Course syllabus
Course Title: Fundamentals of Oral Communication—Comm 101
College of Southern Idaho
Instructor: Steve Barrus
Email: [email protected]
COMM 101 DEPARTMENT COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS
Fundamentals of Oral Communication is a course intended to improve your communication abilities in a variety of academic, social, personal and business settings. This course has two broad goals:
1. To provide you with an understanding of human communication, so you might better:
Comprehend the complexity of the communication process
Recognize the multitude of factors that influence communication
Appreciate the importance of improving human communication
2. To help you utilize the foregoing knowledge to develop and improve skills in the following areas (concentrations dependent upon instructor and class size):
Communication Process and Perception
Public Communication
Listening and Language
Nonverbal Communication
Group Communication and Cultural Communication
DEPARTMENTAL OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT
At the end of this course, students will be able to demonstrate an understanding and application of human communication concepts in the areas of communication process, public communication, listening, group communication, nonverbal communication, persuasion, language and culture on a comprehensive final exam to account for 20% of the final grade in COMM 101.
Text: Adler, Ronald B., George Rodman and Athena du Pre. Essential Communication. 3rd edition. Oxford University Press, 2022.
Parents: Please be advised that this is a college level course offered through an accredited Idaho university, using their required curriculum and textbooks. As such, the curriculum for this course does not necessarily reflect any official position of Madison High School or Madison School District. The course curriculum is designed for adults at a college level and may cover adult related topics. If you or your child is uncomfortable with topics covered in the curriculum required, please consult with our counselors regarding other course options available.
GENERAL EDUCATION COMPETENCIES
Because this course is a part of your GE, students will be exposed to the following competencies:
Grades and Powerschool:
Your official grades are found in the CSI Canvas LMS. PowerSchool will not be updated until the end of the trimester. Therefore, please pay close attention to the Canvas scores.
CSI Grade Scale:
A = 100-90%
B = 89.9-80%
C = 70-79.9%
D = 60-69.9%
F = 0-59.9%
Assignment weights: Assignment categories are weighted as follows. Notice the final exam is particularly important.
Speeches (introduction, informative, persuasive) 25%
Class work/homework 25%
Quizzes20%
Participation/Attendance10%
Final Exam20%
Attendance/participation: Attendance and participation in the communication process is key to success in this class. When you are watching speeches, you will also lose points for working on homework, playing on a device, or otherwise being distracted. All Madison High tardy and attendance policies will be enforced.
Late work: Assignments are due on the date listed in Canvas. Any assignments turned in late will be reduced 10% per day late. Quizzes cannot be taken after 5 days late. Extra credit will not be accepted after the due date.
Cheating: is defined as acting dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage. In school, cheating specifically refers to using or attempting to use materials, information, or study aids that are not permitted by the instructor in examinations or other academic work.
Plagiarism: The act of using someone else's work or ideas as your own, in any form, is a form of cheating and is strictly prohibited in this course. All assignments, including written work and presentations, must reflect your own original thoughts and insights and please make sure that you document appropriately all quoted and paraphrased passages from other authors. Additionally, while LLMs, or “generative AI” tools (like Chat GPT) can be utilized for idea generation and writing assistance, it is important to use them ethically, appropriately, and responsibly. By adhering to these principles, you demonstrate your commitment to academic integrity and responsible engagement with AI technologies. Use of LLMs outside of specific approved classroom activities, will be considered plagiarism for the purposes of this course.
MHS Plagiarism / Cheating Policy Plagiarism includes any incident in which students claim to have done original work when in fact, they have not. Plagiarism of any type will not be tolerated. Penalties for this offense may be treated with disciplinary action, including possible failure of the class.
On-line Course Evaluation Statement: Students are strongly encouraged to complete evaluations at the end of the course. Evaluations are very important to assist the teaching faculty in continually improving the course. Evaluations are available online through MyCSI (http://mycsi.csi.edu) by clicking on the CoursEval tab in the yellow navigation bar at the top of the MyCSI website once you are successfully logged-in. Students will receive an email when the evaluation becomes available and then have up to two weeks to submit the evaluation before the end of the course. The last day to complete an evaluation is the last day of the course. Evaluations are anonymous and are not available to faculty until after grades are submitted.
Students with Disabilities: Any student with a documented disability may be eligible for reasonable accommodations. To determine eligibility and secure services, students should contact Student Disability Services at their first opportunity after registration for a class(es). Student Disability Services is located on the second floor of the Taylor Building on the Twin Falls Campus. 208.732.6260.
CSI E-mail: Since email is the primary source of written communication with students, all registered CSI students get a college email account. Student e-mail addresses have the following format: <address>@eaglemail.csi.edu where <address> is a name selected by the student as a part of activating his/her account. Students activate their accounts and check their CSI e-mail online at http://eaglemail.csi.edu. Instructors and various offices send messages to these student accounts. Students must check their CSI e-mail accounts regularly to avoid missing important messages and deadlines. At the beginning of each semester free training sessions are offered to students who need help in using their accounts.
Your username is your CSI student ID number. The default password is your eight digit date of birth.
Example: John Q. Public, born April 30, 1990, ID # 654321
Drop Policy: If you miss more than 6 hours of instruction (class-time) you will not pass this course and will receive an “F” unless YOU take action. A student may drop a course or all courses prior to the end of late registration (first Friday of the term) without it being recorded on the student’s official transcript. A student initiated drop after the late registration period is considered a withdrawal, and results in the grade of W. Students may drop courses online until the end of the late registration period. In order to withdraw from one or more courses following late registration, a completed registration form is required. Instructions on the form indicate when a signature of instructor and/or Financial Aid adviser is required. The completed form may be submitted to Admissions & Records or any off-campus center. NOTE: Students may withdraw from courses until 75% of the course meetings have elapsed. No course may be withdrawn from after 75% of the course has elapsed.
NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT: It is the policy of the College of Southern Idaho to comply with all federal, state and local authorities requiring nondiscrimination, including but not limited to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Executive Orders 12898 (Environmental Justice) and 13166 (Limited English Proficiency). College of Southern Idaho is an equal opportunity employer.
The college does not exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject any individual to discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, income, protected veteran status, limited English proficiency, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
For more information or if you believe you have been subject to discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, or if you believe you have been subject to discrimination on any other basis, please contact the College of Southern Idaho’s Title IX, ADA, and 504
Coordinator:
Eric Nielson U.S. Department of Education
Director of Human Resources Office of Civil Rights (OCR)
(208) 732-6267 Office 810 3rd Avenue #750
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 607-1600
[email protected]
College of Southern Idaho
Instructor: Steve Barrus
Email: [email protected]
COMM 101 DEPARTMENT COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS
Fundamentals of Oral Communication is a course intended to improve your communication abilities in a variety of academic, social, personal and business settings. This course has two broad goals:
1. To provide you with an understanding of human communication, so you might better:
Comprehend the complexity of the communication process
Recognize the multitude of factors that influence communication
Appreciate the importance of improving human communication
2. To help you utilize the foregoing knowledge to develop and improve skills in the following areas (concentrations dependent upon instructor and class size):
Communication Process and Perception
Public Communication
Listening and Language
Nonverbal Communication
Group Communication and Cultural Communication
DEPARTMENTAL OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT
At the end of this course, students will be able to demonstrate an understanding and application of human communication concepts in the areas of communication process, public communication, listening, group communication, nonverbal communication, persuasion, language and culture on a comprehensive final exam to account for 20% of the final grade in COMM 101.
Text: Adler, Ronald B., George Rodman and Athena du Pre. Essential Communication. 3rd edition. Oxford University Press, 2022.
Parents: Please be advised that this is a college level course offered through an accredited Idaho university, using their required curriculum and textbooks. As such, the curriculum for this course does not necessarily reflect any official position of Madison High School or Madison School District. The course curriculum is designed for adults at a college level and may cover adult related topics. If you or your child is uncomfortable with topics covered in the curriculum required, please consult with our counselors regarding other course options available.
GENERAL EDUCATION COMPETENCIES
Because this course is a part of your GE, students will be exposed to the following competencies:
- Research, discover, and develop information resources and structure verbal messages to increase knowledge and understanding.
- Research, discover, and develop evidence-based reasoning and persuasive appeals for influencing attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors.
- Understand interpersonal rules, roles, and strategies in varied contexts.
- Effectively listen and adapt verbal messages to the personal, ideological, and emotional perspectives of the audience.
- Employ effective verbal and nonverbal behaviors that support communication goals.
- Effectively recognize and critically evaluate the reasoning, evidence, and communication strategies of self and others.
Grades and Powerschool:
Your official grades are found in the CSI Canvas LMS. PowerSchool will not be updated until the end of the trimester. Therefore, please pay close attention to the Canvas scores.
CSI Grade Scale:
A = 100-90%
B = 89.9-80%
C = 70-79.9%
D = 60-69.9%
F = 0-59.9%
Assignment weights: Assignment categories are weighted as follows. Notice the final exam is particularly important.
Speeches (introduction, informative, persuasive) 25%
Class work/homework 25%
Quizzes20%
Participation/Attendance10%
Final Exam20%
Attendance/participation: Attendance and participation in the communication process is key to success in this class. When you are watching speeches, you will also lose points for working on homework, playing on a device, or otherwise being distracted. All Madison High tardy and attendance policies will be enforced.
Late work: Assignments are due on the date listed in Canvas. Any assignments turned in late will be reduced 10% per day late. Quizzes cannot be taken after 5 days late. Extra credit will not be accepted after the due date.
Cheating: is defined as acting dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage. In school, cheating specifically refers to using or attempting to use materials, information, or study aids that are not permitted by the instructor in examinations or other academic work.
Plagiarism: The act of using someone else's work or ideas as your own, in any form, is a form of cheating and is strictly prohibited in this course. All assignments, including written work and presentations, must reflect your own original thoughts and insights and please make sure that you document appropriately all quoted and paraphrased passages from other authors. Additionally, while LLMs, or “generative AI” tools (like Chat GPT) can be utilized for idea generation and writing assistance, it is important to use them ethically, appropriately, and responsibly. By adhering to these principles, you demonstrate your commitment to academic integrity and responsible engagement with AI technologies. Use of LLMs outside of specific approved classroom activities, will be considered plagiarism for the purposes of this course.
MHS Plagiarism / Cheating Policy Plagiarism includes any incident in which students claim to have done original work when in fact, they have not. Plagiarism of any type will not be tolerated. Penalties for this offense may be treated with disciplinary action, including possible failure of the class.
On-line Course Evaluation Statement: Students are strongly encouraged to complete evaluations at the end of the course. Evaluations are very important to assist the teaching faculty in continually improving the course. Evaluations are available online through MyCSI (http://mycsi.csi.edu) by clicking on the CoursEval tab in the yellow navigation bar at the top of the MyCSI website once you are successfully logged-in. Students will receive an email when the evaluation becomes available and then have up to two weeks to submit the evaluation before the end of the course. The last day to complete an evaluation is the last day of the course. Evaluations are anonymous and are not available to faculty until after grades are submitted.
Students with Disabilities: Any student with a documented disability may be eligible for reasonable accommodations. To determine eligibility and secure services, students should contact Student Disability Services at their first opportunity after registration for a class(es). Student Disability Services is located on the second floor of the Taylor Building on the Twin Falls Campus. 208.732.6260.
CSI E-mail: Since email is the primary source of written communication with students, all registered CSI students get a college email account. Student e-mail addresses have the following format: <address>@eaglemail.csi.edu where <address> is a name selected by the student as a part of activating his/her account. Students activate their accounts and check their CSI e-mail online at http://eaglemail.csi.edu. Instructors and various offices send messages to these student accounts. Students must check their CSI e-mail accounts regularly to avoid missing important messages and deadlines. At the beginning of each semester free training sessions are offered to students who need help in using their accounts.
Your username is your CSI student ID number. The default password is your eight digit date of birth.
Example: John Q. Public, born April 30, 1990, ID # 654321
- username: 654321
- password: 04301990
Drop Policy: If you miss more than 6 hours of instruction (class-time) you will not pass this course and will receive an “F” unless YOU take action. A student may drop a course or all courses prior to the end of late registration (first Friday of the term) without it being recorded on the student’s official transcript. A student initiated drop after the late registration period is considered a withdrawal, and results in the grade of W. Students may drop courses online until the end of the late registration period. In order to withdraw from one or more courses following late registration, a completed registration form is required. Instructions on the form indicate when a signature of instructor and/or Financial Aid adviser is required. The completed form may be submitted to Admissions & Records or any off-campus center. NOTE: Students may withdraw from courses until 75% of the course meetings have elapsed. No course may be withdrawn from after 75% of the course has elapsed.
NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT: It is the policy of the College of Southern Idaho to comply with all federal, state and local authorities requiring nondiscrimination, including but not limited to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Executive Orders 12898 (Environmental Justice) and 13166 (Limited English Proficiency). College of Southern Idaho is an equal opportunity employer.
The college does not exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject any individual to discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, income, protected veteran status, limited English proficiency, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
For more information or if you believe you have been subject to discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, or if you believe you have been subject to discrimination on any other basis, please contact the College of Southern Idaho’s Title IX, ADA, and 504
Coordinator:
Eric Nielson U.S. Department of Education
Director of Human Resources Office of Civil Rights (OCR)
(208) 732-6267 Office 810 3rd Avenue #750
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 607-1600
[email protected]