Davis A. Foulger, Ph. D.

Visiting
Professor
Fall, 2005-Spring, 2006
and Fall 2001-Spring 2003

Communication 412: Advanced Interpersonal Communication

Semester Syllabus - Spring, 2002

Davis Foulger

Grades for semester.

Course Schedule and Assignments

are available from the course syllabus web page (http://www.oswego.edu/~dfoulger/AdvancedInterpersonal/semesterSyllabus.htm). This page will change from week to week as the course progresses and assignments are made.

For your reference, the approved department course syllabus has been supplied from the course syllabus web page. A proposed revision of the approved department course syllabus is also available.

Course Overview

Interpersonal Communication is the study of human interaction in dyads (pairs, couples, twos, etc) and informal small groups. The most common form of interpersonal communication, face-to-face communication, is also one of the oldest forms of communication. Face-to-face interaction dominates our lives, whether we are talking to parents, friends, significant others, spouses, salespeople, coworkers, bosses, employees, etc. It is in our interpersonal communication, more than anywhere else, that we define who we are and the nature of our relationships with others. Interpersonal communication is not just something we do, it is something we live. Even if we make a career in the mass media as journalists or broadcasters, it is our interaction with others that will shape our careers and career opportunities. We will find, build, sell, and often even write our stories through interaction with others.

This course will examine the process of interpersonal communication as a focus of theory and research. Particular attention will be paid to core elements of the interpersonal communication process, including non-verbal communication and generic elements of verbal interaction, and to the intersection of theory and research. Specific student interests within the scope of interpersonal communication will be addressed through group projects, which will organize a large portion of the second half of the course, and student papers.

Texts

Guerrero, Laura K., DeVito, Joseph A., and Hecht, Michael L. The Nonverbal Communication Reader: Classic and Contemporary Readings, Second Edition. Waveland Press, 1999.

Hopper, Robert. Telephone Conversation. Indiana University Press; 1992.

Trenholm, Sarah and Jensen, Arthur. 4|e Interpersonal Communication. Wadsworth; 2000

Grading:

Assignment Weight Description
Mid-Term Exam 12% Classic Question and Answer testing, conducted in the middle of the semester. Covers all of the material up until mid-term.
Final Exam 18% Classic Question and Answer testing, conducted at the end of the semester. Covers all of the material covered in the second half of the course, including both group and term paper presentations..
Group Presentation 20% A group research project. Will culminate in a scheduled group presentation.
Index Card Reports 10% Index card assignments entail doing a small assignment involving thought or observation, but with the restriction that the output of the assignment (your answer or observation) must fit on one side of a 3x5 card. There will be approximately 15-25 such assignments, each worth betwen .4 and .66 (10/25 - 10/15). These will not be graded. Simply turning them in on time nets the points, but deductions will be taken if it is obvious that a particular assignment wasn't taken seriously. Index Card Assignments will frequently be used in the course of class discussions.
Observation Assignment 5% An observation of interpersonal interaction.
Term Paper 25% A research paper.
Participation 10% You get this just for showing up prepared at a rate of about .21 (10/45) per class. I will deduct if it is obvious that you were not prepared (e.g. had not done the reading or completed the assignment) on a given day.
Total Grade (based on above) 100%  
Effort Bonus Up to 10% An optional addition, based on knowedgable and enthusiastic participation, interest in subject matter, etc. There is no guarantee I will give any of these points to anyone.

Some notes used in designing the class.