Course Syllabus

Spring 2024 | COM-1030-VO01 - Intercultural Communication

Online Class

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

Faculty

Victor Ehly
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

This course examines the role that culture plays in the human communication process. Students will examine the various dimensions of communication in a culturally diverse society, including those in interpersonal, small group, organizational and mass media. Students will explore both the theories of intercultural communication and the verbal and nonverbal applications associated with becoming a competent and effective communicator.

Essential Objectives

1. Describe the central role that culture plays in all forms of communication and the important theories that provide the framework for understanding this field.
2. Explore the many factors that influence communication patterns within and across cultures, including those of race, class, gender, religion, age, abilities and sexual orientation.
3. Identify and reflect on cultural values that influence an individual’s perception and communication.
4. Interpret the social construction of verbal and nonverbal language, culture, and symbols.
5. Demonstrate communication competence through the awareness of intercultural dynamics and the effective application of verbal and nonverbal skills.
6. 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-1030-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.

Methods

There are fourteen chapters in our textbook and fifteen weeks in the semester. We will spend the first week discussing the mechanics of the course and getting acquainted with each other. Another important purpose of the first week is to get into the habit of logging in to this course site EVERY DAY to "check in" and see if there are any new discussion posts to which you might want to respond. Also, begin reading in our textbook NOW in order to stay one week ahead, so you will be fully prepared for each week’s discussion. The objective of the first week is to BECOME A LEARNING COMMUNITY. This is crucial, since you will be graded on your performance in each week's discussion.

• Beginning with the second week, we will discuss one chapter each week plus video clips posted by your instructor. Weekly discussions begin Monday morning at 00 hundred (12:00 AM, midnight) Eastern Time (ET) and end Sunday night at 11:59 PM (ET). Discussion for the previous week will not close but NO POINTS can be gained for posts after the closing date and time.

Evaluation Criteria

• A MINIMUM of SIX (6) in-depth posts is required each week. The weekly due date shown in the syllabus is the absolute latest possible post for the week to avoid an absence. However, posting at the last minute will never gain the full twenty points and it will place a "late" designation in your record for the week. Your first post each week will be in response to the questions at the end of the chapter for that week or alternative questions posted by your instructor. Read each question carefully as it appears at the top of the week's discussion forum. Post your responses to the week's questions in a single post by NOON THURSDAY for a chance at the maximum of ten points for your initial response to the questions for the week. (The later in the week you enter the discussion with your first post, the fewer points can be gained.) Then view the video clips for the week and add your responses to the appropriate video discussion. A minimum of five posts must be made in response to the posts of other students and the video clips as they appear in the discussion as well as responses to the posts of your student peers to your posts. Check for new discussion posts daily.
• This second part, namely, your engagement with the other students and with the video clips, can gain you up to ten additional points. A perfect score for each week is 20 points. With fifteen weeks in the semester, your possible perfect score for the weekly discussions is 300 points...almost one-third of your total score for the term.

Again, a maximum of twenty (20) points per week is granted for participation in the discussion--ten points for substantive answers to chapter questions plus another ten points for in-depth discussion with other students concerning their answers plus video clips. You will be evaluated for the quantity and quality of your weekly posts, and your points for each week’s discussion will be recorded in the course grade book. A perfect score for the course is 1000 points (100%).

• Although short supportive posts are appreciated (such as "Great job with your answer to question 5!"),only weekly discussion points will be counted for more substantial comments. It is essential to log on to the course often, adding your thoughts and responding to those of your fellow students. Don’t forget to respond to those who have responded to your posts! Only through this process can a rich and fulfilling dialogue occur.
• Read all new posts of your fellow students carefully every time you log on to the discussion forum. The only sure way to pass this course is to KEEP PACE with the weekly reading and discussion. When a full week of discussion has passed, the discussion cannot be “made up,” although you are welcome to review earlier discussions at any point during the semester.
• Missing an entire week’s discussion earns you zero points for that week—which cannot be made up—and counts as an absence for that week. Three absences may disqualify you for course credit.
• This course is about communication, so THINK OF YOURSELF AS “THE COMMUNICATOR” DEMONSTRATING YOUR IMPROVING INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS via:

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.

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