Students will learn the skills and strategies used in interpersonal and small group communication situations. This course presents principles to develop appropriate and effective communication strategies in one-to-one and small group communication settings. It emphasizes analyzing and assessing communication skills to create and sustain effective communication in personal and professional relationships.

Course Objectives/Rationale

During the course you will observe group interaction while participating in groups; practice group problem-solving; write about concepts in the text that relate to your everyday lives; analyze relationships in a film to write about observed conflict; and do speaking activities. It is important that you learn to develop your communication skills and that you learn how to present your findings to others. The goal is for you to gain more confidence in interpersonal, public, and small group settings.

In this course, the tests are worth LESS that 33% of your grade for a reason. We don't want this to be a "pass the test" kind of experience. To us, the real value of a course like this is to have students learn how to make connections with others, learn how to connect to the lives of their teachers, other students, their families, their friends and to experience the material in "real world" situations, such as group work and speeches. To be more specific, the "journey" is what this class is about. The objective is to let you SEE and APPLY the concepts in action, not just in "some book."

Instructor: ________________________________                Voicemail:  _­­­­­­­_______________________________

Office: _____________________                 Office Hours:_____________________________________________             

               

E-mail: _______________________________________________________________________________

Preferred method of contacting your instructor: ____________________________________________

Note: We will NOT open e-mails without something in the SUBJECT line. YOU MUST put: Your Name_Comm 101_section number_ topic in the SUBJECT LINE or your e-mail will be deleted!

Required Textbooks

Wood, J. T. (2007). George Mason University’s Interpersonal Communication. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.

Boileau, D., & Talkington, B. (2007). Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Student Handbook

                Spring 2007.  Reno, NV: Bent Tree Press.

Student Learning Objectives

Oral communication competency at George Mason University is defined as the ability to use oral communication as a way of thinking and learning as well as sharing ideas with others.  The general education program identifies numerous learning goals in oral communication, which are addressed specifically in two Communication courses, COMM 100, Public Speaking and COMM 101, Interpersonal and Group Interaction.  Common to both courses are these six learning goals:

1. Students will understand the role of free speech in a democratic society.
2. Students will learn and practice principles of ethical communication.
3. Students will understand the influence of culture in communication and will know how to cope with cultural differences when presenting information to an audience.
4. Students will develop analytical skills and critical listening skills.
5. Students will understand and practice effective elements of verbal and nonverbal communication.
6. Students will demonstrate understanding of and proficiency in constructing multiple message types for different potential audiences.

Goals for COMM 101, Interpersonal and Group Interaction:

1. Students will critically analyze and synthesize interpersonal communication research by gaining an understanding of the concepts, principles, and theories of interpersonal communication.
2. Students will develop skills that enhance interpersonal communication and that demonstrate understanding of the influence of perception and cultural factors in interpersonal communication.
3. Students will assess the influence of communication climate and multiple contexts on their own interpersonal communication.
4. Students will understand the interrelationship between interpersonal concepts and the small group process by acquiring problem-solving skills through experiential learning and through working in small groups and teams.
5. Students will learn and practice the principles and techniques of effective oral communication by producing individual and group presentations.

Course Requirements

Participation:

Attendance: Following University policy, I EXPECT you to be in class. The only excused absences are for 1) illness; 2) compelling circumstances beyond your control; 3) religious observances, or 4) participation in University activities at the request of an authority of the University. I will note any and all absences. If you want to request credit for a particular absence (i.e. for full assignment credit, not participation credit) you must notify me in writing and with appropriate documentation no later than two weeks after the absence.

Absences: Excessive absences will likely result in lower grades from missed/late work, missed quizzes, and uncovered classroom material as well as from a possible reduction in participation credit. Again: you are responsible for material covered in class whether you are present or not. Please do not email me with the rather egocentric “I was sick so I missed class today. Did I miss anything important?” toned email. I think we do important things everyday, or I wouldn’t be wasting my time here. Please have a “buddy” in class who takes notes for you and gathers handouts in your absence.

Timeliness:  Late arrivals receive less participation credit, as do those who leave class early.  I will ask those who are excessively tardy to leave the classroom for creating a classroom distraction.

Penalty: Make every effort to inform me if an emergency prevents you from giving a presentation on an assigned date.  If you miss, or are late for, your scheduled presentation time a grade penalty of 10 percent is automatically imposed and will increase by 10% every class meeting thereafter.  There will be NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule out of fairness to all the other students taking this course (without the explicit permission of the Basic Course Coordinator).

It is critical that you stay in touch with me by phone or e-mail when you are experiencing illness or difficulty.  If you wait until your problems are over to talk to me, I may have no option but to fail you based on course policies.   This is a communication course, communicate to me to discuss options.

Exams

Two multiple-choice exams will be given. Bring a pencil and a green Scantron sheet to each exam (get Scantrons at the GMU bookstore by the checkout stand). Each exam will emphasize readings from the text and material covered in class. The first exam is worth 150 points and will cover the first half of the book. The final exam is worth 150 points; it will be comprehensive (i.e., include elements from every chapter in the book). Approximately 70 percent of the final exam will cover the last half of the book. Approximately 30 percent of the final will be taken from material covered on the first exam.

Reviews: Your instructor may or may not conduct a review and/or provide a review study guide. Such reviews may be detrimental to student performance because students fail to review all course materials. Additionally, remedial work or review activities take away from instructional time that is better used for further exploration of course material. Reviews are best conducted in ongoing small groups outside of class.  This process of reviewing with your classmates is highly recommended.

Exam makeup policy: Missing an exam without prior and proper notification of your instructor will result in an automatic grade reduction of 10 percent per day. You must make up a missed exam within 1 week, and if necessary arrange to have the exam proctored by another faculty member in order to meet that deadline. After 1 week, a grade of “0” is assigned. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule out of fairness to all the other students taking this course (without the explicit permission of the Basic Course Coordinator).

Prearranged alternative exam date policy:  Any requests to take the exam on a date other than the date specified must be made at least a month in advance and are granted solely at my discretion.  Making arrangements, such as having your exam proctored by another faculty member, or taking your exam with another section, is your responsibility. Advanced Notice:  You must make sure both instructors are aware of arrangements in advance.  Note: Final exam policy is different. Prior approval from the Dean may be required to take your final exam at an alternative time.  It is your responsibility to get approval.

Going over exams:  I will go review at a later time the questions most frequently missed by your class on your first exam.  If you would like to view your exam, you must arrange to do so during my office hours. You are not allowed to keep or make notes from the exam.

Written Assignments:

Written assignments: ALL written assignments are to be typed in Times New Roman, 12 point type and must be double spaced with little or no extra gaps of “white” space”.  In other words, all assignments must be full and complete analyses of the contents assigned. Make a special point to type ALL questions and BOLD them before moving on to your answers. Print out your assignment and turn it in with the correct grading sheet (from your Student Handbook) attached. 

Naming your documents:

As you create documents (and slides), save ALL your files using this standard format:

Document name: Your Name_Comm  101_section number_name of assignment.doc 

SUBJECT LINE: Your Name_Comm 101_section number_name of assignment.doc

Material turned in later than class time:   The following is our specific attendance and late policies: 

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

___________________________________________________________________________________

     

Remember to save all assignments on your computer, and back-up often.  This habit is a good one for all your classes while at George Mason University.   Such practices have advantages if a paper is lost or at the end of the semester you are involved in a grade complaint. 

Research requirement:

Research is critical to the generation of new knowledge, and understanding of the research process is one of the primary goals of a University education. Your participation in research, therefore, is essential and some of your grade WILL reflect your participation. Activities may include coding data, filling out a survey, engaging in role-playing or group work, or other research-related procedures. Participation in a given project must be approved by me for credit to be given. I will notify you of specific research opportunities. In some select semesters, it is possible that no research participation opportunities may arise.

Grades:

You will be graded in this class based on the number of points you earn for each exam, speech, written assignment or other activity, as well as your class participation.  The total number of points available for the semester is 1000.  Keep track of your scores on the Student's Record of Grades form.  At semester's end, add up your points and use the chart provided below. If you have any questions concerning GMU grading policies call the Assistant Registrar for academic records 703-993-2462 or the academic records staff 703-993-2435.

A+	97-100 (970-1000)
A	93-96 (930-969)
A-	90-92 (900-929)
B+	87-89 (870-899)
B	83-86 (830-869)
B-	80-82 (800-829)
C+	77-79 (770-799)
C	70-76 (730-769)
D	60-69 (600-699)
F	59 or less (599 or less)

Student notification of grades:

Grade reports are not automatically mailed to students at the end of the term. Instead, students may access their grades by logging onto: https://patriotweb.gmu.edu  Usually your grade will be posted within 3 business days of your final exam., unless unusual circumstances take place.  Your instructor may NOT e-mail you your grade or tell you any grade over the telephone or over a cell phone!!

*NOTE:  It is helpful to keep track of your grades on the sheet provided in this Handbook.  You can then determine your grade at any time during the semester by adding up your scores and dividing that total by the total number of points possible for the graded work.  As in all 100 and 200 level courses, a midterm grade will be posted.   If you are concerned please check with your instructor.

Posting grades publicly:

The posting of student grades by student name or ID number---at any time, in any format---is not allowed at GMU. This policy has been in effect since May 1990 to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as amended.

Special Notes

*Academic Misconduct:

The guidelines in the Student Code of Responsibility and Conduct for GMU will be upheld in this course.  According to the Academic Misconduct Code:

Academic misconduct includes (a) cheating (using unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise, plagiarism, falsification of records, unauthorized possession of examinations, intimidation, any and all other actions that may improperly affect the evaluation of a student's academic performance or achievement); (b) assisting others in any such act; or (c) attempts to engage in such act.

Academic misconduct will not be tolerated and will be severely penalized, and possibly result in a failing grade for the class. In the event of misconduct, the appropriate dean will be notified and the case handled according to University policy. 

Honor Code: We take the GMU Honor Code very seriously.  Unless otherwise indicated (as in a group project), all work and discussion is to be your own.  Plagiarism is representing another’s work as your own or recycling earlier work as new work without consulting the instructor.  Digital technologies make it possible to cut and paste work–remember that if you don’t cite it, it is plagiarism and you are plagiarizing!  Remember to use proper citations in crediting the evidence, ideas and quotations of others that you use.  All quizzes and other assessment measures must be completed on your own with no outside help.  The department reserves the right to use plagiarism detection software such as, but not limited to, TurnItIn to ensure that plagiarism is not a concern in our classrooms.

Academic dishonesty also includes providing false or misleading information in order to receive a postponement or an extension on tests, quizzes, or assignments.  Academic dishonesty, or a failure to follow the GMU Honor Code, will most likely result in a course grade of F and may result in further academic penalties.

Respect/Confidentiality: If all goes well in here, students tend to share information of an “Interpersonal” nature- it goes with the territory. If you wouldn’t want something blabbed all over campus about you, keep others’ revelations confidential outside of this classroom. It is expected that students in this class will respect the presentation times of their classmates. Students who interrupt a speaker either verbally OR nonverbally  (such as by walking in late during a classmate’s presentation or working on PDAs or Cell phones) may lose points off their FINAL COURSE GRADE. One point will be deducted from the final course grade each time a student interrupts a classmate’s presentation. Students who appear uninterested or uninvolved in a particular presentation (text-messaging, reading the newspaper, etc…) may be asked to provide a synopsis of the speech once it is completed. Each student is expected to be conscious and respectful of classroom diversity. While students may disagree on many topics, every person should respect the humanity of his/her fellow classmates, instructor, and invited guests.

Chain of responsibility: You are the person most responsible for your learning experience throughout your time here at George Mason. Your instructor is second in that chain. It is your responsibility to communicate with your instructor about anything that you feel may inhibit your learning experience. If the results of those discussions are unsatisfactory, try again. If you still haven’t achieved the success you desire, your next level of responsibility is to bring any issues to the attention of the Basic Course Coordinator for the Communication Department, Brigit K. Talkington ( btalking@gmu.edu; 703-993-4036). Anything that still can’t be resolved will go through Dr. Don Boileau, the Basic Course Director. Only after these steps have been taken should there be a consideration of going to the Assistant Department Chair, Department Chair, Dean, Provost, President Merton, or George Mason himself. “Jumping rank” and going directly to the Dean is a very ineffective communication strategy for a number of reasons. 

*Incompletes or Withdrawals:  

It is extremely unlikely that an incomplete will be assigned. Students requesting an incomplete must be passing the course, must still complete all of the assignments, quizzes, and exams allowable (not all can be made up if missed), must provide compelling evidence justifying an incomplete, and must sign an incomplete contract with the course instructor.  Mid- to late-semester withdrawal requests are evaluated by the Dean’s office on a case-by-case basis.

*Reasonable Accommodation: 

A Disability Support Services office is available on campus to assist students with special needs.  If you have a disability or suspect you might have a disability, contact this office at 703-993-2474.  If you have a verified disability and will require assistance, let me know within the first two weeks of this course. IF a disability is diagnosed mid-semester, I need to know about it at least one week before the first expected accommodation. 

*The GMU Writing Center:

The Writing Center provides free tutorial sessions for all students needing help with any writing project--from freshman essays to scholarly publications.  It is best to make an appointment to ensure seeing a Writing Center consultant at a specific time; however, walk-ins will be accepted if there are openings. The GMU Writing Center is located at UWC: Robinson A114. Phone: 703-993-1200.  YOU CAN ALSO UTILIZE THE ONLINE WRITING CENTER - FOR THIS ALL YOU DO IS EMAIL THEM THE PAPER YOU WOULD LIKE THEIR INPUT ON. YOUR TUITION DOLLARS PAY FOR THIS WHETHER OR NOT YOU UTILIZE IT - SO DO SO!

Web page:

http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/

Useful websites for students, writers, researchers, and educators:

Guide to grammar— At http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/resources/guides.html you can Get help with everything from grammar to writing in specific academic disciplines to citing and documenting sources according to styles such as APA, MLA, and others.

What is an “A” paper--- Following links from the GMU writing center will provide you wit h this link: http://dianahacker.com/pdfs/Hacker-Mira-APA.pdf as an example of a well formatted APA style paper.