Course Syllabus

Spring 2024 | COM-2360-VO01 - Conflict Resolution

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Amy Beth Kessinger
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Ashraf Alamatouri

General Education Requirements

CCV Communication

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

Students will explore the scope and nature of, and become acquainted with, methods of conflict resolution and nonviolent change at various levels. Focuses on active listening and oral communication skills, principled negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and nonviolent direct action. Students also examine their own personal communication styles with regard to conflict.

Essential Objectives

1. Explore the nature of conflict and conflict management.
2. Describe different conflict management processes and their characteristics, including conflict resolution, negotiation, mediation, and nonviolent change.
3. Discuss the connections between conflict, violence, and human nature.
4. Examine the role of ethics in managing conflicts.
5. Interpret and understand personal conflict styles in order to identify roadblocks to communication.
6. Develop strategies for active listening, assertiveness, and cooperation in order to strengthen his/her skills in managing everyday conflict in the workplace and at home.
7. Demonstrate proficiency in speaking through participation in mock conflicts, role playing, presentations, and discussion.
8. Prepare a formal presentation that demonstrates proficiency using the CCV Oral Communication Rubric.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations, along with free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials.

Spring 2024 textbook/book details will be available on 2023-11-06. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

COM-2360-VO01 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

For Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria (please note that this may change before the start of the semester)

• Class Participation (Forums): 35%
• Weekly Journals: 30%
• TKI Conflict Mode Presentation (informal!): 5%
• Difficult Conversations Reflection: 15%
• Lecturette: 15%

Participation in Weekly Discussion Forums (35%): The forums are the place where we build community and practice applying the concepts and skills you're exploring each week. You will be graded on the quality of your overall engagement, which will include your first posting as well as the required subsequent reply posts you make throughout the week. Participation in the forums is of paramount importance.

Weekly Journals (30%): Each week, you will craft and submit a brief written response to a specific question I pose related to the reading/viewing homework. You might be asked to practice skills, apply concepts, reflect on your learning, etc.

TKI (Informal) Presentation (5%): The Thomas-Killmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) will help you to discover, reflect upon, and make connections about your preferred conflict modes and behaviors. You will take this survey and then report out to us the results of your profile and interpretative report in a brief presentation. (Why a video presentation? Well, one of your final projects requires you to deliver a video presentation, so this is another low-stakes opportunity to practice!)

Difficult Conversations Reflection (15%): In this reflection paper, you will identify a difficult conversation you wish to have with someone and then fully prepare for this conversation using specific strategies from the Difficult Conversations book.

Lecturette (15%): This assignment helps fulfill the VSC oral communication requirement; it is also meant to give you an opportunity to explore a topic of interest we've not covered in the course and then share key information about this topic with your peers. You will prepare and present a video presentation that teaches the class about a topic of your choice related to the vast field of conflict resolution.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

CLASS PARTICIPATION EXPECTATIONS

Discussion forums = class participation.

Discussion forums are a vital and required component of this course because this is where you will apply concepts, practice skills, and build community with your peers.

Forums take place in an “asynchronous” manner; in other words, we all make contributions within a certain time frame but not necessarily at the exact same time.

Full participation requires active and thoughtful engagement in class each week. The following habits are important:

• Complete all of the week's reading and assignments before the start of the forum.
• Compose a timely, substantive, and thoughtful initial response to the discussion/activity prompt.
• Contribute a minimum number of high-quality reply postings that significantly contribute to a positive learning environment.
• Address and interact with your peers by name (e.g. Dear Sally) and sign off with your own name (the one you want us to use, of course).

Students who regularly participate in discussions perform better on the major weight-bearing assignments associated with that unit.

Missing & Late Work Policy

MISSING & LATE WORK POLICIES

• Discussion Forums: Students may not go back and participate in forums that have already closed, as this is akin to participating when everyone has left the room. If a student makes an initial post but contributes no replies, they may receive a grade of 1 out of 5 for the week.
• Weekly Journals & Major Assignments: Extensions will be granted only in extenuating circumstances. If a lengthy medical problem or other emergent personal issue will result in missing weekly discussions and/or assignments, please let me know in writing as soon as possible
• I drop the lowest journal grade and I offer extra credit. This feels fair to everyone in the course since it applies equally to all students in the class.
• Anticipated Absences: Students who know that they will not have course access for any given week should make arrangements with me to complete assignments and some of the participation requirements prior to the absence.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity