COMM 2075 (formerly ORCO 3240) Syllabus
Course Syllabus
COMM 2075 (formerly ORCO 3240) - Organizational Communications
3 Credit Hours
Course Information
This course covers theories and processes of communication within organizations. Students will learn about communication issues and practices in many types of organizations.
The topics studied in this course include:
- careers in the field
- communication networks
- organizational culture
- the role of technology in organizations
- group relations
- leadership and power
- communicating with employees and non-employees
- trends affecting organizations
- Students will compare and contrast major theories of organizational communication.
- Students will analyze the impact of organizational culture, technology, and diversity on communication within organizations.
- Students will evaluate both internal and external communication by organizations, including leadership and crisis communication.
None
* Careers in Organizational Communication
* Functions of Organizational Communication
* Organizational Communication Structure and Networks
* Management Theories and Organizational Communication
* Organizational Culture
* Information Technology
* Diversity and Organizational Change
* Meetings and Organizational Groups
* Organizational Leadership and Power
* Managing Information Internally and Externally
* Crisis Communication
*Trends in Organizational Communication
You will (a) analyze the management style of two administrators, (b) examine organizational culture and climate, (c) discuss “types” of power, (d) respond to an e-mail assignment, and (e) actively participate in online discussions.
Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements
Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."
Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.
Minimum software requirements can be found here.
Common applications you might need:
- To read a PDF file download the latest version of Adobe Reader here
- Don't have Microsoft Word? Explore an alternative OpenOffice here
- Accessing a PowerPoint file? Download the PowerPoint Viewer here
Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)
The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook
- Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
- Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
- Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.
Instructor Information
Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.
Participation, Assessments, & Grading
There are no exams in this course.
A - Excellent work, well organized, meets all assignment guidelines, obvious application of source material and vocabulary, no spelling or grammar errors, written in your own words, above and beyond what's required, all material turned in with no reminders.
B - Good work, well organized, meets most assignment guidelines, few spelling errors, no grammar errors, obvious application of source material and vocabulary, written in your own words, all material turned in with no reminders.
C - OK work, fairly well organized, good application of source material and vocabulary, meets some assignment guidelines, may have some errors in grammar/spelling, parts of required material not turned in.
D - Poor work, has many errors, does not meet assignment guidelines, parts of required material not turned in.
F – This grade usually results from not turning in assignments or turning in significantly inferior work.
90-100 | A |
80-89 | B |
70-79 | C |
60-69 | D |
0-59 | F |
Cheating will result in an F in the course and you must cease participating in this class. Because you are expected to communicate well in this class, your grade will suffer if you have errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or sentence structure in any papers.
* Three papers, total 50%
- Management Analysis, 20%
- Culture and Climate Report, 15%
- Examples of Power, 15%
*5 units of discussion at 10% each, total 50%
Total 100%
You are expected to read all assignments, and actively participate in online discussions each week. You will write papers based on your readings, online discussions, and on your experiences with organizations. Papers should be turned in by the date and time on the calendar. Please note: Late papers will be dropped 20 points. Students who cease participating in the class but do not officially drop or withdraw will receive an F.
Paper Rubric
Level | Criteria | Grade |
Superior | Excellent work, well organized, meets all assignment guidelines, obvious application of source material and vocabulary, NO spelling or grammar errors, written in your own words, above and beyond what's required; all material turned in by deadline, reference page provided, followed proper APA format | 90-100 |
Proficient | Good work, well organized, meets most assignment guidelines, few spelling errors, NO grammar errors, obvious application of source material and vocabulary, written in your own words, all material turned in by deadline, reference page provided, followed proper APA format | 80-89 |
Average | OK work, fairly well organized, good application of source material and vocabulary, meets some assignment guidelines, errors in grammar/spelling, parts of required material, submitted by deadline, reference page provided, and errors in APA format. | 70-79 |
Poor | Poor work, has many errors, does not meet assignment guidelines, | 0-69 |
You must actively participate in class discussions, and your participation must be timely. If you consistently wait until the last few hours of a discussion, the quality of your participation may suffer, as will your grade. You will see on the Assignment Calendar when each discussion forum ends. Once the discussion forum ends there is NO make-up for discussions – this is absolute. You are given several weeks to participate and when the discussion closes, you will be unable to access it. Be sure to check the Assignment Calendar for discussion due dates. Papers are also considered class participation and failure to turn in one or more may result in failing the course.
You have a window of time in which to participate in discussion and in which to submit your papers. Once discussion time ends, you will not receive credit for further discussion on that unit's topics. If you miss the due date for a paper, 20 points will be subtracted from your grade on that assignment. Technical problems aren't an excuse for late papers.
Course Ground Rules
The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:
RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS
Read the document in its entirety here.
1. Standards of Conduct:
- Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.
2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:
- In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.
Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:
- an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
- to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
- or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.
Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.
Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution. Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.
In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.
Other Course Rules:
Students are expected to:
- Participate in all aspects of the course
- Communicate with other students
- Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
- Keep abreast of course announcements
- Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
- Address technical problems immediately:
- Observe course netiquette at all times.
Guidelines for Communications
Email:
- Always include a subject line.
- Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
- Use standard fonts.
- Do not send large attachments without permission.
- Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
- Respect the privacy of other class members
Discussions:
- Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
- Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
- Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
- Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
- Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
- Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
- Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.
Library
The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.
Students with Disabilities
Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.
Syllabus Changes
The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.