Full-time faculty

	Dr. Kathleen Propp
	Associate Professor
	Office: 313 Sprau Tower Office Phone: 269 387-3138
	Email: kathy.propp@wmich.edu
	Education: Ph.D., University of Iowa.
	Areas of expertise: Small group decision making, organizational communication, and conflict management.

My research:

My primary area of research is the study of decision making in team settings, and my goal is to uncover communicative factors that have an impact on the quality of decisions. More specifically, I have examined how groups process information and how gender and status differences bias this process.  I have also studied what specific forms of communication enhance the quality of decisions in organizational teams.  Other research interests of mine include organizational socialization and understanding perceptions of conflict revealed by metaphor use.

Courses I teach:

COM 201 Communication Inquiry

This course is designed to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to read, understand, and perform basic communication research. The course provides information on quantitative as well as qualitative research methods, with a focus on how these methods may be used to examine organizational and interpersonal communication phenomena. Topics are developed not only for those who want to perform original research, but also for those seeking to develop skills in reading and understanding the results of others' research. Primary topics include: the interplay of communication theory and research methods, strategies for locating secondary research, reading and comprehending scholarly articles that report research results, formulating research questions and hypotheses about communication, measurement of variables and design of communication research, survey, experimental, textual, and naturalistic research methodologies, analysis and interpretation of research including basic statistical and interpretive procedures, ethical and political considerations when performing communication research.

COM280: Introduction to Organizational Communication

This course is designed to provide an overview of and introduction to the nature and processes of communication in the organizational setting. Emphasis is placed on examination of organizational communication at the theoretical level, but we also will look at the application of these theoretical approaches to better understand important organizational processes and to facilitate one's success in organizational life. An additional goal of this course is to provide students with the basic background knowledge necessary to prepare them for an advanced course in a focused area of organizational communication (COM480) in which you will further develop your applied skills.

COM305:  Communication and conflict management

This course explores the concepts of communication and conflict and the interdependence of the two at interpersonal, group, and organizational levels.  Through a mix of theoretical and practical approaches, students will be provided with a variety of approaches to the study, management, and resolution of conflict and negotiation.  Students will also be provided with the information necessary to recognize the antecedents of conflict and methods for analyzing it.  The goal of the course is to provide students with the critical skills necessary to plan for the successful management of conflicts, negotiations, and mediations including setting appropriate goals, understanding obstacles, and selecting means to achieve the desired outcomes.

COM 332 Group Problem Solving

This course examines principles and procedures of effective group communication with an emphasis on practical application of problem solving, decision making, and critical thinking skills. Individuals will work together in a variety of group situations learning to communicate effectively, plan agendas, make decisions, write and present group reports, and analyze group communication behaviors. $10.00 lab fee. Prerequisites: COM 170, COM 200 and ENGL 105 or the equivalent.

COM 673 Conflict Management

This course examines and applies communication principles to the study of conflict management and negotiation/bargaining. Students will be introduced to the theories that inform the study of conflict, but the primary focus will be on practical application of these theories to effectively manage conflict. Specific topics that will be covered include: major concepts and research trends in communication and conflict management, major theories and perspectives that guide the study of conflict management, information on a variety of conflict contexts (interpersonal, small group, organizational), and variations (such as bargaining, mediation, and negotiation), important situational influences on conflict management (such as power and climate), and strategies used to manage conflict in various contexts.

COM681: Seminar in Small Group Communication

This course is designed to hone students' ability to think critically and self-reflexively as a member/leader of a group, and to apply these skills in applied group work. Specifically, the course is designed to facilitate students' ability to: 1) develop cohesion and relationships in decision-making teams, and 2) enhance communication and decision quality in decision-making teams. The course also provides students with a graduate-level overview of group communication including: major concepts and research trends in small group communication, theories that guide small group communication research, methods and techniques available for the study of group communication processes, and a general framework for synthesizing and critically evaluating small group communication research.

Recent publications:

Propp, K. M. (2001, November). Why do groups rely on men’s information: The role of external status cues. Paper presented at the meeting of the National Communication Association, Atlanta, GA.

Propp, K. M. (2000, November). Is it who we are or the company we keep? The impact of sex of subject and group composition on information-evaluative behaviors in small groups. Paper presented at the meeting of the National Communication Association, Seattle, WA.

Propp, K. M. (1999). Custody assignment decision-making task (ONLINE). (CD-ROM). Abstracts from: Ovid Technologies, HaPI Item 50503.

Propp, K. M.  (1999).  Collective information processing in groups.  In L. Frey, D. S. Gouran, & M. S. Poole (Eds.), Handbook of group communication theory and research (pp. 225-250).  Thousand Oaks, CA:  Sage.

Propp, K. M.  (1999).  Custody assignment decision-making task (ONLINE).  (CD-ROM).  Abstracts from: Ovid Technologies, HaPI Item 50503.

Propp, K. M.  (1999, November). Translating barriers into opportunities during the millennium:  Helping group communication scholars rise above theoretical obstacles.  Paper to be presented at the meeting of the National Communication Association, Chicago, IL.

Professional experience:

Associate Professor, Northern Illinois University (August 1997-1999)

Assistant Professor, Northern Illinois University (August 1991-1997)

Trainer, Office of International Training and Consultation (1993-1999)

Trainer, HIV/AIDS Prevention Education Training for Teachers (1992-1993)

Graduate Instructor, University of Iowa (1987-1991)

Instructor, University of Dubuque (Summer 1990)

Awards received:

University-wide winner of the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award of Northern Illinois University (1999)

Schoolal winner of the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award of Northern Illinois University (1995, 1997, 1998, 1999)

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences finalist for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award of Northern Illinois University (1995, 1998, 1999)

Research Grant, School of Communication, NIU (1992, 1995, 1999)

Top Panel, Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Interest Group, CSCA (1996)

Top Paper, Communication Theory Interest Group, CSCA (1994)

My life outside the university:

My hobbies include collecting antique dolls and pottery, reading, interior decorating, and gardening.  I also enjoy swimming, step aerobics, and playing fetch with Tiberius, my Himalayan cat who thinks he's a dog and eats with his hands!