Course Syllabus

Summer 2025 | COM-1030-VT01 - Intercultural Communication

In Person Class

Standard courses meet in person at CCV centers, typically once each week for the duration of the semester.

Faculty

Scott Couper
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Collin Lee

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 computer recommendations Support page.

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.

Summer 2025 textbook/book details will be available on 2024-12-06. 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-VT01 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.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Prohibited: The use of generative AI is not allowed in this course, with the exception of spellcheck, grammar check and similar tools. This course rests in the value of students engaging in the learning process without relying on AI-generated content. Students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills independently, owning their learning journey from start to finish. If you use these tools, your actions would be considered academically dishonest and a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

Methods

This course's structure includes weekly readings, weekly written assignments, lectures, regular discussion, and participation in small-group activities that demonstrate active engagement with the course subject matter, a mid-term evaluation, and an independent research paper that will include an annotated bibliography (see below).

This syllabus is subject to slight amendment, especially in the Weekly Schedule, as a week before the classes, I may insert different and/or updated audio-visuals and activities into the subject sections (as one should not lecture or listen to a lecture for almost three hours, even with a break).

Weekly Lectures: Lectures will focus on key concepts and theory based on the two texts assigned for the course.

Weekly Readings: Each week, about thirty (30) pages from the two texts will be assigned to be read.

Discussion: Because this is a course in communication, participation in discussion is very important. Everyone has a different comfort level when speaking in a group or in public, so remember that only a small percentage of communication includes what we verbalize. Exhibiting interest, engagement, enthusiasm, and agreement or disagreement can all be done without words.

Evaluation: A midterm evaluation will be administered halfway through the semester. It will be a multiple-choice exam that covers the material thus far. All the questions you will encounter on the exam you will have encountered before in class if you attended all the classes.

Written assignments/Typed responses: Each week, you will submit a typed response to the reading. It should be two (2) pages in length, double-spaced. By 'typed response,' I don't mean a 'summary'; no regurgitation; I have already read the reading assignment. I would like you to speak 'to' the reading. I will assume that you have read it and understand it. I do not need you to 'review' what you and I have already read. Instead, I would like you to respond to the author as if you were having a conversation with him/her/they. I will be able to verify that you read and understood the material by how you intelligently and creatively respond to what you read. Your reading reactions should therefore be an extrapolation of the reading using, appropriately in context, key terms and concepts learned. What is your reaction? Focus on the two or three most important takeaways from the reading. What kinds of connections did you make between what he/she/they said and what you understand based on your life experiences and general knowledge? What insights or new understandings did the reading trigger for you? I strongly encourage you to write in your texts while you are reading to record your stream of consciousness - reactions, insights, connections, questions, even prompts to 'stories' of your experience. Your notes will provide you with the seeds for your written response - they will almost write your assignment for you.

Annotative Bibliography: As the conclusion of your independent study week, you are to submit an annotative bibliography. You may choose the style in which you wish to submit. I will offer options from which to choose. The purpose of the annotated bibliography is to compel you to begin to work on your final presentation during and throughout the independent study week. The independent study week is not a vacation. The absence of a class is not the absence of work. We are not having class, so you have time to work. Your annotated bibliography will declare your intended topic (subject) and your thesis (the point, you must have a point). Last but not least, you will communicate what sources you will use to present your thesis. Most importantly, you will convey what specific 'work' each source will do. For you to know what work each source will do, you will have to have read the source or, at a bare minimum, read an abstract, table of contents, or synopsis to understand the material therein. By identifying the work the sources will do, you will have demonstrated the feasibility of your project and thus the coherence of your final presentation.

Final Project (Independent Research): We will, almost without external motivation, learn and excel at that in which we are passionate. Peruse the resources for this class as well as online resources until you find a topic that touches that special nerve inside you, that is, where you wish to 'drill down'. I encourage you to cross-pollinate subjects (intercultural communication and politics/race/sexuality/history/generations/theology/space travel). If politics interests you, investigate the Iranian hostage crisis of the late 1990s. If space or astronomy interests you, investigate intercultural relations between nationalities on the International Space Station. If you are passionate about issues of gender or sexuality, educate yourself on debates and points of contestation within the LGBTIQA+ (queer) community. If you are interested in theology, explore how Siberian rural culture, the history of the Russian Orthodox church, and schisms caused by eighteenth-century reforms influenced Grigorii Rasputin. If issues of race and identity interest you, explore the complexities of intersectionality for bi-racial or bi-cultural people of color. Select an area of interest - this area could be a specific culture or region, it could be a specific theme, it could be one or two of your favorite stories, it could be an activity, art, or profession. Then discern what makes you excited about this area of study. You will prepare a verbal presentation on your findings for your final project. This presentation will conform to the CCV Oral Communication Rubric. This will include a slide presentation (PowerPoint, Prezzi, or similar platform) on your findings of roughly ten (10) slides and approximately fifteen (15) minutes in duration.

Evaluation Criteria

Typed reading responses - 30%

Participation in class discussions - 20%

Mid-term examination - 25%

Annotative Bibliography - 5%

Verbal presentation to the class that demonstrates proficiency using the CCV Oral Communication Rubric - 20%

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

Participation Grade

A student who attends every class, participateswellin every class, and completes all homework assignments will receive 100% for their participation grade.

For each missed class, a student will lose 5% of the participation grade.

The student will lose another 5% if unable to complete the homework that was due the week of class.

A pattern of late arrival or early departure from class may, at the instructor's discretion, constitute an absence for attendance grading purposes.

Positive Participation

Show evident attention and engagement with the full class about the topic being discussed (not side conversations, please).

Contribute positively, voluntarily, regularly, and moderately during each class.

Develop a thoughtful and inquisitive manner about the material and each other's contributions during class. (Bennett)

Classroom Comportment

We will have one fifteen-minute break, approximately halfway through class time. Use this as an opportunity to use the restroom, get a snack or drink, or send or read email or text messages from your computer or phone.

Please do not send or read emails or text messages during class time. Also, please do not attend to other material online that is not part of the curriculum of the class, or listen to media via earphones. This is a distraction to me and often to your classmates. Of course, it is a break in your attention and participation as well. Please note that these actions detract significantly from your active participation.

You may eat and drink during class time. The only restriction is that you should not cause distractions. Please be thoughtful and do not choose food that has loud wrappings or is loud to chew.

Please get up and leave the classroom if you need to use the restroom, make/take a critical phone call/text, etc., and we are not during break time. You do not need to ask for permission for these activities.

During active class time, please do not have side conversations. This is also a distraction to me and your classmates. If you would like to socialize or catch up with a classmate, please wait for a transition time between activities or leave the room to do so.

If you find you are drowsy during our very long classes, I encourage you to take a brief walk or get a drink to help you with your alertness. It is not acceptable behavior to 'rest your head' or to close your eyes during class (even during an audio-visual presentation).

Correspondence Comportment

All written work, including in-class and out-of-class correspondence, should be thoughtfully made and express its content with a professional attitude. You should explicitly attend to:

function (What do I need to convey?)

context (To whom and under what circumstances?)

format (Should this look like a letter, an essay, or a research paper?)

mechanics (Have I checked the spelling and grammar?)

means (Is this neatly typed and submitted on time?)

Your attention, or lack thereof, to these details can affect your evaluation.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Late Work

Evaluated coursework that is handed in late may still be accepted, but will be marked down unless special circumstances result in a student being unable to complete work on time. See below.

Late work might be accepted on pre-arrangement with the instructor. Pre-arrangement includes both the email request by the student and the consent of the instructor. Students, therefore, must plan and give the instructor at least twenty-four hours before the scheduled class time to respond.

If an unplanned conflict in the last twenty-four hours prevents a student from receiving permission to submit an assignment late, the student should inform the instructor via email of this circumstance. In this case, the instructor will likely consent once a semester to this contingency.

Missing Work

Missing work will result in a zero in the grade.

Late work will be assessed with an initial 5% penalty, which will increase by a further 1% for each subsequent day the assignment is overdue.

This late penalty will be capped at 25%.

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

Apply Now for this semester.