SPCM 1500 -- INTRODUCTION TO INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION*
Department of Speech Communication
Fall 2008
NOTE: The course syllabus is a general plan for the course;
deviations announced to the class by the instructor
may be necessary. Normally, this will be done at least once in
class and
published on the course web page.
Professor: Dr. W.A. Kelly Huff Phone: (706) 542-4893 e-mail address: khuff@uga.edu
Office: 140 Terrell Hall
Office
Hours:
MWF 11:30am-12noon and by appointment
Check the web page frequently for information
about course
schedules, assignments, exams, etc.
Click on “Information
for Students;” then “SPCM 1500 –
Interpersonal Communication;” then
“Announcements/Schedules;”
then click on the section for your class.
Textbook: West, R., & Turner, L. H.
(2009). Understanding interpersonal communication:
Making choices
in changing times (2nd Ed.).
Catalog Course Description: “Communication as it
occurs in two-person and small group settings. Primary
concern is given to understanding how an individual
can use
verbal and nonverbal communication to improve
relationships and derive maximum social
rewards.
Offered fall, spring, and summer semesters every year.”
Course Goal: The goal of this course is to help
students
become better communicators. We seek to introduce
students to a wide array of perspectives on
interpersonal
communication and encourage students to enlarge
their understandings of the theory and practice of
interpersonal communication.
Course Objectives:
(1) The student will understand
the
need to reflect upon interpersonal communication practices.
(2) The student will gain
knowledge of
concepts, theories, and research findings in interpersonal
communication.
(3) The student will develop and
practice
communication skills in a supportive environment.
(4) The student will learn the
vocabulary
of interpersonal communication theory and practice.
(5) The student will understand
various
contexts (friendship, family, etc.) in which interpersonal
communication
occurs.
Grading:
|
Examination I |
20 percent |
|
Examination II |
20 percent |
|
Examination III |
20 percent |
|
Report I |
10 percent |
|
Report II |
10 percent |
|
Activities/Quizzes/Participation |
20 percent |
|
Comm Research Requirement |
See Policy |
Three (3) examinations will be given throughout
the
semester. Each examination will consist of a
combination of true-false, multiple choice, and
matching
format items. Exams cover material from lectures
and the textbook. I do not lecture on all of
the
material in your text so ensure you have done the readings
before exams. The final exam will be given at
the
assigned time per the official University schedule. The
final exam will NOT be given early
or at a
different time unless changed by the University. There are no
exceptions to this policy. Please mark your
calendars
and make your travel plans based on the final exam
times found on the
Students are responsible for bringing their own
“number 2” pencils to take examinations. Scantron©
grading sheets will be provided by the
instructor. Two
written reports account for 20% of the grade and
will be explained on the course web page and in
class.
Twenty percent of your grade will be based on
assorted in-class activities, quizzes, and
participation. Such activities will go toward your final course
grade and – per departmental policy – cannot
be made up regardless of the reason for the absence.
You may be given a letter grade or numerical grade
or both
on assignments. If you receive a letter grade
on an assignment, then the numerical equivalent
would
be: A+ (98), A (95), A- (92), B+ (88),
B (85), B- (82), and so on with Cs and Ds. F
can be
anything from 0-59 and would normally be assigned
numerically and with a letter.
Grade Scale: Per new
university
policies and regulations, the plus-minus grading system became
effective during
the
Summer 2006
term. The percentages
reflected in the table are for final grades and should not be confused
with the information
for
assignments found in the previous section of this syllabus. There
will
be no
rounding of grades
or extra
credit in any form.
|
|
93-100%=A |
90-92.99%=A- |
|
88-89.99%=B+ |
83-87.99%=B |
80-82.99%=B- |
|
78-79.99%=C+ |
73-77.99%=C |
70-72.99%=C- |
|
|
60-69.99%=D |
|
|
|
59.99% and below=F |
|
Research Requirement: Every person taking SPCM
1500 or
its equivalent (SPCM 2550H) has to satisfy the
Department of Speech Communication Research
Requirement. Failure to complete the requirement will
result in failure of the class. This
requirement may
be satisfied in one of three ways: (1) participation in a
research project conducted by the Department of
Speech
Communication, (2) a summary and analysis of a
communication research article, or (3) attendance at
and a
written analysis of a colloquium presentation at
the Department of Speech Communication. For
information about all three options, you can visit the
following URL for information: http://www.uga.edu/%7Espc/Undergrad/syllabi/research.pdf.
The site contains The
UGA Speech Communication Research
Participation:
Information for Students. Note: You will need to
complete a separate research project or paper for
each
Speech Communication class that requires or offers
research participation.
Academic Honesty: “Academic honesty is-defined
broadly and simply-the performance of all academic work
without cheating, lying,
stealing, or receiving
assistance from any other person or using any source of
information not appropriately
authorized
or attributed” (From the Preamble to “A Culture of
Honesty”).
The University, the Department of
Speech
Communication, and I personally take academic honesty very
seriously. Every student at
the
Honesty: Policies and
Procedures on
academic dishonesty.” If you are not, please obtain one of these
booklets and read it
carefully. It
is available on the web at: http://www.uga.edu/ovpi/honesty/acadhon.htm.
This document has a thorough
presentation
of four types of academic dishonesty including plagiarism, unauthorized
assistance, lying/tampering, and
theft,
as well as the procedures that are in place to adjudicate alleged
incidents of
academic dishonesty. The policies
and
procedures described in “A Culture of Honesty” will be strictly
followed.
Attendance Policy: You are allowed to be absent
a total
of class meetings equivalent to one week’s classes. For a
class that meets three times per week over the
16-week term,
three absences are allowed without penalty.
For a class that meets two times per week over the
16-week
term, two absences are allowed without
penalty. For a class that meets during an
8-week term,
just one absence is allowed without penalty. For a
class that meets once per week during a 16-week
term, just
one absence is allowed without penalty.
Allowable absences will not be penalized
unless the
student misses an in-class assignment, a speech, or an
exam. Excused or not, an absence is still
an
absence on the attendance record. You are given a week’s
worth of sick leave. Use it when you need it
and
don’t waste it frivolously.
In MWF classes, each time a student is late to class
or
leaves class early will count as one-third an absence.
Three of these in any combination count as one
absence. In T-Th and M-W classes, each time a student is
late to class or leaves class early will count as
one-half
an absence. Two of these in any combination count
as one absence. In eight-week evening session
classes
that meet twice weekly, or 16-week classes that
meet once weekly, each time a student is late to
class or
leaves class early will count as one-half an
absence. Two of these in any combination count
as one
absence.
For each absence over the respective limits
described above,
except in classes that meet just once per week,
your final grade will be reduced by one point.
For classes meeting once per week or daily during short
May or summer sessions, the final grade will be
reduced by two
points. If one has a partial absence over the
limit, i.e. a tardy, then one-half point for
T-TH and
one-third point for MWF will be deducted from the final grade.
For classes meeting once per week, or daily during
short May
or summer sessions, the partial absence will result in
a one-point reduction.
If you are absent or tardy, you may under some
conditions be
able to make up an exam, but you cannot
make up for not being in class and the absence
counts on
your attendance record – even if the excuse is
accepted. If you know in advance that you will
be
taking one of your allowable absences for an important
reason, then inform the professor right away in
person and
in writing and arrangements can be made.
Makeup tests are only allowable
if the
professor is informed in advance that the student is missing for a
valid reason. IF the student provides a valid
medical
excuse for an illness as outlined below, the exam may
be made up. However, the exam will not be
multiple
choice, but will be in written form. In the case of
illness, the student, prior to returning to class,
will also
be required to present a valid doctor’s excuse and a
written explanation from the student to the
professor.
The professor is the final authority on the validity
and acceptance of an excuse. Excused or not,
an
absence is still an absence on the record.
only in lectures.
Additionally, class activities and
pop quizzes will be scattered throughout the semester.
Such activities will go toward your final course
grade and
– per departmental policy – cannot be made up
regardless of the reason for the absence.
Please
note that if you should you miss class, it is your responsibility
to obtain missed materials from a classmate, not
from the
instructor.
Participation: Participation extends beyond mere
attendance. Students must be prepared to contribute to all
aspects of classroom activity (for example,
discussions,
exercises, and short written assignments). In order
to participate students will be expected to read the
assigned readings and prepare any required materials by
the date specified. Students who are
habitually unprepared
to participate substantially in class will have
points deducted from their final grade as determined
by the
instructor. Per departmental policy, there are
no make-ups for daily in-class activities.
Make-Up Work: Examinations and other major
assignments
are clearly scheduled on the web page. (Daily
activities, quizzes, and participation will not be
posted
and cannot be made up). Students must complete
assignments and must take examinations on the
assigned
day. Students who miss an examination must
inform the instructor by phone and/or e-mail as soon
as
possible before the class meets and upon returning
to class must present a bona fide written reason to
the
instructor (i.e. written letter to the instructor and
valid medical excuse). This is
covered under
the same policies that govern final exams; for example,
serious illness,* a University-sponsored event that
is
documented in writing and in advance,** or a death in
one’s immediate family.*** For any of these
reasons, the student must notify the instructor in advance of
the absence and then later present his/her case to
the
instructor in person and in written form. An excused
absence results in a grade of zero. Remember,
in line
with departmental policy, students cannot make up
in-class assignments regardless the reason for
the
absence.
* Illness: The student must
contact
the instructor prior to the exam or assignment. If the student is
unable
to do so, have a friend or family member do
so.
(Note: Under most circumstances the make-up must be
scheduled prior to the next class period or within
the same
week of the exam or assignment. Students may
not take a makeup without an official medical excuse
presented to validate.) If you use the Student Health
Center to get an excuse, you MUST get a “Plan of
Care/Instructions” from the student health center. To get
a note from the
seen” at the
doctor to write on that form: “In my opinion, this
student should not be in classes today, tomorrow, next
two weeks, etc.” A doctor, physician’s
assistant, or a nurse practitioner will write that note if you
ask. If
you don’t ask, it is unlikely they will do so. The
note does not have to say why you can’t attend class, just
that you are not fit for attending class. NOTE:
A
nurse CANNOT and WILL NOT fill out the plan of
care/instructions. Thus you must request
seeing
someone other than a nurse. Without a note from
your doctor stating that you were too sick to attend
the
exam or the “Plan of Care/Instructions” form from
the
that speech and/or exam. Excused or not,
an absence
is still an absence. Don’t be foolish in cutting class.
** University-sponsored event
:
Note: The student must submit a written request to the instructor
prior
to
the event and must complete arrangements to make up
the
assignment or exam in advance.
*** Family death: Students must
contact
the instructor prior to the exam or discussion. The
university
typically verifies that the student must miss class
because
of a family death. At the very least, leave an e-mail
message or a phone message at UGA and see the
instructor as
soon as possible.
Written Work: All assignments
are to be
submitted on the date due at the time specified by the
instructor. If the
assignment was out-of-class, the instructor will
call roll
at the beginning of class and students will turn in
the assignment then. NO late work will be
accepted. If for some reason you cannot be in class on the day
an assignment is due, it is your responsibility to
submit
your work before – not after – the scheduled class.
Per departmental policy, there are no make-ups
for daily
in-class activities. All written work done outside
class must be typed or word-processed on 8.5 by 11
inch
white paper using one-inch margins on the top,
bottom, and sides. Handwritten work will not
be
accepted except for in-class assignments. Any
handwritten work must be easily legible to the
instructor
and must be done in black or blue ink – no other
colors will be accepted. Neatness and lack of
neatness
will be taken into consideration during grading.
Any sources cited in assignments must be documented
using
APA or MLA style. You will find examples
of APA documentation on the web page. A
penalty will
be assessed for violations.
Classroom courtesy:
Students are expected to support this class with
good
attendance, punctuality, attentiveness, and respect for
other students and the professor. Attendance
in class
is mandatory.
No private conversations are allowed during
class.
We will have polite class discussions with no rude arguing.
Violators will be asked to leave, counted absent,
and must
meet with the instructor prior to attending future
class meetings.
All phones, beepers, pagers, radios, etc. must be
turned
off before class begins and will remain off and packed away throughout
class. No headphones will be allowed during
class. You
will not even be allowed to touch or look at a phone or other
electronic
devices during an exam or quiz. You will put
such
items away so that no one, including yourself, can see the phone or
other
device.
Cheating has never been tolerated, but using
electronic equipment to do so has taken cheating to a whole new level.
Anyone
possessing a phone or other electronic device that
goes off
or is used during class will be asked to leave and will be counted as
absent,
regardless of what point the transgression occurs in
the
class meeting -- beginning, middle, or end. If it goes off during
an exam
or quiz, the student will turn in the exam or quiz
at that
point and it will be graded -- finished or not.
Violators must meet with the instructor prior to
attending future class meetings. If cheating is suspected, then
university procedures
will be followed.
Any student deemed by the professor as disruptive
to the
conduct of the class will be asked to leave for the
day and will receive an unexcused absence and asked
to
“show cause” as to why he/she should be allowed to
continue with the class.
If you come in late on the day of an exam, you
have only
until the last person who came on time turns in
theirs to finish yours.
No studying for other classes during this class will be tolerated.
Special Notes:
You must fill out and sign the form* given to you
in
class that acknowledges receipt and understanding of this
syllabus. You will return the form to the
professor
when you receive it or you will be assigned a zero for the final
grade. Not receiving a form will not be
accepted as an
excuse, since the form and syllabus will be available to all
students during the first week of class meetings.
Any students who need special accommodations for learning or who have
particular needs are invited to share these
concerns or requests with me as soon as possible.
The
written documentation that specifies the needed
modifications (i.e., note taker, extra time for tests) to the
instructor.
If you
have not contacted the
Grievance Procedure: Occasionally, students are
unsatisfied with
some dimension of the course. If you have a concern at
any time during the course, please come speak with
me
directly either during office hours, by appointment, or via
email. If you
want to appeal a grade, the department policy is
that you must
make the grade appeal in writing to me. Prepare and
submit a
typed argument indicating what your specific appeal
is and
what grade you believe you deserved. Turn in the appeal before or
after class, during office hours, or at a scheduled
appointment within one week of the grade being returned. If you have
employed
these measures and are still dissatisfied, or feel
that an
appropriate resolution may not be reached by working with me, then I
encourage you to contact the Basic Course Director,
who will
also need a written grade appeal in order to help you.
*In class, you will receive a
form that
says: "I have read the online syllabus and attendance policy and
I
have had the opportunity to ask
questions about anything I did not understand.
I
understand the syllabus and agree to abide by its provisions. I
also
understand
that some changes may be necessary and will be made
by the
instructor as needed and announced at least once in class."