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! COMM!675:!!Capstone!Seminar!in!Communication! Spring!2012!! Tuesday!6:00!!8:45!p.m.! ___________________________________________________________________________! ! Professor:! ! Kim!Weller!Gregory,!Ph.D.! Dana!102C! ! ! ! gregoryk@queens.edu! ! 704.277.6773!(cell)! ! ! ! Office!Hours:! ! Tuesday!5H6!p.m.! ! ! ! And!By!Appointment! ! ! Description! ! The!term!"capstone"!comes!from!architecture!and!is!defined!as!a!stone!that!caps!off!the!top!of!a!wall!or! building.!!It!is!considered!a!finishing!touch!or!a!crowning!achievement.!!This!capstone!course!is!therefore! designed!as!a!culmination!of!your!experience!in!the!Queens!M.A.!in!Organizational!and!Strategic! Communication!program.!!It!provides!you!with!a!chance!to!demonstrate!what!you!have!mastered!in!the! program.!!You!will!show!that!you!understand!and!can!apply!major!concepts!related!to!communication.!! You!will!gain!expertise!in!an!area!or!subject!about!which!you!feel!passionate!and!showcase!that! mastery.!!Finally,!you!will!provide!us!with!the!ability!to!evaluate!how!well!we!have!taught!you!what!we! stated!we!would!teach!you!in!our!program!goals!and!objectives.!!! ! Objectives! ! Your!journey!through!the!M.A.!program!has!enhanced!your!critical!thinking!and!analytic!skills!by! blending!theory!with!practical!application.!!In!the!Capstone!course,!you!will!demonstrate!your!mastery! of!the!theoretical!material!and!your!ability!to!apply!it!in!these!ways:! 1) Preparing!an!electronic!portfolio!of!your!program!coursework.!! 2) Completing!a!twoHpart!comprehensive!exam.! 3) Designing,!executing!and!presenting!a!professional!project.! !! Reading! ! Some!readings!will!be!assigned!to!provide!you!with!support!and!resources!for!completing!your!projects.!! Readings!will!be!posted!to!Moodle.!!! !

Course!Policies! ! Connections:!!! ! Moodle:!!I!will!post!class!readings!on!our!Moodle!course!page!(http://moodle.queens.edu/).!!Please! check!our!Moodle!course!site!regularly,!or!you!may!sign!up!to!have!postings!forwarded!to!your! email!account.! ! Twitter:!!I!will!also!share!ideas!and!resources!as!well!as!post!some!course!announcements!on!Twitter! using!the!hashtag!#capstone12.!!Please!join!in!the!conversation.! ! facebook:!!We!have!a!facebook!group!open!only!to!students!in!COMM!675!named!Knight!School! Capstone!2012!at!http://www.facebook.com/groups/285701661465078/.!!Please!use!the!group!to! ask!questions!and!share!resources.! ! RexMail:!!Due!to!FERPA!(Family!Educational!Rights!and!Privacy!Act)!regulations,!I!will!contact!you! through!your!Queens!RexMail!account!rather!than!your!personal!or!work!email.!!Please!check!that! account!regularly!or!forward!incoming!emails!to!a!preferred!account.!! ! Assignments:!!Please!email!me!written!assignments!electronically!by!6!p.m.!on!the!assigned!day.!! Electronic!portfolio!links!should!be!sent!to!my!Queens!email!account!as!well.!!Any!assignments! submitted!after!6!p.m.!will!be!considered!late.!!Typically,!any!late!assignment!that!I!choose!to!accept! is!penalized!a!minimum!of!one!letter!grade!for!each!class!meeting!that!it!is!late.!! ! Writing:!!As!students!in!a!graduate!program,!your!writing!should!be!clear,!coherent,!and!error!free.!! Please!make!an!appointment!at!the!Center!for!Academic!Success!Writing!Center!for!any!extra! assistance!(contact!Jenn!Goddu!at!godduj@queens.edu!or!704.688.2765;!also!see! http://www.queens.edu/studentlife/resources/writing_center.asp).!Written!assignments!should! follow!APA!guidelines.!! ! Grading:!!Some!written!assignments!will!receive!letter!grades!that!will!be!converted!to!a!numerical! score!for!final!grade!computation.!!The!grading!scale!is!as!follows:! A! ! 90!!100!!!!!!!!!! Superior!work.!!Creative.! B! ! 80!!89!!! Good!work.!!Could!improve!in!one!of!these!areas:!!ideas,!! argument,!or!grammar.! C! ! 70!!79!!! Adequate!work.!!Could!improve!in!two!of!these!areas:!!ideas,!! argument,!or!grammar.! F! ! 69!&!below!!! Unacceptable!work.!!Reflects!unacceptable!level!of!commitment!! or!skill.! ! Class!Attendance:!!COMM!675!may!not!meet!as!a!group!each!week.!!Therefore,!it!is!important!that! you!attend!all!scheduled!class!meetings.!!If!you!must!miss!class,!please!notify!me!in!advance!and! attempt!to!Skype!in.! ! Confidentiality:!!Confidentiality!on!all!papers!and!projects!will!be!honored.!!The!names!of!people!or! organizations!may!be!changed!for!your!coursework.!!Please!see!me!if!you!have!any!questions!or! concerns!about!your!paper!or!project.!

University!Policies! University!Closings/Cancelled!Classes:!!QAlert:!!Sign!up!to!receive!campus!emergency!notifications! via!voicemail,!text!and/or!eHmail!at!www.queens.edu/alert.!If!classes!are!meeting!but!you!feel!that! you!cannot!find!a!safe!way!to!get!to!class,!please!notify!me!as!soon!as!possible.!!Should!I!need!to! cancel!class,!I!will!notify!you!by!sending!out!a!message!on!our!course!Facebook!page!and!Twitter.!!! ! Honor!Code!&!Plagiarism:!The!Honor!Code,!which!permeates!all!phases!of!university!life,!is!based!on! three!fundamental!principles.!!It!assumes!that!Queens!students:!a)!are!truthful!at!all!times,!b)! respect!the!property!of!others,!and!c)!are!honest!in!tests,!examinations,!term!papers,!and!all!other! academic!assignments.!!! ! Plagiarism!is!representing!anothers!words!or!thoughts!as!ones!own,!and!it!is!a!clear!violation!of! Queens!Honor!Code.!!It!can!take!many!forms,!including!wordHforHword!plagiarism!or!paraphrasing! without!providing!proper!citation!of!source.!!To!learn!more,!visit!the!Queens!Center!for!Academic! Success!located!in!the!basement!of!Dana! (http://www.queens.edu/studentlife/resources/academicresourcecenter.asp)! or!the!following!website:!http://www.plagiarism.org/.!!Please!contact!me!if!you!have!any!questions! or!believe!a!violation!of!the!Honor!Code!has!occurred.!!! Institutional!Review!Board:!!Students!must!gain!approval!from!the!IRB!in!advance!for!any!upcoming! research!that!directly!involves!human!subjects.!!Research!review!regulations!are!a!federally! mandated!process!that!seeks!to!protect!human!subjects!from!physical!or!emotional!harm,!as!well!as! deceptive!or!exploitative!research.!!IRB!regulations!at!academic!institutions!also!help!protect! researchers!and!their!institutions!from!legal!and!reputational!risks.!!Retroactive!approvals!are!not! possible.!!For!more!information!and!the!necessary!forms,!visit!MyQueens!and!see!shared!documents! (left!side!bar).! Intellectual!Property!Policy:!!Queens!University!of!Charlotte!faculty!and!students!adhere!to!the! Queens!Intellectual!Property!Policy.!See!Faculty!Handbook,!http://moodle.queens.edu,! and!the!Queens!University!of!Charlotte!website!at!http://www.queens.edu.! Disability!Accommodations:!!If!you!are!a!student!with!a!verified!disability!and!you!require! accommodations,!please!provide!me!with!the!necessary!memorandum!that!was!given!to!you!by! Student!Disability!Services.!!!Contact:!The!Coordinator!of!Disability!Services:!Sandy!Rogelberg,!704H 337H2508.!! ! Major!Assignments!

! !

! Electronic!Portfolio!! 25%!of!course!grade! ! You!will!create!an!electronic!portfolio!to!showcase!your!work!in!the!program!and!reflect!on!key! learnings.!!The!eHportfolio!will!allow!you!to!share!your!hard!work!and!experience!with!others,!such!as! potential!employers,!Ph.D.!programs,!and!family!or!friends.! ! Choose!a!blogging!platform!such!as!Wordpress!that!suits!you.!!You!may!create!and!format!your!blog!in! any!way!you!like.!!Aside!from!the!requirements!of!the!eHportfolio!described!below,!feel!free!to!upload! photos,!feed!your!academic!Twitter!postings!to!the!site,!etc.!!Make!the!blog!reflect!your!own!personal! style.!

! You!can!password!protect!your!site!if!you!want!to!control!who!views!your!blog.!!In!addition,!you!can! change/alter!your!work!if!you!are!worried!about!keeping!some!material!confidential!(e.g.,!names,! company!names).! ! Regardless!of!the!application,!here!are!the!requirements!of!the!eHportfolio:! ! 1) Your!name,!email!address,!degree!earned,!and!date!of!graduation.! ! 2) A!complete!listing!of!all!of!the!courses!you!took/plan!to!take!in!the!program!organized!according! to!the!requirements!they!fulfill!in!the!catalog!under!which!you!entered!the!program.!!Include!full! course!number,!course!name,!instructor,!semester!and!year.! ! 3) Copies!of!the!products!from!each!course,!such!as!papers,!tests,!and!presentation!outlines.!!The! portfolio!does!not!need!to!include!everything,!but!we!would!like!to!see!samples!of!your!work.!!! ! This!will!require!you!to!create!a!link!on!your!blog!to!a!PDF!file!or!a!web!link/URL!.!!You!can! scan/save!your!paper!as!a!PDF!or!as!a!web!page!and!then!your!blogging!platform!will!allow!you! to!link!to!it.!!! ! 4) A!blog!post!(equivalent!to!1H2!typewritten!pages)!summarizing!your!experience!in!each!course.! Please!include!key!learnings!and!development!experiences,!and!how!you!have!applied!them!to! your!professional!or!personal!life.! ! 5) An!introductory!blog!post!(equivalent!to!3H4!typewritten!pages)!in!which!you!reflect!on!your! experience!in!the!program!as!a!whole!and!how!it!has!influenced!your!goals!and!your! professional!future.! ! At!least!two!members!of!the!graduate!faculty!will!review!your!portfolio.!!! ! ! Comprehensive!Exam!! ! 25%!of!course!grade! Completed!in!class! ! You!will!take!a!twoHpart!comprehensive!exam!in!class!that!will!take!no!longer!than!the!class!period.!!! ! You!will!prepare!for!the!exam!in!advance.!!Think!about!your!topics!and!compile!notes!and!an!outline.!! However,!this!is!an!inHclass!exam,!and!it!violates!the!honor!code!for!you!to!draft!your!answers!in! advance.!!(That!is,!do!not!draft!any!sentences!in!advance!that!will!copied!and!pasted!into!your! document.!!However,!you!may!type!out!quotations!in!advance!and!copy!and!paste!those.)! ! It!is!best!if!you!can!bring!a!laptop!to!class!for!the!exam.!!If!you!cannot,!we!will!arrange!for!a!place!for!you! to!take!the!exam!where!you!have!access!to!a!computer.!!Please!let!me!know!in!advance!if!you!require! that!arrangement.! !

Part!I:!!Observing!Theory!and!Practice!Intersect!(1!hour)! ! One!of!the!major!objectives!of!the!program!is!to!ensure!that!you!can!apply!theory!to!a!practical!setting.!! This!exam!question!ensures!that!you!can!do!that.! ! In!4!to!5!typewritten!pages,!draw!upon!a!communication!concept!or!theory!to!describe!communication! effectiveness!in!a!professional!setting.!!! ! Demonstrate!how!you!understand!a!concept!or!family!of!concepts!you!have!learned!in!the!program! (theories!of!organizational!communication,!strategic!communication,!crisis!communication,!conflict! management,!persuasion,!leadership,!interpersonal!communication,!etc.)!and!how!you!can!apply! it/them!to!your!professional!life!or!recognize!when!someone!uses!them!effectively.!! ! Be!specific!in!your!practical!examplewhether!its!based!on!your!own!experience,!someone!elses,!or!a! hypothetical.!!!(Examples!might!include!managing!a!virtual!team,!diffusing!a!conflict,!leading!an! organization!through!a!merger,!selling!an!idea!or!product,!handing!a!crisis,!or!reaching!a!new!audience! through!social!media.)!!! ! We!will!share!the!descriptions!with!each!other!in!class,!so!you!may!change!names!of!companies!and! people!if!confidentiality!is!important.!!! ! Follow!this!outline:! 1) Provide!a!brief!overview!of!the!setting! 2) Describe!the!contextual!factors!surrounding!the!communication!event! 3) Provide!a!detailed!account!of!what!you!or!the!person/company!did!! 4) Illuminate!the!effectiveness!of!the!event!through!your!conceptual!framework!! ! II.!Examining!Theory!(2!hours)! ! Identify!three!concepts/theoretical!frames!from!your!coursework!that!you!will!use!to!analyze!the! communication!topic!you!explore!in!your!capstone!project.!!Define!and!describe!these!three!theories! and!outline!the!specific!ways!they!illuminate!your!communication!topic.!!Be!sure!to!explain!the! strengths!and!limitations!of!each!framework!for!analyzing!your!particular!topic.!! ! ! Comprehensive!Project!! ! 50%!of!course!grade! ! Topic!Summary:!!Ungraded!but!failure!to!submit!a!solid!summary!will!reduce!your!final!project!grade.! Product!Draft:!!Ungraded!but!failure!to!submit!a!solid!draft!will!reduce!your!final!project!grade.! Final!Presentation:!!10%!of!course!grade!(final!presentation!is!mandatory!as!part!of!the!program!learning!! !!!!!!objectives)! ! Final!Product:!!40%!of!course!grade! ! ! ! ! ! You!will!design,!execute,!and!present!a!professional!or!theoretical!project!that!explores!a!specific! communication!problem,!idea,!or!program.!!In!most!cases,!you!will!be!building!on!work!or!learning!that! you!have!already!done!in!the!program.! ! Projects!may!take!one!of!several!forms.!!Students!completing!professional!projects!have!designed! programs!for!work!or!for!their!own!consultancy.!!Others!have!designed!and!delivered!a!program!to!a! client.!!Some!have!delivered!and!even!evaluated!an!intervention!or!audit.!!!

Instead!of!a!professional!project,!you!may!choose!to!complete!a!traditional!thesis!and!writing!a! theoretical!paper.!!If!you!choose!this!option,!we!will!discuss!scope!and!length.!! ! Finally,!if!you!have!the!technical!expertise,!you!may!choose!to!present!your!project!as!a!video! documentary.! ! Since!each!students!project!is!unique,!you!and!I!will!discuss!and!determine!final!deliverables!for!your! project.! ! Course!assignments!are!designed!to!build!on!one!another!towards!the!completion!of!your!final!project.!! You!will!submit!a!summary!of!your!proposed!project!early!in!the!semester.!!Then,!you!will!complete!an! inHclass!comprehensive!exam!during!which!you!will!describe!how!at!least!three!theories!related!to! communication!can!inform!or!illuminate!your!topic!and!project.!!Your!final!project!is!due!at!the!end!of! the!semester.!!You!will!complete!the!project!by!sharing!your!findings!and!key!learnings!in!a!15H!to!20H minute!presentation.!!Most!presentations!will!take!place!in!an!open!session!to!which!family,!friends,! employers,!and!other!members!of!the!Queens!community!will!be!invited.!If!you!request!it!for!the! purpose!of!confidentiality,!a!closed!session!will!be!held!as!well.!!! ! ! Tentative!Course!Schedule!
Date! ! January!17! Class!Topic/Assignment! ! Welcome!&!Review!Syllabus!! ! Starting!your!Projects! ! Writing!Partners!Assigned! ! Electronic!Portfolio!Due! Presentations!of!portfolios!in!class! January!31! Meetings!with!Instructor/Writing!Partner! (half!of!students)! ! Meetings!with!Instructor/Writing!Partner!! (half!of!students)! ! Executive!Summary!Due! Including!identifying!the!3!theories!to!be!applied! ! Discussion!of!projects!in!class! ! Meetings!with!Instructor/Writing!Partner! Comprehensive!Exam!in!Class! Queens!Spring!Break! No!Class!

January!24!

February!7!

February!14!

February!21! February!28! March!6!

7 Date! ! March!13! Class!Topic/Assignment! ! Discussion!of!Comp!Exams! Meetings!with!Instructor/Writing!Partner! March!20! Capstone!Product!Draft!Due! Discussion!of!Drafts!in!Class! ! ! March!27! April!3! Meetings!with!Instructor/Writing!Partner! No!Class! Work!with!your!writing!partner! April!10! April!13! April!17! April!18H27! Capstone!Presentation!Rehearsal! Final!Capstone!Projects!Due!by!5!p.m.! Capstone!Project!Presentations! Classes!end/Exam!period! Time!for!rewrites!if!necessary!