COMM 120S Making News
2 hours (½ semester - offered 2ND HALF)
Cunningham, S.
Prerequisite: None
The purpose of this course is for students interested in journalism and news-making to develop a comprehensive understanding of journalism and its function in a democratic society. Students will learn about the history of journalism, photojournalism, reporting (news writing and feature writing) opinion writing, ethics, student-run press and the challenges that journalists and news media outlets face in the digital age.
COMM 190 Public Speaking
4 Hours
Broz, S.
Prerequisite: None
This course addresses basic theoretical principles of effective public speaking necessary for pluralistic audiences, concentrating on content, organization, audience analysis, ethics, language, and delivery. Students apply these principles to several oral presentations, some videotaped and requiring the use of PowerPoint.
COMM 200 Introduction to Communication Studies
4 Hours
Cunningham, S.
Prerequisite: ENG 101E
This course provides an introduction to the field of human communication studies and a foundation for future study within the communication discipline. The course introduces the core concepts, essential skills, and perennial issues found in several relevant contexts of human interaction, including interpersonal relationships, organizations, and cross-cultural interaction. It also examines these contexts from a theoretical perspective, suggesting how scholars have sought to formulate generalized explanations for the processes of human meaning making. Writing intensive.
COMM 222A Graphic Storytelling: Comic Books as Culture
4 Hours
Smith, M.
Prerequisite: None
This course explores the kinds of graphic storytelling that goes on in comic books and graphic novels and considers the aesthetic standards with which to understand the narratives and resulting culture-making that goes on through them. Working from a mass communication perspective, we will review the historical development of the art form, the various genres that have popularized it (e.g., horror, romance, memoir), the industry (including the works of specific creators), and the audience. Using this information, students will learn to compose informed written and oral critiques of artifacts in the medium. In order to do this effectively, we will be reading a number of classic comic books as well as some modern graphic novels to better appreciate and articulate ideas about the art form.
COMM 224 Group Dynamics
4 Hours
Martycz, V.
Prerequisite: None
This course aims at improving your understanding of and ability to demonstrate effective communication behaviors in group discussions. The course is structured so that students study the principles of effective group communication and have the opportunity to apply these lessons to actual group interactions. Students thus have the chance to improve their communication competency in small group settings through discussions and projects in the practical application of theoretical concepts.
COMM 270S Interpersonal Communication
4 Hours
Warber, K.
Prerequisite: None
This course offers an introduction to message production and interpretation in face-to-face settings. The focus of the course is to illustrate how choices in interpersonal communication behaviors are basic to our character as human beings and the nature of our interpersonal relationships. Students will complete the course having learned about basic interpersonal communication principles related to, for example, self-presentation, self-disclosure, effective listening, relationship development, relational maintenance, relationship dissolution, compliance gaining, and conflict management.
COMM 280 Reasoning and Communication
4 Hours
Waggoner, C.
Prerequisite: ENGL 101E
This course provides extensive training in critical thinking, listening, reading, practical reasoning, deliberation, and oral and written advocacy. As part of a deliberative process, participants prepare oral and written arguments on contemporary issues for critical, well-informed audiences. Emphasis is placed on the ability to anticipate and address the wide variety of alternative perspectives represented by such audiences. Required assignments include: a personal essay regarding attitudes toward argumentation, a deliberation log, a roundtable performance of oral arguments with question and answer sessions, and an argumentative position paper. Writing intensive.
COMM 290S Media Literacy
4 Hours
Smith, M.
Prerequisite: ENGL 101E
This course provides a broad foundation for examining the form, content, and consequences of mediated communication (including the internet, recording, radio, television, cable, film, newspaper, magazine, and publishing industries). The course introduces media industries from both an historical and contemporary perspective, covers the prominent theories that characterize mass media functions and effects, and addresses controversial issues in mediated communication. Students are introduced to intellectual tools that will enable them to be more critical consumers of media and given opportunities to practice applying those tools in both structured classroom discussions and formal writing assignments. Writing intensive.
COMM 300Z Social Scientific Methods
4 Hours
Warber, K.
Prerequisites: COMM 200; COMM 270S, 280 or 290S; Math Placement score 22
This course introduces students to the process of conducting quantitative communication research, including how to 1) formulate a research question, 2) conduct library research for a literature review, 3) select a method (e.g., participant/observation, in-depth interviewing, focus groups, experiment, content analysis, or survey research), 4) adhere to standards for scholarly writing, and 5) critically evaluate others' research studies. Writing intensive. Mathematical-reasoning intensive.
COMM 301 Critical Methods: Television Criticism
4 Hours
Smith, M.
Pre-requisites: COMM 290S, or permission of instructor.
This course studies television as a form of intentional message making and encourages students to develop an active, critical response to the television they consume and to examine the effects it has on the world around them. The course explores the production of television as texts and considers multiple approaches that scholars have used to analyze the form and products of this medium. Students can gain a vocabulary for the production of these texts and learn to develop planned, in-depth critiques of their messages. Writing intensive.
COMM 329 Nonverbal Communication
4 hours
Broz, S.
Prerequisites: COMM 200 and 270S, 280, or 290S; or permission of instructor.
This advanced seminar is designed to provide a comprehensive study of nonverbal communication. Students learn the major types of nonverbal communication in the context of theory and methods of observation, as well as the ways in which nonverbal messages interact with verbal messages, and how nonverbal communication functions in the total communication process. Lectures will provide an informational basis for students' investigation of nonverbal concepts and research-related observations, while discussions and activities provide the opportunity for students to learn more about nonverbal communication from each other.
COMM 330 Analysis of Persuasion: Visual Persuasion
4 Hours
Waggoner, C.
Prerequisites: COMM 200 and COMM 270, 280, or 290 or permission of instructor.
This course helps students understand how persuasion works, particularly with visual images. Students will be given opportunities to learn how to critically receive and accept/reject persuasive messages and to display their knowledge by means of various projects and assignments. In the first half of the course, students will learn theories and principles of persuasion; in the second half, they will apply those theories/principles to nondiscursive or visual persuasion (i.e., images without words), using in part, the Springfield Museum of Art. This course is not intended to develop persuasive speaking skills, but is intended to help students become critical consumers of persuasion. COMM 301: Critical Methods is not required, but is preferred. While this is not a writing intensive course, you are expected to demonstrate competency in writing analytical papers.
COMM 360 Topics in Rhetoric: Environmental Communication
4 Hours
Cunningham, S.
Prerequisites: COMM 280, COMM 301, or permission of instructor.
In recent years talk about climate change has become increasingly prevalent in the public sphere, but it is important to understand that climate change is only one of many environmental issues we currently face in the United States. It is also important to understand the arguments made about the environment by various political actors including politicians, policy makers, environmental advocates, and citizens. In this course students will read a wide variety of texts that focus on environmental issues and a number of texts that focus on rhetorical theory. Students who take this course should be prepared to develop their understanding of rhetorical theory and utilize theoretical arguments in their analyses of public discourse about the environment in class discussions, written assignments, projects, and presentations.
COMM 490 Independent Study
1-4 Hours
Staff
Prerequisites: BY PERMISSION ONLY
COMM 491 Internships
1-4 Hours
Staff
Prerequisites: BY PERMISSION ONLY
COMM 495 Practicum: OCC Consultants
1-2 Hours
Cunningham, S.
Prerequisites: BY PERMISSION ONLY
COMM 495 Practicum: Communication Leaders
2 Hours
Warber, K.
Prerequisites: BY PERMISSION ONLY
The Communication Leaders experience offers Wittenberg University seniors a unique developmental opportunity focused on their transition from college to professional life. The program presents students with the chance to interact with proven leaders whose backgrounds and/or careers focus on effective communication practices. These leaders are pulled from the ranks of corporate America, non-profit agencies, and government service, and when it comes to sharing the benefits of their experiences are often eager to “pass it on.”
COMM 499 Senior Honors Thesis/Project
0-4 Hours
Staff
Prerequisites: 3.50 GPA and permission of the Department Chair.
