COMM.

174 (502 & 570)

Interpersonal Communication
Fall 2021

Course and Contact Info

Instructor: Mike Rancourt, PhD (please call me anything but “Mr.”)
Email: mrancourt@swccd.edu or through the Canvas inbox tool
Class Website: Canvas (MySWC)
Office Hours: Tuesday 1PM-2PM Zoom

This syllabus is not meant to be printed because it’s 2021.

Table of Contents for this syllabus

Course and Contact Info Assignments
Texts Used in this Class Attendance and Participation
Online Education Format Mutual Consideration
Regular Effective Contact Netiquette
Response Time Late Work
Course Description from SWC Catalog Academic Integrity
Student Learning Outcomes Student Support Services
Course Objectives Students with Disabilities
Mike is a Real Person Advice from my Previous Students
Mike’s Teaching Philosophy Schedule
Grading Appendix: Comm. 174 Assignments

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Texts Used in this Class
The required text for this class is an Open Education textbook available for download
online:
Wrench, Punyanunt-Carter, and Thweatt. Interpersonal Communication: A Mindful
Approach to Relationships. Open SUNY. ISBN 13: 9781942341772

I also recommend the student workbook that goes with the text, available for download
here.
Additional readings provided by PDF on GDrive, Canvas, and in the SWC library.

Online Education Format

Asynchronous
This course will be asynchronous. Students are not required to sign on to Zoom or
any other software for live interaction during assigned class times. Instead, students will
access one module per week on Canvas.

All course content in Canvas

Students will find all course content on Canvas. Modules will include lectures,
discussions (one post by the end of the day Wednesday, one more by the end of the
day Sunday), ungraded exercises, and graded assignments. All assignments will be
submitted via Canvas (one assignment uses Google Docs, which can be accessed
through Canvas). Canvas is also the main tool for communicating with each other—I will
send emails through Canvas, so make sure that Canvas is set up to forward messages
to an email address you check regularly (or check Canvas for messages regularly).

Using Canvas
To access Canvas (as well as campus email, Google Suite, and other apps) start at
MySWC. Questions about Canvas are best handled by Canvas Support (chat and 1-
844-629-6835) and SWC’s Online Learning Center, although I will try to assist you with
technical questions when possible. The Canvas Guides are an excellent resource for
you as well. Finally, I have placed a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) module at the
top of the modules list on Canvas.

Regular Effective Contact

In accordance with federal and state regulations, SWC policy requires instructors to
interact with students regularly and that students interact with each other. This is
important because, otherwise online classes might seem isolating, distant, and
superficial. But we’re real people, and we’re all in this together, so we regularly engage
in effective contact. In this course, students will interact with each other in discussions,
peer review of speech videos and outlines, and group projects. In addition to providing
lectures and course content, I will satisfy regular effective contact requirements by
participating in discussions, sending emails/announcements, and giving feedback on
student work.

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Response Time
Please DO NOT send messages in dialogue boxes in Canvas assignments (called
“submission comments” in Canvas). I am very unlikely to see them. Use email or
Canvas inbox to contact me.
I check my campus email many times throughout the day. If you haven’t heard back
within 12 hours or so of submitting a message, try sending it again.

Course Description from SWC Catalog

(COMM. 174) “Focuses on interpersonal communication theories, principles, and on
public speaking. Emphasis on self-concept, perception, communication climates, verbal
and nonverbal communication, listening, feedback and disclosure skills, conflict styles,
resolution strategies, ethics, and mediated communication. Special focus on
communication in family, friendship, romantic, workplace, and intercultural
relationships.”

Student Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to effectively communicate ideas, perceptions, and feelings.
• Identify causes and styles of conflict, and apply strategies for assertive conflict
resolution.

Course Objectives
1. Student will identify and discuss the evolution of interpersonal communication
theory and principles, from the early application of general principles of
communication to more current research, and describe significant social trends in
contemporary society affecting problems of communication.
2. Student will analyze and discuss the relationship between self and
communication, including defining the self, the process of creating the self, life
scripts, and reflected appraisals.
3. Student will analyze and discuss the process of perception paying particular
attention to variables affecting selection, organization, interpretation of stimuli,
and the guidelines for enhancing perceptual accuracy.
4. Student will analyze and discuss the symbolic nature of language focusing on its
rules, functions, and meanings while examining concepts of general semantics.
5. Student will describe and discuss seven categories of nonverbal communication
by comparing and contrasting differences between verbal and nonverbal
communication and examining the affects of nonverbal dimensions on
interpersonal communication.
6. Student will describe and discuss the listening process, the purposes of listening,
forms of non-listening, guidelines for effective listening, and active listening.
7. Student will define and analyze communication climates, self-disclosure, and
ethical issues regarding competent interpersonal communication.
8. Student will analyze and discuss relational conflict and guidelines for creating
constructive conflict-resolution.

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 9. Student will analyze and discuss the developmental stages and rules that govern
romantic relationship formation, support, and the parameters of quality
communication environments.
10. Student will identify and analyze family formations, types, life cycles, family roles,
rules, functions, meanings, communication patterns, individual and family scripts,
and characteristics as identified in a systems approach to family.
11. Student will identify and discuss the developmental stages and rules that govern
friendship and its formation, including expectations, challenges, patterns of
communication, small group functions, roles, and rules.
12. Student will identify and discuss the developmental stages and rules that govern
workplace relationships: formation, expectations, challenges, patterns of
communication, small group functions, roles, and rules.
13. Student will compare and contrast communication behavioral cues and their
effect on communication between two culturally diverse groups inside or outside
of the U.S.
14. Student will analyze and discuss the influences of media on interpersonal
communication.
15. Student will participate in the application of course materials through active
listening, critical analysis, dyadic interactions, role-playing, and group discussion
with preparatory written and oral feedback, and individual preparatory written and
oral presentations.

Mike is a Real Person

They say that in these unprecedented times you should personalize your syllabus, so I
decided to add a new section I’ve never had in a syllabus before to share some
personal info. For the boring part, I’ll say that I went to college. I’ll even give some
details and say I started at Mesa College and then got an AA in “Transfer Studies” from
City College, then a BA in English with a Single Subject Teaching emphasis from
SDSU, then a teaching credential in English from SDSU, then an MFA in Creative
Writing for poetry at SDSU, then a PhD in Communication and Rhetoric from
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY (I was there for four years and still spell it
wrong every time… Rensselaer, I mean, not Troi). Also, they say to add a photo of
yourself, so here’s me looking like a badass, X’ed up and playing guitar with a broken
wrist in my early-2000s screamo (or Skramz) band. The photo was taken at the Che
Café at UCSD, which is actually very relevant to this class. The Che Café is a volunteer-
run DIY music venue and vegan café (though it hasn’t
had a real café setup for years). I started attending
weekly meetings in 1999. That’s where I absolutely fell
in love with communication. The space is run by a
collective dedicated to non-hierarchical consensus
decision making, and that absolutely changed my life. I
fell in love with the process and the dynamics and the
spirit of communication that invites participants to work
together for the good of the community, rather than
satisfying one’s own self-interest. There’s a lot of that
spirit in this class.

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Mike’s Teaching Philosophy
I wish school were more like real life and real life were more like community. When I
teach a class, I imagine members of my community have come to me and said, “We
know you know a lot about this topic. Can you help us learn about it?” If members of my
community did that in real life, I’d happily share resources with them and answer any
questions they might have. So, in my classes I share resources with students. However,
school is not like real life because there are grades and learning outcomes defined by
the school, not by the students. So, I do my best to acknowledge the differences
between community and school, and I do my best to treat students like community
members.

Grading
The grading in this course is based on (but not strictly adherent to) “contract grading,”
which is where a student decides how much work they’re willing and able to do based
on their knowledge of their time and energy commitments to the course, as well as their
desired final grade (a balance between needs and ability). This system trusts students
to make decisions to meet their own needs, and it values both initial ability and growth.
No judgment if you are happy with a C or whatever. The easiest way to think of grading
in this class is this: the grade is determined by how many things you complete at a
college level as long as you meet the participation requiremnts. See the table
below to determine the work you need to do to get the grade you want:

Desired Number of assignments to complete

grade
Complete 9 items (aka major assignments or
A
“assignment categories”)
B Complete 7 items
C Complete 5 items
D Complete 3 items
F Complete fewer than 3 items

NOTE: To check your progress in the course, see your grades in the Canvas
Dashboard. However, because all assignments are optional and the final grade is not
calculated in a normal way, the calculated grades on Canvas aren’t meaningful. Look at
the grade category called “# of items you've gotten credit for toward final grade (need 9
for an A, 7 for B, etc...)” to find out how well you’re doing in the class.

Assignments
All assignments will be turned in on Canvas.
Each submission (except for quizzes and exams) will receive a CREDIT/NO CREDIT
YET evaluation. Because learning and the development of skills are active and ongoing
processes, there are virtually endless opportunities to revise or re-perform any work. In
other words, revisions are welcome. The standard by which I determine whether an
assignment is given credit is based entirely on the following principle: Do college-level
work. Think back to any writing and any other courses in which you’ve developed

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college-level skills, and do honest, serious work. Below is a selection of possible
assignments for you to complete this term. YOU DO NOT NEED TO COMPLETE ALL
OF THEM FOR CREDIT IN ORDER TO PASS THE CLASS. Assignment descriptions
are available in the Appendix at the end of this document, and greater detail is available
on Canvas.
Major Assignments (choose 9 for an A, 7 for a B, 5 for a C, 3 for a D):
1. Quizzes (1 toward the final grade)
2. Self-created assignment (written, prerecorded media, or any combination of
those things)
3. Elements of an interpersonal conversation (Written analysis)
4. Personal essay (written essay)
5. Personal listening assessment (Written analysis or video presentation)
6. Nonverbal comm. and the presentation of the consumer self (written essay or
video presentation)
7. Culture and communication experience (Written analysis or video presentation)
8. Media Multiplexity analysis (Written analysis)
9. Written conflict dialogue (written document)
10. Video conflict dialogue (video submission)
11. Scholarly responses to Gibb (written essay, report, or video presentation)
12. Love story (written short story)
13. Romantic relationships in popular media – Star Trek episode analysis (written
essay or video presentation)
14. Romantic relationships in popular media – RomCom analysis (written essay or
in-class presentation)
15. Romantic relationships in popular media – Will they or won’t they analysis
(written essay or in-class presentation)
16. Family analysis report (written report)
17. Buddy picture” analysis (written essay or in-class presentation)
18. Hollywood sex analysis (written essay or in-class presentation)
19. Workplace relationships essay (Written essay)
20. Scholarship and “popular communication theory” (essay, report, or in-class
presentation)
21. Media Multiplexity Analysis
22. Final exam

Attendance and Participation

Because this course requires no synchronous meeting (such as through Zoom), the
relevant guide for attendance is the SWC Distance Education Handbook, which states,
“Attendance in an online course is determined by participation in academically related
activities. You will be considered present if there is evidence of your participation in
course activities [….] You will be considered absent if there is no evidence of your
participation in the academic activities of this course” (11). The DE Handbook further

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states, “Students who do not complete the first online assignment or are absent for
more than [2 weeks] may be dropped” (11-12). For this course, participation credit
(which impacts student grades—see below) is determined by student posts in weekly
discussions. However, for the purposes of census and records, any submission of
material (such as graded or ungraded assignments and exercises) may be considered
participation.

Attendance and Continued Enrollment

In addition, in accordance with SWC policy, students may be dropped if they do not
participate at all in the Week 1 discussion or go two weeks without any participation in
academic activities. Sorry.

Participation and Grades

In this class, these policies translate to this: Students can get up to 60 points for
participating in discussions (one point per post). Failure to participate can lead to
lowering of the grade in the course. I trust that whatever your reason for missing a post
or a week, it’s a good one. I trust you. In fact, you only need to average 4 posts per
week in order to reach 60 points over the 15 discussions, but you can get up to 5 points
per week. In other words, even if you miss a week’s discussion, you still have plenty of
chances to meet the requirement. If you fail to reach 60 points, your overall grade in the
course will be lowered. In fact, every two points below 60 equals one major assignment.
That means that if you want an A in the class but only complete 58 posts, you actually
need to complete an extra assignment to make up for the missed participation. You’d
need 10 assignments instead of 9 for an A. If you only score 56 points for discussions,
you’d need 11 assignments for an A. Score 54, 12 assignments for an A.

Making up for “Absences” (re: grades)

To make up for extra missed posts, students can either complete additional
assignments as noted above, or they can submit a Community Contribution proposal in
the middle of the term (4 points) and another at the end of the term (another 4 points).
For a more detailed explanation, see the How attendance works FAQ in Canvas.

Community Contribution Proposal (used to replace up to 8 missed posts without the

grade being affected)
I want to recognize that there are many ways to contribute to the classroom
community. So, I invite students to submit a proposal to me arguing for how
many points I should enter for them in the gradebook for their contribution to the
class community. In this proposal, students list the things they’ve done to help
me teach the class or others learn or develop skills. So, students must think of
how they have contributed to the community and make a detailed argument. The
maximum number of points as student can get is 8 over the semester, and each
point makes up for one missed discussion post. Here are some examples of
some contributions:
● Participating in anonymous surveys.
● Asking the instructor a question on a discussion board to clarify a concept for
yourself and your classmates.
● Offering (and giving) peer review on classmates' work before they turn it in.
● Giving feedback on speeches.

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 ● Sharing examples to help illustrate points in discussion boards.
● Pointing out an error in an assignment prompt or on the syllabus that might
lead to confusion.
● Helping a classmate understand or develop a topic for one of the
assignments in the class.
● Sharing a relevant text from outside class that helps explore a concept in the
class.
● Sharing notes with students.

Thinking of the example above, if you want an A but only completed 52 posts, then you
can submit a midterm and end of term Community Contribution proposal each
effectively arguing for 4 points and end up with the full 60 points for participation. Then,
you’d only need the normal 9 assignments to get an A.

Sample Breakdown

Below is a sample breakdown of completed assignments, attendance, and community

contribution (CC):

Desired # of assignments if # of assignments if # of assignments if # of assignments if

grade completed 60-75
posts
A 9
B 7
C 5
D 3
completed 58-59 completed 56-57 completed 54-55
posts posts posts
10 w/0 pt. 11 w/0 pt. CC, or 10 12 w/0 pt. CC, or 11
Community w/2pt. CC, or 9 w/4 w/2pt. CC, 10 w/4 pt.
Contribution (CC), or pt. CC CC, or 9 w/6 pt. CC
9 w/2 pt. CC
8 w/0 pt. CC, or 7 9 w/0 pt. CC, or 8 10 w/0 pt. CC, or 9
w/2 pt. CC w/2pt. CC, or 7 w/4 w/2pt. CC, 8 w/4 pt.
pt. CC CC, or 7 w/6 pt. CC
5 w/0 pt. CC, or 4 7 w/0 pt. CC, or 6 8 w/0 pt. CC, or 7
w/2 pt. CC w/2pt. CC, or 5 w/4 w/2pt. CC, 6 w/4 pt.
pt. CC CC, or 5 w/6 pt. CC
4 w/0 pt. CC, or 3 5 w/0 pt. CC, or 4 6 w/0 pt. CC, or 5
w/2 pt. CC w/2pt. CC, or 3 w/4 w/2pt. CC, 4 w/4 pt.
pt. CC CC, or 3 w/6 pt. CC

Mutual Consideration
Please view this class as a community. That means it is the task of all members of the
community to take care of themselves and each other. Because this class is
asynchronous and online, there may be temptation to be hurtful to others or somehow
invalidate their experience, but please recognize that we are all in this together.
Consider the needs and feelings of others, and treat each other well. Human
communication exists for the purpose of connecting to each other. Keep that in mind
when you interact online.

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Netiquette
SWC does not have an official netiquette policy, but instructors teaching online are
recommended to share with students the following description: “Netiquette is a set of
guidelines for respectful behavior in an online environment. It is etiquette for the
Internet, and knowing these social rules can help you have a more rewarding semester.
The netiquette guidelines here are ones that are especially important in our online
classroom.
1. Participate. Reading the posts of others is helpful for you, but you must also do your
part to be helpful for the group. Share your ideas to strengthen our discussion, and
don’t wait until the last minute to contribute. Encourage others to participate by
responding to their ideas. Be involved, but do not dominate a discussion with too
many posts.
2. Remember the human. This common Internet mantra means that even though we
may not be face to face, there is a real person behind each discussion post. Do not
write something that you would not feel comfortable saying in a face-to-face
classroom setting. Discuss ideas, not people. In other words, do not attack a
classmate for expressing his or her opinion; instead, discuss your position on the
ideas that have been presented. Be kind and understanding with your classmates to
keep our environment positive and productive.
3. Help others. We will be working together all semester, so let’s try to be a good
team. If you can help a classmate with a question, please do! Your efforts will be
appreciated by both students and instructor.
4. Respect other people’s time. Your posts should be focused, organized, and clear
so that your classmates can quickly see your point and evidence. Another way to
respect people’s time is to look for answers before asking for help. For example, if
you can’t find something or you don’t remember when an assignment is due, look
through the syllabus and other course documents for the answer. Ask for help when
you truly need it.
5. Edit and proofread before posting. We have lots of posts to read, so yours needs
to be as clear as it can be. Please review what you have written and edit as needed
before posting.
6. Don’t shout. TYPING IN ALL CAPITALS MEANS YOU ARE SHOUTING AT US!
Don’t do it. The same can be said of repeated exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!
7. Use emoticons sparingly. Social networking and texting have given us lots of fun
keyboard shortcuts to add tone to a message. Because a smiley face or wink can
help to establish the intended tone of a comment, you are welcome to use common
emoticons occasionally. Too many emoticons can make your writing look more
casual than academic, so don’t overdo it. :-)
8. No flaming. “Flaming” is an angry message, often directed at another person. When
another person responds in anger, we have a “flame war” taking over the discussion.
Personal attacks are unacceptable in the classroom, whether in person or online. If
you see a conflict developing, try to calm things down if you feel comfortable doing
so. If you feel attacked, contact your instructor rather than responding to the flaming
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 student. We all have biases, and sometimes we are not aware of how what we say
may be viewed by others, so let’s all try to be generous and kind in our responses to
one another. Everything we do in Canvas is permanent, so please think very
carefully about your tone before submitting a post. If you don’t, that mistake might
haunt you for the rest of the semester.

Late Work
Your grade depends on your labor and skill, not a schedule made by the instructor
without your consent. Deadlines for written work (reflections, essays, dialogues, and
reports) are flexible. However, automated quizzes/exams on Canvas DO have firm
deadlines.

Academic Integrity
According to the SWC Student Policy Manual, “Violations of academic integrity include,
but are not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, lying, stealing, submitting others’ work as
one’s own, or permitting anyone else to do the same” (30). Plagiarism means using
someone else’s words or ideas without attribution. I’ll address mistakes as learning
opportunities, and overt violations will follow the “Disciplinary Action Procedures”
outlined in the SWC Student Policy Manual (7-8).

Student Support Services

Student support services are available both on campus and online. For a complete list
of services, including the library, tutoring, and counseling, visit the Student Services
and Campus Resources webpage.
Free online tutoring is available to all currently enrolled Southwestern College students
through SWC’s Online Tutoring Center, Online Writing Lab (OWL) and the Western
eTutoring Consortium, or look for “SWC Tutoring|Pisces” on your Canvas course
menu.
When you have questions about Canvas and online learning at SWC, the Online
Learning Center is ready to assist you.
A wide range of well-being and supportive services are available to students through
SWC Cares.

Students with Disabilities

If you have a learning disability, physical disability, or any other circumstance that needs
special accommodation, please discuss it with your instructor, in person or via email. I
want you to be successful and am happy to work with you! Here is additional
information provided by our college’s DSS office:

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 Southwestern College recommends that students with disabilities or specific
learning needs contact their professors during the first two weeks of class to
discuss academic accommodations. If a student believes that they may have a
disability and would like more information, they are encouraged to contact
Disability Support Services (DSS) at (619) 482-6512 (voice), (619) 207-4480
(video phone), or email at DSS@swccd.edu. Alternate forms of this syllabus and
other course materials are available upon request.
With the transition to an online format, I have made every effort to make this course
accessible to all students. If you encounter a problem accessing anything in this course,
please email me immediately so that I can support you and your classmates (after all,
we’re all in this together). You may also contact Disability Support Services at
dss@swccd.edu.

Advice from my Previous Students

I (sometimes) ask students what advice they would pass on to future students in my
classes. Here, I give a few samples: “Don’t get overwhelmed by all the assignments.
Most of the easy projects are at the beginning so do those. Don’t wait until the last
minute to get your grade up. The diary is easy but it takes dedication. Try to get your
assignments out of the way from the start. Just remember, it’s not that hard to get an A.”
– AM, Fall 2018. “Don’t freak out about the openness of getting your work done. Start
from the beginning. Keep doing your work, and don’t slack too much. It’s easy and fun,
take it seriously though.” – DW, Fall 2018.

Schedule
● Week 1, August 23rd-29th
o Welcome, and intro to interpersonal comm. (parts from Wrench et al. Ch
1)
o What to work on:
▪ Week 1 Discussion
● Week 2, Aug 30th-Sept 5th
o Overview of interpersonal comm. (Wrench et al. parts of Ch 1 and Ch 2)
o What to work on:
▪ Week 2 Discussion
▪ Assignment: Elements of an interpersonal conversation
(Written analysis) Due Sept 12th
● Week 3, Sept 6th- Sept 12th
o The self in communication (Wrench et al. Ch 3, Wood Ch 2)
o What to work on:
▪ Week 3 Discussion
▪ Assignment: Personal essay (written essay) due Sept 19th
● Week 4, Sept 13th- Sept 19th
o Nonverbal comm. (Wrench et al. Ch 5, Hill et al.)
o What to work on:
▪ Week 4 Discussion
▪ Assignment: Nonverbal comm. and the presentation of the
consumer self (written essay or video presentation) due Sept
26th
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● Week 5, Sept 20th- Sept 26th
o “Talking and listening” (Wrench et al. Ch 7, excerpt from Adler & Proctor)
o What to work on:
▪ Week 5 Discussion
▪ Assignment: Personal listening assessment (Written analysis
or video presentation) due Oct 3rd
● Week 6, Sept 27th- Oct Oct 3rd
o Cultural and environmental factors (Wrench et al. Ch 6)
o What to work on:
▪ Week 6 Discussion
▪ Assignment: Culture and communication experience (Written
analysis or video presentation) due Oct 10th
● Week 7, Oct 4th- Oct 10th
o Building and maintaining relationships with strong and weak ties (Wrench
et al. Ch 8, Ledbetter)
o What to work on:
▪ Week 7 Discussion
▪ Assignment: Media Multiplexity analysis (Written analysis) due
Oct 17th
▪ Community Contribution Proposal for Weeks 1-8 due Oct 17th
● Week 8, Oct 11th- Oct 17th
o Conflict in relationships (Wrench et al. Ch 9, Rosenberg ([Rosenberg text
in Spanish])
o What to work on:
▪ Week 8 Discussion
▪ Assignment: Video conflict dialogue (video submission) due
Oct 31st
▪ Assignment: Written conflict dialogue due Oct 31st
● Week 9, Oct 18th- Oct 24th
o More on tension and resolution (Gibb, excerpt from Adler & Proctor)
o What to work on:
▪ Week 9 Discussion
▪ Assignment: Video dialogue (video submission) due Oct 31st
▪ Assignment: Written dialogue due Oct 31st
▪ Assignment: Scholarly responses to Gibb Due Oct 31st
● Week 10, Oct 25th- Oct 31st
o Friendships (Wrench et al. Ch 10)
o What to work on:
▪ Week 10 Discussion
▪ Assignment: “Buddy picture” analysis (written essay or video
presentation) due Nov 7th
● Week 11, Nov 1st- Nov 7th
o Family and marriage (Wrench et al. Ch 11)
o What to work on:
▪ Week 11 Discussion

Rancourt 12
 ▪ Assignment: Family analysis report (written report) due Nov
14th
● Week 12, Nov 8th- Nov 14th
o Interpersonal relationships at work (Wrench et al. Ch 13)
o What to work on:
▪ Week 12 Discussion
▪ Assignment: Workplace relationships essay (Written essay)
due Nov 21st
● Week 13, Nov 15th- Nov 21st
o The dark side of interpersonal comm. (Wrench et al. Ch 14 and Ch 4 pg.
132-33)
o What to work on:
▪ Week 13 Discussion
▪ Assignment: Bad relationship story (written short story) due
Nov 28th
● Week 14, NO “CLASS” NOV 22ND-NOV 28TH FOR THANKSTAKING
o What to work on:
▪ Due by the end of the day Nov 28th: Proposals for Self-created
assignment (written, video presentation, prerecorded media,
or any combination of those things). You can complete up to 5
of these, but each must be approved through the proposal
process first.
● Week 15, Nov 29th-Dec 5th
o Committed romantic relationships (Wood Ch 11)
o What to work on:
▪ Week 15 Discussion
▪ Assignment: Romantic relationships in popular media (there
are three of these assignments to choose from) Due Dec 12th
▪ Assignment: Love story (written short story) due Dec 12th
● Week 16, SHORT WEEK, Dec 6th-Dec 7th
o Consent Popova, Powell (full text available through the SWC library [for
me, I get an error when I try logging in, but if I click “back” and try again, it
works the second time. Don’t give up!])
o What to work on:
▪ Week 16 Discussion
▪ Assignment: Hollywood sex analysis (written essay or video
presentation) due Dec 14th
● Finals week, Dec 8th-14th
o What to work on:
▪ Community Contribution Proposal for Weeks 9-16 due Dec 14th
▪ Assignment: Scholarship and “popular communication
theory” (essay, report, or in-class presentation) due Dec 14th
▪ Assignment: Self-created assignment due Dec 14th
PLEASE NOTE: I will not accept any work after the
end of the day on Dec 14th

Rancourt 13
Appendix: Comm. 174 Assignments
This appendix (also available as a separate document) is meant to give an overview of
the major assignments in this class. For further details, see the prompts on Canvas.

Quizzes (1 toward the final grade)

There are 15 timed, 10-point, weekly quizzes available on Canvas, each focused
(almost entirely) on key terms from the readings for the given weeks. They’re meant to
be closed-book, so you should spend some time with the associated readings before
attempting a quiz. To get credit toward your final grade, answer enough questions over
the semester to total 95 points. The percentage or grade you get on any quiz does not
matter, as long as you score a total of 95 points by the end of the term. SLO 1.

Self-created assignment (written, prerecorded media, or any combination of those things)

“Assessments” in education are usually used to evaluate a student’s skills, knowledge,
learning, or growth. They also serve as a valuable space for dialog and interaction
between instructor and student, but mainly assessments are required to ensure a
course and a program are rigorous. Usually, instructors create assignments by thinking
about learning outcomes and expectations in their department, school, and even their
discipline. However, there is much to be said for giving students choice and flexibility in
their assignments, and so I welcome students to make up their own ways of rigorously
demonstrating skills, knowledge, learning, and growth in this class with respect to
specific learning outcomes. Yes, I invite you to make up your own assignment. There
are two main requirements: 1. Must meet the standards of at least one Student Learning
Outcome (SLO’s)(see the syllabus) 2. Must represent college level work. To complete
the assignment, students should submit a proposal for the project no later than the end
of the day on Friday, November 29th. The proposal should simply describe the project,
name the relevant SLO’s, and explain how it represents college-level work. It may also
propose how the work should be evaluated. If the proposed work seems to address at
least one SLO and have the potential to represent college-level work, I will agree to the
assignment. If I have concerns about either of those issues, we may need to negotiate
on the specifics. Students can get credit for up to 5 self-created assignments throughout
the term. SLO 1-15.

Elements of an interpersonal conversation (Written analysis)

Using the concepts and theories Wrench et al. outline in Ch 1, analyze a real life
conversation you had with someone close to you. It could be a family member, friend, or
coworker you know well. Ideally, you should have some record of the conversation that
will allow you to analyze the conversation in details. For this reason, it might work best if
you’re analyzing a text message conversation, but it’s also possible that you could audio
record a conversation with someone. You should ask permission of the other person
before sharing anything they said or did in your assignment (but I am the only person
who will be reading it). SLO 1.

Personal essay (written essay)

As everyone who studies interpersonal communication knows, who we perceive
ourselves to be arises out of communication with others. For this assignment, I invite

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students to think simply about how they got to be who they are today. Use concepts and
theories from the study of perception and interpersonal communication (Wood, Ch 2)
and perhaps other areas of interpersonal communication to guide your analysis and
argument. Note that even though this is an assignment writing about yourself, it is an
essay, so it requires a central argument and a structure appropriate to developing that
argument. For example, your thesis might be that you developed your sense of self as a
result of important people in your life telling you how proud they were of you. That is a
debatable argument (which makes it qualify as a thesis statement), and it's one you
could develop through the body of your essay in which you bring in theory and concepts
from the relevant readings and specific examples from your life to support the argument.
SLO 2.
Personal listening assessment (Written analysis or video presentation)
In this assignment, I invite students to assess their own listening skills, weakness,
tendencies, or whatever. In order to complete this assignment, you may want to
complete this Listening Styles Profile (which is like a survey that will tell you something
about your listening styles), or just look closely at the theory and concepts presented in
the readings. In all academic writing, you should connect specific details and examples
with theory or concepts from the course in order to develop a coherent analysis. That's
true here whether you're writing or producing some sort of video presentation. SLO 6.

Nonverbal comm. and the presentation of the consumer self (written essay or video
presentation)
See the chapter on identity and consumption in Hill et al.. Read it thoroughly so that you
understand the theory of identity and consumption, then write an argument in which you
disagree or agree with the theory AND whether you think it’s good or a bad thing that
people do this. If you disagree, explain why you think it’s not true. Use concepts and
theories from the study of self and interpersonal communication, as well as nonverbal
communication (Wood Ch 2, Wrench et al. Ch 3 and Ch 5) and perhaps other areas of
interpersonal communication to guide your analysis and argument. SLO 2, 5.
Culture and communication experience (Written analysis or video presentation)
In your experience with multiple cultures (for example, if your family is from another
country) or cocultures (for example, if you have experience in both the LGBTQ+
community and the larger society), what kinds of communication differences have you
noted or can you identify? Use the theory and concepts presented in this class to guide
your analysis. That includes looking at Wrench et al.'s chapter on culture and
communication, but also at the other texts we've looked at so far this semester. For
example, you might cite Wood's chapter on communication and the self to discuss how
different cultures or cocultures deal with face or you might cite Hill et al. to explain how
another culture with which you have experience places less emphasis on consumer
identity, etc... SLO 13.
Media Multiplexity analysis (Written analysis)
This assignment invites students to think about the closeness of some of their
relationships but to do so using a unique frame of reference. The Media Multiplexity
theory presented by Ledbetter helps us think about how we interact with the people

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close to us and also to consider the "weak ties" and "strong ties" we have with people in
our "social network." Read Ledbetter’s chapter from the book Engaging Theories in
Interpersonal Communication Multiple Perspectives. First, make sure you really
understand the theory, then use the basic theory to guide your analysis of some
relationships in your life. How does the number of media (ugh, “mediums”) you use in
communication with people in your life help improve the strength of those relationships,
and/or how do the strength of relationships require many media (ugh, “mediums”)? You
might even think about what would happen if you started using more media (ugh,
"mediums") to interact with someone close to you. Would it help you get closer? How
does it work? SLO 9, 10, 11, 12, 14.
Written conflict dialogue (written document)
This assignment invites students to demonstrate their creative writing skills while also
seriously thinking about how people interact interpersonally. Write a fictionalized
dialogue between at least two characters (the characters actually don't have to be
fictional, though the setting could be). The focus for the dialog is relational tension or
conflict. They may say or do the right thing to deal with their tension/conflict or say or do
the wrong thing or a little of both. You may also want to consider Rosenberg’s theory of
nonviolent communication. Finally, explain some of the theory behind the dialog. For
example, if you have a character who stays calm and expresses their needs while
practicing empathy, you should be able to explain how nonviolent communication
informs your dialog. SLO 8.
Video conflict dialogue (video submission)
This collaborative assignment invites two or more students to demonstrate their creative
acting (and writing) skills while also seriously thinking about how people interact
interpersonally. Write and perform a fictionalized dialogue between at least two
characters (the characters actually don't have to be fictional, though the setting could
be). Since this is an online class, I do not expect you to act it out in the same place at
the same time, so you’ll need to edit the video to put the two characters together (of
course, you just have a dialog based on characters interacting over video chat or
something like that). To get credit toward your final grade, complete 1 performance for
credit (I may ask you to revise and try again at a later date if the performance seems
subpar for college-level thinking). One important part of this assignment is the acting. I
especially want to see nonverbal expressions of feelings. However, the focus for the
dialog is relational tension or conflict. They may say or do the right thing to deal with
their tension/conflict or say or do the wrong thing or a little of both. You may also want
to consider Rosenberg’s theory of nonviolent communication. Finally, explain some of
the theory behind the dialog. You can do this in the video or in a written document
uploaded along with the video. For example, if you have a character who stays calm
and expresses their needs while practicing empathy, you should be able to explain how
nonviolent communication informs your dialog. SLO 8.
Scholarly responses to Gibb (written essay, report, or video presentation)
In 1961, psychologist Jack Gibb published a groundbreaking study on the kinds of
communication that tend to evoke defensive responses from others as opposed to the
kind that tends to evoke supportive responses. Since the publication, Gibb’s theory of

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defensive climates has received a lot of attention from communication and other
scholars. This assignment invites students to explore the responses to Gibb’s original
publication. Specifically, I invite students to take a survey of some of the publications
that have cited Gibb’s text using Google Scholar. Google Scholar focuses on scholarly,
peer-reviewed texts, and it allows users to search not only for the original publication,
but also to click on the “Cited By” link to browse the subsequent publications that have
cited it. This will not give you access to the full text to all of the research (especially
since SWC does not have access to Google Scholar), but will give you a link to the
abstracts for most and links to the full texts of some. You can also look for full-text
versions of the texts by using the SWC library’s research databases. For this
assignment, familiarize yourself with Gibb’s text, then find at least ten significant, peer-
reviewed (Google Scholar may include some non-scholarly sources, so you will have to
pay attention to the publications for the texts you selected—hint, Google Scholar will
also tell you how many other texts cited each of the texts that cited Gibb, which will help
you determine if a publication seems “significant,” though newer publications won’t have
very many citations yet) texts that seem to extend Gibb’s theory in new directions, or
complicate his theory by showing things Gibb may have missed, or directly challenge it
by suggesting Gibb was wrong. Students will then write an essay or a report or plan to
give an in-class presentation (on the day we discuss communication climate in class)
sharing what they have found, particularly noting key “uses” of Gibb’s theory or general
trends. Note that difference between an essay and a report is that an essay makes an
argument and a report merely shares information. The research question for this
assignment is basically this: How has Gibb’s theory been received. Students can narrow
the question in whatever way they choose, such as looking at just citing scholarship in a
certain time period, or scholarship by only people in certain academic disciplines, etc…
Also note that, unlike most assignments, this one requires students to do the work prior
to discussing relevant info in class, so plan ahead. SLO 1, 7, 8.
Love story (written short story)
Write a fictional account of a relationship. That is, write a love story. At the college level,
I would expect to see a love story that adequately develops characters so that they
appear “round” and reasonable. They should have complex feelings and motivations.
They should make mistakes. They should say the wrong thing and then regret it. I don’t
know. Don’t just write two pages in which you imagine yourself meeting your one true
love who is perfect in every way. And there should be some complication in the story.
The theory of romantic relationships presented by Wood will actually help you think of
how to do that. So, familiarize yourself with the theory, then write the story, and then
also write a brief analysis explaining the theories behind the story. This is not part of the
story. It should be a totally separate piece of writing in which you discuss the story
you’ve written and show that you know what the theory means. For example, you might
cite Wood’s summary of intimacy, commitment, and passion, explaining how this theory
helped you decide how the characters’ relationship developed. SLO 9.
Romantic relationships in popular media – Star Trek episode analysis (written essay or
video presentation)
So, it’s worth noting that my partner and I have been watching Star Trek, The Next
Generation (TNG) little by little over the past year or so. If you also happen to be

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interested in TNG, you might want to consider this assignment. In the series, there is an
android named Data who is basically on a series-long quest to better understand how to
be human. In one episode, TNG Episode 4x25, he actually starts dating another crew
member. For this assignment, watch the episode, and compose an essay or an in-class
presentation theorizing the relationship between Data and Jenna. You might consider
questions such as these: How does theory of romantic relationships explain the ways
Data tries to be a good partner for Jenna? How does the theory explain the advice Data
gets from his colleagues? How does the theory explain Jenna’s romantic interest in
Data and he expectations for him as a partner? How could Data have been a better
partner for Jenna? The most boring thing you can do is answer all these questions, one
paragraph for each. Your task in any essay is to make an argument, so what you’re
really looking for is what all this analysis “adds up to” for you. For example, you might
argue that the theory of romance is missing something important that our study of Data
and Jenna reveals, or you might argue that Data is the perfect partner or that Jenna is
the one who doesn’t know how to love, or something along those lines. I developed this
assignment for those of you who might really like Star Trek, but I also like TNG, so I
look forward to an interesting argument, not a boring list of answers to my questions.
SLO 7, 8, 9.
Romantic relationships in popular media – RomCom analysis (written essay or in-class
presentation)
The “romantic comedy” or RomCom is a popular genre in popular film. Classic
examples might include Pretty Woman, but more contemporary ones like Crazy Rich
Asians or What Men Want might be more interesting to you. In truth, you can analyze
any movie that features a developing romantic relationship, even if isn’t a RomCom.
Generally, you will develop an argument that looks at how the theory of romantic
relationships (and other interpersonal communication theory) helps explain how the
relationship(s) in the film develops, why it succeeds or fails, and/or what we can learn
about relationships from the film. SLO 7, 8, 9.
Romantic relationships in popular media – Will they or won’t they analysis (written essay
or in-class presentation)
In many television series, there are two characters who appear to have some sort of
sexual or romantic interest in each other, but they are not together. In popular
discourse, this is called a “will they or won’t they” trope. The classic example is Sam
and Diane from the 1980s show Cheers, though the more trendy example is Rachelle
and Ross from Friends (why is Friends trendy right now?). As with the RomCom
analysis, you will develop an argument that looks at how the theory of romantic
relationships (and other interpersonal communication theory) helps explain how the
relationship(s) in the series develops, why it succeeds or fails, and/or what we can learn
about relationships from the series. SLO 7, 8, 9.
Family analysis report (written report)
How does your family communicate? How did they get to be that way? In fact, maybe
the first question needs to be, who is your family? For this assignment, define your
family and examine their communication and relationships according to the theories and
guidelines Wood presents. For example, in the 12th chapter of Wood’s book, she shares

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a model of family communication patterns. You could identify your family’s
communication orientation as pluralistic, consensual, laissez-faire, or protective and
give examples of some interactions with family members that lead you to that
conclusion. In addition, it may be necessary to bring in concepts from other aspects of
interpersonal communication theory such as concepts relevant to communication
climate to help explain how your family does or does not maintain equity in family
relationships. Note that this is not an essay, so the focus is not on you making an
argument but rather on you thinking about communication in your family and connecting
it to the concepts and theories from the book/class. SLO 10.
“Buddy picture” analysis (written essay or in-class presentation)
Select a film or other media that focuses on the development of a friendship. The
classic examples include 48 Hours and Thelma & Louise, though more recent films
such as The Hangover and kids’ movies like Toy Story and The Baby Boss might be
more relevant. Analyze the friendship according to the theories presented by
interpersonal communication scholars. For example, Wood presents theories on how
friendships form and what kinds of behaviors lead to closeness, as well as stages and
tensions that might be used to map friendships. College level work would require you to
call on multiple theories to give a clear sense of how the friendship(s) you are studying
develop in the film you select. SLO 11.

Hollywood sex analysis (written essay or in-class presentation)

Analyze a sexual relationship or encounter depicted in a popular film. How do they
obtain consent and for what do they obtain consent? How do the theories presented by
Popova and Powell help us understand whether or not the consent seems adequate. In
other words, is the example you choose a good or bad example of consent? Focus not
just on the way the characters negotiate consent, but also on the power between the
characters. You’re looking for a relationship that is either an exceptional case (for
instance, a very rare case in which the characters perfectly model consent) or a typical
case (for instance, one that shows how media typically models consent [badly]). Notice
that the argument you make in your essay will differ depending on whether you’re
examining an exceptional or a typical case. SLO 9, 14.

Workplace relationships essay (Written essay)

Should people engage in romantic relationships at work? However you answer this
question, make sure you support your position with reasoned argument and also refer to
the theory presented in Wrench et al. Ch 13. Because arguments require support, you
may consider thinking about theory presented on other kinds of relationships at work,
and even theory or concepts from other chapters in the text. For example, you might
argue that friendships at work are essential but that only certain kinds of work
relationships should be allowed to develop into romance or that all types of work
relationships should be allowed to develop romance except for one. Whatever position
you would like to take is fine, but make sure that you are giving specific examples to
illustrate the point AND referring to theory and concepts from the class to support the
argument. SLO 12.

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Scholarship and “popular communication theory” (essay, report, or in-class
presentation)
Everybody communicates. And that means that everyone thinks they are an expert in
communication. Some people go so far as to make YouTube videos and even start
consultancy businesses to help people communicate better. Some of this work is
probably very good, and some of it is probably not. For this assignment, I count
something as “popular theory” if it has been produced by someone who has failed to
demonstrate disciplined research standards (for an introduction to disciplined research
standards, see Blackstone’s text on academic research in the social sciences), who has
not gone through the peer review process (which is the primary way of demonstrating
disciplined research standards), and/or has not cited disciplined research that has gone
through the peer review process. For example, this video features a very professional-
looking person who is apparently well-educated, but she does not seem to cite any
sources nor describe the rigorous research she has gone through to come to the
conclusions she is sharing. Her conclusions might be sound, but her argument is
nonetheless “popular,” not scholarly. There are many such videos and writings on the
internet, some by professionals in related fields, and some by famous people who just
say stuff because they’re famous. For this assignment, I invite you to analyze some
form of “popular communication theory” in which someone presents non-disciplined
discourse about interpersonal communication/relationships, and do the research to find
published, academic studies can explain or name the theory this person is talking
about. This should ideally be presented in writing as either an essay (if you develop an
argument), report (if you simply present the theory without argument) or seminar-style
presentation (sharing in class). The idea is to share the research (links, pdf’s, etc…) and
explain it. SLO 1.

Final exam
It’s just like a quiz but longer. SLO 1.

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