Important Dates

• Day Class Begins: March 22, 2020
• Day Class Ends: May 20, 2020
• Last Day to Add with instructor's approval: April 8, 2020
• Last Day to Drop with refund: March 26, 2020
• Last Day to Drop without a 'W' symbol: April 8, 2020
• Last Day to Drop with a W: May 12, 2020

Dropping the Class

If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it.

To Complete within the First Seven Days of Class:

In order to demonstrate your intent to complete the course, you must participate in academic work during the first week of class. This is demonstrated through our first speech assignment: Introduction Speeches. If you do not submit an introduction speech, you risk being dropped from the class. 

Failure to complete this assignment within the first seven days of the course will result in being dropped from the course. See Canvas for exact due date/time.

Communication Studies Department Drop Policy:

The professor reserves the right to drop a student if no academic work is completed for two full weeks of the course. Students who are falling behind in the course are encouraged to communicate with the professor to avoid being dropped. 

Late Policy

Canvas displays the exact minute that an assignment is due. Students are encouraged to give themselves a buffer for uploading and potentially clearing up any technical issues before the due date and time. If an assignment is due at 11:59pm, the file must be uploaded PRIOR to 11:59pm. This means its more like 11:58pm. Again, I ask that students give themselves a buffer -- at least 10 minutes prior to the due date/time.

Canvas will display an “available until” date, which provides you the late window allowed. 

Written Papers:

All written NON COLLABORATIVE papers will be allowed a 48 hour grace period with percent point penalty:

First 24 hours late: 10% penalty

24-48 hours late: 20% penalty

For example, a 30 point paper turned in 5 hours late will be marked down 3 points. If the 30 point paper is turned in 27 hours late, it will be marked down 6 points. 

In-Person Presentations:

There are no late in-person presentations allowed because of the scheduling involved with in-person classes. Missed presentations will earn a zero. 

Online Presentations:

Online presentations receive a 24 hour grace period with a percent point penalty of 20%. For example, if your 30 point speech is turned in 3 hours late, you will receive a 6 point penalty. 

Presentations turned in after 24 hours will automatically earn a 0. 

Remember that online presentations require peer-to-peer contact and so late presentations are not encouraged for this reason. 

Online Collaborative Work:

In online classes there are several collaborative assignments that require peer-to-peer contact such as discussion forums. I do not allow any extensions or late work for collaborative work because of the peer-to-peer contact required for these assignments. 

Missed Work

I do not accept super late work at any point in the semester, especially at the end of the semester. Please look at each assignment to see if you can still turn it in (e.g., a written paper most likely will get a 48 hour grace period.

Student inquires about making up work will most likely result in a firm no.

Note: Some assignments can be dropped depending on the type of assignment. Check your class for specifics. 

Canvas

Students will use the Canvas Learning Management system [for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, viewing classmates' work, sharing resources, and viewing grades].  I can help with the course material and with some Canvas issues. But, if you need help uploading an assignment or with the mechanics of Canvas, Canvas help is the number to call.

For 24/7 help with Canvas call: 1-844-592-2198.

Zoom Video Conferencing

If you wish to meet with me and you are unable to come to campus. We can meet in my Zoom room. 

Methods of Evaluation

Each week you will complete graded assignments. There is a Discussion, a Course Journal entry, and a Quiz each week. Quizzes may be taken three times. All of these assignments can be completed after reading the textbook assignments and the summaries in the content modules. 

Exams

There will be online quizzes throughout the course and an online final exam. The material comes from the textbook, class lectures and supplemental materials. If any exam is missed, a zero will be recorded as the score. It is your responsibility to take the online exams by the due date. 

Grading Policy

Visit the “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades. I grade submitted work within 72 hours after the due date and post grades and comments on the online Canvas gradebook

I use detailed rubrics on Canvas for nearly all graded assignments. Rubrics are available prior to the due date to allow students to see exactly how they are graded.

In addition to rubrics, I also utilize the assignment comment function on some assignments. I normally provide more assignment comments on earlier assignments in the semester. This allows students to understand what they are doing good on, but also areas that they might need to refine. Assignment comments generally decrease as the semester goes on because assignments are very redundant in nature so that students can get in a good rhythm (e.g., All quizzes and analysis papers follow the same guidelines).

Grades will be assigned as follows: 

If taking Pass/No Pass you need at least 70% of the total class points and complete the midterm exam and the final exam to pass the class.

An “F” grade indicates that a student attended, participated and completed the course but failed to master the course curriculum.

An “FW” grade indicates the student stopped attending a course after the “last day to withdraw” deadline and subsequently did not submit any work or participate in any exams. Please check with your counselor and financial aid advisor for possible implications of the FW grade on residency and financial aid status.

Grading Inquiry

I don’t do automatic grade bumps or curves. Canvas adds up your earned points and calculates a percentage based on the total number of allocated points. 

If after all assignments have been turned in and you are only 1 percentage point away from another letter grade (e.g., 89%), you can participate in a grade bump extra credit assignment. This assignment will be available on Canvas and only for a very limited period of time since it is only for grade bumping purposes.

If you are concerned about a recent grade you received on a single assignment, please read this

I follow the 24/7 policy when it comes to grade inquires. The 24/7 policy asks students to wait a full 24 hours after receiving a grade on an assignment before contacting the instructor. This is considered a cooling off period for reflection. 

If after the 24 hours, the student desires to inquire about a graded assignment, they have 7 days (M-F, not counting CCSF holidays) to initiate contact with the instructor concerning the grade

Grade inquiries must follow this process:

1. Wait 24 hours before contacting the instructor and make some form of communication (ideally on Canvas message) about the grade within 7 business days.
2. Make an in-person appointment with the instructor OR a phone conversation.
3. Prior to the appointment, the student should highlight areas of their assignment that they believed should be scored in a different category on the rubric. Students have full access to the rubric and are encouraged to be specific such as, “In this area of my paper, I believe I earned a developed grade because…”

Note: Underprepared students will not be able to have a grade meeting. 

I take your grade very seriously and I believe in full transparency. Documentation by both the instructor and student are critical in grade inquiries.

Extra Credit

I will offer extra credit throughout the semester. Extra credit is offered as a way to give you a grade buffer/bump and is not intended to replace any assignment.

You can expect about 2% of your total grade for extra credit.

Extra credit will have hard deadlines and requirements. If you miss the opportunity, it will not come back. I also grade extra credit (usually on a credit/no credit basis). 

ADVISE: ENGL 96 or ENGL 88 or ENGL 88B or placement in ENGL 1A

Focus on the impact that communication has on the interaction between individuals in settings including family, friendship, intimate and work situations. Students are expected to demonstrate and apply these skills through individual and group presentations and activities.

UC/CSU transferable

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Outcome 1: Identify and examine the basic elements of the human communication process and how major theoretical positions impact the principles of interpersonal communication.
2. Outcome 2: Analyze the significant role that verbal messages, nonverbal communication, self concept and self esteem, emotions, perception, listening, diversity and conflict play in shaping interpersonal communication and relationships.
3. Outcome 3: Evaluate the complexity of interpersonal communication in multiple social contexts.
4. Outcome 4: Use interpersonal skills to build, maintain and enhance social relationships.
5. Outcome 5: Construct and present speeches that explain and apply interpersonal communication theories.

Course Web Site

Students will use the Canvas Learning Management system [for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, viewing classmates' work, sharing resources, and viewing grades].  I can help with the course material and with some Canvas issues. But, if you need help uploading an assignment or with the mechanics of Canvas, Canvas help is the number to call.

For 24/7 help with Canvas call: 1-844-592-2198.

You can visit my CCSF instructional website outside of Canvas 

Required Textbook

You are welcome to rent or purchase an electronic or print version of the textbook. 

• Wood, J. T. (2015). Interpersonal communication: Everyday encounters (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub.

Students who register in CCSF classes are required to abide by the CCSF Student Code of Conduct (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Violation of the code is basis for referral to the Student Conduct Coordinator or dismissal from class or from the College. See the Office of Student Affairs (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment. I encourage students to share information and ideas, but not their work. See these links on Plagiarism:

Encourage Academic Integrity and Prevent Plagiarism (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Citing Information Sources (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Instructor Contact

Jennifer Kienzle, Ph.D.

• Email: jkienzle@ccsf.edu
• CCSF Phone: (415) 555-5555
• Office Hours: Canvas message for appointment or Make an Appointment with me on Google Calendar! (Links to an external site.)
• Office Location: Cloud 408B
• I will respond to all course email within 24 hours Monday-Friday, exclusive of school holidays. Once the course begins, I prefer to get messages through the Canvas "Inbox". 

Communication Plan

• I will respond to your messages within 24 hours during the work week (Monday-Friday) excluding holidays or if you are notified otherwise.
• Your work will be reviewed and I will comment on it within 48 hours of the due date unless you are informed otherwise. Please note that you will receive private comments on your discussion posts, your course journal entries, and your project and final exams. Your weekly quizzes also contain feedback for your own self-assessment. [EDIT TO REFLECT YOU]
• I will participate in the weekly discussions, but will not respond to each individual student. 

Instructor Announcements 

The instructor will post announcements on the “Announcements” page in Canvas throughout the semester. Canvas notifies students according to their preferred Notification Preferences (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. as soon as the instructor creates an Announcement. 

Q&A Forum and Student Lounge

• A “Q&A Forum” is located in Module 00. This forum is for you to ask for assistance of your classmates or of instructor.
• The Student Lounge discussion area is for YOU. Many students use it to share links of interest to the course that they wish to share. 

If you need classroom or testing accommodations because of a disability, or have emergency medical information to share with me, or need special arrangements in case the building needs to be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. My office hours are by appointment either on the Ocean Campus (9-4 p.m., Monday through Friday) or by Zoom video-conferencing.

Students seeking disability related accommodations are encouraged to also register with Disabled Students Programs and Services located in Room 323 of the Rosenberg Library (415) 452-5481. Please see the DSPS website (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for more information and alternate locations.

Student Expectations 

You will succeed in this course if you meet the following expectations:

• Complete the assigned activities. Please let me know as soon as you can concerning difficulties that you may have in getting assignments in on time. 
• Complete the discussion posts and replies within the given window of time. Our discussions are much more vibrant when we all participate!
• Since Canvas is used so heavily in this course, I expect students to check their Canvas messages once a day from Monday - Friday. As the instructor, I only message you when there are upcoming assignments, changes to assignments, or anything that is deemed important for the class (e.g., cancellations). You can expect to receive, on average, about 1-2 messages a week from me.

Instructor Expectations 

Here is what you can expect of me:

• I will respond to your email or message within 24 hours during the week, unless I inform you otherwise.
• I will grade your Course Journal and Discussion posts and replies most often within 48 hours. (If you have posted late work, it may take longer.) Grades on the final project and final exam will be done within a week.
• You will see your grades in the Canvas Gradebook.