CLINTON
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK
Course:
Com. 100, Communication and Life Skills
Fall
2009 Contact hours: 3
Credit hours: 3
Instructor:
R. Reese
Office:
Room 512 Office hours: M
___ T ___ W ___ Th ___F ___
Telephone:
562-4151 ext.851 E-mail: Randy.Reese@clinton.edu
REQUIRED
TEXTS
Articles from
magazines will be assigned as needed.
COURSE
DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to help students develop a fuller
understanding of themselves and their interactions with other people.
As an entry-level hybrid course, it may include many of the basic areas
of the field of communication such as intrapersonal (communicating with self),
verbal and nonverbal, intercultural, listening, interpersonal (dyadic or
one-on-one), small group, leadership, public speaking, and
organizational/business communication. In
short, this course will provide an introduction to communication skills that
should help students to become more effective and at ease in academic, social,
work, and family situations.
Students
will:
1.
Define
interpersonal communication and explain how it works.
2.
Identify
the major reasons for engaging in interpersonal communication.
3.
Define
self-concept and explain how it develops.
4.
Explain
what perception is and how it works.
5.
Identify
specific strategies for increasing accuracy in interpersonal perception.
6.
Define
active listening, its functions, and its techniques.
7.
Define
and explain the major characteristics of nonverbal communication.
8.
Describe
guidelines for effectively communicating and responding to emotions.
9.
Define
interpersonal conflict and distinguish between content and relationship
conflicts.
COURSE
METHODS
This course will be taught through a combination of
lectures, discussions, in-class exercises, cooperative activities, and short
writings. Class participation is
important to success in this course.
GRADING
Assessment will be based on homework, class
participation, quizzes and short writings, and tests.
Homework – 20 percent
Quizzes and short writings- 20
Tests - 50
Class
participation - 10 percent
To equate letter grades with percentage points, you may
use the following as a guide:
A = 95-100
A- = 92
B+ = 88
B = 85
B- = 82
C+ = 78
C = 75
C- = 72
D+ = 68
D = 65
D- = 62
F = no credit
ATTENDANCE
POLICY
Attendance is required by the college and is vital to the
successful completion of this course. College
policy states that a student who is absent for more than 15% of class meetings
is considered non–attending and may be involuntarily withdrawn from the
course. Because class participation
is important and new material may be presented each session, you must attend
every class. Excess absence (more
than three classes) may result in a lowered grade (a full letter grade) or
automatic withdrawal from the class. If
you must be out for more than three classes, you should conference with me about
your progress in the course.
GRACE
PERIOD
We all sometimes have difficulty keeping up with our
work. A limited number of
assignments may be accepted up to one week after the due dates if you conference
with me about your situation.
An assignment will be considered late unless you:
-Send the assignment with someone else in the class.
-Deliver the work to me in person prior to the class.
-Put the work under my office door prior to class.
-Receive permission to e-mail the work to me prior to class.
MAKE-UP
WORK
If you must be absent on the day of a quiz or an in-class
writing, you must make arrangements with me to do the make-up work.
Quizzes, tests, and graded homework should be made up within one week of
the original due date. Responsibility for your progress and achievement is
something we share.
INDIVIDUAL
ASSISTANCE
If you would like individual help outside
of class, speak to me after
class so that arrangements can be made. If
you have, or suspect you have, any type of disability or learning problem that
may require extra assistance or special accommodations, please see me after
class or during my office hours as soon as possible, so I can help you obtain
any assistance you may need to successfully complete this course.
We will try to make any arrangements that may be required so that we can
both achieve our goals in this course.
DIVERSITY
The college community includes people with diverse
patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving due to cultural differences. These
differences will be valued and respected in all classes.
COURSE CONTINUITY PLAN
In the case that the college officially closes because of an
emergency which causes a short term disruption of this course, we will utilize
email to continue this course in the short term (1-3 weeks). All students
need to utilize their campus email to receive course-related information.
The
primary responsibility for managing the classroom environment rests with the
faculty. Students who engage in any prohibited or unlawful acts that result in
the disruption of a class may be directed by the faculty member to leave the
class for the remainder of the class period.
This may count as an absence for the day.
For example, cell phones should be turned off and out of sight before a
class begins. If you are
multitasking, you are not giving your full attention to the class, the
instructor, and your classmates. Students should not talk while the professor is
talking or while a student is offering a response during a class discussion.
Students should not move around the room or leave the room during the
class period unless it is absolutely necessary.
Please take care of your personal needs prior to class.
Actions that distract other students or your instructor interfere with
the education of your classmates.
In
general,
-stay involved in what is going on during class,
-don’t interfere with your classmates’ right to pay attention
and learn,
-and don’t interfere with the instructor’s right to teach.
ACADEMIC
HONESTY
It is not academically honest to misrepresent another's
work as your own; to take credit for someone else's words or ideas; to accept
help on a quiz, test, or assignment when you are expected to work independently;
to obtain advance information on confidential test or quiz materials; or to act
in a way that might harm another student’s chance for academic success.
A student who does not maintain academic honesty will receive a failing
grade, either for the assignment or for the course, depending on the severity of
the offense. For a second offense, a
student may be dismissed from the College.
COURSE
OUTLINE
This is the tentative order of topics to be covered in
this course.
Introduction to communication
Self-concept and self-disclosure
Perception
Listening as an active process
Verbal communication
Nonverbal communication
Communication and the emotions
Communication and relationships
Conflict and communication
Articles pertaining to these topics and available on
databases provided by the College will be assigned as appropriate.