Syllabus for CMST 1061–Fundamentals of Communication
Spring 2017

Instructor: Dr. Joni M. Butcher
e-mail: jbutche@lsu.edu
Office: 131 Coates Hall; Phone: 578-6837 
Office Hours: MWF 8:30-9:15; M & F: 11:30-12:15; or by appointment

TA (1061-6): Tegan Lane
e-mail: tlane7@lsu.edu 
Office:	327 Coates
Office Hours: Th 12:30-2:30

Required Texts:
Butcher, Joni.  The 5 Pathways of Communication. 2nd ed. Kendall Hunt, 2016.

Considering a Major or Minor in Communication Studies?
A degree in communication studies will provide you with practical skills that are useful for a wide range of career choices. We do not narrowly train students for one specific job, instead we help students develop creative and critical ways to organize, build relationships, and solve a variety of communication problems. Business leaders and other professionals recognize the importance of developing communication skills and many times a degree in communication studies will give you an edge over other job applicants in fields such as business, government, social and public services, sales, marketing, and the arts.  

A major in Communication Studies requires 36 hours including 12 hours of core classes and 12 hours at the 3000 or 4000 level.  A minor requires 15 hours with one core class and 6 hours at the 3000 level or above. More information is available at www.lsu.edu/cmst

Important Note on the Syllabus:
This document contains all of your assignments and due dates along with all the rules and regulations for this class.  I will go over the syllabus with you on the first day of class, but it is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with its content.  Most everything you need to know about the class is included here.  Please consult this syllabus for assignment guidelines, late penalties, and makeup assignments BEFORE e-mailing me with questions.  If your question is not answered in the document below (or on the additional Moodle postings) please feel free to ask for clarification.  

General Education Statement:
CMST 1061 is a General Education Humanities Course designed to familiarize the students with the fundamental concepts of communication.  As a General Education Humanities Course, CMST 1061 will enable students to demonstrate an understanding of historical, cultural, and philosophical complexity that supports sophisticated discourse.

In this course, we will explore how we, as human beings, create socially significant messages which help us shape our identity, persuade others to take action, and shed light on the value systems of our culture.  We will learn how individuals create and use messages to generate common meaning with others, to facilitate cooperative action, to perform social and cultural roles, and to reinforce or alter prevailing attitudes in our society.

The Americans with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act of 1973:
If you have a disability that may have some impact on your work in this class and for which you may require accommodations, please see a Coordinator in the Office of Disability Affairs (112 Johnston Hall) so that such accommodations may be arranged.  After you receive your accommodation letter, please meet with me at some time during the first two weeks of class to discuss the provisions of those accommodations.

Course Description:
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the Fundamentals of Communication. During the semester, we will concentrate on five fundamental areas of communication:

Small Group (Professional) Communication
Employers consistently expect quality communication skills in employees.  In this section we will examine the role communication plays in work-related settings.  We will discuss theories and techniques to help excel in working with others in order to achieve a common goal.

Public Discourse
Public discourse is central to the practice of citizenship.  In this section we will explore how persuasive messages are constructed, presented to, and received by public audiences.  We will examine such areas as political discourse, social issue posters, and persuasive advertisements.

Communication in Human Relationships
All human relationships are built through communication.  In this section we will examine theories and techniques that help us understand and enable effective relationships with others.  We will discuss areas such as managing conversations, apologizing, dealing with conflict, and compliance-gaining.

Visual and Media Communication
In our post-literate electronic world, humans increasingly communicate via still and moving images and image technologies.  In this section we will explore practical approaches to communication in visual culture, film, and mediated arts. 

Art and Culture
Humans communicate culture by everyday behaviors.  In this section we will discover how we achieve unique identities through everyday behaviors, values, and norms.  We will explore such areas as cultural storytelling, parody, and community-building rituals and festivals. 

***Please Note that these areas are not necessarily mutually exclusive.  Some communication concepts can fit into two or more of these categories.

Also, many topics exist under each area.  There is simply not enough time to cover every aspect of every area.

Course Goals:
This course should help you read, write, think, and communicate critically.  The goal is NOT simply to memorize terminology.  You should certainly learn and understand the key concepts, but you should also know how to USE the concepts and relate the concepts to other subjects and other areas of life such as your personal life (know how to interpret and understand acts of communication), your social life (use the concepts to help you relate to others), and your professional life (help you communicate more effectively in the workplace).
 
E-Mail:
If you e-mail me with a question about an assignment or any other question concerning the class, please allow at least 24 hours for a reply.  If you e-mail me the night before an assignment is due, there is no guarantee I will read and respond to your e-mail before class time.  There is also no guarantee that I will check my e-mail over the weekend.  If you have an assignment due on Monday, please do not wait until Saturday or Sunday to e-mail me with questions.

Moodle and Questions about Grades:
Please check Moodle on a daily basis for announcements and assignments.  Remember, your syllabus, additional lecture notes, and other information will be posted here.  It is your responsibility to access this information.  Also, please keep a check on your posted grades throughout the semester and let me know immediately if there has been an error in grading.  You MUST notify me of a grading error within 2 weeks of the grade being posted to Moodle.  Otherwise, the grade in question will remain as it appears. I will not go back and try to locate an assignment from 2 months earlier.  

If you have a question about a grade you received on a particular assignment, please wait until AFTER you have received and read your written comments from either the instructor or the TA.

Do not wait more than 1 week of receiving the grade if you wish to discuss it. If you wait several weeks it is unlikely we will clearly remember the details of the comments we made.

Course Assignments and Point Values

Exams (400 points)
Exam 1 = 100 points (Ch. 1 & 2) + bonus points from Communication Challenge #1
Exam 2 = 100 points (Ch. 3 & 4) + bonus points from Communication Challenge #2 & #3
Exam 3 = 100 points (Ch. 5 & 6) + bonus points from Communication Challenge #4 & #5
Exam 4 = 100 points (Cumulative Final) + optional 5 bonus points for Learning Exercise

Communication Challenges (Bonus points)
5 Challenges – 1 for each Pathway of Communication

Group Participation (50 points)
5 points for each of the 10 Communication Challenge workshop days

18 Workbook Exercises (270 points)
3 Exercises per Chapter @ 15 points each

Group Project Presentation (135 points)

Group Project Participation Scoresheets (15 points)

Group Project Participation (35 points)
This score will be assigned by your group members

Attendance for Project Presentation Days (15 points)
5 points for each project presentation day you attend (other than your own presentation day)

Final Communication Paper (50 points)

Research Participation Requirement (30 points)

Total Points for Class = 1000 points

Course Grading Scale:

A+ = 1000-970
A  = 969-930
A - = 929-900
B+ = 899-870
B  = 869-830
B - = 829-800
C+ = 799-770
C  = 769-730
C - = 729-700
D+ = 699-670
D  = 669-630
D - = 629-600
F   = 599-000

Please be aware that you have a total of 1000 points to be earned this semester. Your class grade is based on completing the assignments given on the syllabus. Extra credit work will not be assigned to raise a grade.

Since the +/- system already splits fine hairs between letter grades, I do not round up any scores.

How to Determine Your Current Class Grade:
If you want to know your grade in the class at any given time, add up all of the points you have on Moodle and divide by the number of points possible at that time.  DO NOT rely on Moodle’s average and NEVER look at Moodle’s PROJECTED GRADE.  IT WILL NOT BE ACCURATE.

Group Assignments:
You will be assigned to a 4-6 member team.  You will work with this team throughout the semester completing 5 Communication Challenges and a final project report. 

Communication Challenges:
There will be 5 Communication Challenges given during the semester (one for each of the 5 pathways of communication).  For each Communication Challenge, groups will be required to create and present a specific type of message. These challenges are designed to help you hone your skills in the various areas of communication. The instructor and TA will discuss and critique each presentation and decide which groups presented the most effective messages.  The top 5 groups will receive bonus points to be applied to the appropriate exam. The group coming in 1st place will receive 5 bonus points, the group coming in 2nd will receive 4 bonus points, and so on. Please note that these projects must be completed in a limited amount of time (hence the term, “challenge”), so good team-working skills are essential.

Workbook Exercises:
You will need to complete a total of 3 exercises for each chapter of the text. For each chapter, one specific exercise will be REQUIRED while the remaining two choices are up to you. The required exercises and due dates are listed on your calendar of assignments. Each exercise is worth a total of 15 points and are graded according to how thoroughly and accurately you answer the questions. Your answers may be typed or NEATLY hand-written. If you choose to type your answers, please tear out the corresponding exercise from your textbook and attach it to your paper. Some exercises will require additional attachments. Please read all the instructions carefully.

Workbook Exercise Due Dates:
Exercises are due at class time on the specified day.  If an assignment is due on Monday, the assignment must be ready by class time.  It does not mean you can turn in the assignment on Monday at 11:59pm or e-mail me the assignment after class. Assignments turned in in this manner will be counted as late.

I will NOT accept these exercises via e-mail. If you will be traveling with a sports team or other university sponsored event, please make arrangements to turn in your assignment BEFORE you leave.

Late exercises will be penalized 5 points for each late class period.  After 3 late class periods, the exercises will receive a score of ‘0.’

Group Project Presentation:
The goal of the group project is to allow your group to experience the concepts and theories of communication in a “real world” setting (i.e. outside of the classroom). Thus, your group will choose one event from a list of options that will allow the group to participate in one of the 5 pathways of communication. Your group will need to coordinate your attendance and participation in your chosen option. These events will take place at various times throughout the semester. Some can be done at any time while others have limited runs. Some events are free of charge while others require an entrance fee. Your group will need to decide on an event (or a reasonable and equitable alternative approved by me in advance) early on and begin preparation for attending. This will not be as easy to coordinate as you might think. If you need help or assistance, please feel free to ask me or the TA for guidance. 

Your group will need to document participation in the event with video and photos which will be used in your final presentation.

At the end of the semester, each group will deliver a report to the class, explaining what you did and what you learned from the experience. More specific details about the event options and report requirements will be posted for you on Moodle.

Group Project Participation:
Your group members will evaluate and score your participation in the group project. You will be evaluated in several areas including your actual participation in the event, the planning of the event, and the preparation of the group presentation. All scores will be calculated and you will receive an average of the scores from your other group members. I am the only one who will see the actual scores, so please evaluate each group member accurately and fairly. Please note that your lack of participation may adversely impact your group participation score.

Group Participation scoresheets can be found on Moodle and will be due on the day your group presents. You will be required to evaluate each member of your group (excluding yourself).

Final Communication Paper:
The final communication paper should be typed, double-spaced, and 2-3 pages in length. Specific instructions for the paper will be posted to Moodle later in the semester.

Exams:
There will be a total of 4 exams this semester. Exam #1 will cover Ch. 1 and Ch. 2. Exam #2 will cover Ch. 3 and Ch. 4. Exam #3 will cover Ch. 5 and Ch. 6. Exam #4 is your final exam and will cover the entire semester (cumulative). Each exam is worth 100 points and will be composed of True/False and Multiple Choice questions.

If you miss an exam, you must provide valid written documentation of a university excused absence in order to make up the missed exam.  (See PS-22) Otherwise, a grade of ‘0' will be assigned for that exam. If you are traveling with a sports team or other university sponsored event, please make arrangements to take the exam BEFORE you leave.

 
Attendance and Participation Points:
If you are not in class, you are not participating. This can adversely impact your group and your learning. Missing class lecture and video examples can hinder your understanding of the material and may result in lower scores on your exams. 

You will receive participation points for each of the 10 communication challenge workshop days this semester. If you will not be in class on a workshop day, you MUST contact your group members to let them know of your absence and to complete any work that is assigned to you by your group in order to receive your participation points. Your group members who are present in class must sign and turn in a paper verifying that you are helping out in order for you to receive your participation points for that day. It is the responsibility of you and your group members to inform me of your participation points. If I do not receive documentation from your group members before the end of class, you will not receive points for that day’s workshop. NO EXCEPTIONS.

You will also receive 5 attendance points for each final project presentation day that you attend (with the exception of your own presentation day). Missed attendance points for these days cannot be made up. You have to be physically present for the presentation in order to receive these points.

***Note that the day before and the day after a scheduled university holiday are REGULAR CLASS DAYS.  Classes will be held and assignments will be due.  Please make travel plans with this in mind.  Vacations are NOT university excused absences.

Research Participation Requirement:
CMST 1061 requires a research participation element. 

Full instructions appear on the next page!!! 

Do not e-mail me at the end of the semester and say you have no idea what this is and that I never mentioned it in class.

Research Participation Requirement:
The material you will learn in this course is the product of research.  The goal of the research participation requirement for the Department of Communication Studies is to help you gain knowledge about the process by which scholars attempt to understand human behavior.  All students taking CMST 1061, 2010, 1150, and 2060 must complete a research participation requirement.  For each course in which you are enrolled, you must complete 2 research credits.  You can fulfill your requirement by:

1. 	Participating in research studies conducted in the Department of Communication Studies. All studies that last between 0 and 30 minutes will count as one credit.  Any study that lasts between 31 and 60 minutes will count as two credits.  Study descriptions will specify the number of credits a student can earn for completion.  There will be several survey and experimental studies conducted throughout the semester.  These studies are held on campus at various times and in various locations or are administered online.  All available studies are approved by the Institutional Review Board at LSU.

2.	Participating in an organized departmental function such as debate.  Only departmental sanctioned events will count toward a student’s research participation requirement.

3.	Serving as a research assistant for a faculty member in the Department of Communication Studies.  The number of credits and requirements for those credits differ by faculty.

The research participation requirement is worth 3% (30 points) of your total grade.  You will receive your 3% (30 points) if you accumulate 2 research credits during the given semester.  Please note that all research participation credits must be completed and allocated by Tuesday of dead week.

ALL available options to earn credit are posted on an electronic bulletin board located at http://lsuhumanresearch.sona-systems.com/. When you go to this website, you will first have to request an account.  Students must request a new account every semester regardless of whether you have requested an account in a previous semester.  Once you have secured an account for this semester, you will be able to log in and see the options available to you for your various CMST courses.  The Psychology Department also uses this site for its research requirement.  You cannot complete Psychology research for your CMST research participation requirement.

Please note that various ways to fulfill your research participation requirement will appear on this site throughout the semester.  You are encouraged to check the system on a regular basis for current credit options that fit your interests as well as your schedule.

Detailed instructions on how to request an account and to navigate the system once logged in can be found on the homepage of the Department of Communication Studies.  Go to http://app1003.lsu.edu/artsci/cmstweb.nsf/index.  Then click on RESEARCH and STUDIES.  Scroll down to find the document titled “RPS - Instructions for Students.”

You are encouraged to create an account during the first week of classes so that any problems that arise can be remedied early.  If you have questions about this requirement or the online system that keeps track of credits, please email researchadmin@lsu.edu. 

***Research Participation Requirements must be completed by the last Tuesday of the semester.

Calendar of Assignments
 
DATE	READING (TO BE READ BY CLASS TIME)	CLASS LECTURE	DUE	
W 1/11		Syllabus		
F 1/13	Ch. 1: What is Communication?  (p. 1-6)	What is Communication?	Exercise #1: Communication Skills (p.7)	
				
M 1/16		No Class: MLK Day		
W 1/18	Ch. 2: Professional Communication in Small Groups (p. 17-26)	Professional Communication in Small Groups	Remaining 2 Exercises of your choice from Ch. 1	
F 1/20		Cont.	Exercise #5: Discovering Your Work-Related Communication Style (p. 35-36)	
				
M 1/23		Cont.		
W 1/25		Cont.; Group Worksheet		
F 1/27		Evaluation of past projects.; Communication Challenge #1 Workshop	Remaining 2 Exercises of your choice from Ch. 2 [You may replace Exercise #3 from your text (Group Leadership Styles, p. 31) with the Managerial Grid and Leadership Style Questionnaire on Moodle]	

M 1/30		Communication Challenge #1 Workshop		
W 2/1		Communication Challenge #1		
F 2/3		EXAM #1		
				
M 2/6	Ch. 3: Public Discourse (p. 37-51)	Public Discourse		
W 2/8		Cont.		
F 2/10		Cont.		
				
M 2/13		Evaluation of past projects; Communication Challenge #2 Workshop		
W 2/15		Communication Challenge #2 Workshop	Exercise #1: Article Analysis (p. 53) and any 2 additional Exercises of your choice 	
F 2/17		Communication Challenge #2		
				
M 2/20	Ch. 4: Communication in Human Relationships (p. 69-84)	Communication in Human Relationships		
W 2/22		Cont.		
F 2/24		Cont.		
M 2/27		No Class: Mardi Gras		
W 3/1		No Class: Mardi Gras		
F 3/3		Evaluation of past projects; Communication Challenge #3 Workshop		

 
M 3/6		Communication Challenge #3 Workshop	Your choice of Exercise #4: Confirming and Disconfirming Messages (p. 91-93), Exercise #7: Compliance-Gaining (p. 99-104) or Exercise #8: Conflict (p. 105-109) and any 2 additional Exercises of your choice	
W 3/8		Communication Challenge #3		
F 3/10		Exam #2		
				
M 3/13	Ch. 4: Visual and Mediated Communication (p. 111-130)	Visual and Mediated Communication		
W 3/15		Cont.		
F 3/17		Evaluation of past projects; Communication Challenge #4 Workshop		
				
M 3/20		Communication Challenge #4 Workshop	Exercise #2: Visual Techniques (p. 133) and any 2 additional Exercises of your choice	
W 3/22		Communication Challenge #4		
F 3/24	Ch. 5: Art and Culture (p. 141-152)	Art and Culture		
				
M 3/27		Cont.		
W 3/29		Cont.		

F 3/31		Evaluation of past projects: Communication Challenge #5 Workshop	Exercise #2: The Social Front (p. 155-157) and any 2 additional Exercises of your choice	
M 4/3		Communication Challenge #5 Workshop		
W 4/5		Communication Challenge #5		
F 4/7		Exam #3		
				
M 4/10		No Class: Spring Break		
W 4/12		No Class: Spring Break		
F 4/14		No Class: Spring Break		
				
M 4/17		TBA		
W 4/19		Project Presentations	All Final Communication Papers Due	
F 4/21		Project Presentations		
				
M 4/24		Project Presentations	RPR Deadline on Tuesday	
W 4/26		Project Presentations		
F 4/28		Review		

Final Exam:
1061-3 (9:30-10:20): Monday, May 1: 10:00 am-12:00 noon
1061-5 (12:30-1:20): Tuesday, May 2: 12:30-2:30 pm