FALL SEMESTER 2013 Electives

200-Level

COMM210-Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal communication is the study of dyadic interaction and the creation of meaningful relationships. This course is built on five communicative competencies: interpretive, self, role, relational, & goal. We will explore the concepts and theories surrounding these competencies, how they are interconnected, and how they influence the particular ways in which we communicate in intimate, familial, professional/impersonal, and cross-cultural contexts. Four Credits - Johnson

COMM220-Task Group Leadership
This course focuses on understanding and developing communication competence in small groups. This involves learning how to function effectively as part of a team, as well as exercising appropriate leadership. Topics include group development, competitive vs. cooperative climates, decision-making and problem-solving, power resources, and conflict management. Four Credits - Anderson

COMM231-Communication & Conflict
This course adopts a communication perspective to address the theory, research, and practice associated with the issues of conflict and conflict management. Conflict and its related concepts (e.g., power, constructive/destructive conflict behaviors) will be examined on the many levels at which they occur, to include conflict between individuals, groups, organizations, and nations. Conflicts and disputes at any level are always tied to context; thus a broad range of contexts will be examined. Examples include personal friendships, family relationships, business relationships, and political settings. Four Credits – Dibble

COMM251-Media Production I
This course offers an entry-level learning experience introducing students to digital media production from theoretical, aesthetic, and practical perspectives. The course aims to familiarize students with the basic tools and processes of digital media production so that they can communicate their ideas creatively and effectively using various forms of media. The course is divided into seminar and workshop components. In the seminars, students will discover different theoretical approaches to media representation that inform the practice of digital media production. In the workshops, students will gain the technical skills and knowledge required for digital media production, including the use of camera, sound, voice recording, lighting, editing, graphics, and transitions. All students will undertake a series of exercises which demonstrate their understanding, skills, and creativity, and they will present and discuss their own productions. Four Credits - Korf

COMM255-Reporting, Writing, and Visual Design for the Mass Media
This course introduces students to writing, reporting, and editing for newspapers, magazines, broadcast, and online media. Students produce news and features articles suitable for magazines, newspapers, and online media. Students learn how to effectively combine visual elements (photographs and graphics) with the written word to present information through lay-out (using Adobe InDesign). In addition, students write a broadcast script and match voice-over to footage. The versatile skills that students gain from this course are necessary for any media, public relations, or advertising career. Four Credits – Housel

300-Level

COMM335-Leadership Skills & Perspectives
This course examines the complex and rich process of leadership in two main ways: 1) by studying the main theories of leadership, including traits, skills, styles, situational and transformational leadership, as well as leadership ethics; and 2) by teaching the essential competencies leaders need to be effective, through personal assessment and group projects. This course helps students develop leadership skills, practice critical thinking, engage the local community, and integrate their faith with their understanding of leadership. Prerequisites: Junior standing or permission of instructor. Four Credits - Anderson

COMM371-Intercultural & Gender Communication
This course addresses the social construction of inequality, specifically focusing on how communication processes are the means by which gender, race, class, nationality, culture and ethnicity are created, and are also the means by which individuals can resist personal participation in perpetuating systems of inequality. Through encountering multicultural experiences, interviewing people in different social positions, and engaging in exercises and simulations, we will learn to broaden our self-identities, and our understanding of others by learning about the experiences, feelings and views of people in social situations different from our own. NOTE: This course is cross-listed with Women's Studies. Four Credits - Fortner

300-LEVEL SPECIAL TOPICS
(You may take more than one 395 course to fulfill 300-level major/minor requirements.)

COMM395-02: Facilitating Intergroup Dialogue
This course provides in-depth communication training for facilitating group conversations on difficult topics, as well as instruction in intergroup dialogue on social identites, and greater understanding of power, privilege and difference in society. Students completing this course will have the opportunity to lead an intergroup dialogue (as part of Encounter with Cultures course, or other possible courses or co-curricular groups) on campus during spring semester 2013. Current students report that this experience on their resume has generated a lot of questions and discussion on each job interview they've had. The facilitation experience on the resume is invaluable for students going into ministry, politics, non-profits, community organizing, social work, education, human resources/mgt, clinical psych, student development, leadership -- as well as communication. Four Credits - Johnston

COMM395-03: Sports Broadcasting
This course is for individuals interested in gaining sports-
casting experience and the skills, strategies, research methods and network, designed to launch a sports broadcasting career. Whether you have dreamed of being a play-by-play sports announcer, a sports talk show host, a sports commentator, a sports news analyst, or a behind-the-scenes sports producer, this course will provide valuable information toward those ends. The course will meet in the Television Studio and will include on-camera interview technique and analysis. Four Credits - Korf

400-Level

COMM 451 - Media Theory: Critical Perspectives
The main goal of this course is to provide students with the theoretical tools and frameworks required for critically evaluating various issues associated with the media. The course covers a wide range of concepts and theories, including media history, public, mass, technological determinism, political economy and audience studies. Throughout the semester, in addition to quizzes and exams, students will write a book review, short essays and a case study paper to apply concepts and theories to their actual understanding of the contemporary
media. Prerequisites: COMM 101, 151, 260, and 280. Four Credits - Fortner

COMM480: Communication Honors Course – Cross-Cultural Happiness
Bringing a communication perspective to the study of happiness across cultures, (which has been most consistently explored by psychologists), raises important questions regarding the social construction of the meaning of happiness, as well as how happiness is communicated and experienced within a culture. Do cultures socially construct and experience happiness differently? Why are Central and South American countries over-represented among the happiest countries in the world? Why does Chile, the most economic affluent South American country, have the highest rate of depression in South America? In this course we will explore what happiness means – from Aristotle to today, from the USA to Argentina. What makes us happy? How do we measure happiness? Happiness in some cross-cultural studies is defined in terms of economic well-being, and in other studies defined as subjective life satisfaction. Assuming ‘we’ can define happiness, how do we compare happiness across cultures? Can we measure happiness? Most cross-cultural happiness research to date is based on survey data; there are few if any studies that use qualitative methods to explore people’s ‘lived experiences’ of happiness and to ask the ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions behind self reports of life satisfaction and well-being. We will explore the research literature on cross-cultural happiness and we will design a study, using ethnographic and interview techniques, to study cross-cultural happiness in new ways. We will pre-test the ethnographic methods we design via international skype interviews, and Honor’s Projects will be submitted for presentation at the National Council of Undergraduate Research (NCUR), as well as presented at the Celebration of Undergraduate Research at Hope. Prerequisites: Communication major, junior standing, 3.5 major GPA. Students must apply for admission. Four Credits - Johnston (Click here for more information)