Course Listings

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A student-centered approach to public speaking with emphasis on improving speaking skills. Role-playing, class discussion, laboratory experiences, and speaking performances; social-psychological aspects of public speaking. Enrollment is limited. May not be audited.This course is presented in a five-week format (along with others during each academic term), to provide more flexible course schedule options. Each quarter, students can take one or two intensive Saturday courses that meet for six hours, in addition to the regularly scheduled weeknight courses. This course, COMM ST 102-CN, meets for five Saturdays from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm: 9/26, 10/3, 10/10, 10/17, and 10/24. Its companion course, COMM ST 395-CN, meets the following five Saturdays, between November 7 and December 12. In this format, there is no class meeting for either course on Saturday, October 31. Enrollment in both courses is not required.

Persuasive attempts are pervasive in today's society and some research indicates that individuals are bombarded with up to 3000 messages intended to influence them in one form or another every day. This course is designed to explore the theoretical foundations of persuasion in its various forms, from simple compliance-gaining attempts to deeper-level attitudinal change. It provides an overview of the various contexts and application of persuasion theories in which people attempt to influence one another's values, behaviors, and attitudes, including in relationships, organizations, and the mass culture.

Argumentation is the study of effective reasoning. It considers how people give reasons to justify their acts, beliefs, attitudes, and values and to influence the thought and action of others. This course explores how to analyze and evaluate arguments as well as how to construct and challenge arguments in interpersonal settings, in the public forum, and in the mass media.

Theories and research relating to the various processes by which leaders make decisions, affect group behavior, and engage groups in a variety of task- and strategy-related outcomes. Group communication is stressed, with a particular emphasis on change and conflict.

Introductory survey of current issues in research on the mass media, the Internet, and computer-mediated communication.

This course examines theories and research dealing with communication in formal organizations and institutions. Various models of organizational communication are introduced, as well as historical and current research in the field. Students learn to analyze and integrate theory and research and apply what they learn to current organizations. Prerequisites: COMM ST 250.

This course examines theories and research dealing with communication in formal organizations and institutions. Various models of organizational communication are introduced, as well as historical and current research in the field. Students learn to analyze and integrate theory and research and apply what they learn to current organizations.This course combines classroom lecture and discussion with an online component. Students must have ready access to the Internet. Prerequisites: COMM ST 250.

This course is designed to explore the various processes of professional-client communications, including organizational theory, social, and managerial activities. Special emphasis is given to areas of interpersonal and intergroup conflict as well as ethics and its links to decision-making in business contexts. In addition, specific business frameworks are used to show practical applications of professional-client theory, including sales, consulting, and legal perspectives, among others. The primary purpose of the course is for each participant to gain insight into his or her own communication style and to become a more effective communicator, especially in the professional world where most people spend a major portion of their lives. The course involves extensive use of cases and participative activities, enhanced by rigorous self-review and introspection. Prerequisite: COMM ST 250.

This course is designed to explore the processes of bargaining and negotiation as theoretical, social, and managerial activities. It provides an overview of the basic theoretical approaches, concepts, processes, and research in bargaining and negotiation. Special emphasis is given in the areas of interpersonal and intergroup conflict as well as strategic decision-making and its links to negotiating. In addition, interpersonal influence techniques and the tactics and strategies involved with improved bargaining and negotiation are covered. The major purpose of the course is for each participant to gain insight into his or her own negotiating style and to become a more effective negotiator, as well as a more astute observer of social processes. The course involves extensive use of cases, role-plays, and related participative activities, enhanced by rigorous self-review and introspection. Prerequisite: COMM ST 205.

This course examines collective decision-making and communication in organizations through a survey of research surrounding group decision-making, while also considering organizational culture and organizational change. The course has strong participation and experiential components, including working on a team for a variety of projects during the quarter to process, utilize, analyze, and appraise the research that we discuss in class and in course readings. This course is not a traditional course per se, but is based on experiential learning, a process that incorporates prior and new knowledge with activities, ending with a reflection which leads to new knowledge. Students are first engaged in the concepts and theories surrounding collective decision-making, organizational culture, and organizational change; students are then asked to apply these theories within their teams in order to observe these concepts, to achieve the skills related to these concepts, and to analyze these theories, concepts, and skills for future use. Prerequisite: COMM ST 360.

When we sit down to watch a movie, we take in communication and behaviors that both reflect and shape our real-world communication and behaviors. But in the end, is what we see on the screen real or not? Are we seeing true cultural and social evidence, or are we seeing a stylized representation of reality? This course examines theories and concepts in communication studies in the domain of the popular medium of film. As film is its own form of communication, this course explores how it influences our everyday communication in a variety of contexts, while analyzing different aspects of communication studies, which may include intrapersonal communication, relational communication, group communication and organizational communication, intercultural communication, as well as public address. This course is presented in a five-week format (along with others during each academic term), to provide more flexible course schedule options. Each quarter, students can take one or two intensive Saturday courses that meet for six hours, in addition to the regularly scheduled weeknight courses. This course, COMM ST 395-CN, meets for five Saturdays from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm: 11/7, 11/14, 11/21, 12/5, and 12/12. There is no class meeting 11/28 due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Its companion course, COMM ST 102-CN, meets the preceding five Saturdays, between September 26 and October 24. In this format, there is no class meeting for either course on Saturday, October 31. Enrollment in both courses is not required. Registration for COMM ST 395 is open through October 23; late registration for this course begins October 24.