COMM 3940-J, Small Group
Communication (CRN 534)
Spring 2018, TTh 11-12:15
p.m., IC-205
Professor: Peter Boltz, Ph.D. E-mail:
pboltz@gordonstate.edu
Website: faculty.gordonstate.edu/pboltz/
Office: Alumni House, upstairs.
Office Phone: 678-359-5257
Office Hours: MW
1:30-3:30 p.m., T 9:15-10:45 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m., Th 9:15-10:45 a.m. or by
appointment.
Course Description: Working in small groups requires communication skills in building
leadership, performing tasks, resolving conflicts and establishing norms. This
course provides a foundation of theory, methods and skills for creating
effective small groups and for becoming effective and ethical group members.
Course Objectives: By the end of the semester
you will
-- be able to intelligibly use the vocabulary of small group
communication;
-- be aware of the dynamics and complexities of small group communication;
-- be able to positively manage conflict in small groups;
-- be able to use and understand agendas, discussion techniques,
technological aids, decision methods, and public
discussion;
-- be able to analyze, evaluate and critique small group effectiveness,
decision making, interaction, and process;
-- and be able to examine theory and research in small group/team
communication to enhance one’s communication
skills.
Textbook:
Working in Groups, Isa N.
Engleberg and Dianna R. Wynn, 7th ed.
GRADED COMPONENTS:
Exams:
A midterm exam and a final exam will be given, testing your knowledge of
the concepts and information in the text and from the lectures.
Group Work:
You will be required to fully participate as a group member in weekly
group exercises.
Group Paper:
Each group will be responsible for a paper due near the end of the semester.
Quizzes: You can
expect to be quizzed on every assigned chapter. If a chapter is scheduled for a
particular day, you must have read it before class. We will discuss chapters in
class, but you are responsible to be knowledgeable about a chapter’s material
even if it is not discussed in class.
Participation/Attendance: This component of your grade involves reading and
knowing the assigned chapters, asking questions, being prepared for class
discussions, writing peer critiques, orderly conduct in the class, and in-class
critiques of student work. Attendance is the
larger component of the grade, and frequent absences, tardies and early
departures can have a serious negative impact on your semester grade.
REGULATIONS
1.
Papers:
All papers will be graded against professional and collegiate standards
and will be typed. They will follow
the form explained by the professor.
2. Late Work: I don’t accept late work.
3.
Attendance Required:
Roll will be taken every class.
You are allowed two absences without penalty.
Additional absences will result in the loss of 7.5 points (i.e., each
absence = the loss of 7.5 points from your attendance grade).
4.
Tardiness: Chronically tardy students
will lose 5 points from their attendance grade every time they are late for
class.
5.
Academic Dishonesty:
This includes but is not exclusively plagiarism and cheating. The penalty
for this offense is failure of the assignment, of the course and/or further
prosecution by the college. Ignorance is not a defense.
6.
Emailing: I encourage students to
email me questions or drafts using their Gordon accounts, but I may not be able
to answer in a timely manner. I check my email on a regular basis, but this does
not guarantee immediate or timely response.
7.
Consultations: Grades are private and protected by the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act. I will discuss your grades only with you and
in private.
8.
Keeping Track of Your Grade: I do not
keep a running calculation of your semester grade. All of your graded
assignments are returned to you, and you know the number of your absences, so at
any given point during the semester you can calculate your grade. (See the
grading section below.)
9. If you
are absent or tardy, you need to speak with a classmate about what you
missed.
10.
I reserve the right to adjust this syllabus any time during the
session. Students will be consulted and informed of changes during class
periods.
11.
Cell phones, etc.
will not be allowed for use in the
classroom. If you are caught looking at your phone, you will receive a warning
for the first offense. Subsequent offenses will cost 20 points each time from
your attendance grade. If you look at your electronic device during a quiz or an
exam, you will receive a zero on that quiz or exam.
12. Civil
classroom behavior is expected of every student. Students exhibiting
behavior that disturbs my teaching or fellow students’ learning will be asked to
leave the class, unable to return until they’ve paid a visit to the Office of
Student Affairs.
13. If you
need academic accommodations for a disability, you need to make an
appointment with student counseling. The number for that office is
678-359-5585.
14. Scantrons. You are
required to purchase two packets of 12 Scantrons from the campus bookstore for
use in this class for quizzes and exams. You will hand these packets in to me
during class on the assigned day (see Assignment Due Dates below). Students who
have not done this will not be allowed to take quizzes or exams.
GRADE WEIGHTS
Group Work
10 percent
Attendance
10 percent
Quizzes (average of all quizzes)
15 percent
Midterm exam
15 percent
Final Exam
20 percent
Group Paper
30 percent
POINT/GRADE
DISTRIBUTION
90-100
A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
<60
F
ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES
Jan. 16
Collect Scantrons
Feb. 27
Midterm exam
Mar. 5
Last day to drop without failing
May 1
Group paper due
Final Exam
May 9, 10:15 a.m.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Week 1
Jan. 11
Course introduction.
Go over the syllabus. Scantron notice.
Week 2
Jan. 16, 18 Chapter
1: Introduction to Group Communication.
Week 3
Jan. 23
Components of Group Communication and Dialectics.
Jan. 25
Components of Group Communication and Dialectics.
Week 4
Jan. 30
Chapter 2: Group Development
Feb. 1
Chapter 2: Group Development
Week 5
Feb. 6, 8
Chapter 3: Group Membership
Week 6
Feb. 13, 15
Chapter 4: Diversity in Groups
Week 7
Feb. 20, 22
Chapter 5: Group Leadership
Week 8
Feb. 27
Midterm Exam. (Mar. 5 is the last
day to drop without failing.)
Mar. 1
Consultations.
Week 9
Mar. 6, 8
Chapter 6: Verbal and Nonverbal Communication in Groups.
Week 10
Mar. 13, 15 Chapter
7: Listening in Groups.
Week 11
Mar. 19-23
Spring Break
Week 12
Mar. 27, 29 Chapter
8: Conflict and Cohesion in Groups.
Week 13
Apr. 3, 5
Chapter 9: Structured and Creative Problem Solving.
Week 14
Apr. 10, 12
Chapter 10: Critical Thinking and Argumentation in Groups.
Week 15
Apr. 17, 19
Chapter 11: Planning and Conducting Meetings.
Week 16
Apr. 24, 26
Group work on final paper.
Week 17
May 1 Last day of class. Paper is due before end of class.
Final exam
May 9, 10:15 a.m.
Title IX
Gordon State College is
committed to providing an environment free of all forms of discrimination and
sexual harassment, including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence
and stalking. If you (or someone you know) has experienced or experiences
any of these incidents, know that you are not alone. All faculty members at
Gordon State College are mandated reporters. Any student reporting any
type of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence or
stalking must be made aware that any report made to a faculty member under the
provisions of Title IX will be reported to the Title IX Coordinator or a Title
IX Deputy Coordinator. If you wish to speak with someone confidentially,
you must contact the Counseling and Accessibility Services office, Room 212,
Student Life Center. The licensed counselors in the Counseling Office are
able to provide confidential support.
Gordon State College does
not discriminate against any student on the basis of pregnancy, parenting or
related conditions. Students seeking accommodations on the basis of
pregnancy, parenting or related conditions should contact Counseling and
Accessibility Services regarding the process of documenting pregnancy related
issues and being approved for accommodations, including pregnancy related
absences as defined under Title IX.
ADA and 504
If you have a documented
disability as described by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, you may be eligible to receive
accommodations to assist in programmatic and/or physical accessibility.
The Counseling and Accessibility Services office located in the Student Center,
Room 212 can assist you in formulating a reasonable accommodation plan and in
providing support in developing appropriate accommodations to ensure equal
access to all GSC programs and facilities. Course requirements will not be
waived, but accommodations may assist you in meeting the requirements. For
documentation requirements and for additional information, contact Counseling
and Accessibility Services at 678-359-5585.