Small Group Communication

MEDAILLECOLLEGE

AGASSIZ CIRCLE

BUFFALO, NEW YORK 14214

Course Syllabus

Instructor: Sarah Whitehead, Adjuct, CommunicationSpring 2010

SPE 330 (3 credits) Sec:51

Website:

E-mail:

The best way to contact me is to e-mail me or talking to me before/after class. If you are sending me e-mail, please be sure to place SPE 330 and in the subject line of your e-mail so that your message does not get filtered as junk mail. ALL e-mails must include your name and a specific message! As I check my e-mail very frequently, if you do not receive a response within a day, your message probably got lost in cyber space and you need to send it again. Thank you.

A. Required Texts

1.Fundamentals of Small Group Communication, Myers, S.A. & Anderson, C.M.

2. Any readings handed out in class or posted on course reserve or the website. These readings are as equally fair game for exams as the textbook readings.

B. Catalog Description of Course:

An analysis of the communication process in small groups. Special emphasis is placed on the theories and practices which pertain to decision-making groups.

C. Course Objectives and Content

  1. The student will be able to define group discussion.
  2. The student will be able to differentiate between group discussion and public communication.
  3. The student will be able to identify and explain components of group goal achievement.
  4. The student will be able to identify barriers to effective group discussion.
  5. The student will be able to identify and explain the workings of patterns and group discussion.
  6. The student will be able to identify and describe the functions of roles and leadership in group discussion.
  7. The student will be able to identify, describe, and interpret his/her own interpersonal perceptions in a group discussion situation.
  8. The student will be able to effectively provide information, persuade, resolve conflict, and to achieve a therapeutic effect in a small group setting.
  9. The student will be able to organize a small group.
  10. The student will be able to exert leadership in a small group.
  11. The student will be able to effectively participate in a small group.
  12. The student will be able to describe and interpret the communicative interactions which take place in a small group.

Class sessions may include but not be limited to lectures, discussions, and small group exercises. Reading assignments must be completed prior to class. If it is found that the majority of you are not completing the readings I will be forced to give graded pop quizzes. Specific course content can be found on the last page, under “Course Schedule”. Please note dates and items on course schedule are subject to change, as needed.

D. Methods of Student Evaluation

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows: (subject to change with notice, if I have to resort to giving pop quizzes.)

Percentage
In-class group work / 25%
Midterm project / 25%
Final project / 25%
Homework/writing assignments/quizzes / 20%
Attendance/Participation / 5%

If you have questions or concerns about your grade or status during the course of the semester, you are encouraged to see me. Please Note: Grading of student papers will reflect standard English usage. The MLA and APA bibliographic styles are generally used at Medaille.

Make Note: I do not make my notes available for you to hand copy or photocopy. Make a friend in order to get missed notes and come to class.

E. Assignments and Tests

Assignments will be handed out in class or posted on the website. Some may be completed in class. You are expected to make sure you understand and complete all work by it’s due date.

Please refer to Section G. Late/Missed Work for more information.

F. Class Attendance Policy/Class participation

Attendance and participation are mandatory! You are allowed two absences, after that your grade will be dropped one full letter grade. Be wise and save these for true emergencies and illnesses. Class activities will typically be unannounced and CAN NOT be made up.

Beyond your physical presence in the classroom, it is expected that you will be considerate by not engaging in rude or distracting behavior such as reading the newspaper, text messaging, leaving your cell on, talking with friends, arriving late and leaving early. I reserve the right to remove you (or your cell phone) from class if you are disruptive to me or your peers. If you consistentlyarrive late to class and/or skip out early, fail to put your cellphone AWAY and on SILENT mode I will lower your final grade by a whole letter.

During class you learn the most by being actively involved by taking thorough notes, participating in class discussions, asking relevant questions, volunteering for activities, and otherwise making a positive contribution to the class. All of these things will count towards your attendance and participation grade and I will make note of how much you actively participate.

G. Other Specifications:

1. Policy on Missed or Late Work

Assignments must be handed in on time. Speeches must be given on your assigned day and exams must be taken on exam day. Failure to do any of these will result in a zero for that speech, exam or assignment.

Students requesting a make-up test or extension must provide relevant documentation and must explicitly receive permission from the instructor in order to make up work. You can not just come into my office the day after and ask to take a test. Make-up exams and assignment extensions will only be given with prior notice, proper documentation, and instructor approval.

Do not under any circumstance e-mail me papers, assignments, extra credit or any other course work without asking me ahead of time. I will not grade those assignments at all if you just send it to me without talking to me in person, prior. You need a legitimate reason for needing to e-mail me course work.

Make-up exam sessions will be scheduled at the discretion of the instructor, and all make-up exams and speeches must be completed by the end of the week following when the exam/speech was scheduled, unless specific permission is obtained from the course instructor. Failure to do this will result in a zero for that speech/exam. If you receive permission to take a make up exam, but do not attend one of the assigned make-up sessions, you will forfeit your right to take a make-up exam.

Any graded exercises done in class cannot be made up under any circumstances. This includes any possible extra credit that is given to be completed in class.

2. Students with Disabilities

Any student with a disability who believes he/she needs accommodation(s) in order to complete this course should contact the Office of Disability Services as soon as possible. The staff in the Office of Disability Services will determine what accommodations are appropriate and reasonable under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Office of Disability Services is located in the MainBuilding, Room M314, and can be reached by phone at (716) 880-2391.

3. Student Athletes

Classes can not be missed for practices under any circumstances. If you need to miss practice for a game or match, you must notify me well in advance (at least one week), so arrangements can be made for any missed work. Please give notify me if you are a student athlete and give me a copy of your game schedule as soon as possible. Failure to do this means you will not be excused from classes for games.

3. Academic Integrity

The Academic Dishonesty Policy Handout must be read, and the bottom portion completed and turned in by the second day of class. (See Attached.)

Plagiarism & Academic Dishonesty Policy

KEEP FOR YOUR RECORDS!

Medaille’s faculty and administration expect all students to complete their academic assignments with honesty and integrity. Students who engage in any form of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on a test, forging a signature or an entire college document) will be dealt with severely, with penalties ranging from an F on a given assignment to failing a course or even academic suspension. Students should consult the Medaille College Policy Manual, Volume VI, (available online at Paragraph 6.2.2.5, for full details on the college’s policy and procedures for handling formal charges of academic dishonesty.

You commit plagiarism when you make use of others' work without proper attribution. Any time you use someone's unique ideas, you must properly cite the printed, electronic, or other source of that work. If you use a phrase (any non-obvious combination of a few words) from another person's work, you must also place these words within quotation marks and cite the source. You must turn in your own original work for an assignment. You may not, except with explicit permission from your instructor, turn in work that has been turned in for other classes. During examinations and other assignments you must present your own work, and must follow all of the rules provided by the instructor or other administrators in the class. Plagiarism and other forms of cheating, even if unintentional, will result in sanctions in an F in the class and a notation in your academic record. The instructor has the further ability to press charges and impose sanctions at the university level, up to and including expulsion. In addition, if you are aware that another student in the class is guilty of academic dishonesty, and fail to inform the instructor, you are also subject to sanctions.

If you are ever unsure about whether something constitutes cheating or plagiarism, please approach your instructor before turning in your work. I will happily help you to understand how to avoid academic dishonesty. For further information, these resources on proper citation and how to avoid plagiarism may be of help:

  • Plagiarism Defined
    (
  • Plagiary and the Art of Skillful Citation
    (
  • Using Sources
    (

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I have read this statement and understand that I will be responsible for my own work. I realize that if I am ever unsure if I am committing plagiarism than I am free to contact the instructor before turning in the assignment. The instructor agrees to review any work (up to 2 days prior to its due date) and address any student’s questions about plagiarism. Failure for the student to comply with the academic dishonest policy as stated in the Student handbook can result in an F on the assignment, at minimum.

Signed:______

Date:______

Course and Section: ______

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