COMM 1000W Communication Strategies for Social Justice — 4 credits

Working with a community partner, students will create, execute, and evaluate a community engagement plan. You will be introduced to foundational contemporary rhetorical theories focusing on communicators as intersectional identities, messages and mediums, identifying and analyzing audiences, recognizing and engaging cultural contexts, and strategizing how to meet specific desired outcomes related to beliefs and/or behaviors. We will also be introduced to methods of interpersonal and small group communication as part of the larger mission of community engagement which is to cultivate an informed and engaged citizenry. Writing Intensive. Satisfies LIFE Core requirements of Behavioral/Social Sciences and Gender and Women's studies. Offered in the College for Women and College for Adults. Offered Fall and Spring.

COMM 1030 Speaking to Lead and Influence — 4 credits

Undoubtedly, the ability to speak eloquently in a variety of settings is recognized as a vital component of contemporary leadership. As students who will refine their verbal communication skills, you are part of a long tradition that stretches back thousands of years to Ancient Greece. Specifically, we will learn to analyze, organize and communicate information; we’ll develop as listeners, becoming a collaborative audience and we’ll consider the important ways that gendered norms intersect with speaking. Students will complete this course with a set of practical skills and critical habits of mind for speaking effectively in their future careers. Satisfies LIFE Core requirement of Behavioral/Social Sciences. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults. Offered Fall and Spring.

COMM 2000 Foundations in Leadership — 4 credits

This course explores theories and methods of leadership that emerge from historical and contemporary rhetorical and argumentation studies. You will study and apply leadership theories and approaches through class exercises, case studies, and working with a local organization. Self-reflection is a critical aspect of the course and as such we will complete summaries and reflections that will be compiled into a personal portfolio. Finally, you will also compose a professional portfolio of your previous curricular and co-curricular leadership experience, your plan for continued leadership development, as well as the prospective challenges and/or opportunities. Offered in the College for Women.

COMM 2030 Social Media and Social Change — 4 credits

This class takes a critical approach to understanding the relationship between society and social media. The course will explore the development of social media by situating them in broader social, political, historical, and industrial contexts. Drawing from history and a broad range of social theories, we will examine how the emergence of social media technologies are discussed, the mythologies surrounding these technologies, and how these technologies are used to impact various aspects of our lives including our social relationships (friendship, community, affiliation, etc.), identity, privacy, and labor. By the end of the class, I hope you will be able to think about these emerging technologies and the debates around social media in new and different ways that can lead to actions for social change. Offered in the College for Women.

COMM 2050 Media, Culture and Society — 4 credits

This course examines how media, culture and society are intersecting forces that shape both how we understand our world and the social and cultural realities within it. We will look beyond the media as transmitters of information, or sources of entertainment, to critically analyze its influence on society. As we refine our knowledge of media, we will also develop the skills we use to communicate about media. Specifically, we will work toward solving a key problem considered by many media scholars: how to communicate challenging academic concepts clearly and accessibly. As we refine this problem-solving skill, we’ll also develop our skills analyzing information, communicating information and using/understanding technology to develop media. Ultimately, students will apply this knowledge to critically engage with the mediated world and/or work in communication industries in ways that are individually and socially empowering. Satisfies LIFE Core requirement of Behavioral/Social Sciences. Offered in the College for Women in Fall.

COMM 2060 Media Law, Ethics, and AI — 4 credits

This course provides students with a fundamental understanding of the relationship between law and communication and an appreciation for the continuing evolution of this relationship. By the end of the semester, you will have an introduction to the American legal system as it pertains to all aspects of media, including mass media and commercial speech. We will explore complex topics, such as limits on free speech (such as libel, privacy and obscenity), and examine copyrights, commercial, and political speech. Finally, we will examine the genesis of AI, its use, and ethical implications for communication technologies and information. Offered in the College for Women in the Fall.

COMM 2992 Topics — 2 credits

COMM 2994 Topics: — 4 credits

The subject matter of the course is announced in the annual schedule of classes. Content varies from year to year but does not duplicate existing courses.

COMM 3030 Rhetoric, Civic Participation and Social Justice — 4 credits

This class examines the role of public discourse in constituting public decisions and public life. Students will examine how rhetorical practices contribute to the construction, maintenance and destruction of community. Through a collaboration with a community partner, we will complete a community engaged learning project focusing on identifying specific publics, barriers and opportunities for fuller public engagement, and strategies to increase public engagement. Satisfies LIFE Core requirement of Behavioral/Social Sciences. Offered in the College for Women in the Fall.

COMM 3070W Gender and Rhetoric — 4 credits

This course explores the social construction of gender as it is constructed, maintained, and/or transformed through institutions such as law, education, work, religion, the family and other institutions. Through guided reading and small and large-group discussion, this course explores current research on the role that public material, discursive, and visual messages play in making ideologies visible and contestable. Students will work in small groups and independently to research, draft, and revise, and present a research project. Writing Intensive. Satisfies LIFE Core requirements of Behavioral/Social Sciences and Gender and Women's studies. Offered in the College for Women in Fall.

COMM 3100 Communicating across Cultures, Identities and Differences — 4 credits

This course explores the social construction of gender as it is constructed, maintained, and/or transformed through institutions such as law, education, work, religion, the family and other institutions. Through guided reading and small and large-group discussion, this course explores current research on the role that public material, discursive, and visual messages play in making ideologies visible and contestable. Students will work in small groups and independently to research, draft, and revise, and present a research project. Writing Intensive. Satisfies LIFE Core requirements of Behavioral/Social Sciences and CRST/WOST. Offered in the College for Women in Spring.

COMM 3200W Public Relations Writing — 4 credits

This course combines theory and practice from the Communication Studies discipline to give students the opportunity to develop skills to create effective promotional and public relations messages in a professional context. Students will learn to analyze audiences and assess promotional goals to plan effective public relations messages. Students will also work collaboratively and individually to produce news releases, content for an online newsroom, promotion for an event, and a portfolio of collected work. Special issues related to promotional writing include planning and research, appropriate grammar and mechanics, and basic publication design principles. Also offered as ENGL 3200W. Writing Intensive. Satisfies LIFE Core requirement of Behavioral/Social Sciences. Offered in the College for Women in Spring.

COMM 4600 Leadership and the Art of Persuasion — 4 credits

This course studies the practice of exercising effective leadership from within the framework of persuasive, effective, and strategic communication. To provide students with a foundation through which they can begin to act as leaders in their daily lives, students in this course will consider and practically apply theories of leadership, persuasion and argumentation. The practical application of effective leadership in this advanced course is designed to refine your written and verbal communication skills. The course's foundational assignment, the leadership drill, will provide you with the opportunity to serve as the leader in the midst of a communication crisis. As the leader, you will practice the effective analysis, organization and communication of information while also demonstrating professionalism. To further develop your written communication skills, you will also write and revise a cover letter for employment to be submitted to a future potential employer. Students will leave this course equipped to effectively communicate persuasively and ethically across a number of different settings. Satisfies LIFE Core requirements of Behavioral/Social Sciences and Gender and Women's studies. Offered in the College for Women in Spring.

COMM 4602 Internship — 2 credits

This structured out-of-class learning experience takes place on or off campus and includes a substantial work component. An internship involves students in a particular profession in an exploratory way to test career interests and potential. To initiate an internship experience, meet with the internship coordinator in the Career Development Office.
Prerequisites: Faculty and division chair approval.

COMM 4604 Internship — 4 credits

This structured out-of-class learning experience takes place on or off campus and includes a substantial work component. An internship involves students in a particular profession in an exploratory way to test career interests and potential. To initiate an internship experience, meet with the internship coordinator in the Career Development Office.
Prerequisites: Faculty and division chair approval.

COMM 4682 Directed Study — 2 credits

COMM 4684 Directed Study — 4 credits

Directed study is provided for students whose unusual circumstances prohibit taking a regularly scheduled course but who need the material of that course to satisfy a requirement. Availability of this faculty-directed learning experience depends on faculty time and may be limited in any given term and restricted to certain courses.
Prerequisites: Faculty, department chair and dean approval.

COMM 4850 Senior Seminar — 4 credits

Senior seminar invites students to explore the communication studies major, examining how their work has changed them personally and prepared them for professional life. Discussion and sharing among the participants of the seminar are stressed. A central goal of the course is for students to document how they meet departmental outcome goals. Students combine elements from curricular and co-curricular work with new work (reflective essay, career development assessments, career plans, cover letters, resumes, etc.) in a culminating document that articulates the specific transferable skills students are most practiced in and focused on translating into a communication career. This senior seminar is required for all majors and minor served by the department of Communication Studies. Offered in the College for Women in Spring.

COMM 4952 Independent Study — 2 credits

Project may build upon experience gained in any course in the department.
Prerequisites: Instructor and division chair approval.

COMM 4954 Independent Study — 4 credits

Project may build upon experience gained in any course in the department.
Prerequisites: Instructor and division chair approval.

COMM 4994 Topics — 4 credits

Seminars invite students to explore a particular issue in depth. Students undertake a major research project under the supervision of the instructor. Discussion and sharing among the participants of the seminar is stressed. When offered, the specialized content area is highlighted in a subtitle, and the relevant prerequisites are listed in the course schedule. The subject matter of the course is announced in the annual schedule of classes. Content varies from year to year but does not duplicate existing courses. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.