PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION

Dept of Communication and Journalism

University of New Mexico

Course Syllabus

 

Instructor Contact Information:

Pamela Lutgen-Sandvik; Phone: (office) 505-277-2194, call during office hours

Office: C&J 221

Office hours: M/W 12:30 – 1:30 and by appointment.

Email: plutgen@unm.edu

 

This course is designed to develop professional communication skills to enhance your performance, as well as your satisfaction with your performance, in the workplace. Central to your success at work are writing, speaking, listening and problem-solving skills. Additionally, the ability to make ethical decisions and work productively with others is of central importance to many employers. As such, the following are the main goals for learners in this course: (a) improve speaking and listening skills, (b) develop problem-solving skills, (c) improve basic writing skills, and (d) enhance interpersonal communication effectiveness in the workplace.

Specifically, this course will help students to:

·                    Develop an understanding of the principles and ethical issues of business and professional communication

·                    Hone both speaking and listening skills

·                    Enhance communication skills and develop self-confidence

·                    Improve writing and research skills

·                    Understand how the audience and context influence message construction and delivery

·                    Recognize and apply different types of presentation skills (informative, persuasive)

 

TEXTS: 

1. The course “text” will consist of numerous articles and handouts. I will post most of these on WebCT. Students can access and print out or read online.

2. Professional Writing Workbook. Students will purchase a copy of this bound workbook from the UNM Copy Center in Dane Smith Hall, Room 124. This workbook is required.

 
GRADES: Final grades are based on the percentage of points earned.

 

97.6-100

A+

92.6-97.5

A

89.6-92.5

A-

87.6-89.5

B+

82.6-87.5

B

79.6-82.5

B-

77.6-79.5

C+

72.6-77.5

C

69.6-72.5

C-

59.9-69.5

D

< 59.9

F

 

 

 

Grade Posting: Grades will be posted on the WebCT course supplemental site as soon as possible after assignment grading.
COURSE FORMAT:

 

Learning Teams: Each student will be placed in a zero history (together for first time), heterogeneous (different kinds of members) team that will stay together over the course of the semester. Students will be responsible for the initial acquisition of the course content (assigned readings) and for working collaboratively with other students in applications of the content.

 

Attendance: Learning in this course takes two major forms--cognitive and experiential. The latter requires participation and observation in common classroom experiences. Although attendance is not required, students’ grades will indirectly reflect absences through peer evaluation. It will be impossible to fully participate in your team’s interactions if you are not in class. The first step in receiving full credit for participation is to come to all the classes. In addition, please be on time.

 

Email:  Students can email me through the WebCT course supplemental site or directly at plutgen@unm.edu. Students can email each other and/or the instructor through the WebCT system. Logon to  https://vista.unm.edu/webct, click on “Communication Tools” icon, and then the “Email” icon. To reply or respond to course emails, you will have to do so in the WebCT course site. I will check course email at least once daily. Please email again or call me if you do not receive a response within three (3) working days of sending me an email message; there is always the possibility of problems with electronic messaging.  I will not send grades or otherwise private student information via email.  Papers will not be accepted via email.

 

Academic Integrity:  You will be expected to maintain the highest standard of academic integrity. Violations include, but are not limited to, cheating, fabrication, tampering, plagiarism or facilitating such activities. These actions are grounds for immediate failure. The University reserves the right to take disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, against any student who is found guilty of academic dishonesty or otherwise fails to meet these standards. In this graduate course, you are expected to know APA style for citing outside sources. Plagiarism is one of the most serious ethical missteps a scholar can make, so it is imperative to give credit where credit is due. See for UNM academic honesty policy and statement at http://handbook.unm.edu/D100.html. Students who have questions concerning scholastic regulations and procedures at the University should refer to the "General Academic Regulations" section of the University Catalog.

Written Work Guidelines (except for in-class writing):

1.      Word-processed work (12 font, left-hand justified, double-spaced, 1” margins, APA format)

2.      Hand-written work (in-class assignments, workbook; neatly printed or written; black or blue ink or No.2 pencil)

3.      Accurate written form (structure, punctuation, spelling, etc.) See  Writing Workbook

4.      Late assignments subject to Late Work policy below.

 

Late Work Grading Policy:

  1. - 10% of possible points for each day late including -10% for assignments submitted anytime after class period in which it is due
  2. Maximum late deduction 50%

Grade Appeals:

 

Readiness Assessment Tests: If a team believes that their answer to a particular question on a Readiness Assessment Test (RAT) is as good as, or better than, the one designated as correct by your professor, the team may submit a written appeal. Use the forms provided in the team folder. All appeals must be in writing and come from teams. Individuals cannot make RAT question appeals. If the appeal is granted, points go only to the team that structured and submitted the appeal. Detailed instructions for the appeal process are included in the reading packet. When an appealed answer will benefit an individual team member, adjustments will be made accordingly. Granted team-appealed answers will never work to the detriment of individual test scores.

 

Assignments:  I will not discuss grades on the day an assignment is returned.

  1. Wait at least twenty-four hours
  2. Complete within 7 days of receiving disputed grade
  3. Review work, reread the grade descriptions on syllabus, reread assignment details, and reflect on instructor’s comments/earned grade
  4. With this in mind, submit appeal in writing
  5. Two key areas: (1st most important):
    1. substantive areas, reasons, points, and arguments that substantiate a different grade based on assignment details
    2. earned grade the assignment should have received
  6. Submit via email or in writing 

 

ADA Accessibility: Qualified students with disabilities needing appropriate academic adjustments should contact me as soon as possible to ensure your needs are met in a timely manner. Handouts are available in alternative accessible formats upon request.

 

Diversity: This course encourages different perspectives related to such factors as gender, race, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and other relevant cultural identities. This course seeks to foster understanding and inclusiveness related to such diverse perspectives and ways of communicating.

 

Ethics: The course emphasizes ethical practices and perspectives. Above all, students and instructors should strive to communicate and act, both in class interactions and in assigned coursework, in a manner directed by personal integrity, honesty, and respect for self and others. Included in this focus is the need for academic honesty by students as stated by the UNM Pathfinder. Students need to do original work and properly cite sources. For example, be aware of plagiarism—directly copying more than 3 or 4 words from another author without quoting (not just citing) the author is plagiarism. Further, course content will encourage the ethical practices and analysis of professional communication.
FIVE (5)COURSE CONTENT MACRO UNIT READING FOR RATS

These readings are posted on the WebCT supplemental course site: https://vista.unm.edu/webct 

 

UNIT 1: SOCIAL AND INTERACTIONAL SKILLS

1.      How to Make a Strong First Impression

2.      Keeping a job—Work relationships (skip questions but read end section of the piece)

3.      Work Relationships (O’Hair et al., pp. 178-191, 197-206—skip mentoring relationships)

4.      (Also do the following before class on 8/29)

a.      Complete “Please Understand Me” Test

b.      Read your type in Kiersey Sixteen Types

c.      Complete “Social Styles Questionnaire”

 

UNIT 2: ACTIVE LISTENING

  1. Goodall, Listening in the Workplace.
  2. Nadig, Tips on Effective Listening
  3. Blodgett, Six Ways to be a Better Listener
  4. Salopek, Is Anyone Listening?

 

UNIT 3: BASIC WRITING SKILLS

1.      Ober, Writing with Style

2.      Komando, Email Mistakes

3.      Guffey, Emails and Memoranda

4.      Professional Writing Workbook (due day of RAT 3)

 

UNIT 4: PROBLEM-SOLVING MODELS

  1. Lutgen-Sandvik, Problem-solving model
  2. Beebe & Masterson (2003). Reflective Thinking: The traditional approach to group problem solving; Brainstorming: A creative approach to generating ideas for problem solving. In Communicating in small groups (pp. 220-240).
  3. Davis, G. CPS Model from Creativity is Forever

 

UNIT 5: SPEAKING IN PROFESSIONAL CONTEXTS

  1. Speech Basics 101
  2. Informative and Persuasive Speech Preparation
  3. Monroe’s Motivated Sequence 
  4. Communication Competencies
  5. Questions in Employment Interviews

 

ASSIGNMENTS

 

Individual Performance

Team Performance

·      5 Individual RATs (100)

·      Writing workbook

·      Individual speeches (100)

·      Behavioral interview questions (50)

·      Final Exam (100)

·      5 Group RATs (100)

·      In-class team activities (varies)

·      Problem-solving application (150)

·      End of Semester Peer Evaluation (determines % of team grade to be awarded)

 

ASSIGNMENTS: Details for assignments will be posted on the WebCT site. Aside from in-class work, students will submit most assignments via the WebCT site. See end of syllabus for detailed instructions.

  1. Readiness Assessment Tests (RATs): The course material is partitioned into five macro-units. RATs are designed to test reading comprehension for material in required macro-unit readings. For each unit, students will complete an individual test and a group test. Team tests are “self-grading,” so students will immediately know their individual and team scores. Group scores will be posted for comparison across teams.
  2. In-class Team Activities. Much of the course material application will occur in team-based experiential activities, some of which will be graded. 
  3. Problem-Solving Application. Teams will work through the problem solving steps from the Lutgen-Sandvik reading for a problem of their choosing. Problems chosen should be substantive and meaningful. To learn the most possible from this assignment, teams should choose a professional communication problem related to course content.
  4. Writing Workbook: Students will study and complete the Professional Writing Workbook. This is due in class the day of the Writing RAT (see course schedule for date).
  5. Individual Speeches: Students learn how to analyze audiences and will give short informative and persuasive speeches to smooth out delivery and eliminate common speaking problems. Students will also critique others’ speeches.
  6. Behavioral Interview Questions. Students will choose two behavioral interview questions to answer for this assignment, either from the reading or from a web-based source. Answers should be formatted in the SAR format (situation, action, result).
  7. Final Exam: The final exam is cumulative, multiple-choice and will be based on the macro-units’ key concepts. It will focus on broad areas of knowledge, similar to those on RATs. The reading topics for RATS will serve as the final exam study guide.

 

  1. Peer Evaluation. As a part of the final exam, each student will fill out a form for evaluating the contributions of their team members to the team’s overall success. This assessment will be used mathematically to determine the proportion of the group’s points that each member receives. That is, the initial points for graded group work is the same for everyone in the group. This number is then multiplied by a given student’s evaluation score.

 

Make-up: All late work is subject to Late Work policy stated above. Other details are noted here.

RATs: Students absent the day of RATs will have to take them prior to returning to class. In these cases, individual scores will count as both individual and team score. As such, it serves students well not to miss test days.

 

Individual Speeches: When time permits, we will work in short speeches for absent students.

Final Exam: There will be no make-up opportunity for the final exam.

 

 

Course Schedule

 

Readings in parentheses to be completed prior to Readiness Assessment Tests.

Class

#

Date

 

TOPIC

 

ASSIGNMENTS

DUE

1

8/20

 

Introduction to course; team formation; point distribution; overview course structure

 

 

2

8/22

 

Overview of Macro Unit topics; RAT sample test

 

RAT Sample Test

3

8/27

 

RAT 1 (Unit 1 Readings)

 

RAT 1

4

8/29

 

Social, interactional skills; Personality and social interactions tests; “speed impression making”

 

Take “Please Understand Me” and Social Styles tests

 9/3 NO CLASS

5

9/5

 

Social, interactional skills

 

 

6

9/10

 

Social, interactional skills

 

 

7

9/12

 

Social, interactional skills, Grammar/Mechanics Diagnostic Test

 

 

8

9/17

 

RAT 2 (Unit 2 Readings)

 

RAT 2

9

9/19

 

Listening

 

 

10

9/24

 

Listening

 

 

11

9/26

 

Listening

 

 

12

10/1

 

Listening

 

 

13

10/3

 

RAT 3 (Unit 3 Readings)

 

RAT 3

Writing Workbook Due

14

10/8

 

Writing skills

 

 

15

10/10

 

Writing skills

 

 

16

10/15

 

Writing skills

 

 

17

10/17

 

Writing skills