Introduction: 2%

Orientation Quiz: 2%

Interpersonal Communication:  14%

Evaluation of Empathetic Listening, submitted in Blackboard:  7%

Performance of Assertive Communication, live in class, with signup:  7%

Small Group and Team Communication:  16%

Team Zone game, live in class: 3%

Team Problem Solving with Dewey’s Reflective Thinking Process: “A Problem in America Today”:  13%

Team Topic Research Outline: Moving from Problem to Solutions (Steps 1, 2 & 3), submitted in Blackboard:   7%

Team Meeting: Brainstorming Solutions to Select the Best Solution (Steps 3 & 4), live in class:  6%

Presentational Speaking:  20%

Practice Informative Speech: “A Self-Introduction: Past, Present & Future,” live in class:  3%

Informative Speech: “A Favorite Place/Event”:  17%

      Topic Proposal + Introduction, submitted in Blackboard:  3%

      Full-Sentence Outline with Sources, submitted in Blackboard:  6%

      Extemporaneous Presentation, live in class, with signup:  8%

Discussion Board (4 x 2.5%):  10%

One initial post and responses to two peer posts, submitted in Blackboard:  2.5% each

Exams (2 x 10%; Two Attempts Each): 20%

Midterm Exam: Based on Unit 1: Fundamentals of Human Communication (Chapters 1-4); Unit 2: Communication Elements (Chapters 5-7); and Unit 3: Interpersonal Communication (Chapters 8 & 9), over five-day period in Blackboard Exams; 75 minutes:  10%

Final Exam: Based on Unit 4: Communication in Groups, Teams, and Organizations (Chapters 10 & 11) and Unit 5: Public Communication (Chapters 12-15), over five-day period in Blackboard Exams; 75 minutes:  10%

Adler, Ronald B. et al. Understanding Human Communication (15th ed.). New York: Oxford UP, 2024 (ISBN: 978-0197615638)

1. Foundations of Human Communication

1.1 Apply the techniques of communication competency in a variety of settings;

1.2 Develop skills in selecting and using a variety of communication strategies and responses based on situational contexts, goals, and human needs;

1.3 Integrate self-monitoring strategies to increase personal communication competence;

1.4 Analyze the role of perception in communication and employ various perception-checking methods to enhance competency;

1.5 Recognize the power of verbal and nonverbal messages and adapt messages effectively;

1.6 Evaluate listening habits and practice effective listening skills;

1.7 Identify the dimensions of cultural diversity and their influence on communication;

1.8 Examine the influence of using communication technologies on human interaction.

2. Interpersonal Communication

2.1 Identify, analyze, and apply effective interpersonal communication skills;

2.2 Recognize personal conflict style and demonstrate effective conflict management

3. Small Group Communication

3.1 Engage in and evaluate the dynamics of small-group communication;

4. Public Speaking

4.1 Develop, research, organize, and deliver an effective formal public speech

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 and 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 engage 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.

Participation & Discussion

• Keep up with readings for discussion, exercises, and exams
• Save individual and team questions for in-person and email office hours
• Do say what you mean and mean what you say
• Be ready for each class session

Reading and Discussion:

The success of this course depends upon your willingness to contribute to class discussion, to take assignments seriously and submit them on time, and to commit yourself to careful and thoughtful reading of assigned materials.  Since we will engage in discussions or exercises related to the assigned readings, the class requires that you come prepared and willing to share your thoughts, questions, and impressions.  To help you keep up with the readings, you will receive a course packet with each chapter in brief outline format, the details of which you may fill in on your own, in class for material covered or outside class for material not covered.  You are expected to keep current in the reading of the online textbook, even if assigned material is not directly covered in class. 

Humility and Civility: Speak Up!:

The proper functioning of any society depends upon a certain level of respect for self and others.  In the microcosm of society in the classroom, this respect is largely a middle ground between expressing yourself and listening and responding to others, providing honest, critical, well-tempered comments and expecting as much from your instructor and classmates.

A quick and easy guideline for class participation is to say what you mean (be clear about your point of view) and mean what you say (back up your point of view with clear, well-formed arguments), which address issues without attacking individuals, and so advancing productive discussion.  So that may use our in-class time wisely, please do not ask questions that have been answered already (sometimes several times over) or that are beneath the dignity of a college classroom.  Let’s keep on track.

Humility and Civility: Power Up & Down!:

Although respect cannot, of course, be regulated, the proper setting for it can be.  In light of the idea of mutual consideration, please make sure to turn off all electronic devices and place them completely out of sight in your bookbag before each class session.

Attendance & Tardiness

• Come to class and sit in the same seat each day, to match seating chart
• When you are sitting in your seating-chart seat determines your attendance:
• In seat on time to 5 minutes late: on time;
• In seat more than 5 and up to 15 minutes late: half-absence;
• In seat more than 15 minutes late: full absence
• Leaving seat up to 15 minutes late: half-absence
• Leaving seat more than 15 minutes late: full absence

• Keep up with number of absences, denoted in your schedule with a checkmark by each class session date:
  • 0 absences: +3 points EXTRA CREDIT to final grade!
  • 1-2 absences: +1.5 points EXTRA CREDIT to final grade
  • 3 absences: no change in points in final grade
  • 4 absences: -3 points from final grade
  • 5 absences: -6 points from final grade
  • 6 absences: WITHDRAWN from class (or “F” if after withdrawal period)

Attendance:

Attendance is crucial.  To participate in discussion fully and to do the assignments properly and professionally, you need to come to class every day and stay for the whole class period.  Class time should take first priority:  missing class because of other classes, jobs, or non-college-sponsored activities is not acceptable.  Warming your seat does not, of course, guarantee that you will warm your mind to new ways of thinking, but discussion in class is impossible unless you attend.

Therefore, if you have perfect attendance (that is, zero absences), you will receive 3 points extra credit!  If you have one to two absences, you will receive 1.5 points extra credit!

Please note that attendance will be determined only by the number of times you are present in the seat matching the seating schedule.

Please note also that attendance is determined by your daily setup without electronic devices.  That is, you opt for an absence recorded for any day that you do not turn off and put away, completely out of sight and keep out of sight, in a bookbag, any electronic device, including computers, tablets, phones, earbuds, headphones, etc. In some instances, electronic devices may come in handy for in-class research, in which case everyone will be asked to take out the appropriate device.  You may also take out a device in the case of short breaks, which will be announced.

For your convenience, a check symbol (√) is noted by each attendance day on the schedule; feel free to place your own check mark there each day as a way to keep up with your own attendance.  You may also check the “Absences” column in Blackboard, which will occasionally be updated with your total, as noted by “update” in the “Roll” section of the schedule.

During the drop period (up to Thursday, November 21, the last date to withdraw), you will be dropped from the class once you reach six absences; after the drop date, you will opt for an “F” if you reach six absences.

Life happens.  If you feel that issues—whether your own or someone else’s—such as illness, job schedules, or relationship problems, among other life events, keep you from keeping up with attendance and assignments, you might consider dropping the class or withdrawing from the college.  If you are uncertain about what to do about issues that extend beyond the purview of this class, please see your academic advisor, or I can refer you to the appropriate academic coach or counseling center.

Tardiness:

Punctuality is vital, too.  Arriving late to class or leaving early is not only rude to your instructor and to the other students in class, but also may cause you to miss some important information.  To be counted as “present,” you must be logged in to class within the first five minutes of class.  If you log in to the session after the first five minutes of class and up to 15 minutes late, you have opted to have half an absence (again, after 15 minutes, you have opted to be counted absent).  If you decide to leave early before the rest of us do within the last 15 minutes of class, you opt for a half absence, and if you leave more than 15 minutes early, you opt for a full absence.

For Questions:

• If you have a general question not related to your missing class, etc.:
  • Ask at the end of class
• If you have a question related specifically to you, such as from missing class:
  • First, check Syllabus with Schedule updated and posted in Blackboard or Blackboard Announcements, also sent as email;
  • Second, check “General Questions” forum in Discussion Board, or ask a question there for a quicker response from a classmate;
  • Third, contact a classmate (and they might contact you, too, should they miss class);
  • Fourth, if answer ≤ 3 minutes, send appropriate email, with polite procedure noted (impolite queries will not be answered).  Back-and-forth email conversations are unacceptable; instead, come to office hours.  Please note that emails are answered ONLY during Office Hours (that’s 4 hours a week!);
  • Fifth, if answer > 3 minutes, come to office hours (see hours and link on the first page)

When to Come to Office Hours:

If you are unclear on some points about chapters or assignments in class, or if you missed class altogether, please follow this procedure for the most efficient route for answers:

First, check the syllabus and schedule in Blackboard, especially as the schedule is occasionally updated.  Also, check Blackboard Announcements, which are also sent as emails, for updates and reminders.  If you still cannot find the answer to your question, check the “General Questions” forum of the Blackboard Discussion Board, where another student may have already asked the same question and another student or two may have answered it; if it’s not there, ask a question yourself for responses.  If no one replies, your professor will occasionally check the forum to provide an answer for everyone as well.  Alternatively, you might for the quickest response email a classmate (who might likewise email you when they miss class, etc.).

If the answer to your question will probably take up to three minutes to answer, email me and I will try to answer your concern during Office Hours; if it is likely to take more than three minutes to answer, come see me during office hours for a brief meeting in Zoom, where I can more fully answer any questions, go over a quiz or exam, etc.  Please don’t use email for extended question-and-answer discussions; after a response, if you still have a question, please come to Office Hours.

Please note that I will hold three Zoom office hours each week, hours (see first page of this syllabus for hours).  The college environment does not include individual review sessions in response to the question, “What did we do?”

When to Email:

If you do not get a response to an email message, please make sure that the information you seek is not already included in the syllabus, schedule, or assignments; in Blackboard announcements; or in the Discussion Board.

How to Email:

If you do opt to send an email message, please take this opportunity to practice more effective communication.  That is, to ensure a response from your professor, who is likely not to notice vaguely placed or stated messages (e.g., subject line when you click reply to a mass email announcement:  “Re: Exam 2” and vague, less-than-polite message:  “Send me that assignment we were talking about.”), please follow these guidelines:

1.   Create a new gmail message to kclark@austincc.edu instead of responding to a mass message sent to the class;

2.   Label your message with a clear, succinct subject line (e.g., “SPCH 1311, 3:00-4:20 pm, Question about Source”);

3.   Start with a clear, polite salutation (e.g., “Dear Dr. Clark,”);

4.   Follow with a clear, succinct statement of purpose, followed by a question (e.g., “I am writing to ask whether the source noted below is an appropriate and credible source for the upcoming Informative Speech Assignment.  Could you please take a look?  Thank you for your time.”), followed by clear information; and

5.   Close with your name noted clearly and politely (e.g., “Sincerely, Sarah Smith”).

Please note that I am unlikely to respond to your email if you do not follow this simple, polite procedure in creating a new email (not a response to one already sent out).

Also, remember that email is not intended for back-and-forth correspondence.  If you do not feel you have an adequate response, please come to Office Hours or Learning-Lab Hours instead.

This is just another part of being a competent communicator, for our class, for other classes, and in life itself!

Class Cancellation:

In the event the college or campus “closes” due to unforeseen circumstances (for example, the ACC server has shut down, or there is severe weather or continuing pandemic circumstances) or your professor has a last-minute emergency, you should check for Blackboard announcements and follow directions about completing any assignments or other activities.

For your convenience, a check symbol (√) is noted by each attendance day on the schedule; feel free to place your own check mark there each day as a way to keep up with your own attendance.  You may also check the “Absences” column in Blackboard, which will occasionally be updated with your total, as noted by “update” in the “Roll” section of the schedule.

Withdrawal Policy

During the drop period, you will be dropped from the class once you reach sixth absences; after the drop date, you will opt for an “F” as your final course grade if you reach six absences.

Life happens.  If you feel that issues—whether your own or someone else’s—such as illness, job schedules, or relationship problems, among other life events, keep you from keeping up with attendance and assignments, you might consider dropping the class or withdrawing from the college.  It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from the course by the official withdrawal date of November 16 if personal circumstances prevent attendance.

If you are uncertain about what to do about issues that extend beyond the purview of this class, please see your academic advisor, or I can refer you to the appropriate counseling center.

Students are responsible for understanding the impact that withdrawal from a course may have on their financial aid, veterans’ benefits, and international student status.  Per state law, students enrolling for the first time in Fall 2007 or later at any public Texas college or university may not withdraw (receive a “W”) from more than six courses during their undergraduate college education. Some exemptions for good cause could allow a student to withdraw from a course without having it count toward this limit. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with an advisor when making decisions about course selection, course loads, and course withdrawals.” Access the ACC Withdrawals webpage for more information.

Late/Missing/Makeup Work:

To give an endpoint to your creative process in completing assignments and taking exams and to encourage you to move on to the next task at hand, please note that no late assignments will be accepted.  Also note that quizzes and exams may be taken only online in Blackboard and only during the interval noted in the schedule.  So, once an assignment, quiz, or exam folder is closed in Blackboard, it is no longer available and will not be reopened.

Performances here in class as in the outside world require your presence, which means there are no makeup performances or presentations except in the case of an emergency room visit or a death in the immediate family.  As you have some options in selecting your presentation days for major assignments, make sure to select a day when you are not already occupied with other courses, work, or travel.  Again, the show must go on!

Incomplete Policy Statement

An instructor may award a grade of “I” (Incomplete) if a student was unable to complete all of the objectives for the passing grade in a course.  An incomplete grade cannot be carried beyond the established date in the following semester.  The completion date is determined by the instructor but may not be later than the final deadline for withdrawal in the subsequent semester.

Recommended standard: A student must have completed a minimum of 75% of the semester’s work and maintained a “C” average or higher for instructor to consider awarding an “incomplete.”

Course Evaluations

All course evaluations will be completed online.  Students may access the course evaluation when released by the college in the “Tools” section of their Bb course. Please provide feedback on positive experiences in the classroom and any constructive feedback that would improve the experience for future students.

Student Technology Support

Austin Community College provides free, secure drive-up WiFi to students and employees in the parking lots of all campus locations. WiFi can be accessed seven days a week, 7 am to 11 pm. Additional details are available at https://www.austincc.edu/sts.

Students who do not have the necessary technology to complete their ACC courses can request to borrow devices from Student Technology Services. Available devices include iPads, webcams, headsets, calculators, etc. Students must be registered for a credit course, Adult Education, or Continuing Education course to be eligible. For more information, including how to request a device, visit http://www.austincc.edu/sts.

Student Technology Services offers phone, live-chat, and email-based technical support for students and can provide support on topics such as password resets, accessing or using Blackboard, access to technology, etc. To view hours of operation and ways to request support, visit http://www.austincc.edu/sts.