights about how interpersonal communication can and should work. We will explore how a variety of factors—including perceptions of ourselves and of others, cultural/historical context, verbal and nonverbal messages, and technology (among others)—inform our interpersonal communication. We will grapple with the role of communication in varied types of relational conflict, transition, development, maintenance, and dissolution. After completing this course, you will have a new vocabulary for understanding and analyzing interpersonal communication, a variety of theoretical perspectives to enrich your academic and everyday lives, and an enhanced set of communication skills to use in your many relationships.
Course Goals
- To develop your understanding of theories, models, and concepts useful for evaluating interpersonal communication events
- To enhance your interpersonal communication effectiveness by increasing your awareness of your own communication, expanding your repertoire of communication skills, and enhancing your ability to interact mindfully with others
- To cultivate your engagement with communication research in order to enrich your everyday life and to enable your success in upper-division communication classes
Required Materials
1. Access to a reliable computer with word processing software, a printer, and an internet connection. Our course will use Desire2Learn (D2L) and email for course information and communication.
2. Gladwell, M. (2005). Blink: The power of thinking without thinking. New York, NY:
Little, Brown and Company.
3. Trenholm, S. & Jensen, A. (2008). Interpersonal communication (6th ed.). New York,
NY: Oxford.
4. The following readings posting on our Desire2Learn website. This list may be subject to change over the course of the semester.
Adler, R. B., Rosenfeld, L. B., & Proctor, R. F. (2010). Interpersonal process. In
Interplay: The process of interpersonal communication (pp. 2-33). New York,
NY: Oxford University Press.
Adler, R. B., Rosenfeld, L. B., & Proctor, R. F. (2010). Perceiving others. In Interplay: The
process of interpersonal communication (pp. 106-137). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Baxter, L. A. & Bullis, C. (1986). Turning points in developing romantic relationships.
Communication Research, 12, 469–493.
Frey, L. R., Botan, C. H., Friedman, P. G., & Kreps, G. L. (1992). Interpreting
Communication Research. In Interpreting communication research: A case study
approach (pp. 1-20). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Peterson, E. E. (1995). Ethnicity and the new racism in the basic interpersonal communication
course. Women and Language, 13(1), 41-44.
Siegert, J. R., & Stamp, G. H. (1994). “Our first big fight” as a milestone in the
development ofclose relationships.Communication Monographs, 61, 345-360.
Suter, E. A. (2008).Discursive negotiation of family identity: A study of U.S. families
withadopted children from China.Journal of Family Communication, 8(2), 126–
147.
Wood, J. T. (1998). Don’t you want to spend time with me anymore? In But I thought
you meant...Misunderstandings in human communication (pp. 264-275).Mountain
View, CA: Mayfield.
Everyday Applications
Because interpersonal communication is so ubiquitous, and because academic knowledge about this type of communication is diverse, no syllabus can cover all relevant topics. To encourage you to direct the content of the course, to apply what you are learning, and to think like a communication scholar, the first few minutes of most class periods are reserved for “everyday applications.” During this time we will discuss issues and interactions related to our course that may or may not be formally covered in our readings. Be on the look out for ways that interpersonal communication shapes and informs your daily experiences. Share what you notice with our classroom community during these opening minutes of class. This is an opportunity for us to develop our critical and applied thinking in a collaborative setting. In general, each item that we consider during this section of class should have two main parts. First, a description of the communicative event you have noticed, and second, a discussion of how a concept or theory we have learned about helps us to understand, explain, or critique that event.
Policies and Expectations
Please include “COMM 2500” in the subject line of any email you send to me. This ensures that your email will stand out from the many I receive on a daily basis. While I will always do my best to respond to your questions and concerns in a timely fashion, you should expect some delay between sending an email and receiving my reply. In general, I take at least 24 hours—if not more—to respond to an email. During some periods of the semester, holidays, and weekends it may take me longer to respond. Please plan your work accordingly so that I may best provide you with assistance. You should check your CU email account regularly for important course information.
Attendance
You are expected to attend every class and participate actively in discussions and activities. Your ability to do well in the class depends on your presence at our meetings.Tests and papers are based on interactions we have in class, including the everyday applications section of class. In general, you cannot make up work if you are absent on the day of assigned class work. This policy will be modified only in some cases in which you make arrangements with me prior to your absence or in cases of documented emergency or illness.
Participation
Dr. Michele Tracy Berger, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, describes participation well:
“Through communication, ideas are formed, revised, borrowed, and developed. It is through argument, description, explanation, and improvisation – within a community – that individual learning flourishes. This course requires full participation (including active listening, facilitating, and question-asking) to create an environment of open and shared learning. An effective participant is not someone who simply talks frequently, but someone who reliably offers thoughtful insights that help others to learn.”
Your ideas are important, respected, and valued. During the course of the semester you will be asked to consider varied points of view. You may vehemently disagree with some of them. Show respect to others and their perspectives, especially when those views differ from or radically oppose your own experiences and beliefs.
In order to participate effectively and fully you should come to class with all of the reading and assignments complete. Class activities and discussions build upon and extend readings. Bring your comments and questions about the material with you.
Writing
APA style is required for papers in this course. You are expected to write clearly and concisely. All essays, papers, and short assignments should include correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar. For a list of common writing errors that you should avoid, please see the document “Top 10 Writing Errors to Avoid” on our course website. If you have concerns about your writing, I am happy to review a draft of your work if you submit it to me at least one week before the due date. If you need additional assistance please contact the writing center.
You are responsible for citing others’ work properly, and a failure to do so can constitute plagiarism. Please be aware that plagiarism is a violation of the CU Honor Code and is grounds for failing the assignment, failing the course, and being subject to university sanctions.
Late work
A typed, hard copy of all papers and proposals must be turned in at the beginning of class, in person, on the due date. Any paper handed in after the assignment is collected will be considered late and will receive one letter grade off the assignment for each day it is late (starting with the day it is due). Only arrangements made with me prior to the due date will be exempt from this policy.
Academic Integrity
You are responsible for knowing and conducting yourself in accordance with the honor code. Cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior are violations of this policy. Any incident of academic misconduct will be reported to the Honor Code Council. Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions (including a failing grade in the course) and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Information on the Honor Code can be found at the following websites:
Honor Code Council: (303) 725-2273
Sexual Harassment
The University of Colorado Policy on Sexual Harassment applies to all students, staff, and faculty. Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual attention. It can involve intimidation, threats, coercion, or promises to create an environment that is hostile or offensive. Harassment may occur between members of the same or opposite gender and between any combinations of members in the campus community: students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Harassment can occur anywhere on campus, including theclassroom, the workplace, or a residence hall. Any student, staff, or faculty member who believes s/he has been sexually harassed should contact the Office of Sexual Harassment (OSH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information about the OSH and the campus resources available to assist individuals who believe they have been sexually harassed can be obtained at
Classroom Conduct
- Be prepared to engage critically the comments that you, your classmates, and your instructor make.
- Do not have private conversations, update your Facebook status, send text messages, work on non-class related items, or otherwise disrupt the class during our meetings. Cell phones are not allowed.
- Be aware of how your language and behavior have an impact on those around you. Make inclusive, respectful, and constructive communicative choices.
For more information about university policy regarding classroom conduct, see and
Technology
Although technology enhances our lives in many ways, it occasionally fails. You should plan all your work with this in mind. Have multiple backups of your files, and print your work early enough to find an alternative option if the printer breaks. I will not make accommodations for problems with technology, and you will be expected to complete all your work on time even if technology does not work properly.
Disability Services
If you would benefit from accommodations in order to achieve course goals and complete assignments, please notify me within the first week of the semester. I am happy to work with you to meet your needs. You will need to provide documentation from Disability Services in Willard 332. (303) 492-8671.
Religious Observance
I will make every effort to work with you when religious obligations conflict with scheduled exams, assignments, and attendance. Notify me during the first week of class if religious observance will interfere with course requirements. The full university policy can be found at
Class Content
We will be viewing, reading, hearing, and discussing material that may contain adult language, sexual situations, violence, or other material that some audiences may deem offensive. Your continued enrollment indicates that you are aware of this possibility and have chosen to stay in the class. Please speak with me if you have questions or concerns.
Grading
Grades are based on how well you demonstrate your mastery of course concepts as measured by the following assessments. You are responsible for tracking your progress throughout the semester. You may consult with me at any point about your standing in the course. Extra credit and make-up assignments are not available. If you would like to discuss a grade, please wait 24 hours after the assignment is returned but not more than one week (the 24-7 policy). You may be asked to submit your concerns in writing.
Assessments
AssessmentPercentage of Grade
Homework and Class Work 10%
Reading Responses 12%
Midterm Exam 22%
Semester Project 30%
Database search results (2%)
Literature review outline (4%)
Methods and findings draft (4%)
Final Paper (20%)
Final Exam 26%
Total100%
Grading Criteria
Letter grades reflect the following standards. Please note that in order to earn an A or a B you must exceed the requirements for the assignment.
AExceeds the requirements of the assignment. The work is uniformly
excellent and critically and creatively engages with course material.
BMeets and, at times, exceeds the requirements for the assignment.
The work is more than satisfactory.
CMeets the basic requirements for the assignment.
DFails to meet the some of the minimum requirements for the
assignment.
FFails to meet the basic requirements for the assignment. An F is also
given for assignments that are not turned in or are turned in too late to receive a passing grade.
GradeRange
A93-100%
A-90-92%
B+87-89%
B83-86%
B-80-82%
C+77-79%
C73-76%
C-70-72%
D+67-69%
D63-66%
D-60-62%
F0-59%
Homework and Class Work
In order to facilitate your success during the semester, homework and class work will be assigned. These varied exercises will serve a variety of functions. First, they provide some structure to facilitate your consistent engagement with course material. Second, they reward you for your diligence and effort over the term’s duration. You can expect to have at least one homework and/or class work assignment each week, and each will be awarded either a check () to indicate satisfactory work or a zero (0) to indicate work below standards for this course. Work that is not turned in, incomplete, or turned in late will receive a zero. At the end of the term, the homework and class work portion of your grade will be determined by taking a ratio of the assignments on which you earned a check to the total number of assignments. For example, if you receive a check on nine of ten assignments, your grade for this portion of the class will be a 90.
Reading Responses
To guide your reading for the course and to help you connect your experiences with course concepts and theories, you will write a series of responses to our reading. These responses will be in one of two forms: answers to a set of questions about the reading and more open-ended responses to a prompt. You will receive specific information about each required reading response as we move through the semester.
Your responses will receive a grade of 0, 1, 2 or 3 points as follows:
3: You demonstrate an insightful, nuanced understanding of relevant issues, and your writing is uniformly excellent.
2: Your response shows basic understanding of the course material and your writing is average.
1: Your response does not demonstrate depth of understanding.
0: You did not complete the response or your answer does not provide evidence that you read the article.
You will write eight of these responses over the course of the semester. At the end of the semester your grade for this portion of the class will be determined by the ratio of the points you earned to the total points possible for these assignments. For instance, if you earn 21 out of 24 possible points, your grade for reading responses will be 87.5.
You should turn in a hard copy of each reading response at the beginning of class on the day it is due.
Exams
Exams are designed to give you an extended opportunity to demonstrate your careful thinking about the issues discussed in class. They also help you to synthesize information across several units. You are responsible for all course material, including the everyday applications section of our meetings, even if we have not discussed a particular assignment in class. Tests are likely to include some combination of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and essay questions. The midterm exam will focus on materials from the first half of the semester, and the final exam will focus on materials from the second.
Semester Project
As you work on the semester project, you will develop your ability to evaluate existing knowledge about interpersonal communication and to analyze and draw conclusions from interpersonal communication data. As a class, we will generate data about changes across time in specific types of relationships. These changes are called turning points. Focusing on one kind of relationship, you will examine existing literature and then use it to inform your analysis of the data we create. You will turn in a first version of each component of the project and then revise and add to these components for your final paper. A detailed description of this assignment and a grading rubric will be available on Desire2Learn.
Database Search Results
You will search on-line databases for scholarly work on turning points and relational processes in the type of relationship you choose. You will turn in APA citations and the article abstracts for five articles you found in the search.
Literature Review Outline
You will submit a full-sentence outline of the information you plan to include in your review of literature after you have gathered and reada minimum of five academic articles related to your topic.
Methods and Findings Draft
You will provide a draft of both the methods and findings sections of your paper.
Final Paper
The final paper is a full research report. It will include substantially revised versions of each of the project components you turn in during the semester (literature review, methods and findings section) and will also include a cogent introduction, discussion, conclusion, and references. You may choose to complete this final paper either individually or with a partner. For individually authored papers, your report will be 8-10 pages. For co-authored papers, you will write 10-12 pages.
Schedule
DateTopicAssignment and/or Reading Due
Week 1
January 18Course IntroductionSyllabus (OL*)
January 20Interpersonal ProcessAdler, Rosenfeld & Proctor Ch 1 (OL)
Week 2
January 23Verbal Comm.Trenholm & Jensen Ch 4
January 25Verbal Comm.