Instructor: Jessica Fifield
Email:fifield@u nc.edu
Cell: (916) 548-3361
Office Hours: by appointment
Class Meets: TR Saunders 220

Welcome to Communication Studies 312, better known as Persuasion. Many social theorists
have argued that persuasion/social influence is an omnipresent feature of our everyday
communicative behaviors. This course surveys classical and contemporary approaches to
persuasion that have their roots in many different disciplines including Communication Studies,
Psychology, Sociology, Advertising/Marketing, and Political Science. Students in this course use
these approaches to analyze and engage persuasion as a process and outcome in various contexts.

This introductory, survey course will provide a broad overview of the most prominent theories
with a special emphasis on how to put theory into practice. Although this course does have
public speaking elements, it is not a public speaking course. Those looking for such a course
should consider Communication Studies 113. Please note: majors are required to have
completed Communication Studies 120 prior to taking this course. Non-majors should have
confirmed that they have equivalent experience in their home department.

Please read this syllabus and the accompanying course calendar with care. If you have
questions/concerns please raise them during the first 2 weeks of class. It is important to note that
the calendar is a working calendar. It is there to give you an idea of what to expect as we
progress but it is by no means a finalized document. I will do my best to keep the major due
dates the same (exams, process books, grant drafts). However, it is likely that we will adjust
lectures/ challenges as needed. Also, note that the date of the fundraiser is not yet determined--
several possible dates are marked. We will finalize a date prior to the midterm.

This course provides a broad introduction of literature and theories that will help you to become
more sophisticated and critical consumers of persuasive messages across contexts. By
understanding, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating the perspectives introduced in
course readings and lectures you will also further your abilities to produce effective and ethical
persuasive appeals.

Students who complete this course will:
*Acquire a working knowledge of historical and contemporary theory and practice pertaining to
persuasion
*Reflect on prominent theories of ethics in order to develop standards for ethics in
communication
* Be exposed to varied persuasive texts, contexts, and frameworks for analysis
*Become more sophisticated and critical consumers and producers of persuasive messages
*Gain experience in applied communication research including articulating a problem or need,
identifying theoretical and practical approaches to the problem, adaptation of approaches and

We will pursue our studies of persuasion through service-learning: a dynamic and collaborative
process that partners university students with local non-profit organizations for the mutual
benefit of both. During the first few weeks of the course, students will select, from a list
provided by the instructor, an organizational partner to collaborate with during the semester. We
will devote a class session to discussing the various options and helping each student find a
partner that is a right fit for them. Students will then complete a contract, with that partner,
which lays out how students will spend their time and how those planned activities will connect
to course objectives. Students will spend a minimum of 30 hours out of class performing
activities that support the objectives of the non-profit and the learning objectives of the course.
Although each service placement is somewhat different, each student will complete the same set
of \u201cdeliverables\u201d as part of their coursework: a process book, a grant, and a fundraiser/benefit.
I hope each of you will find that the classroom-community connections we make will help you
bring academic theories and perspectives to "real-world" contexts in ways that have tangible and
meaningful impacts.

By now you have gathered that this course requires a greater amount of time and effort than
many other courses. There is also an added ethical commitment. You must be willing to act as a
member of a collaborative; your instructor, peers, and community partners will count on you to
be prepared, enthusiastic, and trustworthy. I expect each of you will thoughtfully consider the
readings, contribute questions and ideas to discussions, be willing to take risks in the work you
do, and engage the resources available to you (including peers, service partners, and instructor).
Moreover, I expect that you will honor the commitments you make to me, to one-another, and to
our partners. If you aren\u2019t up for this level of commitment that\u2019s okay\u2014it just means that this
course isn\u2019t a right fit for you at this time.

I have selected Charles Larson\u2019s Persuasion: Reception and Responsibility (11th edition) as our
primary text for the session. I will provide additional images, clips, webinar links, handouts, and
application exercises via the Blackboard site and during our class sessions to reinforce the
readings and give you an opportunity to put the concepts to work. We will not have any required
journal articles this session; for those of you who would like to read in depth, original research,
please ask me about optional readings. You should check Blackboard daily for announcements
and supplementary materials. You will also need to access Blackboard for weekly reading
quizzes.

In this section of the syllabus you will find an overview of the major assignments you will be
evaluated on. Please note that supplemental assignment information, including grading
rubrics for individual assignments, is not contained in this syllabus. These will be posted on
Blackboard. If you have questions/concerns at any time about how you are being evaluated
you should consult with me (the instructor). It is vital that you raise these questions/concerns
before you have invested substantial time in a project and received a grade. While I will do

Service-Learning Deliverables 300 points
*Process Book I 50 points
*Process Book II 50 points
*Grant Writing Project 100 points
*Fundraising Project 50 points
*Service-Partner Evaluation of Student 50 points

Challenges: 100 points total
Students will perform a series of 10 challenges as outlined on the course calendar. Each
challenge is worth 10 points. For each challenge students will be given a prompt in class and
asked to complete a task. The prompt will inform the students of the task goal, rules, and
timeline. Most tasks will be completed in class. However, there are a few where students will
work out of class. Each task is an opportunity to practice the stages of applied research and
develop a working knowledge of the theories/constructs we read about. All tasks contribute
directly or indirectly to the service-learning projects.

Non-competitive challenges are graded pass/fail. Students who pass receive the full 10 points.
Students who fail a challenge receive 0 points. In order to get credit for a challenge you must
participate fully in the entire challenge and turn in a challenge assessment (form on Blackboard).
Students who do not participate at all, complete only portions of the challenge, and/or do not
complete a challenge assessment form receive 0 points.

Competitive challenges are graded win/pass/fail. The student or group that wins the challenge
receives 20 points so long as they participate fully in the entire challenge and turn in a challenge
assessment. All other students/ groups that participate fully in the entire challenge and turn in a
challenge assessment receive 10 points. Students/ groups that do not participate at all, complete
only portions of the challenge, and/or do not complete a challenge assessment form receive 0
points.

Please note that although the challenges are only worth 100 points total, it is possible to earn
additional points by winning competitive challenges. For some of you winning a challenge may
offset a missed opportunity due to an absence. For others winning a challenge may offer you
\u201cextra\u201d points. If your challenge score is above 100 points the additional points will figure into
your grading calculation. That said, it is also possible to receive full credit for this area of the
course if you do not win any of the challenges so long as you pass each one.