Course Description

Introduction to the theory and practice of the discipline of communication. How people use messages to generate meanings within and across various contexts. How human communication influences and is influenced by the relationships we form, our institutions, society, organizations, and media. (Not open to students who took Communication 1001 or Speech/Communications Arts, Sciences and Disorders 1205.) Prerequisite: None

Course Objectives

• To introduce the field of communication, its vocabulary, research fields, history, development, and concerns 
• To critically examine how communication practices at the personal group, institutional, and societal levels reflect social norms and play a decisive role in defining the nature of the relationships at each of those levels 
• To survey the ideas, principles, models and majors theories involved in various forms of human communication 
• To appreciate why competent communication is necessary for a successful personal, social, professional, and public life

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course students will:

• Become familiar with the basic terminology associated with the field of communication 
• Understand the history and development of the discipline of communication as a field of scholarly inquiry incorporating humanistic, social scientific and esthetic viewpoints 
• Become conversant with the basic principles of the various communication research fields, such as verbal and nonverbal, interpersonal, small group, organizational, mediated, persuasive, rhetorical, health, genfer, and intercultural communication 
• Appreciate the impact communication has in our daily lies and its importance in civic engagement 
• Be introduced to some of the major models, theories, and methodologies associated with communication

Course Outline

Week	Unit	Reading/Assignment
Week 1	Introduction to communication Communication Contexts and Models	Ch.1, Foundation of Communication Ch.5, Communication Theory Ch.6, Communication Research
Week 2	Communicating with Words- Verbal Communication Communicating without Words - Nonverbal Communication	Ch.3, A Primer of Communication Studies Ch.3 Non-Verbal Communication
Week 3	Communicating in Close Relationships - Intrapersonal & Interpersonal Communication Communicating across Cultures - Intercultural Communication	Ch.9, Interpersonal Communication Ch.12, Intercultural Communication
Week 4	Communicating in Disagreement - Conflict & Negotiation Communicating Difference- Gender Communication	Ch.6.2, Conflict & Interpersonal Communication Ch.13, Gender Communications
Week 5	Communicating in Organizations - Organizational Communication Communicating in Public - Rhetorical Communication Communicating in Public - Mediated Communication	Ch.11, Organizational Communication Ch.7, Rhetorical Communication Ch.8, Mass Communications
Week 6	Finals Week

Class Text, Materials and Readings

• Class OER website: COMM1001/CASD1205

• Hahn, Laura K., and Paynton, Scott T. Survey of Communication Study.Wikibooks. Online through the class website

• Handouts and electronic retrievals

Website & Computer Mediated Communication

• We will be using a class LibGuides site which will contain links, documents, and class information (https://libguides.brooklyn.cuny.edu/comm1001casd1205/frieson_fall2023)

• Everyone will have an individual Communication Connection blog (see below).

• Classes messages will be sent via Blackboard Announcements and Email through the Blackboard platform.

• Zoom is used for office hours with professor Frieson  on Tuesday's from 8:15 - 9:15 PM ET.

•  Download the Blackboard App to stay up to date with assignments and announcements.

   

Method of Evaluation

Grades will be determined by:

Course Requirement	Percentage of Final Grade
Midterm Paper	25% of final grade
Bi-Weekly Connection Blog	35% of final grade
Discussion Board	25% of final grade
Final Reflection Blog	15% of final grade

Communication Connection Blog

• You will create and maintain a free weekly blog on Wordpress.com, posting a personal response to a specific topic as assigned by the instructor. All weekly blog topics and due dates can be found on Blackboard.  Your blog must be public; be sure to make it accessible/public and send me the published link every week. Weekly blog posts will be due on Sunday’s. Your posts should be about 500-750 words long.

• DO NOT send me the link to your blogs “dashboard” or editor. Share the published link of the specific blog post as you would share a link with someone else. DO NOT SEND ME A LINK THAT SAYS “DASHBOARD” OR “EDITOR”. That means that is not the published link. Double and triple check the final link before submitting it on Blackboard. 

• Pick a good title for your blog that will be meaningful to you and your audience; do NOT pick “COMM 1000,” or “My Blog” or “Communication Connection,” etc. Remember your title is the very first thing anyone sees or reads of your work.

• Your blog posts will be evaluated using a rubric that you can download from Blackboard. Your blog will be evaluated based on content, voice, citations, multimedia inclusion, and tagging your posts. This is an opportunity to gain writing experience and begin building your communication portfolio. Each blog post MUST include an embedded multimedia element (video, photo, audio, podcasts, etc) and the original source must be credited.

• You must tag and/or categorize each blog post.

Method of Assessment

Weekly connection blogs, discussion boards, a midterm paper, and a final research paper will provide the opportunity to assess the student’s mastery of the specific topics of the course as well as critical thinking and analytical skills. Rubrics will be provided for each area.

Extra Credit

Students have the opportunity to receive 100 extra credit points for each assignment [blog, discussion, journal, midterm paper, or final reflection blog] that receive help from The Learning Center aka Writing Center. YOU must provide proof of a booked and completed appointment by forwarding any completion emails. These emails will be verified with The Learning Center. Proper writing mechanics, grammar, and style are important in this class and you should incorporate assistance with writing, and research, as needed. Extra credit is 5% of you final grade. 

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course students will:

• Become familiar with the basic terminology associated with the field of communication 
• Understand the history and development of the discipline of communication as a field of scholarly inquiry incorporating humanistic, social scientific and esthetic viewpoints 
• Become conversant with the basic principles of the various communication research fields, such as verbal and nonverbal, interpersonal, small group, organizational, mediated, persuasive, rhetorical, health, gender, and intercultural communication 
• Appreciate the impact communication has in our daily lies and its importance in civic engagement 
• Be introduced to some of the major models, theories, and methodologies associated with communication

Policies, Resources & Advice

• If you have any questions, technical difficulties, or problems with the course or material, please reach out to me by email at FriesoDe@gmail.com or  desiree.frieson@brooklyn.cuny.edu immediately.  

• Office hours are done virtually every Tuesday from 8:15 - 9:15 PM ET. First come, first served.

• Classwork is essential to success in this class. Students who are unable, because of religious beliefs, to participate in examination, study, or class-related activity on a particular day should contact their instructor ahead of time to facilitate their absence without prejudice or penalty; for further information on the New York State law regarding non-attendance because of religious beliefs, see p. 65 in the Brooklyn College Undergraduate Bulletin.

• You are responsible for completing reading, video, blogs, and other homework assignments by the due date. Absence is not an excuse for not completing assignments. You MUST inform the instructor if your assignment will be late before the due date and time, not after. If you experience challenges submitting the homework via Blackboard, please email a screenshot of the issue with Blackboard.

• Homework assignments MUST ONLY be submitted on Blackboard. Follow instructions on Blackboard on how to submit each assignment. Students will NOT BE given the opportunity to revise and resubmit essays or other assignments once they have been graded.

• Homework assignments are to be typed unless otherwise stated.

Academic Integrity

The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating and plagiarism. Each student is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and for avoiding both. The complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and the Brooklyn College procedure for policy implementation can be found at www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/policies. If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member MUST report the violation.

Accessibility

To receive disability-related academic accommodations students must first be registered with the Center for Student Disability Services (CDS). Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to set up an appointment with the Director of the Center for Student Disability Services, Ms. Valerie Stewart-Lovell, at 718-951-5538. If you have already registered with the CDS please provide me with the course accommodation form and discussion your specific accommodation with me as soon as possible.

Important Dates for the Fall 20223Semester

• Friday, August 25, 2022 Start of Fall Term

Thursday,  August 31, 2022 Last day to add a course
Friday, September 2-4, 2022 College Closed - No Classes Scheduled
Monday, September 26-27 College Closed - No Classes Scheduled

Thursday, September 29 Conversion Day - Thursday follows Monday,
October 4-5, 2022 No Classes Scheduled

Monday, October 10, 2022 College Closed

November 24-25, 2022 College Closed - Thanksgiving

Tuesday, December 13, 2022 Last Day of Classes

Wednesday, December 14, 2022 Last day to withdraw with a “W” grade
December 15 - 21 Final Examinations
Tuesday, December 27, 2022 Final Grade Submission Deadline

• Sunday, July 11                      Grade Submission for Summer I

​The full academic calendar, including many other important dates, and the undergraduate final exam are available on the Office of the Registrar website.