Communications Studies (COMS) 591 - Seminar 01
Senior Seminar in Communication
Fall 2007

Tu 14:00 - 16:50 in EDT 920

 

Instructor:	Dr. Tania S. Smith
Office Location:	SS 326
Office Phone:	220-7774
E-Mail:	smit@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:	http://www.ucalgary.ca
Office Hours:	MW 12:00-1:00 and by appointment

Course Description

Calendar description: With reference to a special topic, this course explores the variety of ways in which communication builds social and cultural values. Students will undertake a major project that will integrate their understanding of communication theory, history and methodology. Prerequisites: One of Communications Studies 441, 451, or 461 or consent of the Faculty. Note: Restricted to students in the Communications Studies Major program.

Topic of this section: The special topic for this section is "engaging with popular culture."  Students will explore how people communicate through popular culture, and how communication analysts and researchers interrogate the technologies, genres, settings, audiences and/or social effects of popular culture.  Readings will cover definitions of popular culture, rhetorical perspectives on popular culture, media studies perspectives, and the representation of illness and public health, especially HIV-AIDS, in popular culture.  

Objectives of the Course

• To understand how communication in and about popular culture builds social and cultural values.
• To integrate your understanding of communication theory, history and methodology gained throughout the COMS degree program.
• To engage in a research project that prepares you to apply your knowledge and skills post-graduation.

Textbooks and Readings

 

You will not need to purchase a textbook or a readings package.  Our website or Blackboard will contain a list of articles, and I may occasionally provide handouts to the class.  The list will provide URL links to where the readings exist publicly on the internet, or links (requiring U of C login) to the electronic full text provided via our library databases.

 

Assignments and Evaluation

--  10% Reading Quizzes and in-class writing (as scheduled, in class). 

--  20% Proposal and Annotated Bibliography - due Friday Feb. 15 via electronic submission to your designated Blackboard group forum.  Bring a copy to a 10-minute appointment with the instructor on or before March 7.

--  10% Presentation (to be scheduled) along with a 200-word abstract and an outline provided to the instructor in class at the beginning of the presentation.

--  5% Co-lead a Class Activity on an assigned reading (to be scheduled). 

--  Required Term Project Draft - due Wednesday March 26 via electronic submission to your designated Blackboard group forum. Late or insufficient drafts will result in penalties applied to the term project grade.

--  5% Draft Peer Review - due Monday March 31 by reply on your Blackboard group forum, and performed in person in groups of 3-4 students during class on April 1^st

--  40 % Final Term Paper - due April 11 by midnight via email to instructor

--  10 % Class Participation

Specific directions for each assignment will be posted online at http://www.ucalgary.ca/~smit/COMS591/

 

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.  All assignments written outside of class time are to be submitted electronically as directed.  You must send a copy to yourself and ensure that the correct files have been attached properly.  If any assignments are in paper only, you should hand them in during class time or as directed.

 

Confidentiality

Students will be expected to share their writing and experiences with fellow classmates in order to learn from each other.  However, all students must treat their peers' documents and statements as confidential to their original audiences within this classroom community, and must obtain authors' written permission before communicating others' words, ideas, or intellectual property to other parties via media or text.  This applies whether they are recorded anonymously or by identifying their author(s).

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination:  No

Policy for Late Assignments

Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late.

Instructor's Research

To improve the quality of teaching in this subject area, your instructor occasionally analyzes data about student learning that is gathered naturally in the course of teaching, and may present these findings at conferences or in academic publications. Unless you give signed consent, data specific to your course work and participation will not be included in such research. During course evaluation time, or after the course is over, the instructor may hand out consent forms or email you a request to use your work outside of the course. You are free to decline participation or withdraw participation at any time. Any signed consent forms will not be seen by the instructor until after the final grades have been submitted.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info . Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre.  Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

A+/A (4.0); A- (3.7); B+ (3.3); B (3.0); B- (2.7); C+ (2.3);
C (2.0); C- (1.7); D+ (1.3); D (1.0); F (0)

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/su

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Ethics

Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines.  Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and supervise your research.  For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see the U of C Research Ethics "Information for Applicants," sections 3.0 to 9.0, inclusive: http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/research/html/ethics/info_undergrad.html

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

The schedule will be posted online on the course website at http://www.ucalgary.ca/~smit/COMS591/Schedule.htm , and is subject to revision (revisions will be announced in class and via email).