Communication Studies 100B: Critical Analysis of Messages

Presentational Speaking in the Organization – Tuesday/Thursday Traditional Format COURSE SYLLABUS Spring 2010

Professor: Michele S. Foss-Snowden, Ph.D. Class Time: T/Th 1:30 – 2:45pm Office: MND 5015 Classroom: MND 1003 (lecture only) Office Phone: (916) 278-6134 Office Hours: Tuesday, 3:45 – 5:45PM Email: [email protected] (preferred) Mailbox: COMS Office, MND 5014 Web: http://www.csus.edu/indiv/f/foss-snowden

Catalog Description: Communication Studies 103: Contemporary communication techniques for use in business and industry. Principles and practice of oral reporting, persuasive speaking, conference participation, and interpersonal interaction. Prerequisites: I will assume that you have completed your GE oral communication requirement prior to the start of COMS 103, and that you can apply what you learned there to the material you will learn here. If some time has passed between now and when you took your Introduction to Public Speaking course, you might find it helpful to review your notes or textbooks for major concepts before we go too far into the semester. What will I learn in this course? This course is designed to prepare you for the most common speaking situations in the business world. You will have the chance to develop not only your formal presentation skills, but also your ability to speak in impromptu and interview settings, and your ability to work in a group. You will find these skills useful long after your completion of this course, in your other classes and in your career, regardless of industry. Almost all employers recognize the necessity of exceptional communication skills in today’s workplace. How is this class different? In the current economic and socio-political climate, it is not enough to follow the conventional path. Today, you face unique challenges, and as your instructor, I must be willing and able to adapt. The traditional model for a course in presentational speaking looks something like this: the instructor provides a textbook full of predictable chapters, academic theories, and possibly a few case studies for hypothetical application. Students then demonstrate their understanding of the assigned material through tests and speeches that only imitate the actual speaking situations they might encounter outside of the classroom. This traditional model fails to prepare students for the unique challenges mentioned above. So, MY challenge is to deliver the course material in a way that acknowledges your need for immediate and obvious connections to the “real” world. You can think of this course’s lectures, readings, and activities as my answer to the challenge. Remember, COMS 103 is an upper division course in Communication Studies. As such, you should expect plenty of reading, some writing, and a whole lot of speaking. Also, COMS 103 is not COMS 002 or 004 with a business spin. I would be doing you a disservice if I gave you what amounted to a repeat of your Introduction to Public Speaking course. You’ve taken that class. This class is something different. You already know how to give a basic speech. In this class, you’ll learn how to speak as a leader. How is this course structured? You have determined by now that you have enrolled in what we like to call a “traditional” section of the course, which means that around 50% of your time will be spent in a large lecture, and the other 50% of your time will be spent in a smaller, laboratory-style setting. You will attend lecture once a week on COMS 103—Dr. Foss-Snowden 2 Tuesdays, and you will meet weekly with your graduate assistant instructor for the laboratory section, to deliver your speeches, and for other activities. Who is my GA? Your graduate assistant (GA) instructor is a graduate student in the Communication Studies department. She or he has been trained well, and is ready and able to lead the discussion sections of this course. You should feel comfortable asking your GA any questions you might have, but you should also feel free to contact me via email at any time, or to stop by office hours. Unfortunately, some students find that the large lecture format increases the perceived level of distance between student and professor. I would like to combat this distance by assuring you that even though I will not be there to hear your presentations, I am still interested in getting to know you and learning how I can help you succeed in this class. How will I be evaluated? Speeches Formal speaking assignments will account for a large portion of your grade. You will be evaluated on your ability to research, organize, and deliver each speech to your audience. You are expected to pay attention to the time limits for each presentation (they will vary in length). Time penalties for each presentation will also vary. You will be graded on the quality of your speech topics, but you do not need to get approval for the topics you choose. However, your GA and I are happy to discuss possible topics with you. You might worry about another student giving a similar speech, but even if you share a topic, no two perspectives are exactly the same. If you are willing, we will work with you to create a unique presentation. Your first formal speech will be the Speech to Identify. For this speech only, you will have the choice of giving an individual presentation or a duo/group presentation. If you choose the duo or group presentation, the duo/team will deliver a presentation to the class. If you choose the individual presentation, you will deliver the presentation alone. Either option has its benefits and drawbacks, and you should consider all of them before you make your decision. You will receive more information about this (and every) assignment in an Assignment Sheet, which you will be able to download and revisit as you prepare for your presentation. Your second speech is an individual presentation designed to shape the way your audience thinks and feels about a topic of your choice. We will call this speech the Speech to Influence. If it helps you to do so, you can think of this speech as a semi-persuasive speech to inform, with emphasis on the principles of logical reasoning and expression of character. Your third formal speech will require you to utilize all that you have learned in the semester to inspire your audience to act. It should be no shock, then, that this speech is called the Speech to Inspire. In traditional terms, you could think of this speech as a persuasive speech with emphasis on the principles of emotion, or pathos. You will be required to submit a typed outline immediately following the delivery of each speech, and this outline will be counted as a part of your grade for that speech. Handwritten outlines will NOT be accepted and will result in a grade of ZERO for the outline portion of your speech grade. You will only turn in ONE outline: the outline you use to deliver your speech. Please do not print multiple copies of your outline, using one and turning in the other one. Please do not turn in a different version of your outline. The only way we can help you improve your instrument is if you let us see and evaluate EXACTLY what you used. In addition to the Assignment Sheet that will accompany each formal speaking assignment, you will also have access to an Evaluation Sheet that will include the grading criteria and everything you will need to know to complete the assignment successfully. You will also be required to deliver an impromptu (unplanned) speech. You will know your topic only COMS 103—Dr. Foss-Snowden 3 moments before you deliver the speech. If time permits, you can repeat this assignment to get a better grade. Assignment details will be discussed in class. You would be wise to leave yourself enough time to create multiple drafts of each formal presentation. All speeches (even impromptu speeches) take careful thought and clear language. Often the difference between an "A" presentation and a "B" presentation is not that something is right or wrong, but that the "A" speech is more carefully constructed. As we move through the term, point values for each speech will increase. This structure is designed to reward your improvement. Finally, inside and outside the academic world, giving a presentation when it is scheduled is very important. The following questions and answers should help you figure out how to proceed if a missed presentation is imminent. Q. What if it’s the night before my presentation, and I start feeling sick? My doctor said that if I have flu-like symptoms, I should avoid contact with other people. A. Please DO NOT come to class and infect us all! You should send your GA an email, letting her or him know that you are ill and that you will not be in class (if you are so ill that you cannot drag yourself to a computer, then you should go to a medical professional). You should attach your outline to this email as proof that you are not using our lingering H1N1 paranoia as an excuse to miss your speech. You should then be prepared to deliver your speech on the next available day. If the schedule is full, you may be required to deliver your presentation during office hours. Q. What if I have an emergency the day of the presentation? For example, what if I get a flat tire while driving to class? A. Most of these “last minute” emergencies will mean interaction with someone who can verify times and dates in your story (a flat tire would mean a receipt from a tow truck driver or the place where you got the new tire). If you bring your GA some kind of verification, you can deliver your speech on the next available day. Again, if the schedule is full, you may be required to deliver your presentation during office hours. Q. What if I don’t really have an excuse, and I missed the speech for no good reason at all, or no reason I can prove in any way? A. If you miss or “skip” a speech, your grade for that speech will be zero. Depending on your special circumstances, you might be allowed to turn in your outline and earn SOME credit for the assignment. There is a difference between an F and a zero. You have to turn SOMETHING in to receive a failing grade. Make-up speeches will only be granted for emergencies, and with proper notification and verification. Written Assignments No handwritten work will be accepted, period. All written assignments (including the references for your presentations, submitted as a separate “works cited” or “references” page) must use a recognized citation format. We suggest that you use the MLA (Modern Language Association) or APA (American Psychological Association) reference format. The MLA and APA publication manuals can be found in the bookstore and the CSUS Library. Avoid automatic formatting programs, as they are often incorrect and they impair your ability to learn how to do it yourself. Read your work when you feel it is complete, then use spell-check, and then read it again, and then ask a friend to read it for you. Remember, you are expected to perform at a college level in your written work. Misspelling simple words and ignoring obvious typographical errors (even on an outline) will cause your grade to be lowered. Take pride in your work. COMS 103—Dr. Foss-Snowden 4

In general, if you see a problem with meeting established deadlines, talk to your GA about it when it happens, not the minute before your assignment is due. Without prior arrangements or documented emergency (and for the record, a printer that runs out of ink does not count as an emergency), grades on written assignments will be lowered by a full letter grade for each calendar day they are turned in late. These rules apply even if you are absent on the day assignments are due. Quizzes: We will have several quizzes this term; all of the quizzes will be available on SacCT. You will have one hour to complete each quiz, and each quiz will contain between 5 – 15 questions. The questions on these examinations will be designed to test very basic information, so if you have done the reading and if you have taken notes during lecture, you should have little trouble with the quizzes. The quizzes will become unavailable on the last day of instruction, at 11:30pm, so please plan to finish all of them before that time. Participation: Few would disagree with the idea that attendance is directly correlated to higher grades and better retention, but making attendance mandatory and creating negative consequences for absences robs you of your responsibility in the learning process. I will treat you as adults and respect your decisions. However, let me remind you of a few other factors that might influence those decisions: 1) You cannot “participate” if you are not present. 2) A speaker needs an audience, and every student deserves the same chance to garner a variety of feedback. 3) There might be candy, and no one wants to miss candy. So, section attendance is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged. You will earn points just for being in class. Even though attendance is not mandatory, it will be recorded and considered in determination of your participation grade. If you do miss class, it is YOUR responsibility to find out (outside of class time, please) what you missed (including your assigned speaking time). Do not expect your GA to gather materials for you, or to hunt you down with the information you missed. Some discussions may presume you understand major news events. In order to participate, you will need to open yourself to this kind of information. Your GA and I will grade your participation in this class using the following guide:

▪ An “A” student (100 – 90 points) is always present (with the possible exception of one or two excused absences), respectful, prepared and attentive. She/he is enthusiastic, and her/his comments/questions are frequent and relevant. She/he expresses ideas clearly, and supports and encourages her/his classmates’ ideas. In general, she/he is helpful in creating a positive learning environment. She/he does her/his best, all the time. ▪ A “B” student (89 – 80 points) is usually present (with the possible exception of two or three excused absences), respectful, prepared and attentive. She/he contributes to class discussion consistently and responds well when asked direct questions. She/he is somewhat reluctant to volunteer, but does not ever harm the learning environment. ▪ A “C” student (79 – 70 points) might miss class frequently (more than three excused or unexcused absences), and is sometimes unprepared or inattentive. She/he does not volunteer, but does not actively damage the learning environment. ▪ A “D” student (69 – 60 points) is often unprepared and misses class frequently (more than four absences, excused or unexcused). She/he is unable to respond relevantly or with much insight. She/he sometimes interrupts other students, makes inappropriate remarks, or does not even listen (choosing instead to text, twitter, facebook, or work on unrelated projects). In general, this student is sometimes disrespectful and uncooperative, and can inhibit the learning process. ▪ A failing student (59 points and below) is unprepared and uncooperative. She/he exhibits intense or frequent “D” type behaviors. COMS 103—Dr. Foss-Snowden 5

How will I earn points? ▪ Formal Speeches - Speech to Identify (4 – 6 min per speaker) 150 points ______* - Speech to Influence (5 – 7 min) 200 points ______- Speech to Inspire (6 – 8 min) 250 points ______▪ Impromptu Speech (3 – 5 min) 50 points ______▪ Quizzes - 10 @ 15 points each 150 points ______▪ Written Assignment - Interview Paper 100 points ______▪ Participation 100 points ______▪ Total 1000 points ______

* Please use these spaces to record your scores on each assignment. You will then know as much as we do about how you are progressing in the class and what your final grade should be (no surprises).

How will points translate into my final letter grade? Grading in this class will be based on a strict 1000-point grade scale. There will be no curve. The only person you must compete with to earn a good grade in this class is yourself. This grading policy reflects the assignment of grades under typical circumstances, but I will reserve the right to adjust final grades based upon discussions with your GA regarding her or his assessment of factors such as your general attitude toward learning and each other, improvement, and effort. Students who do not participate outside of their own work should not expect the benefit of the doubt at the end of the term. I will figure your final grade using the following guide:

1000 – 930 = A 929 – 900 = A – 899 – 870 = B + 869 – 830 = B 829 – 800 = B – 799 – 770 = C + 769 – 730 = C 729 – 700 = C – 699 – 670 = D + 669 – 630 = D 629 – 600 = D – 599 and below = Fail

What materials will I need? 1. Foss-Snowden, M. (Ed.). (2010). Presentational Speaking Anthology (Revised Edition). San Diego, CA: University Readers. 2. One iClicker brand classroom response device The reader listed above, Presentational Speaking Anthology, is now available online at www.universityreaders.com. I have carefully selected the readings included in this reader to provide you with a more relevant, custom learning experience. Please purchase this reader to stay on top of the course material. Doing so will help you be successful in our assignments, speeches, and quizzes. The reader price is $59.95, and includes materials that we will use in class daily, so you should purchase your own copy. Also, please keep in mind that our institution adheres to copyright law, so any copyrighted material should not be copied or duplicated in any manner. To purchase the reader, please follow the instructions below: Step 1: Log on to www.universityreaders.com. COMS 103—Dr. Foss-Snowden 6 Step 2: Click on the white "STUDENTS BUY HERE" button located in the "Student Store" section (upper right corner of the page). Step 3: Create an account or log in if you have an existing account to purchase. Step 4: Easy-to-follow instructions will guide you through the rest of the ordering process. Payment can be made by all major credit cards or with an electronic check. Orders are typically processed within 24 hours and the shipping time will depend on the selected shipping method and day it is shipped (orders are not shipped on Sundays or holidays). If you experience any difficulties, please email [email protected] or call 800.200.3908. After purchasing, you will also be emailed instructions on how to download a free 20% PDF to get started on your required readings right away. If you have a disability, please let me know, as University Readers is happy to provide the necessary file-type to accommodate you. Note: You are expected to complete all of the assigned readings by the date that reading is listed in the class schedule. Lectures will often include information not covered in the reader, and you are responsible for both come quiz and speech time. Finally, the iClicker classroom response device is available at the bookstore or in various places online (I found one on eBay for $1.00). You will use this device in our class activities, for attendance, and in numerous other ways. You can think of it as another book for the class. Note: There are multiple electronic classroom response systems available on campus. We are only using iClicker. Other devices will not work. What will be expected of me in the classroom (etiquette)? As much as is possible, we are going to try to recreate the kind of environment you will encounter when you deliver presentations outside of the academic environment. So, use that idea as your guide when trying to determine if a certain behavior is or is not appropriate. For example, if you would not pull out your phone and send text messages during a board meeting, then you should not do so during class. If you would not pop open your laptop and update your Facebook status while your employer was presenting, you should not do so here, either. If it could get you fired or reprimanded in the business world, it can damage your participation in class. Please use your best judgment, and try to be polite and respectful. If you cannot avoid being late to class, PLEASE do not enter the classroom while a student is delivering a speech. Please wait until the speaker finishes before entering (listen for the sound of applause if the door is closed). The same rule applies to leaving class early. The more you actively attend to the speaker or information being delivered, the more you will get from this class. In other words, if you are chatting with your neighbor or reading the paper or sleeping, you are not only missing important information, but also you are keeping your classmates from that information. We expect you to be good citizens and active participants in the learning process, which means you should use common sense as to what is and what is not acceptable in the classroom. Your GA will ask you how you want to be addressed, and she/he will address you by that name and/or title. She/he will ask you to do the same for her/him. We will ask you to come to class prepared for the day’s activities, and we will insist that you respect the opinions of others. You may not always agree with the views of your classmates and/or instructor, but we must all agree to respect diversity in experiences, thoughts, and comments. Such respect strengthens us as a class, a campus, and a people. What will be expected of me elsewhere (etiquette/netiquette)? It is likely that most of our communication with each other will happen via email. You should consider these emails opportunities to practice business/organizational standards for electronic communication. In COMS 103—Dr. Foss-Snowden 7 other words, you should include a greeting and a signature, you should use spell check before you hit send, you should use proper grammar, punctuation, and capitalization (an email to me or your GA and a text message to your friend are two different critters), and you should use a professional email address. Communication etiquette/netiquette, continued: I will try to return any emails within a 48-hour window (I will respond to an email sent on Monday by Wednesday). Please remember that the furlough schedule might affect my ability to respond promptly to your emails. Please copy your GA on all emails sent to me, so that the entire COMS 103 team can be on the same page! Your GA has her or his own policy for responding to email. You should find this policy in her/his GA syllabus. Finally, we will use the email address provided by MySacState if we need to contact you. If your saclink address is NOT your primary address, please forward emails sent to your saclink account to your primary account. We don’t want you to miss any important messages! In the case of any person whose judgment is really deserving of confidence, how has it become so? Because he has kept his mind open to criticism of his opinions and conduct. Because it has been his practice to listen to all that could be said against him; to profit by as much of it as was just, and expound to himself, and upon occasion to others, the fallacy of what was fallacious. Because he has felt, that the only way in which a human being can make some approach to knowing the whole of a subject, is by hearing what can be said about it by persons of every variety of opinion, and studying all modes in which it can be looked at by every character of mind. No wise man [or woman] ever acquired his wisdom in any mode but this; nor is it in the nature of human intellect to become wise in any other manner. –John Stuart Mill, from On Liberty Is there any other important information? If you have any questions, your first step should be consulting this syllabus. You’ll find most of the answers you are looking for, and you’ll save us both the awkward moment when I tell you to go read the syllabus. It is YOUR responsibility to understand when you need to consider dropping this course. Refer to the Academic Calendar (http://www.csus.edu/acaf/calendars/spr10.stm) for these important dates and deadlines. After the census date (February 19, 2010), a serious and compelling reason is required to drop from the course. Serious and compelling reasons include: 1) documented and significant change in work hours, leaving you unable to attend the class, or 2) documented and severe physical/mental illness/injury to you or someone in your family. You should make a copy of every assignment you turn in, and you should keep all graded work that is returned to you. An Incomplete will be awarded only to individuals who have completed at least 80% of the course, and only with a valid, verified emergency. Start thinking about each assignment as soon as possible. The semester will move like lightning and you will thank yourself later for planning ahead now. If you have a disability and require accommodations, you need to provide disability documentation to SSWD, Lassen Hall 1008, (916) 278-6955. Please discuss your accommodation needs with me after class or during office hours early in the semester. Is this syllabus set in stone? I reserve the right to make changes to this syllabus should I determine that such changes would better meet your needs as students in this class. Should I keep this syllabus? COMS 103—Dr. Foss-Snowden 8 This syllabus represents a shared agreement between students and instructor. Please keep the syllabus with the rest of your materials for this class, as you will need to refer to it at various times during the term. We will ask you to complete and sign the last page of this syllabus to indicate that you have read and understood the class policies and procedures. What are the campus policies on plagiarism and academic honesty? At CSUS plagiarism is the use of distinctive ideas or works belonging to another person without providing adequate acknowledgement of that person’s contribution. Regardless of the means of appropriation, incorporation of another’s work into one’s own requires adequate identification and acknowledgement. Plagiarism is doubly unethical because it deprives the author of rightful credit and gives credit to someone who has not earned it. Acknowledgement is not necessary when the material used is common knowledge. For more detail, go to: http://www.csus.edu/admbus/umanual/UMA00150.htm. In Communication Studies classes, plagiarism is defined the use of somebody else's material as your own in a speech, film, or research paper without giving credit to the author. It includes, particularly, the following: 1. Use of somebody else's exact wording, whatever the material, without indication of the source and quotation marks or other accepted typographical devices. Changing a few words here and there is not sufficient to avoid plagiarism; 2. Borrowing the whole pattern of organization and points of view of a source without giving credit via standard in-text written citation; 3. Borrowing facts, figures, or ideas which originated with and are the property of a particular source, rather than a matter of common information available in many sources; 4. Collaborating with other students to the extent that two or more assignments are identical in pattern of organization, points of view, or wording. What is the COURSE policy on plagiarism and academic honesty? ANY USE OF PLAGIARIZED MATERIAL OR ANY INSTANCE OF CHEATING WILL RESULT IN A GRADE OF "F" FOR THE ENTIRE COURSE, NOT JUST FOR THE ACT IN WHICH SUCH DISHONESTY OCCURS. Save yourself (and me) the headache and learn to respect academic honesty now. If you have ANY questions about how to avoid plagiarism, PLEASE ASK me. I would rather not have to fail you…I am happy to explain any rule that is unclear with NO JUDGMENTS attached. Are the faculty still taking furlough days? For the past 10 years the CSU system has suffered chronic under-funding. This year, because of the state economic crisis, the budget cuts are draconian, $584 million, the worst ever in decades. The CSU administration is attempting to manage these cuts by dramatically increasing student fees and by furloughing almost all University employees, including faculty, staff, and administrators. A furlough means mandatory un-paid days off for employees; there are 18 of these this year for faculty. For students this means that on some days the campus will be closed. The library will have shorter hours and many campus support services will be decreased or eliminated. It will, for example, be more difficult to get signatures to meet deadlines. Some classes you need may have been cut from the class schedule or are full. The days when I’m forced to cancel class because of the furloughs are marked on your syllabus below. On these days, I will not be able to come to campus or respond to email. These days off are not holidays; they are a very concrete example of how budget cuts have consequences. If you would like to take action, or simply learn more, I strongly recommend you contact the Students for Quality Education at CSU Sacramento: e-mail: [email protected], web: http://www.allianceforthecsu.org/signup.html COMS 103—Dr. Foss-Snowden 9 COMS 103—Dr. Foss-Snowden 10 What is the course schedule? WEEK ONE (Jan. 26/Jan. 28): Introduction to course and each other, and learning styles Readings: Syllabus Lecture: Introduction to course Section: Introduction to GA, and each other WEEK TWO (Feb. 2/Feb. 4): Introduction to communication in the organization Readings: Foss-Snowden, Ch. 1 – 3 Lecture: Communication in the Organization Section: Discuss Learning Styles Assignments due: VARK survey and Student Information Sheet (due in section) WEEK THREE (Feb. 9/Feb. 11): Topic selection and audience adaptation Readings: Foss-Snowden, Ch. 4 – 10 Lecture: Audience Adaptation SacCT: Video: Impromptu speaking Video: Speeches to Identify Section: Topic selection Speech sign-up: Speech to Identify WEEK FOUR (Feb. 16/Feb. 18): Delivery Readings: Foss-Snowden, Ch. 11 – 14 Lecture: Delivery SacCT: Video: Internal and external obstacles to communication Section: Impromptu speeches WEEK FIVE (Feb. 23/Feb. 25): Faculty Furlough

WEEK SIX (March 2/March 4): Organization and Outlining Readings: Foss-Snowden, Ch. 15 – 17 Lecture: Organization SacCT: Video: Outlining Video: Interview Paper Section: Speeches to Identify

WEEK SEVEN (March 9/March 11): Research, Support, and Citation Readings: Foss-Snowden, Ch. 18 – 20 Lecture: Research, support, and citation SacCT: Video: Speeches to Influence Section: Speeches to Identify Speech sign-up: Speech to Influence COMS 103—Dr. Foss-Snowden 11 WEEK EIGHT (March 16/March 18): Interviewing Readings: Foss-Snowden, Ch. 26 Lecture: Interviewing Section: Speeches to Identify WEEK NINE (March 23/March 25): Presentation aids Readings: Foss-Snowden, Ch. 21 – 23 Lecture: Presentation aids lecture SacCT: Video: Speech to Inspire Section: Speeches to Influence

WEEK TEN (March 30/April 1): Spring Break! Classes will not be held!

WEEK ELEVEN (April 6/April 8): Nonverbal communication Readings: Foss-Snowden, Ch. 24 Lecture: Nonverbal communication Section: Speeches to Influence Assignments due: Interview paper (due in section) WEEK TWELVE (April 13/April 15): Logic and proof Readings: Foss-Snowden, Ch. 25 Lecture: Logic and proof Section: Speeches to Influence WEEK THIRTEEN (April 20/April 22): Diversity and beyond Readings: Foss-Snowden, Ch. 27 – 30 Lecture: Diversity Section: Speeches to Inspire

WEEK FOURTEEN (April 27/April 29): Listening Lecture: Listening Section: Speeches to Inspire WEEK FIFTEEN (May 4/May 6): Applications Lecture: Applications Section: Speeches to Inspire WEEK SIXTEEN (May 11/May 13): Wrap-ups and evaluations Lecture: Loose ends Section: Leftovers and evaluations COMS 103—Dr. Foss-Snowden 12

Grade Policy from CSUS catalog A Exemplary achievement of the course objectives. In addition being clearly and significantly above the requirements, work exhibited is of an independent, creative contributory nature. B Superior achievement of the course objectives. The performance is clearly and significantly above the satisfactory fulfillment of course requirements. C Satisfactory achievement of the course objectives. The student is now prepared for advanced work or study. D Unsatisfactory achievement toward the course objectives, yet achievement of a sufficient proportion of the objectives so that it is not necessary to repeat the course unless required to do so by the academic department. F Unsatisfactory achievement toward the course objectives to an extent that the student must repeat the course to receive credit.

Notes: ______COMS 103—Dr. Foss-Snowden 13 Student Information Sheet and Course Information Contract: Please read and answer every question fully. Please take this assignment seriously, as we will use this information to better serve you as a student. The more detailed and complete your responses, the more effective we can be. When you have completed this form, please print the contract, sign it, and return it to YOUR GA at the next class meeting. All responses will be kept confidential. If you have any concerns or questions, please come see us. Name: -

Major and Concentration: -

E-mail address: -

What, if anything, are you excited about doing this term? -

What, if any, are your concerns about taking this course? -

After completing the VARK questionnaire, please describe your learning style: -

After reading the VARK helpsheets for your learning style, please describe two or three specific techniques you plan to use to succeed in this course: -

Are there any instructional techniques (things that we can do) that you find particularly helpful as a student? -

Are there any instructional techniques (things that we should try to avoid) that past instructors have used that hinder your success as a student? -

What are your current career objectives? -

What are your interests outside of school? How are you unique? -

Do you have any questions (relevant or otherwise) for us? Now’s your chance! -

Please read and sign the following statement: I understand that I am responsible for the information contained within this syllabus. Specifically, I understand the importance of classroom etiquette and academic ethics (particularly concerning plagiarism).

Signed: ______Date: ______