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COMST 214 (Section W5): PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION Communication Studies Program

Winter 2020 Course Syllabus I N S T R U C T O R I N F O R M A T I O N Name: Dr. Kelly Odenweller E-mail: kellyo@iastate.edu (best way to reach me) Phone: 515-294-9744 Office: 372 Carver Hall C O M M U N I C A T I O N S T U D I E S P R O G R A M The Communication Studies program is the primary academic unit at ISU that advances the understanding of human communication with a particular focus on interpersonal, small group, organizational, and intercultural students how to think critically and develop and implement evidence-based research strategies to address complex communication issues. We provide students with opportunities to apply their learning through serving the community and collaborating with faculty to produce new knowledge. In keeping with the focus of the program, faculty conduct nationally recognized research to advance the understanding of human communication. Faculty communication expertise is shared both in the classroom and through training and consultation with university and community organizations. For more information about the Communication Studies program at ISU please visit: https://comst.las.iastate.edu/. C O U R S E P U R P O S E a n d O B J E C T I V E S The purpose of this course is to develop your knowledge of communication theory and competence in organizational settings, with a particular emphasis on interpersonal skill development, team and meeting facilitation, informational interviewing, and team presentations and self-assessment. The specific learning objectives of this course include:

• Understand of the role of communication in professional contexts. • Increase competence in the development and maintenance of professional relationships, including

listening, networking, and conflict management. • Increase understanding and appreciation of cultural differences. • Increase competence in working as a group or team. • Increase competence when interviewing, both as an interviewee and and as an interviewer. • Develop professional presentations as an individual and a group. • Conduct self-assessments of one’s professional communication skills and suggest ways to improve

C O U R S E S T R U C T U R E This course will run from Monday, December 14 – Thursday, January 21, 2020. You are not expected to participate in the course on the following university holidays: December 24, December 25, January 1, and January 18. This is an exclusively online course. All of your course content is posted in Canvas. You can move through this course at your own pace, but all material for the week will become available at midnight on Mondays and all assignments will be due by 11:59 p.m. on Sundays. You should log into the course in Canvas on a regular basis, if not every day. Once in Canvas, you will spend most of your time on the Modules page, viewing the learning objectives, reading the textbook chapters assigned for the week, listening to the recorded lectures, and reviewing the PowerPoint slides. Once you have explored all of the provided material, you will complete the assigned quizzes and activities that appear in each week's module.

COMST 214 (W5) Winter 2020 – Odenweller 2 R E Q U I R E D C O U R S E M A T E R I A L S Students enrolled in this course are required to purchase the following textbook and have an electronic device/reliable Internet connection in order to access the course in Canvas. It’s extremely important that you stay on top of your readings. Lectures will not merely repeat all of the text material. I will expand upon and clarify the some of the textbook material while also presenting new information. This material will be best understood if the textbook has already been read and processed. If you want to keep yourself on track and avoid confusion, you must have the material read ahead of our class meetings. Additionally, the quizzes will assess your knowledge of the book as well as class notes and discussions. T e x t b o o k Adler, R. B., Maresh-Fuehrer, M., Elmhorst, J. M., & Lucas, K. (2019). Communicating at work: Strategies for success in business and the professions (12th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. This textbook is available through Canvas on the RedShelf Course Materials tab. Your UBill will be charged for the eBook in the second week of class. You can choose to purchase an additional hard copy of the textbook at the ISU Bookstore. C a n v a s If you are enrolled in this course, you have access to the course on Canvas (and should also consider downloading the Canvas app). ALL of the course material will be available through this site. These materials include the course syllabus, textbook, study materials, assignments, research articles, exams, and grades. Additionally, I will use Canvas to remind you about exams, update you on changes to the syllabus or course schedule, and notify you about other pertinent class logistics or cancellations. In the event of a class meeting cancellation, I will notify you at least one hour before class starts via a Canvas announcement. It is your responsibility to check Canvas and your email daily to stay abreast of course happenings. Failure to do so could result in a missed assignment and/or inconveniencing yourself. In order to make sure you do not miss any announcements, you can change your personal Canvas settings to have announcements sent to your ISU email address. To do this, click “Settings” at the top of the course page in Canvas, then click the “Notifications” tab on the left side of the screen, and change the settings so that announcements will be sent to your ISU email address. E X P E C T A T I O N S Due to the online nature of this course, you MUST be willing to do the following:

• Have basic computer, Word processing, and Internet skills. If you are not already familiar with Canvas, you should familiarize yourself during the first week of classes. If you need assistance as you acclimate yourself, please visit: celt.iastate.edu/canvas-isu/

• Have access to a stable internet connection AT ALL TIMES (i.e., when engaged in course content, completing activities, submitting assignments, and completing exams). Because you know well in advance when assignments are due, I will not accept excuses for late assignments related to poor internet connection. Thus, if your place of residence does not offer a strong, reliable Internet signal, you should plan to complete your assignments somewhere else (e.g., the library, coffee shop).

• Regularly check Canvas for announcements, to download new material, submit writing assignments, and complete quizzes. I will post a weekly announcement every Monday that reminds you about the upcoming assignments and provide the information you need to complete those assignments. It is your responsibility to check-in and download the resources you need in a timely manner. That also ensures that you have time to ask me questions well in advance to the deadlines so I can be the most helpful to you.

COMST 214 (W5) Winter 2020 – Odenweller 3

• Contact ITS (515-294-4000) with technical problems related to the course or your student account, your Internet provider for technical problems related to your Internet connection, and your computer manufacturer for technical problems related to your computer. Contact me with technical problems only when they are prolonged for more than 48 hours and prevent you from participating in/meeting deadlines for the class.

• Communicate with me via e-mail (kellyo@iastate.edu) whenever you have questions, comments, or concerns related to the course. I typically check emails multiple times throughout the day. However, because I must be away from my computer some days due to meetings and other teaching responsibilities, please allow 12-24 hours for a response (especially on the weekends). I will notify the class if I will be away from the office/computer for an extended period of time.

• Budget adequate time to read the course readings/lectures and complete all assignment by their due dates. Although face-to-face courses also require good time management skills and self-motivation, online courses are unique in that they expect you to take on the responsibility of staying up to date with all lessons and assignments. Based on traditional credit hour/study time ratios, you should expect to spend approximately 20 hours per week on this course.

• Hold me accountable to my seven day turn-around on graded discussions, exams, and written assignments. Just as I expect you to adhere to the policies outlined herein, you have a right to expect timely feedback. If you ever feel as if you are not getting prompt and useful feedback on your assignments, please let me know.

• Wait 24 hours (but no more than 5 days) to contact me regarding your dissatisfaction with a grade you received. Feel free to speak with me any time about ways to improve your performance in the course. I strongly suggest you do not wait until the end of the semester to discuss strategies for improvement.

• Critically reflect on, expand on, and apply the course concepts/theories while reading and completing weekly activities. In order to get the most of this experience, you must be willing to thoroughly digest the material, apply it to your own personal/professional experiences, and think about ways the material to could be used in new or different ways. This course will not be much fun (nor will you receive a high grade) if you simply coast through, skim the readings, and write a couple lines for the weekly discussions.

• Extend the utmost respect toward me and your classmates. It is ok to disagree with/have differing views from the textbook authors, me, or your classmates. In fact, these divergent opinions spark incredibly fascinating discussions and help everyone obtain a deeper understanding of the content. Of course, when disagreeing, please do so in a respectful manner so we can maintain a positive learning atmosphere. I’ll do my very best to create a warm, welcoming, and safe classroom culture that includes opportunities for enlightening conversation, intellectual and personal growth, and celebrating individuals’ unique identities and talents. I ask for your commitment in helping me in achieve these goals. I think you will find this a beneficial means of conducting our class. For more information about ISU’s diversity initiatives, please visit: http://www.diversity.iastate.edu/diversity-statement.

• Complete your assignments with the utmost integrity. I enforce rigorous standards of academic integrity in all aspects and assignments of this course. Any instances of suspected academic dishonesty will NOT be tolerated in this class and, if detected, will be prosecuted to the full extent. Sanctions may include receiving a grade of zero for the assignment and a grade of F for the course (in addition to other university-applied penalties). For a detailed description of ISU’s academic dishonest policy and sanctions, please visit http://catalog.iastate.edu/academiclife/regulations/#academicdishonestytext. Should you have any questions about potentially improper research citations or references, or ANY other activity that may be interpreted as an attempt at academic dishonesty, please see me before the assignment is due to discuss the matter.

A S S I G N M E N T S Throughout this course, you will have the opportunity to earn 280 points based on quizzes, application activities,

COMST 214 (W5) Winter 2020 – Odenweller 4 and a group project. These assignments are described below. Q u i z z e s ( 1 0 0 p o i n t s ) Each week, you will complete one quiz (for a total of 5 quizzes over the course of the semester) that assesses your knowledge of the assigned readings and lecture material. Each quiz includes 20 multiple choice, true/false, or matching questions. Each quiz is worth 20 points. You will have 45 minutes to complete each quiz once you begin. Quizzes are due on Sundays at 11:59 p.m. You cannot make up a quiz if you miss it. A c t i v i t i e s ( 1 0 0 p o i n t s ) Each week, you will complete one activity (for a total of 5 activities over the course of the semester) that assesses your ability to apply communication concepts to professional settings. Activities will require you to view media content, read a research/news article, or gather scientific data. Then, you will reflect on the content or your experiences in relation to course material. Your activity submissions should be approximately 500 words and include APA citations (primarily from the textbook and supplemental readings). Each activity is worth 20 points. Activities are due on Sundays at 11:59 p.m. No late activities will be accepted. G r o u p P r o j e c t & P r e s e n t a t i o n ( 1 8 0 p o i n t s ) The purpose of this semester-long project is to deepen your understanding of course content, hone your leadership and group communication skills, and give you an opportunity to conduct an informative presentation. Working with three or four of your classmates, you will utilize online tools (e.g., CyBox, WebEx, Canvas Collaboration) to complete the following steps over the course of the semester:

1. Identify one aspect of professional communication and investigate the importance of this topic in a professional context that corresponds with your major/career goals. Submit three topic options for approval.

2. Once your topic is approved, each group member will find one research article (published in a scholarly journal within the last 10 years) and one professional article (published in popular press journal or newspaper in that last 5 years) on your group’s topic. Each group member will create an annotated bibliography for their two articles.

3. Next, each group member will choose a professional in a relevant field/position to gather “real-world” information about your group's topic. As a group, you will develop an interview protocol based on information you learned from your articles and any additional questions you have to develop a comprehensive presentation on your topic.

4. Once your interview protocol is approved, each group member will conduct a 10-minute interview with the professional they identified.

5. Once each group member has collected all of their data (from their research article, professional article, and professional interview), your group will conduct an audience analysis, identify goals, and develop a clear and compelling thesis statement. Next, your group will develop a presentation outline and verbal and visual support.

6. Finally, in a 15 - 20 minute presentation, your group will present the most meaningful and useful findings from your project. Your group will also integrate verbal and visual support (e.g., stories, examples, statistics, quotes) and visual aids (e.g., Prezi, PowerPoint, posters) into this presentation. You will record this presentation via a Web-based program (e.g., WebEx, Zoom).

Please refer to the individual assignment pages on Canvas for specific instructions about how to complete each step of this project. All assignments are due on Sundays at 11:59 p.m. No late assignments will be accepted.

COMST 214 (W5) Winter 2020 – Odenweller 5 M i s s e d / L a t e A s s i g n m e n t s You cannot make up quizzes if you miss them and I will not accept any late activities or assignments. In the rare case that you have a medical, personal, or family emergency that prevents you from meeting a deadline, you should email me no later than 24 hours after the deadline with documentation regarding your emergency. Failure to contact me or provide a documented excuse will result in a zero for the quiz, activity, or assignment you missed. N E E D H E L P ? H A V E Q U E S T I O N S ? I strongly encourage you to email me throughout the semester to discuss course material, assignment requirements, your grades, or other issues that arise. Do not ever feel as if you are bothering me by communicating with me too frequently. I truly care about your success in this course and here at ISU. It is best to get help early instead of waiting until the last week of the semester to panic about your grade. Note: The course syllabus is a contract of policies. If you do not withdraw from the class, it is assumed that you have read through this entire document and agree to adhere to these policies. C O U R S E S C H E D U L E

Week 1: Introduction to Professional Communication

COMST 214 (W5) Winter 2020 – Odenweller 6 Read Chapter 1: Communicating at Work (in your textbook) Chapter 3: Listening (in your textbook)

Chapter 4: Verbal & Nonverbal Messages (in your textbook)

Due Quiz #1: Chapters 1, 3, & 4 Activity #1: Effective Listening at Work Group Project #1: Three topic options Week 2: Presenting in the Workplace

Read Chapter 9: Developing & Organizing the Presentation Chapter 10: Verbal & Visual Support in Presentation

Chapter 11: Delivering the Presentation

Due Quiz #2: Chapters 9 - 11 Activity #2: Nonverbal Immediacy Group Project #2: Annotated bibliographies for scholarly and pop culture articles Week 3: Entering in the Workplace

Read Chapter 6: Principles of Interviewing Harvard Law School Report: Salary Negotiation Due Quiz #3: Chapter 6 & Harvard Law School Report Activity #3: Job Search Group Project #3: Interview Information and Protocol Week 4: Developing Relationships in the Workplace

Read Chapter 2: Communication, Culture, & Work Chapter 5: Interpersonal Strategies & Skills Due Quiz #4: Chapters 2 & 5 Activity #4: IAT & Multiculturalism

Group Project #4: Conduct professional interviews Week 5: Leading, Meetings, & Working in Groups

Read Chapter 7: Leading & Working in Teams Chapter 8: Effective Meetings

Due Quiz #5: Chapters 7 & 8 Activity #5: Reflective Thinking Sequence

Group Project #5: Audience analysis, goals, thesis statement, presentation outline, and verbal and visual support

Week 6: Pulling it all Together

Due Group Project #9: Final Presentation

COMST 214 (W5) Winter 2020 – Odenweller 7

**This syllabus is tentative and subject to revision***