COM 240: Professional Communication Spring 2015

Section 2 (CRN 12567) M 3­4:15 p.m., K110 Instructor: Christine Osterwalder Office: K235 Hours: M 1­2 p.m., W 1­3 p.m. or other times/days by appointment Phone: 808­932­7113 Email: cjoster@hawaii.edu Textbook: Business Communication: Building Critical Skills, 6th Edition by Kitty O. Locker & Stephen Kyo Kaczmarek, 2014, ISBN: 978­0­07­340326­7; available at the UHH Bookstore or UHH Library on reserve. You can also get a digital rental here: http://www.coursesmart.com/0077637186/firstsection Course Objectives: This course is designed to help you: • Strengthen your writing, interpersonal, and visual communication skills • Explore how content and process relate in forming messages • Communicate as clearly as possible across multiple platforms in today’s media­rich environment using various software tools and resources • Confidently practice business leadership skills in real­life settings Format: Our semester together will be fast­paced and filled with experiences to give you skills and knowledge, as well as ways to integrate them into your personal development. You will: • Complete writing, visual communication, or interpersonal assignments each week • View films and video segments and discuss them • Learn and practice relevant techniques that you can use immediately • Solve problems frequently to help you think quickly on your feet and increase your confidence • Receive and provide constructive feedback to help yourself and others strengthen their communication and leadership skills Our class time is designed to integrate lecture, discussion, readings, exercises, writing projects. This means that I will assume that you are doing the readings and any assignments and will come to class prepared to participate, so that you can invest in your own learning and support your classmates. Readings are listed on the syllabus. All assignments will be available on Laulima. Participation: This is a performance­based class. Your presence and participation are critical because we

only meet once weekly. During class, you will actively participate in a discussion or group project or provide feedback to your classmates on how they communicate. Your goal is 100% attendance and participation. Please use Laulima to email your classmates for notes from your missed session(s). You are a valued member of this class and learning team. Advising Recommendation: Advising is a very important resource at the University of Hawaii, Hilo. Advisors can help you decide on courses, check progress toward graduation, discuss career options, and other educational opportunities. If you haven’t met with an advisor yet this academic year, please consider doing so. Grading Class participation 20% 14 assignments 70% Final 10% Extra credit: Earn 50 bonus points by visiting Hilo Toastmasters once on a Tuesday during the day from 12:15­1:30 p.m., or on the first and third Tuesday evenings each month from 5:30­7 p.m. Both groups meet at the Kilauea Professional Building (next to Ace Hardware & Burger King), 614 Kilauea Avenue, in the meeting room immediately above the back parking lot. Hilo Toastmasters will confirm your attendance. Grading rubric: A: Includes “B” level work plus outstanding effort, delivery, creativity and effectiveness B: Includes “C” level work and is effective because of additional effort and elements, such as humor, interest, good delivery, etc. C: Meets assignment criteria, contains all elements, and offers acceptable delivery D: Is missing some assignment criteria or is poorly delivered F: Is seriously deficient (does not meet assignment criteria, is largely incomplete, obviously unprepared, etc.) Assignments are due on the date(s) when you sign up or when announced in class (both confirmed via Laulima). Late assignments will be penalized by 10% per class session. Plagiarism All work submitted, informal and formal, draft and finished, must be your own. Please keep all notes, drafts, revisions, and sources for your work. Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s thoughts, theories, or language as if they were your own. Much plagiarism is accidental; however, it is a serious offense that can result in a failing grade. Always document your sources, even when you are not using a direct quotation, using proper format (publication name, year, location, page, website URL, etc.) You are welcome to use any style that is appropriate for your major (APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, etc.) We will discuss some options. Differently­Abled Accommodation:

Any student with a documented disability or who is “differently­abled” and needs special accommodations, please contact the University Disability Services Office as early in the semester as possible: Hale Kauanoe “A” Wing Lounge, 933­0816 voice, 933­3334 TTY, shirachi@hawaii.edu. UH Hilo Sexual Assault Policy: UH Hilo provides confidential assistance for victims of sexual assault. Counseling Services on­campus and the YWCA Sexual Support Services off­campus offer guidance regarding medical assistance and emotional help and can discuss options for reporting sexual assaults to law enforcement. All conversations are private and confidential. The UH Hilo Sexual Assault Policy can be found at: http://hilo.hawaii.edu/uhh/vcsa/documents/UHHSexualAssaultPolicy.pdf For assistance during the day, contact UH Hilo Counseling Services at (808) 932­7465; or, after hours and on weekends, contact the YWCA Sexual Assault Support Services at (808) 935­0677. Class Schedule:

Week Dates Topic(s) Assignment(s) Due

1 1/12 Course objectives, definition of effective communication, SWOT & goals

• Complete online self­introduction assignment • Complete SWOT assignment • Read Modules 1 & 4

2 1/19 (HOLIDAY: No class meeting)

PAIBOC, audience adaptation, culture

• Online self­introduction assignment due • SWOT/Goals assignment due • Complete PAIBOC assignment • Read Modules 2 & 3

3 1/26 You attitude & reader benefits

• PAIBOC real­life example

assignment due • Complete reader benefit assignment • Read Modules 6 & 8

4 2/2 Positive & negative messages

• Reader benefit assignment due • Complete message analysis assignment • Read Modules 7, 9, 10

5 2/9 Proposals & progress reports, short & long reports

• Message analysis assignment due • Complete employer recommendation report • Read Modules 21, 23, 24

6 2/16 (HOLIDAY­­no class meeting)

­Finding information & creating visuals ­Designing & using presentation slides

• Employer recommendation report due • Create slides • Read Modules 5 & 25

7 2/23 Time management • Before/after slide assignment due • Complete time inventories

8 3/2 Listening • Provide feedback for slide assignment • Time management assessment & recommendations due • Complete listening assignment • Read Module 17

9 3/9 Giving feedback, • Slide assignment

learning, motivation, mentoring

feedback due • Analysis of listening experience due • Complete feedback assignment

10 3/16 Working & writing in teams

• Revised slides due • Analysis of in­class feedback assignment due • Complete team­building assignment • Read Module 18

11 3/30 Planning & conducting meetings, facilitation

• Analysis of team­building assignment due • Complete meeting assignment • Read Module 19

12 4/6 Thinking in Pictures • Meeting recommendations & sample reporting assignment due • Complete Thinking in Pictures assignment

13 4/13 LinkedIn profile • Thinking in Pictures assignment due • Provide feedback on Thinking in Pictures assignment • Complete/update LinkedIn Profile

14 4/20 • Feedback on

Thinking in Pictures assignment due • LinkedIn profile due • Revise Thinking in Pictures assignment • Provide feedback on LinkedIn profiles

15 4/27 • Revised Thinking in Pictures assignment due • Feedback on LinkedIn profiles due • Revise LinkedIn profile

16 5/4 • Revised LinkedIn profiles due • Final review

Final Exam: ONLINE, May 11­15 at 12 noon