Course objectives

Communication is inherent to human organization and essential to its success. Successful completion of this course enables one to:

1. recall, compare, and give examples of key concepts and theories of organizational communication;
2. ask complex questions about organizational communication and have a sense of how one might answer those questions;
3. analyze and make recommendations from case studies;
4. successfully practice communication skills via class discussion and activities, writing, and student collaboration.

Policy

Active learning and the Web

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” – Confucius

This is an active learning course meaning that you will be engaged with activities such as class and group discussion, participating in and designing class exercises, collaborative note-taking, and peer assessment. An implication of this is, for example, if you do not volunteer at least one good comment or question during a class, I might “cold call” you myself.

I also make much use of the Web. For instance, this syllabus is a Web page and I expect you to follow links.

Academic policies

In short, come to class on time and with the readings and assignments completed; be respectful and willing to collaborate. There are no provisions for missed exams or late assignments. If I notice you texting, then you are doing it too much. If I think your use of a computer is distracting you and others, I will put you on the spot (e.g., ask you to immediately send me your notes). Such deviations from classroom professionalism and respect may result in dismissal from class and demerits against your grade. See full course policies for more detail.

In general, if you have an issue, such as needing an accommodation for a religious obligation or learning disability, speak with me before it affects your performance; afterward it is too late. Do not ask for favors; instead, offer proposals that show initiative and a willingness to work.

Academic Integrity : “The promotion of independent and original scholarship ensures that students derive the most from their educational experience and their pursuit of knowledge.” Violations include cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and participating in or encouraging dishonesty. I will and have reported violators to the Office of Student Conduct.

Assignments

• (20 pts) Class participation .

• (20 pts) Reading responses. For every session for which there is a reading you will write and submit a reading response unless you take a freebie. Absent a specific prompt, summarize and engage. You should compose and keep these in a response file so that you can spell and grammar check your writing, and have your responses as a resource for your assignments. I will assess your response file twice a semester. You are permitted five freebies over the course of the semester, two in the first half and two in the second. Responses that were not submitted by the due date, including freebies, must be documented as such in the response file.

  Responses are due 90 minutes prior to class. Responses must be emailed to me (j.reagle) with a subject prefix of oc-r: followed by a descriptive subject. Use simple plaintext (you can use markdown conventions ), no attachments. If you fail to do this, I may not see the email and you could fail to get credit. Responses are viewable by other students via the Web.

• (05 pts) Exam 1 Prototype and Study Guide

  Work with your (instructor assigned) group to prepare an exam prototype and study guide.

  The exam prototype must have at least ten multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank questions, two short answer questions, and one short essay question. Each question must be followed by a short mnemonic, explanation, and/or example.

  Groups must (roughly) follow the “Project or Work Groups” meeting model from chapter 8 of The Zen of Groups . As an appendix to your guide, include a single page record of your meetings (p. 72). That is, when, who (and roles), agenda items, decisions, and what (if any) techniques you used from the toolkit. You will reflect more substantively on this experience in the Experiential Analysis below.

• (15 pts) Exam 1

• (10 pts) Experiential Analysis

  Write a ~1000 word essay reflecting on organizational experiences you’ve had – if you can, focus on experiences this class, including those of your study guide group.

• (15 pts) Exam 2

• (15 pts) Case analysis

  Write a ~1000 word essay analyzing organizational issues presented in the film Office Space (1999) (or student proposed movie).

• TRACE Our college requires all students to complete TRACE evaluations at the end of the semester. You will be asked to provide a screen shot to your instructor that reflects your participation, even if you (anonymously) opt-out of completing the survey.

Writing requirements (for assignments >= 500 words)

Written assignments must be double-spaced, 12 point font, 1-inch margins. One page should contain approximately 250 words. Pages must be numbered and stapled together. Citations must be in the APA style.

So as to avoid bias, I read assignments “blind” without knowing the author. Hence, your name (and final word count absent bibliography) should only appear on the back side of the final page. (That is, I should only know your name by turning the assignment over.) Consequently, include the assignment appendix as the final page.

All assignments must be reviewed by two peers and assessed according to the writing rubric . Make use of Hacker’s Pocket Manual and my writing tips handout . If you fail to give a peer a draft in time for review; or if they fail to give you a review, document it on the assignment appendix.

On the due date, print copies must be submitted in class and the electronic version must be submitted to BlackBoard Turnitin. The Turnitin version need not include the assignment appendix.

If you have permission to revise a written assignment for re-assessment, please see these revision instructions .

Grading Rubric

“A” students have all of the following attributes, they:

1. show mastery in assignments. Their work demonstrates impressive understanding of readings, discussions, themes and ideas. It is fluid, clear, analytical, well-organized and grammatically polished. Reasoning and logic are well-grounded and examples precise.
2. have virtually perfect attendance . Their commitment to the class resembles that of the teacher.
3. are prepared for class. They always read assignments and participate fully. Their attention to detail is such that they occasionally catch the teacher in a mistake.
4. show interest in the class. They look up or dig out what they don’t understand. They often ask interesting questions or make thoughtful comments.
5. have retentive minds. They are able to connect past learning with the present.
6. have a winning attitude . They have the determination, initiative and self-discipline to succeed.

Please see the complete rubric for more, including specific rubrics for writing and participation.

Resources

Being a good student is a learned skill and craft. “Best practices” are guides to help you learn those skills and include: The Craft of Reading; Making Sense of Concepts; Achieving Balance in Discussion; Some Thoughts on Presenting; Writing Class Essays; and Feedback on Writing: Rubric and Writing.

I provide partial slide handouts for some of my classes. These classes will often contain active class exercises .

This class has an email list associated with it to which we can all send and receive messages.

Northeastern resources

• Library resources
• Writing center

Readings

Most readings are freely available online or on Blackboard. However, you must acquire the following:

• James Surowiecki (2004), The Wisdom of Crowds .
• Dale Hunter, Anne Bailey, Bill Taylor (1995), The Zen of Groups: A Handbook for People Meeting with a Purpose .
• Diane Hacker (2011), A Pocket Style Manual .

A reading calendar is available.

Note the chapter (ch=) or pages (pp=) to read.

Bibliography

Like other skills, bibliography is something you learn to do well. Technology can make it easier. NU makes both RefWorks and EndNote available to students; you can also use the freely available browser-based Zotero . You can then import the bibTeX file of this class’s readings into those applications.