COMMUNICATION STUDIES 495 -  Seminar in Rhetoric and Criticism

 

Fall Semester 2007

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday  2:00-2:50 p.m.

Room 232, Moreau Center for the Arts

 

Dr. Michael Kramer

Office Address:   105 Moreau Center for the Arts    

Office Hours:   Tuesday and Thursday 2:00-4:30 p.m., or by appointment    

Phone:  284-4042 (office), 251-0262 (home)            

Email:  mkramer@saintmarys.edu

Home Page:  http://www.saintmarys.edu/~mkramer/

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

 

            This course is the second part of the Senior Comprehensive Sequence that you began last semester in COMM 302 - History and Criticism of Public Address.  During this semester, you will complete your Senior Comprehensive Project. 

 

            This course requires you to think, research, write, and speak as a scholar in the field of communication studies known as rhetoric and public address.  Last semester, you learned a lot about what rhetoric is and what we can learn from the rhetorical criticism of public communication.  To that end, we will build on the theories, concepts, and methods covered in COMM 302 last spring.  The arc of the semester will be devoted to applying those theories, concepts, and methods to a research project of interest to you, and the course, and your senior comp sequence, will end with a paper and public presentation of an original work of rhetorical criticism.  Because each studentŐs project will be unique, much of the learning will occur during your own research and writing process and during regularly-scheduled individual conferences with me.   

            As suggested above, the course is related to the following goals: 

1.     Students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of communication theory    and history, and of critical thinking skills;

2.     Students should be able to produce written and oral messages appropriate to a variety of       communication contexts.

            3.  Students should understand the contexts (political, social, legal, ethical and cultural)                             in which messages are produced, disseminated, and interpreted.

  

REQUIRED TEXTS

 

            1.  Any textbook required for COMM 302 will be useful for this class.

 

            2.  Sonja K. Foss, Rhetorical Criticism:  Exploration and Practice, Third Ed.  Long Grove:                IL:  Waveland Press. 

 

ATTENDANCE

 

            Students are required to attend all scheduled class sessions, individual meetings, and the end-of-the-semester senior comprehensive presentations.  For each of these missed, ten points will be deducted from your semester point total.   

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

 

            Consult the Saint Mary's Academic Honesty Code.  If discovered, cheating and plagiarism (the uncredited use of others' ideas and writings as your own) will result in failure on the assignment and, if repeated, failure of the course.  If there are doubts, I may ask you to produce your research and research notes to prove that the work is original.  In scholarly research, it is especially important that you clearly acknowledge those writers who provide the ideas upon which your own research and criticism is constructed.

 

ASSIGNMENTS

 

1.  Historical Context Paper - See handout for details.

 

2.  Literature Review Paper - See handout for details.

 

3.  First Draft of Senior Comprehensive Paper - See handout for details.

 

4.  Final Draft of Senior Comprehensive Paper-  See handout for details.

 

5.  Presentation of Findings - You will present your Senior Comp findings to the faculty and students of the Department of Communication Studies during an evening near the end of the semester.  The presentation must be no less than 8 minutes in length and will be followed by a five minute question-and-answer session.  Presentations will be evaluated based on (1) your ability to clearly and accurately share your research, (2) responses to questions, and (3) overall professionalism. 

 

POINTS AND GRADE DISTRIBUTION

 

Historical Context                   100 points

Literature Review                    100 points

First Draft                                100 points

Final Draft                               150 points

Presentation                            50  points

TOTAL                                                500 points

 

Final Grades will be based upon the following scale:

 

Percentage                 Points                                 Grade

93-100                         465-500                                   A

90-93                           450-464                                   A-

87-90                           435-449                                   B+

83-87                           415-434                                   B

80-83                           400-414                                   B-

77-80                           385-399                                   C+

73-77                           365-384                                   C

70-73                           350-364                                   C-

67-70                           335-349                                   D+

60-67                           300-334                                   D

  0-60                               0-299                                   F

 

GRADE DISPUTES AND INCOMPLETES

 

            Students who disagree with a grade on an assignment must submit a written appeal to me within one week of the assignment being returned.  That appeal should make an argument as to why the grade should be changed. 

 

PAPER REQUIREMENTS

 

            All written work must be stapled, typed, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins and a standard 10 or 12 point font.  References should be cited on a separate sheet and should be cited using the MLA style guide.  Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation is expected.  Failure to follow any of these instructions will result in point deductions.