Interpersonal communication applies communication theory to interpersonal relationship development, maintenance, and termination in friendships, romantic partnerships, families, and workplace relationships. The course explores theories and practice in verbal and nonverbal communication with a focus on interpersonal relationships. This course emphasizes improving interpersonal skills and increasing communication competence in everyday social exchanges. Skills: E

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Recognize the characteristics of competent communication in dyadic interactions
• Demonstrate the ability to assess appropriateness and effectiveness of interpersonal strategies used in various interpersonal situations
• Demonstrate skill in selecting and using a variety of communication strategies and responses based on situational contexts, goals, and human needs
• Differentiate between theories that explain interpersonal interaction
• Recognize the ethical dimensions of interpersonal communication
• Recall how perception affects communication and the importance of perception checking
• Demonstrate the ability to analyze and critique verbal and nonverbal messages in interpersonal interactions
• Evaluate listening habits and demonstrate effective listening skills
• Demonstrate effective interpersonal conflict management principles
• Recognize communication differences between individuals in cultures that affect interpersonal interactions and recall strategies for adapting to cultural differences
• Recall the nature and role of emotions in interpersonal interaction, and competent strategies for expressing emotions
• Identify distinguishing characteristics of interpersonal relationships including family, friendship, romantic, and work.

General Education Outcomes: Upon completion of this course, students will demonstrate competence in:

• Communication Skills: develop, interpret, and express ideas and information through written, oral, and visual communication that is adapted to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.
• Critical Thinking Skills: gather, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and apply information for the purposes of innovation, inquiry, and creative thinking.
• Personal Responsibility: identify and apply ethical principles and practices to decision-making by connecting choices, actions, and consequences.
• Social Responsibility (Civic & Cultural Awareness): analyze differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engaged effectively in regional, national, and global communities.
• Teamwork: consider different points of view to work collaboratively and effectively in pursuit of a shared purpose or goal.

All students enrolled in SPCH 1318 are required to complete the following minimum requirements: two exams, three course assignments that apply course concepts to your interpersonal communication interactions, and other projects assigned by the instructor. More specific details about each assignment can be found in Blackboard (Bb) in the Course Assignments section, or during a specific week’s assignment folder/module. Below are descriptions for each assignment and a listing of how it will impact your semester grade.

Course Assignments & Exams:

Orientation Assignments (60 points): To introduce you to the expectations of a distance-learning (DIL) course and your fellow classmates, you will be expected to complete assignments that demonstrate your understanding of the syllabus, course policies, and other components of the course. The following assignments must all be completed in the first week of the course: Academic Dishonesty Agreement (10 points), Student Information Assignment (10 points), Syllabus Quiz (20 points), Introduce Yourself (via Flipgrid) Assignment (10 points), and Memes of Me (10 points).

Chapter Quizzes (15 points each; 210 points total): Our textbook comes with a supplemental website with various activities you will complete throughout the semester to earn points towards your Final Grade. Each week, you are responsible for completing the chapter quizzes available on our course Bb website via the LaunchPad website. These exercises are designed to test your knowledge and comprehension of the chapter material after reading the content for the week. You have TWO (2) attempts to complete each quiz, and your highest score will be the one entered in the gradebook after the assignment deadline has passed. All chapter quizzes are due *Sunday at 11:59pm* (unless otherwise indicated by your instructor).

IP Application Exercises (10 points each; 70 points total): In addition to using the quizzes from the electronic resources associated with our textbook, you will also have the opportunity to complete an exercise which asks you to watch a video, review a transcript of an interpersonal conversation, or complete an exercise that reflects the topics covered in the readings that week. You will then be asked to respond to questions to demonstrate your understanding of the concept, as well as your own cognitive complexity. For example, can you find alternative statements or behaviors these individuals could have used to illustrate competent communication? Your scores will be based on the amount of detail in your responses; more points are awarded to responses with more content and elaboration versus assignments submitted with vague or less-detailed responses. These assignments will be due on Sunday by 11:59pm.

Application Reports (25 points each; 50 points total): Throughout the semester, you will be given two essay assignments that require you to reflect on concepts in the “natural world” or on your personal experiences associated with the concepts covered in the readings. In either case, you must clearly and directly apply the concepts in the essay submitted. These reports should be at least two full pages and no more than four pages total, double-spaced with 1-inch margins, include a cover page with your name and section number, and be uploaded to the appropriate Blackboard (Bb) dropbox by the Sunday deadline (11:59pm). Assignments sent directly to the professor will not be graded unless due to technical difficulties, and notice has been given within 24 hours of assignment deadline.

Discussion Board/Flip Discussion Posts (160 points; 20 points each): During the semester, you will participate in the course Discussion Board or a Flipgrid video-recorded discussion on a topic or chapter assigned by your instructor.  In each of the required discussion assignments (listed on your course calendar), you are required to make your own original posting as well as to respond to the postings of at least three classmates. Your initial response/posting to the prompt should be submitted by Wednesday at 11:59pm the week it is assigned. Responses to your classmates’ postings/videos are due by Sunday at 11:59pm. Please note: you will not be allowed to view, nor respond to any of your classmates’ postings until you have submitted your own response to the given prompt. Students whose initial postings are not completed by Wednesday will only be eligible to earn 10/20 points for the *entire* assignment due to failure to follow directions. Please be sure to review the “Guide to Successful Discussion Posts” handout on Blackboard to review the grading criteria for this assignment.

Exams (100 points each; 300 points total): Three exams will be assigned for you to complete throughout this semester. These exams are designed to test knowledge; therefore, questions require recall and application of material. They will not “technically” be cumulative; but, keep in mind knowledge is inevitably cumulative. Questions will be either multiple-choice or short answer format and point values will be indicated on all study materials, and the exam itself. Furthermore, all exams will be timed and must be completed in one hour and 20 minutes (80 minutes total). These exams will be available beginning Monday the week assigned at 12:00am and will close on Sunday at 11:59pm—no exceptions.

IP Research Annotated Bibliography (100 points): All of the concepts and theories we discuss this semester can be found in actual books and research journal articles. To help you focus on a specific content area and topic for your Interpersonal Principles and Theory Project this semester, you will be expected to research and find various books, articles, journal articles, etc.to create an annotated bibliography. You will need to select two or three different areas of research (e.g., romantic relationships, listening, nonverbal communication, etc.) and find various sources that might help you compose your final paper. In this document, you will list the citation in APA format for each source and briefly describe/summarize the content for the materials you have found. More details will be given on Blackboard in the designated section.

Interpersonal Principles and Theory Project Proposal & Project (220 points total; 20 points for Proposal; 200 for final paper or podcast): Students will need to choose one of the two assignments detailed below to complete as their final project for the SPCH 1318 course.

Media Analysis Research Paper: Students are responsible for selecting a movie or episode(s) from a current television show where interactions between the characters illustrate the various interpersonal concepts and theories discussed in our class and textbook throughout the semester. Based on these interactions, students will need to create a research paper that elaborates on what an audience learns from the interaction/relationship in the selected media, as well as relevant theories or concepts that are also indirectly learned by an audience when they watch this movie or television show. Students will need to submit a brief proposal with the chosen media and a list of potential topics that will be researched and analyzed within the paper. The final paper should be at least five to seven pages in length, and will need to include at least five source citations (using the text, books, and academic journals) to support content discussed in the paper.

Interpersonal Relationship Podcast: Students are responsible for selecting a relationship context area (e.g., family communication, romantic relationships) and identifying up to four associated concepts discussed in the course textbook and other Interpersonal Communication sources to create a podcast that educates listeners on do’s and don’ts/new research/best practices for these relationships. The podcast should be between 10-12 minutes in length, should only feature you as the designated speaker/presenter, include at least five verbal citations to support the information that is shared, and relevant examples as needed. A written transcript of the podcast will also need to be submitted, in addition to the recorded material. You will be asked to submit a brief proposal with your chosen media example and a list of topics you intend to research further. You are not bound to the topics in the proposal; this is a list for you to work through and decide with assistance from your instructor.

Demonstration of Communication Skills:

Zoom Check-In Meeting (30 points): To familiarize you with the Zoom online meeting system we will be using for some of our assignments, and to “check-in” with you about your progress during the semester, you are expected to complete a Practice Meeting with your Instructor this semester. For this assignment, you will need access to Zoom via the Internet and your computer, or through their “App” which can be found in the App Store (Apple) or Google Play (Droid) store. You will be expected to “schedule an appointment” time with Dr. Lara and to complete your meeting during the time allotted. For assistance and to practice using Zoom, please visit the Online Meeting Support section in our Blackboard (Bb) course page.

IP Perception Check (100 points):  Perception is an important component of communication, and often determines the success or failure of an interaction. In order to illustrate mastery of the chapter discussing perception (Chapter 4), you and your instructor will have an interaction where you will be asked to either create a perception check statement indicating your understanding of two or more scenarios that involve different relationship scenarios, while also asking for verification of what you have “seen.” This assignment will be conducted via Zoom, an online video/chat website, and will require you to use your webcam and microphone.

IP Conflict Interaction (100 points): You will be asked to engage in a conflict management/problem-solving situation with your instructor via Zoom (a web conferencing program). In order to use Zoom properly, you will need to have access to a webcam and microphone for this assignment (and it is okay if these are built-in to your computer). You will be given a scenario (along with your designated role and background information) and conflict style to enact, and this will be sent to you immediately before your scheduled meeting time. Using your knowledge from previous chapters and course concepts, it will be your job to navigate and resolve the conflict using specifically identified behaviors within a designated period of time.

Other Course Activities:

Extra Credit: This semester, there are three optional opportunities to earn a designated number of extra points for your Final Course Grade. If you miss any of the deadlines for these extra credit (EC) assignments, they cannot be made up nor will deadlines be extended past what is stated in the syllabus or on Blackboard.

Learning Style & Technology Skills Assessments (10 points total): In order to ensure you are prepared for a distance-learning course and ready to succeed, you are asked to complete the Learning Style and Technology Skills assessments. You will need to complete each survey, and then copy and paste your results into a Word/Google Doc/Bb Textbox for submission. Each survey is worth five points and will be added to your final grade.

Become a Comm Studies Social Media Fan (10 points total): Go to the ACC Communication Studies Facebook (@CommStudiesACC) and Instagram pages (@commstudiesacc) and “like”/follow each of the pages. Take a screenshot/photograph of your like/follow, and upload into the Social Media Fan dropbox on Blackboard during the first week of class. Each “account” is worth five points; 10 total points can be earned for this assignment. (Note: You must remain a fan the entire semester for these points to count towards your final score!)

LearningCurve Exercises (28 points total): The textbook companion website, LaunchPad, contains a program called LearningCurve which is designed to help you review the chapter content in “flashcard” style. You will be asked a series of questions about the chapter content and based upon whether your submitted answer is correct or incorrect, you will increase the amount of time for your review. (After all, the program wants you to be “smart,” and to know and retain the material!) Each of these exercises is worth two (2) points each and will take you at least 30 minutes to complete (if done correctly).

ACC College Policies for this course can be found online at: https://www.austincc.edu/offices/academic-outcomes-assessment/master-syllabi/college-policies or, you can access these in the College Policies and Student Support section of our Blackboard course site. Any instructor-specific policies related to those of the college (e.g. Academic Integrity, Attendance, etc.) may also be listed here for clarification regarding their applicability to our course this semester. 

Academic Integrity: Students must follow all instructions given by faculty or designated college representatives when taking examinations, placement assessments, tests, quizzes, and evaluations. Actions constituting scholastic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, collusion, falsifying documents, or the inappropriate use of the college’s information technology resources.  If a student is found to have engaged in a violation of the academic integrity policy, they may receive a zero on the assignment in question, in addition to being reported to the Dean of Students office for further sanctions.

Attendance: Regular and active participation is an essential, unmistakably important aspect of this online course. The expectation of the instructor is that students will log on a minimum of three times every seven days. It is critical that you read all of the lecture and assignment materials as well as all of the public discussion materials. Your full participation **on a weekly basis** is not only a requirement; it is also an essential aspect of the online course process. All students are expected to do the work assigned, notify the instructor when emergencies arise, and complete assignments no later than the due dates.  In return, my commitment to you is to log in at least once a day every weekday so that I can respond to your concerns.

Use of ACC Email & Communication Expectations: All course emails will be sent via the Blackboard (Bb) course management system, or the ACC email client. You are required to use the ACC email client when communicating with your professor or your fellow students, and any and all assignments are required to be submitted through Blackboard. Course assignments will not be accepted via email and will not be graded for credit. You may experience difficulties submitting an assignment in Blackboard from time to time. Or, perhaps you had other technical difficulties (e.g., submitting incorrect assignment file). Please reach out to Dr. Lara and let her know of your technical issues, and you will form a plan of action together for how to get the assignment submitted for grading in Blackboard.

Expectations for Course Emails: When you send an email to me, I expect that your email will:

• include a proper greeting/salutation (e.g., Dear Dr. Lara)
• have been proofread for clarity and understanding
• include a proper closing (Sincerely, Jane Doe SPCH 1318-008)

Your emails should be signed with your full name, the course you are enrolled in, and section number as shown above. I do not respond to emails that are not from an ACC designated account, do not identify the author, or meet these requirements stated above. As a general practice, and given that I am both a Professor and a Department Chair, I respond to most emails within 24-48 hours during the *regular* work week (Monday-Friday; 8-5pm).

To maintain a work-life balance, I do not respond to emails after 5pm during the week, including Friday. Any emails sent Friday after 5pm will receive a response on Monday morning when I return to the office. I understand that you may experience “urgent situations” or emergencies that do require my notification. If that happens, please be sure to put “URGENT” in the subject line of your email and I will do my best to send a quick/brief response to let you know I’m aware of your issue.

When sending email from Blackboard (Bb), their system will automatically send you a copy of the email you sent to me. Don’t panic and think that your email did not process correctly! The copy sent to you is meant to confirm that your email was sent by the Blackboard system. Please do not forward the email copy to me unless you have not heard from me in the 48-hour period mentioned above.

A Note about Office Hours for Spring 2024: Office hours are listed on the front page of the syllabus, and while an “office” is listed, all office hours will be conducted in online meetings via Zoom for the semester. Office hours are a designated time that I am online and available for student meetings regarding course content or about assignments. If you would like to visit with me during Office Hours, please schedule an appointment via the Calendly link in Blackboard. I will then confirm the appointment with you once I’ve received notice. If you need to cancel your appointment, be sure to cancel your appointment by 8:00am the day we are scheduled to meet. This will allow other students to schedule a meeting if that time is now available.

Please note that my availability for Office Hours may change during weeks where assignments are due for my other classes I am teaching this semester. If the available days and times do not work with your schedule, or there are none listed on the calendar in a given week, please email me at least three alternative days and times you are available to meet. We will then work together to find a time that is convenient for both of us.

A Note about Online Meetings & Camera Use in SPCH 1318: The primary platform used to conduct online meetings in this course is Zoom Video Conferencing. Please be sure you have access to Zoom either through your web browser, or the software app, and that you are familiar with how to use them. You are more than welcome to schedule a time to schedule a practice meeting with Dr. Lara; please see the previous section about how to schedule an appointment with her to do so. Additionally, students are expected to have their cameras on at all times during all online meetings (whether for office hours visits, or assignment-specific), and should be dressed appropriately. The only times students are allowed to turn-off cameras is if their backgrounds are too distracting (e.g., multiple family members at “school”), there are frequent technical difficulties preventing a stable connection, or if requested to do so by the instructor. If you have specific challenges that prevent you from being “on camera” for the entire class or meeting time, these concerns need to be brought to Dr. Lara ASAP and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Course Incomplete/Withdrawal: All students are required to complete the course within the semester they are enrolled. Incomplete grades for the course are rarely given and will only be granted under the following conditions:

• The student has completed at least 75% of the course with a grade of ‘C’ or better.
• The student has provided a valid, documented excuse for not being able to complete the course on time.
• The student has contacted the instructor at least three weeks prior to the scheduled last class date to request an extension.

Valid excuses will only consist of difficult circumstances that the student could not have reasonably foreseen, and specifically excludes being busy with work, other classes, or the various responsibilities you have outside of class. The student will sign a contract that includes the incomplete course activities and the new due dates.

Your professor does not withdraw students from the courses she teaches. Should you decide to withdraw from SPCH 1318 prior to the ACC deadline for semester withdrawals, it is the responsibility of each student to ensure that their name is removed from the roster. The only time your instructor will withdraw you from the course is during the ACC Census period; if you are not active and present in the course, you will be withdrawn due to your “Not Attended” status on that deadline. Otherwise, the final withdrawal date for the 16-week semester is Monday, April 22. If you do not withdraw yourself from the course by the final drop date, you may receive a F as your final grade for the course.

Evaluation Questions:  I will do my best to have all assignments graded within one week after they have been submitted. This may be more difficult to achieve some weeks versus others given the administrative tasks I may have. Should there be a delay in getting feedback to you for particular assignments, I will send email notification that includes an anticipated date that the assignment will be graded. Should you have questions about any of your assignments, please feel free to schedule an appointment with me where we can discuss your issues via phone or Zoom. I cannot answer your questions or help you improve your performance if we are not communicating. To help you think carefully about your assignment and present a cogent case if you disagree with an evaluation, the following criteria will be applied:

1. I never discuss a student’s assignment immediately after returning a speech, quiz, outline, critique, etc. I spent time evaluating your work and you, in turn, cannot make an adequate assessment of your performance until you have taken the time to read my comments in light of your work. I am happy to discuss your grades with you 24 hours or more after your speech or assignment has been returned to you.
2. You must see me within **seven days** of receiving your graded assignment from me if you wish to discuss your grade. We cannot accurately discuss specific details weeks or months after a speech has been presented, and you cannot apply the lessons learned to a later speech if you want to ask questions.
3. You must identify specifically what you disagree with in the evaluation, why you disagree with that specific item(s), and how you think you met the requirements of the assignment.

I will do my best to evaluate your work fairly, consistently, and in a timely manner. If there are delays in returning grades on various assignments, I will send updates to you and an anticipated completion date. Grades reflect the degree to which you demonstrate ability to achieve academic objectives. Please do not request a change of grade for reasons other than mathematical error. Applying subjective standards after the fact invalidates the standards applied to the entire class and is unfair to every student.

Early Access to Assignments/Late Work/Make-Up Work Policy: All course assignments must be submitted on set due dates as set by the course calendar and/or instructor. Due to the nature of this course, it is more difficult to grant early access to assignments, or “catch up” as the semester progresses. You should commit to creating designated days and times throughout your work-week to complete assignments and readings.

Early access to assignments (e.g., Application reports, discussion board assignments, quizzes, tests, etc.) is not allowed based on the nature of our course (this is not a correspondence course!) and the amount of time available for you to complete these each week. Should you need to complete an online meeting assignment (e.g., Perception Check) in advance due to circumstances you are experiencing (e.g. travel, medical appointments, etc.), please contact Dr. Lara within two weeks of your anticipated “absence” to work out arrangements for how to best complete the online meeting.

All course assignments must be submitted on the deadlines stated in the course calendar and/or instructor. Work submitted after the deadline (or, late) will not be graded and will receive a zero. Additionally, extensions on assignments are not a “given.” Extensions for incomplete assignments will be granted only for difficult circumstances which the student could not have reasonably foreseen (e.g., death in the family, medical emergencies, etc.). Your instructor reserves the right to offer or decline an extension at their discretion, and based on your participation in the course at that time.

Make-Up Exams: The academic week for this course begins Monday at 12:00am and ends Sunday at 11:59pm. Exams will be open for a given unit on a Monday morning at 12:00am and will close/become unavailable on Sunday at 11:59pm of that week. Should you fail to complete an exam during an assigned week, you will receive a grade of “0” as your final grade. Make-up exams are scheduled only in cases of substantiated and unavoidable conflict (see above). You must notify me prior to the exam deadline in order to re-schedule. Prior approval requires that you:

1. Notify me of the conflict via email ASAP.
2. Substantiate the reason for missing the exam with legitimate, official documentation which is accepted by the instructor

Establishing contact does not guarantee approval of the make-up and any make-up granted is at the discretion of the instructor. If a student does not contact the instructor prior to the exam date or does not get approval to make-up the exam before the exam date, the student will earn a zero on the exam. Additionally, all make up assignments must be completed within seven (7) days of the absence/assignment due date (depending on which comes first). Confirmation emails will also be sent notifying the student of these conditions.

Zoom Practice Assignment, IP Perception Check, & IP Conflict Interaction: During this semester, you will be required to complete various assignments via Zoom to complete a discussion demonstrating a skill, or to present your final paper content. Students will have ample time to sign up for an appointment that is convenient with their schedule, or Dr. Lara will work closely with any student who has a legitimate conflict with established appointment times. Because of the nature of these assignments and the amount of time we have this semester, the following policies apply:

1. Individuals who fail to sign-up for an appointment by the stated deadlines on Blackboard will automatically receive a zero and will not be allowed to make-up the missed assignment unless documentation of an extenuating circumstance can be provided.
2. Individuals who fail to login for their online appointments will be allowed one (1) opportunity to reschedule one missed assignment during the semester (note: if missed for circumstances beyond their control (e.g., technical difficulties, unforeseen conflicts), other considerations may be given and would not count toward limit).
3. Once this opportunity has been used, any other missed assignment appointments will automatically be assigned a grade of zero (F).

Netiquette: This semester, you will be required to complete several discussion boards as well as other online assignments. Anything you type in the discussion area on Blackboard (Bb) is public – which means that every student in this class (including your instructor) will see what you write. Please pay attention to the language you use and adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Personal examples are always welcome in your responses to your classmates. However, the amount of detail and information will be left to your discretion. If there are concerns regarding your content expressed to your instructor, or she views posts that may be cause for concern, she will reach out to students on an individual basis. Given the nature of our course and the topics discussed, please be respectful to your classmates and do not share the content of the conversations in these assignments with others.
2. Do not use language that is inappropriate for a classroom setting or prejudicial in regard to gender, race, or ethnicity
3. Do not use all caps in the postings (it is considered shouting)
4. Be courteous and respectful to other people on the list
5. Do not overuse acronyms like you would use in text messaging. Some of the list participants may not be familiar with acronyms.
6. If the posting is going to be long, use line breaks and paragraphs
7. Fill in the Subject Line
8. Write your full name at the end of the posting
9. Be careful with sarcasm and subtle humor; one person’s joke is another person’s insult.

NOTE: If you do not adhere to the guidelines for posting, you will lose the points that would have been granted, and the instructor reserves the right to remove your posting and to deny you any further posting privileges. Loss of posting privileges could result in your failure in the class.

Social Media Policy: Your instructor maintains an account on Facebook and does not use other social media websites. I respect your privacy and will not send you a friend request on Facebook. I also respect that some students choose to connect through social media, and I will accept friend requests from people that I know to be my students. If that happens, I will regularly see the information you post there.  Your choice is a private one that will not impact your evaluation in the course. If you do elect to connect via Facebook, all messages concerning class business must be sent to my school email. Messages sent to me on Facebook will not be returned.