COM 201, Introduction to Communication
Syllabus
Spring 2012

Course Overview

Required Text

• Pavlik, J.V., & McIntosh, S. (2011). Converging media: A new introduction to mass communication. (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
• Other readings and research will be assigned from online resources and handouts throughout the semester. 

Description

COM 201 is an overview of communication in local, organizational and global communities; media arts including digital cinema and multimedia; and information and communication technologies (ICTs). Some of the topics that we'll cover include the following:

• human uses of communication (entertainment, creative expression, advocacy, information, government, intercultural exchange, social networking, etc.);
• converging communication technologies (print, video, multimedia, social media, personal media devices, etc.);
• career options (video production, journalism, public relations, multimedia design, communication training, etc.);
• social science (historical perspectives, communication theory, media effects research, etc.);
• critical perspectives and cultural values; and
• communication ethics, law and policy.

Expectations for the COM Major

This course is the foundation course in the School of Communications. It is a pre-requisite for all other COM courses besides COM 310, COM 320 and COM 330, which can be taken concurrently. Successful completion of the course with a grade of B or better is one of the basic requirements for declaring a major in communication.

Earning a grade of B or above requires a commitment to:

• become an active and interactive participant in your own learning process on a continual basis;
• use information and communication technologies (ICTs) for Internet-based activities such as online research and completion of the online social media module;
• demonstrate your ability to communicate in writing at a level appropriate for entry to the major;
• read and comprehend academic texts; and
• complete the brief assessment survey at the end of the semester.

Assignments, Grading and Assessment

Student Learning Outcomes/Objectives

Success in this course means you will:

1. locate, read and understand relevant online resources
2. interpret personal experiences in terms of communication concepts
3. interpret local and global events in terms of communication concepts
4. analyze communication processes
5. critically evaluate communication processes, uses and effects*
6. identify different types of communication and media projects on which COM majors may focus*
7. explore your scholarly and career options in communications*

*Objectives listed in bold (#5, #6 and #7) are program-level, student-learning outcomes for the B.A. in COM that will be assessed at the introductory level in COM 201.

Your final grade will be based on exams, in-class participation, attendance, online participation and reading and writing assignments.

Grade Weighting

Exams (2 @ 35% each)
Primary objectives: 1, 3, 4
Two major exams will cover material from class lectures, class discussion, guest speakers and assigned readings. Exams may include true-false, multiple-choice, matching and short-answer questions. THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO MAKE-UP EXAMS without proper documentation for your absence, which must be provided before the absence if at all possible. A missed exam will count as a zero.

Critical response paper (5%)
Primary objectives: 4, 5
Students are expected to participate in class by reading the assigned materials before class and by thinking about the concepts suggested in the readings, by the professor, and by other speakers in class. The critical response paper requires that you discuss class concepts in writing, apply them to your own observations and experience, and take a position on an issue that is important to you. Being critical in this context does not mean merely complaining or simply being negative. Being critical does mean considering different sides of an issue.

The critical response paper is due by 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4. Papers should be no more than 500 words long. All writing should be carefully proofread, as grammatical and typographical errors will affect our perception of the seriousness of your efforts. Papers that are on time and in the proper format (Microsoft Word document uploaded as an attachment in Laulima in the "assignments" section) will be graded with the critical response paper rubric. Late or incorrectly formatted papers will be returned ungraded or for half-credit at the instructor's or GA's discretion.

Career-option paper (5%)
Primary objectives: 1, 6, 7
One of the main objectives of this course is to get you thinking about possible careers in communication (or ways to apply what you're learning in this class to your career, even if you do not plan to major in communication). For this paper, you will first find a job announcement in the fields of communication that you are interested in and copy and paste it into your assignment (or upload it as a second attachment). The job should be one that you could apply for within three years of your expected graduation date (a career job, not an internship). In your own words, describe the position and the employer. This may take research beyond reading the initial job ad. Then discuss the skills and knowledge required. Finally, cite specific key concepts from this class in discussing what you plan to learn as a COM major that would help you prepare for such a job.

Alternative for those not interested in majoring in COM: Find a job announcement you are interested in that includes some form of communication as a significant part of the job criteria, and copy/paste it into your assignment (or upload it as a second attachment). The job should be one that you could apply for within three years of your expected graduation date. In your own words, describe the position and the employer. This may take research beyond reading the initial job ad. Then discuss any communication skills and knowledge required. Finally, discuss what you can take from this course that will help you as an applicant for the job.

The career option paper is due by 1:30 p.m. on Monday, May 2. Papers should be no more than 500 words long, not including the job ad itself, and must include a copy of the original job announcement, either pasted into the Word document or uploaded as a second file. All writing should be carefully proofread, as grammatical and typographical errors will affect our perception of the seriousness of your efforts. Papers that are on time and in the proper format (Microsoft Word document uploaded as an attachment in Laulima in the "assignments" section) will be graded with the career option paper rubric. Late or incorrectly formatted papers will be returned ungraded or for half-credit at the instructor's or GA's discretion.

Online module (10%)
Primary objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Students are expected to complete one online module this semester the week before spring break (deadline: Wednesday, March 21, at 5 p.m.). The topic is social media. Details will be discussed in class and online.

Other participation and attendance (10%)
Primary objectives: 1, 2
You may earn up to, but not exceeding, 10 points toward your final grade by participating in certain activities by the given deadline. There is no extra credit, but you should be able to factor in an easy 10/10 (100%) participation score to your overall grade if you always attend class on time and prepared (i.e., you've read the assigned readings before class).

These activities may include oral presentations on current events, mini-quizzes on readings, and participation in research studies. By the end of the semester, many more than 10 points of credit will have been offered, so no single activity will be absolutely required. However, failure to attend class will result in a zero for any participation opportunities offered that day. Many opportunities for participation will be unannounced. The idea is to reward regular reading, promptness and participation with easy opportunities for credit. See the activity points page for point details.

Final grade requirements

A	B	C	D	F
90-100	80-89.9	70-79.9	60-69.9	59.9 and below

There will be absolutely no adjustment of grades on an individual basis (e.g., "I'm only one point away from a B, and I must get a B because I already plan to be a COM major.") Any requests for exceptions will be seen as an attempted breach of fairness to the rest of the class. There must be a cutoff somewhere for each grade, and given the requirement that students must earn at least a "B" in COM 201 to become COM majors, this cutoff point is especially important.

Seeking help
This course should provide a great learning experience for all of us. The success of the course depends largely on effective student-teacher interaction. Don't feel like you have to have a pressing problem to talk to Joanne or me. I'll be available during my office hours unless announced otherwise. Of course, I'm often in and available at times not posted as office hours. Generally, I'll leave my office door open if I'm available. If my door is closed, that either means I'm out or that I'm in but working on deadline or getting ready for class. In any case, we can set an appointment if that works better.

Special accommodations
Students requiring special accommodations must notify me and present appropriate supporting documentation by the end of the second week of class.

Academic honesty
Academic dishonesty of any sort will not be tolerated. I take cheating issues very seriously, and I've had some unpleasant experiences dealing with cases of cheating in COM 201. Please see me if you have any questions about academic honesty, and I'll be happy to discuss such issues in advance of you taking an exam or submitting your work.

Preliminary Class Timeline 
Please make a careful note of the exam dates. Make sure that you do not have any scheduling conflicts. The exam dates are very unlikely to change. Other topics and readings are subject to change, especially to accommodate current events and guest speaker schedules. Additional readings, speakers and activities may be added as we go.

Class Days	General Topics	Required Reading	Assignments Due & Scheduling Notes
Jan 9 & 11	Convergence Theories of communication	Chapter 1	Read syllabus and first chapter by Wednesday, 1/11
Jan 18	Media literacy Ethics	Chapter 2
Jan 23 & 25	Ubiquitous media	Chapter 3	Announcements on COM major
Jan 30 & Feb 1	Print media Journalism/news industry	Chapter 4	Professor Kevin Kawamoto on Wednesday, 2/1
Feb 6 & 8	Visual media Film, TV, digital	Chapter 6
Feb 13 & 15	Information (overload) Usability Interactive media	Chapter 7	Alexander Bergo on Wednesday, 2/15
Feb 22	Networks Distribution of digital content	Chapter 8	Professor Jenifer Winter on Wednesday, 2/22
Feb 27 & 29	Review Exam		MIDTERM EXAM, Wednesday, 2/29
March 5 & 7	Challenges of intercultural communication Organizational communication	Skills for successful international assignments to, from, and within Asia and the Pacific. (available on Laulima)	Professor Gary Fontaine on Wednesday, 3/7
March 12 & 14	Strategic communication Public relations	Chapter 12	Introduce social media module in class on Wednesday, 3/14
March 19 & 21 Course is entirely online this week.	Social media Arthur Page's principles of communication management	Chapter 9 Essay on Page Principles	Complete online module and quiz by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, 3/21
Spring Break
April 2 & 4	Entertainment	Chapter 11	Professor Deidre Pike on Wednesday, 4/4 Critical response paper due at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 4/4
April 9 & 11	Communication research Media theory	Chapter 13
April 16 & 18	Communication law and regulation	Chapter 14
April 23 & 25	International communication Information access Political communication	Chapter 15	Professor Wayne Buente on Wednesday, 4/25
April 30 & May 2	Wrap-up & review	Reading TBA	Career-option paper due by 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 5/2 Complete assessment survey by 5 p.m. on Thursday, 5/3
Monday, May 7 2:15 p.m.	Final Exam		FINAL EXAM Monday, 5/7, 2:15 p.m.