COMM 312 NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Syllabus Spring 2012

INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Karen Shearer Dunn OFFICE PHONE: (704)337-2370 OFFICE: Dana 103 HOME PHONE: (704)246-8501 OFFICE HOURS: Mondays: 1:30-[Link] Tuesdays 9:30-11:00 and 12:00-1:15; Thursdays: not on campus; Fridays: 12:00-1:30 and by appointment EMAIL: dunnk@[Link]

TEXT
Knapp, Mark L. and Judith A. Hall. Nonverbal Communication in Human Interaction. Seventh Edition, Thomson Wadsworth Publishers, 2010. ISBN: 0495568694

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course examines the various theories, research and applications of nonverbal communication in both personal and professional contexts. Areas to be studied include: body movement and gestures; clothing and personal artifacts; facial expression and eye behavior; use of space and territory; touching behavior; paralanguage and voice characteristics; and deception detection. The above areas will be applied to the contexts of interpersonal relationships, the workplace and cultural differences.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
Some specific objectives include: Identify and define nonverbal communication and recognize the importance of understanding this type of human behavior

Recognize the functions of nonverbal communication both in conjunction with verbal communication as well as in everyday life Identify the role that culture and biology play in our enacting of nonverbal behavior and discuss cross-cultural differences Develop skills to more effectively send and decode nonverbal signals

CONFERENCES
I am always happy to meet with you to discuss any problem you may be having. My office hours are listed at the beginning of this syllabus. However, I realize these hours may not be convenient for all students, so please feel free to call me at home or email me. Additionally, I can arrange to meet with you by appointment at a time convenient to both of us.

EVALUATION
Your grade will be determined by earning points for quizzes, assignment and attendance. There is a total of 1000 points possible and the points are distributed as follows: 7 Quizzes @ 100 points each Nonverbal Scrapbook Participation and Attendance 700 points 250 points 50 points 1000 points Grades are assigned as follows 1000-940 A 939-900 899-870 B+ 869-840 799-770 C+ 769-740 699-650 D+ 649-600 AB C D

839-800 B739-700 C599 down is failing

ATTENDANCE
As in any course, especially in communication, attendance is important to your success and understanding of the course material. Attendance is strongly recommended for every class meeting. When you miss a class you are missing lecture, discussion and activities which will aid in your understanding of the course material. Additionally, there are 50 points (or 5% of your final grade) assigned for participation. And you cant participate if youre not here! You will need to come to class, be alert, awake and active in class discussions. This 50 points is my subjective evaluation of your attitude, interest, and effort in this course. Excessive absences (8 or more) will result in a failing grade for the course, regardless of your point total. When you miss a class, YOU are responsible for getting the notes and information that you missed. Please do not call or email me to ask for notes and assignments. Exchange phone numbers or email addresses with someone in the class early on, so you can call him/her to get the information that you need.

THE QUIZZES
Throughout the course we will be taking 9 quizzes. Quiz days are indicated on the schedule that follows. However, only 7 quizzes count toward your final grade. This means....that you can miss two quizzes OR drop two quizzes (if you take all 9). If you take all 9 quizzes, I will automatically drop your two lowest quiz grades. If you take 8 quizzes, I will automatically drop your one lowest quiz grade. If you take 7 quizzes, all quiz grades will count toward your final grade. I have done this to accommodate those of you who must miss one or two quiz classes. THERE ARE NO MAKE-UP QUIZZES, so you must be careful not to miss more than 2 quiz classes. The quizzes are objective (multiple choice, true/false, matching, short answer) in style. They consist of material from both lecture (about 65% of questions) and from your reading in the text (remaining 35% of questions).

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY POLICY

Queens University of Charlotte faculty and students adhere to the Queens Intellectual Property Policy and U.S. Copyright Law. See Faculty Handbook, [Link] and the Queens University of Charlotte website at [Link]

HONOR CODE
The Honor Code, which permeates all phases of university life, is based on three fundamental principles. It assumes that Queens students: a) are truthful at all times, b) respect the property of others (this includes written works, thus, plagiarism is a Honor Code violation), and c) are honest in tests, examinations, term papers, and all other academic assignments. It is a violation of the Honor Code for a student to be untruthful concerning the reason for a class absence. If you believe that you have witnessed a violation of the Queens Honor Code, I encourage you to speak with me confidentially. All members of the Queens community adhere to the Honor Code, these expectations are outlined in the Honor Code Booklet, [Link]

UNIVERSITY CLOSINGS/CANCELLED CLASSES

In the rare occasion when it is necessary to close the university announcements will be made on TV and radio, and will be posted on the Queens web site, [Link]. The best way for the Queens community to receive fast and accurate information about closings is to sign up for QALERT. QALERT: Receive campus emergency notifications via voicemail, text and/or e-mail, sign up at [Link]/alert. Remember, you must register as a new user each academic year, even if youve signed up in the past. The system is wiped clean every August, and you will receive a message before that happens. For more information, e-mail alert@[Link]. NOTE: If classes are meeting but you feel that you cannot find a safe way to get to class, you should notify me as soon as possible.

FOR COMMUNICATION MAJORS: KEEPING ALL YOUR PAPERS AND PROJECTS

In COMM 495 Communication Capstone you will be required to produce a portfolio that includes all of your syllabi, handouts, papers, projects, etc. (anything you kept) from all of the courses you took in the Communication major. If you haven't already started doing this, it is recommended that you begin to keep and organize everything from your major courses. If you are taking this course for the major, you will need to keep the syllabus, handouts and the scrapbook.

COURSE POLICIES
1. You are responsible for the readings. You will be responsible for all of the reading materials for the quizzes. We wont discuss everything from every chapter but you are still accountable for ALL of the reading. 2. In class use of cell phones. I do allow you to have your cell phones with you and turned on (ringer on vibrate) in the event of emergencies. If you must answer the call, please step out of the classroom to do so. Please DO NOT text during class. Texting during class will result in a loss of participation points. 3. In class use of laptops. I DO NOT allow the use of laptops during class. I ask you not to bring your laptop to class or to turn it off and put it away at the start of class.

DROP/WITHDRAW DATES
The last day to drop this course is Tuesday January 17 and the last day to withdraw is Wednesday, February 29.

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION SCHEDULE

Date Jan 9-13 Jan 16 Jan 18 & 20 Jan 23-27 3 Jan 30-Feb 3 Feb 6-10 Feb 13-17 Feb 20-24 Feb 27-Mar 2 Mar 5-9 Mar 12-16 10 Mar 19-23 Mar 26-Apr 4 13 Apr 6 Apr 9-18 Apr 23 Topic Orientation to the course What is Nonverbal Communication? Martin Luther King, Jr. DayNo Class Quiz #1 over Chapter 1 on 1/18 How do we develop nonverbal behavior? Read Chapters 2 Read Chapter Assignment Read Chapter 1

How good are you at encoding and decoding? Quiz #2 over Chapters 2 & 3 on 1/30 The Communication Environment Quiz #3 over Chapter 4 on 2/6 Personal Space and Territory Quiz #4 over Chapter 5 on 2/13 Physical Appearance Kinesics, Posture and Gestures Quiz #5 over Chapters 6 & 7 on 2/27 Touching Behavior Spring Break No Class Quiz #6 over Chapter 8 on 3/12 Facial Expression and Eye Contact Quiz #7 over Chapters 9 & 10 on 3/19 Paralanguage and Vocal Cues Quiz #8 over Chapter 11 on 3/26 Deception Detection Easter BreakNo Class Scrapbooks Due on 4/9 Cross-Cultural Nonverbals Quiz #9 over Chapter 12, 13 and Cross-Cultural Scrapbooks returned

Read Chapter 4 Read Chapter 5 Read Chapter 6 Read Chapter 7 Read Chapter 8

Read Chapter 9 &

Read Chapter 11 Read Chapter 12 &