Syllabus

ComSt 311: Studies in Interpersonal Communication

Spring 2015
Name: Dr. Coffelt
E-mail:
tcoffelt@iastate.edu
Office: 348 Carver
Office phone: 294-1724
Office hours: MT 1:00-3:00 and by appointment
I respond to e-mail received during the work day within 2-3 hours. Messages received after 5:00
p.m. may be responded to that evening - by 10:00 a.m. the next day at the latest. Messages
received on the weekends are usually responded to on Monday morning. I am brief and efficient
when I respond to e-mail, especially when responding on the iPhone. I am rarely short, angry, or
upset. A non-response from me typically means Ive said all Im going to say on a topic.
Course Description
A study of contemporary interpersonal communication theories and research. Emphasis on
relational development research including initiation, maintenance, conflict management, and
dissolution.
Course Objectives
1. To increase awareness and understanding of interpersonal communication.
2. To introduce fundamental theories of interpersonal communication.
3. To enhance awareness of the importance of effective interpersonal communication.
Text, Readings, & Materials
Course readings available as pdf files on Blackboard. I strongly recommend printing them out to
read them. I print two pages per sheet to conserve paper.
Attendance
You are expected to attend all classes, including the first day. You gain the full impact of the
course by attending class sessions because there will be frequent discussion during class. You
can miss up to 3 hours with no impact on your gradehowever THERE ARE NO
EXCUSED ABSENCES. I do not believe it is necessary or appropriate for me to make
judgments about the legitimacy of each absence. You do not need my permission nor do you
need to provide evidence for why you are absentthe choice is yoursbut be prudent in using
these vacation/sick/personal hours. Frequent lateness or early departures will be converted to
absences at my discretion. If you know this policy conflicts with other commitments, see me
immediately; it might be necessary to drop the course.

Scenarios:
You have a doctors appointment during class time and miss three hours. Should you bring a note
so you wont be counted absent? No need. You are absent and have three hours available for this
purpose without consequence to your grade.
You want to go swimming and need a mental break and miss three hours. Two weeks later, your
blood sugar spikes and you need time to monitor your blood sugar, which takes about two hours
to get it under control. Will this be counted as an absence? Yes, you have exceeded the three
hours allowed. The sequence of absences and your rationale for taking an absence are up to you.
There are consequences when you exceed three hours.
Your grandparent passes away and you want to go home and be with family,
which will take two class periods and exceed the three hours. Will the hours
over three be counted as absences? Yes. What if its your parent? Well talk.
You are in a car accident, have a concussion, and are given instruction not to
move for a week. You have a document from a health care provider
recommending bed rest. Is that counted against the hours? This situation is an
extenuating (and rare) circumstance. You may need to consider dropping the
class or taking an incomplete. Communicate with me so that we can assess all the factors and
make a good decision.
University related events: You may be absent from class, but you are not absent from your
responsibilities as an ISU student when you engage in university-related activities. If you NEED
to miss class for field trips, conferences, athletic meets, musical/theatre performances, etc., you
will not have a grade reduction WHEN I have a letter from an instructor/advisor/coach/etc.
Absences related to social organizations are excused to attend leadership conferences with
documentation from the advisor.
If class is missed for any reason, it is your responsibility to remain current with the course by
first, checking in with colleagues to get notes and announcements, and second, contacting me
when you would like more explanation about a concept/assignment.
4-7 hours of absence will result in a one letter grade drop (e.g., A- to a B-)
8 hours or more will result in a two letter grade drop (e.g., A- to C-)
Assignments
1.
2.
3.
4.

Class participation
Readings worksheets
Discussion leader
Literature reviews

25 (L)
25 (L; 1 point per article)
25 (M)
325 (H)
400 points

See individual assignment sheets on Blackboard for more detail.

Grading
Low stakes grading refers to liberal criteria when evaluating student performance. High stakes
grading refers to rigorous standards when evaluating student performance. Medium stakes
grading reflects an ambiguous area somewhere inbetween grading wont be nit picky but the
product must merit collegiate work at the junior level; Note an L, M, or H beside each
assignment to designate it as low or high stakes grading. Grade sheets accompany high stakes
grading assignments.
Errors in grading must be brought to my attention within 3 hours of receiving an assignment.
Disagreements about grading standards (as in you think you should have received
a B+ when I assigned a B) are non-negotiable items. Your perception of your
performance and my perception of your performance may differ. My
perception is the one that counts.
Grades
The following scale will be used in determining your final grade:
100-93.0% = A

86.9-83.0 = B

76.9-73.0 = C

66.9-63.0 = D

92.9-90.0 = A-

82.9-80.0 = B-

72.9-70.0 = C-

62.9-60.0 = D-

89.9-87.0 = B+

79.9-77.0 = C+

69.9-67.0 = D+

59.9- 0 = F

Raw scores are exported to Excel for final calculation and letter grade determination. Scores are
rounded to the nearest tenths place (not nearest whole number). Thus, an 89.8 is a B+, not an A-.
Blackboard and E-mail
Course documents are available on the course Blackboard (BB) site. Grades are posted there, as
well, for your review. It is your responsibility to confirm accuracy of posting. If you notice a
typo, bring me the graded document with the score and I will promptly change the score.
You are encouraged to contact me via e-mail when you have questions. I respond within 24 hours
or less during the week. Please note my response time is much slower on the weekend, if at all. If
I respond via smartphone, the message will likely be short, sweet, and to the point.
Time Management
I am not a procrastinator and have little sympathy for those who are. GET YOUR WORK DONE
ON TIME. If you would like to discuss strategies for time management, breaking down large
projects into smaller tasks, organizing course materials, or other aspects of time management, I
am happy to meet with you and talk about ways to get organized. Procrastination is often an
indicator of fear or perfectionism. We want to be perfect and arent clear about how to be perfect,
so we wait until the last minute because we spend time worrying about being perfect. Walk

through this fear use it to your advantage to develop drafts early and give yourself time to
revise.
I assume you are spending this much time doing these things if you want to
earn an A:

Read articles and complete worksheets = 1-2 hours/article

Re-read pertinent sections of articles, think, reflect, critique = 1 hour/day
Complete assignments = 1-2 hours/day

Late Work
All work is due by the beginning of class time on the posted/announced due date in printed
format. No exceptions (well maybe one or two in extenuating circumstances.)
Classroom Expectations
Respect: Show respect to yourself, fellow students, and me by being attentive and removing
distractions. The following behaviors, for example, show disrespect to the educational
process, your peers, and me: reading unrelated class materials (e.g., Facebook, The Daily)
during class, talking at inappropriate times, arriving late, sleeping (especially snorers),
packing up early to leave, and using your cell phone for anything non-class related,
among others.
Not Leaving Class Once it Begins: Make any necessary stops to the restroom before class
begins.
Laptops: Laptops/netbooks/ipads may be helpful for this class. You can display articles and
highlight or take notes on these devices during class.
Cell phones: Occasional polls of the students in class will be taken by using codes through text
messaging. Internet searches may be done on occasion for in-class activities. Excessive
texting during class warrants a surrender of your phone until class is complete.
Academic Integrity
Do your own work. Cite the work of others when it isnt yours. No more than 10% of a paper
should be directly quoted material. See the next two pages for more elaboration.
Academic misconduct. All acts of dishonesty in any work constitute academic misconduct. The
Student Disciplinary Regulations will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.
Depending on the act, a student could receive an F grade on the test/assignment, F grade for the
course, and could be suspended or expelled from the University. Academic misconduct includes
all acts of dishonesty in any academically-related matter and any knowing attempt to help
4

another student commit an act of academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not
limited to each of the following acts when performed in any type of
academic or academically-related matter, exercise, or activity:
Obtaining unauthorized information. Information is
obtained dishonestly, for example, by copying graded
homework assignments from another student, by working
with another student on a take-home test or homework when
not specifically permitted to do so by the instructor, or by
looking at your notes or other written work during an examination when not specifically
permitted to do so.
Tendering of information. Students may not give or sell their work to another person who plans
to submit it as his or her own. This includes giving their work to another student to be copied,
giving someone answers to exam questions during the exam, taking an exam and discussing its
contents with students who will be taking the same exam, or giving or selling a term paper to
another student.
Misrepresentation. Students misrepresent their work by handing in the work of someone else.
The following are examples: purchasing a paper from a term paper service; reproducing another
persons paper (even with modifications) and submitting it as their own; having another student
do their computer program or having someone else take their exam.
Bribery. Offering money or any item or service to a faculty member or any other person to gain
academic advantage for yourself or another is dishonest.
Plagiarism. Unacknowledged use of the information, ideas, or phrasing of other writers is an
offense comparable with theft and fraud, and it is so recognized by the copyright and patent laws.
Literary offenses of this kind are known as plagiarism.
Students with Disabilities
Please address any special needs or accommodations with me at the beginning of the semester or
as soon as you become aware of your needs. Those seeking accommodations based on
disabilities should obtain a Student Academic Accommodation Request (SAAR) form from the
Student Disability Resource (SDR) office (phone 515-294-7220). SDR is located on the main
floor of the Student Services Building, Room 1076.
Sexual Harassment
Refer to this website as one source of information:
http://www.dso.iastate.edu/sexualmisconduct/