Policy, Information, and Syllabus

COM 375: Leadership Communication

Policy, Information, and Syllabus

Instructor: Daniel Cochece Davis, Ph.D.E-Mail: .

Office Phone: (309)438-4518Office: Fell Hall #458

Office Hours: Tuesdays (1:00-3:00 pm) and Thursdays (2:00-3:00 pm). If there is a continuous conflict with normal office hours, I am also available through appointments and e-mail.

Class Time & Room: Wednesdays, 6:30-9:20 pm; Fell 158.

Required & Recommended Texts:

APA Guide to Publication (6th edition). (2009). American Psychological Association. ISBN: 978-1433805615. (Required).

Investor’s Business Daily (see “Leadership” section each weekday: (A subscription is not required for viewing, though please note: a subscription to this publication also gets you automatic access to the complete on-line edition of it. Many aspects of the publication are made available to the public for free. We will be using this publication for our on-line discussion topics).

Howell, J. P., & Costley, D. L. (2005). Understanding Behaviors for Effective Leadership (2nd edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. (Recommended). ISBN: 978-0131484528.

Clawson, J. G. (2008). Level Three Leadership: Getting Below the Surface (4th Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. (Recommended). ISBN: 978-0132423847.

Jackson, B., & Parry, K. (2011). A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book About Studying Leadership (2nd edition). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN: 978-1-84920-739-3. (Recommended).

Fink, A. (2009). Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper (3rd edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN: 1412971896.(Recommended).

Course Description: This course is a “survey of theory and research dealing with how the different approaches to leadership are enacted through the process of communication” (ISU undergraduate catalog). It provides opportunities to consider significant issues pertaining to the communication relating to leaders, leadership and leadership situations. Interpersonal, small group and organizational communication concepts provide the foundation for understanding leadership communication. Students are given opportunities to develop an expertise in at least one particular area of leadership communication via a course content presentation and a written project of study. Students are expected to synthesize course work and other academic experiences with non-academic experiences to arrive at a more complete and conscious understanding of the material. Where appropriate, discussion emphasizes the interconnections and interrelationship between content topics, rather than content topics themselves.

Prerequisites: COM 111 and 297.

Course Objectives: By completion of this course, students should understand interrelationships existing within, and between, the areas of organizations, aspects and styles of leadership, and communication, as well as the specific tools and skills enabling leaders to emerge within their organizations and sustain these same organizations. Students should develop a specific area of expertise within the more general area of leadership communication, and be able to succinctly and cogently argue from a knowledge base in this area. As each student’s academic and professional experiences, as well as personal and professional goals, are somewhat different, no two course learning experiences will be identical. Students will be encouraged to complete their written project on a topic that facilitates their career and/or life goals.

Evaluation of Course Objectives: Each student will present her/his original research in written and oral formats. Objectives of the course will be evaluated through application of standard criteria for scholarly work (e.g., mechanics, parsimonious use of content, cogent arguments, structure, depth of support, etc.) and public presentations. Finally, successful mastery of content interrelationship will be evaluated via participation in discussions of class concepts and readings, as well as our final examination, using some of these same criteria. For more specific discussion of the criteria, please go to the “Grading Scale” section of this syllabus.

Completion of Assignments: All class written assignments are to be double spaced, with one-inch margins. Spelling, neatness, punctuation, and grammar are considered when assignments are graded. Master the mechanics of written communication, if you haven’t already. Proofread your work, then give it to someone else to do the same. There is no extra credit work. On the rare occasion that an unavoidable scheduling conflict occurs, it is the obligation of the student to make prior arrangements with the instructor/other students to resolve the scheduling conflict. Absence from class is not a valid excuse for incomplete work. You must take the initiative in discovering and completing any missed assignments. Students are expected to show independence, professionalism, self-motivation, reliability and critical thought in their work and conduct during the course.

Attendance/Participation Policy: Regular attendance and participation are absolutely essential to the success of this course. Therefore, 15% of your final grade will be determined by your attendance/participation levels. If you are not here to participate, you can't. The attendance/participation grade will be based on involvement in the class exercises and discussions. Specifically, simply showing up for class will yield a "D" grade (1.00/100) for the day, with higher grades (2.00/200, 3.00/300 & 4.00/400) going to those who participate more in the education process (e.g., have at least three prepared observations for each topic area being covered, and stating these observations during class discussion). Please note: Each absence lowers the overall grade somewhat, though missing any class presentation will always diminish your understanding of the material presented that day, and the course material as a whole. Don't miss class and expect to fully understand everything people are talking about, or what an exam question is asking for. Thus, the participation grade includes all classes missed (including sick days, accidents, etc.), those attended in body alone, those attended with active participation, and our on-line discussions. It is also an indicator of how much you have put into the course. Please participate.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is not tolerated in this class. This entails the presentation of others' ideas, words, or work as one's own. You must acknowledge sources. Often this simply entails the use of quotation marks to indicate another's work or a brief citation of your source and year during a presentation. Plagiarism, cheating and the like, whether intentional or not, are subject to prosecution according to the policies of this college. Make sure your work is original.

Instructor's Philosophy: The instructor views you sharing your opinion on the course materials as not only desirable, but as valuable and necessary for the success of instruction. The education process consists of neither me "teaching" you, nor you "learning" something but, rather, a combination or "conversation" between both parties. My role is to “guide” your discovery of the material, not “spoon-feed” it to you. At the same time, this perspective provides a great deal of leeway for selecting study topics that are of particular interest to you. I believe that the more relevant the material is to a student, the easier it is for that person to study it, understand it, and master it. Though some aspects of the course may be different from what you’ve already experienced, these differences are designed to guide you to new and different ways of experiencing the course topic area; each aspect of the course is designed to benefit you.

Special Needs Accommodation: Help me throughout our course to accommodate any special needs you may have. For ongoing accommodations,or accommodations pertaining to exam time, you’ll need to provide written documentation from the Office of Disability Concerns in advance of our examination. Anyoneneeding to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability should contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall, (309) 438-5853 (voice), (309) 438-8620 (TDD) (see also

Overall Grade Breakdown:

Participation in Discussions(in-class @ 10%, on-line @ 5%)=15%

Content Presentation (presentation, bib., discussion @ 8.33%)=25%

Final Research Project Paper (content, mechanics @ 15%)=30%

2 Oral Research Presentations (5% each)=10%

Final Essay Exam=20%

Grading Scale: The following are functional guidelines for how assignments will be graded (please note, these are not points, but a grading scale, similar to your 4.00 GPA scale, just without the decimal):

400 (A) =Mechanically perfect, conceptually brilliant and original. Clearly superior work, going well beyond the course standards.

300 (B) =Clearly above average/satisfactory work. Mechanically clean, though minor errors may be present, conceptually engaging.

200 (C) =Satisfactory work, mechanically and conceptually adequate; all course minimums from syllabus met.

100 (D) =Highly problematic work, mechanically and/or conceptually, regardless of effort.

0 (F) =Little or no effort, or work turned in that does not address/reflect the assignment.

Specific Assignments:

Readings: There will be a lot of reading. The first half of the course you will find yourself reading lots of materials that I supply and assign. As the course progresses, this diminishes and you’ll find yourself reading much more material that is specifically relevant to your research topic and content presentation. Of the assigned readings, you’ll have a daily/weekly reading of the Investor’s Business Daily “Leaders & Success” column on Monday through Friday, with a required discussion posting each week by Sunday at 11:55 pm. Additionally, there will be folders of assigned readings on “small group communication,” “organizational communication” and “leadership communication” to provide you with a foundation in the area we will be discussing in the upcoming class meeting. These readings will be made available via the electronic site for our course. Beyond this, there will be assigned topics to find information to read, specifically related to the topics listed on the course schedule. Please note: Instead of listing specific pages that you are to read in texts, use the topics to locate information and read it. Beyond financial savings, a benefit of this system is that you get a much better sense of the interrelatedness of these topics with other topics, as well as avoid reading additional, though less related, materials within a given book chapter. Understanding the interrelatedness of the different course topics is one of the primary objectives of this course. In essence, you should complete the course with a systemic understanding of the course’s topic. Finally, as you research your paper and presentation topics, you will be reading a lot of materials; ideally, these readings will be in an area that you are already seeking to develop an expertise. Thus, collectively, you’ll be reading a lot during this course.

In-Class Discussions & “Observations”: Each student not formally presenting a content topic should prepare a minimum of three observations/insights pertaining to each presentation topic during class. These must be typed and printed out ahead of class, then handed in at class’ end, in order to get in-class discussion participation credit for them. The observations/insights should simply help illustrate the course discussion concepts for others. You may relate a particular concept (e.g., leadership) to organizational situations you’ve personally experienced (e.g., leading an RSO, participating on a sports team, family experiences, etc.). You may also share insights you’ve developed on how a particular course concept may be related to a previous concept we’ve discussed, including a concept you presented to the class.

On-Line Discussions: Each student is required to provide one electronic post per week on one of the IBD readings for that week ( not exceeding a total of 100 words. This one post is also the maximum amount of posts you are allowed on a topic. It should be in statement form, and seek to clarify or illuminate some aspect of the topic and/or materials. Anticipate questions that others might have, or explore the interrelationship of a current topic with one previously discussed. The spirit behind this assignment is to facilitate executive style communication within the course: limited time and energy, invested into communication, focusing on clarity, brevity, and goal accomplishment. It is also designed to help you engage the materials, but still leave time for you to invest yourself into your research paper. Polish your text before posting, and make your post count in terms of the contribution it makes to the course and our understanding of the material. Typically, this takes the form of: a) reading the material, b) reading what others have already posted on the topic, c) ruminating on its relationship to course topics as well as to all previous materials we may have read, and then d) providing others with insight into your perspective on the topic. The IBD posting discussions must be made during the week by Sunday at 11:55 pm in order to receive your on-line participation credit in the course for that week.

Presentation: Each person(or dyad, if the class size warrants) will be responsible for giving a presentation on an area of leadership communication listed on the syllabus schedule (e.g.,P2 = Leaders versus Managers;P15 = leadership communication in government-politics, et cetera). This entails: a) Going beyond just outlining the readings we’ve assigned in a specific leadership communication area (e.g., leadership in Religious Organizations), and creating an annotated bibliography of at least 20 of the outside articles you found most useful and/or comprehensive in this area. See the course schedule for its due date. A typical annotation contains a citation of the source (e.g., an APA formatting of the journal article, book chapter, trade publication article, etc., information), followed by a brief summaryand critique of the source’s text: explain why someone interested in organizational communication might find the source useful or valuable, whether the content was well-written, clear, helpful, dated, etc.; b) Outlining the assigned course reading materials, as well as some of your outside readings on the topic, defining, explaining, and discussing the main lines of research in this leadership communication area (e.g., who are the main people/scholars doing research in this area; what are the main findings or ideas; what has been studied in this area, what is currently being studied, and what areas are people starting to study (or what areas do you think they have neglected and need to study)); and, finally, c) Joining me in leading the class in discussion on the topic (e.g., posing a discussion question based on the assigned readings for that day, commenting on students’ input from the readings and your outline, and generally stimulating discussion and thought of the material as best you can so that an understanding of the material is achieved). In short, you and I are “co-teachers of the day,” though I will answer any questions beyond you, as well as make certain we cover all required topic material. You should complete your presentation outline at least a week before the actual presentation, and meet with me so that we can go over our presentation. All students in the class are responsible for having read the assigned materials related to any given presentation. Each student not directly involved in the presentation should prepare a minimum of three observations/insights/statements on the readings and content area, either indicating an interrelationship to other readings we’ve covered, or contributing in some other way to facilitate our understanding of the material and the course as a whole. Presenters will provide additional materials in outline form to peak your interest in the topic and also guide you to further sources in case you are interested in further reading. By the end of the course, these presentation outlines will comprise handy study guides for our final exam. Presentation topics are assigned on a first-request, first-get, basis via ReggieNet e-mail requests: send me a ranked list of your three topic choices, in order of desirability. I will attempt to give you the highest ranked available presentation topic.

Research Paper: You are responsible for the production of a state of the art literature review on a selected and approved sub-topic of the course (e.g., transformational leadership communication in educational organizations). This consists of: (a) A review and synthesis of the literature in your study's area (50-75 high credibility sources actually used and cited; 75-100 sources if receiving graduate credit for the course); (b) The development of original observations about the patterns of research in this area; and (c) the development of original conclusions about where this area of research is heading. Use the K.I.S.S. method on this project (Keep It Simple Student)! I am not looking for brilliance (though it would be nice to see...), but simply good solid research. These papers should be of scholarly quality and, in the past, have been submitted to regional, national, or international conferences within the Communication field.

As a suggested guideline, you could consider breaking your research paper into multiple “phases” that include, but are not limited to: (a) a "Topic and Literature Outline" phase stating which leadership communication variable you will be examining in what specific context (e.g., articulation of vision statements in academic settings; creating followership loyalty within multicultural workforces, etc.), along with 15-20 APA references on the topic (just the reference to the source, not the actual article). This phase narrows your topic and begins the communication process of working with me on developing your course expertise; (b) a “Format and Major Trends” phase, identifying the major trends, topics, or lines of inquiry, in this research area. The more research literature you have read at this point, the more productive this phase will be for you. Additionally, by this point you should have identified at least 15 references on the topic of your study that you believe are the “key” references for understanding the particular topic area; (c) a "Research Review" phase marking the point where the bulk of your library work should be completed, leaving you time for polishing, ruminating on the materials, and generally thinking about what it all means. You should have created a title page, an abstract of your paper (thus far), and provided a rationale for studying this area, reading, digesting, reviewing and synthesizing approximately 50-75 sources on your topic, and provide complete APA referencing of all sources you have cited in the paper. Be aware that this will take some time and effort; finally (d) the "Final Draft" phase is the electronic submission of a completed research paper, including an analysis of 50-75 research studies, a discussion of their results/data/conclusion, and implications for future research. This phase should be a polished piece of communication scholarship.