Graduate Course Offerings for Spring Semester

Kalamazoo campus

COM 602 Communication Research Methods W 6:30-9 pm, #45183 Lapinski
Please note time change for this course
This course provides an overview of the social scientific approach to conducting communication research. Students will learn the fundamentals of research design and data analysis. Topics addressed in this course include: conceptualizing and operationalizing variables, internal and external validity of designs and measures, designing experimental and survey research, and quantitative data analysis techniques up to analysis of variance and correlation. Additionally, students will be provided with the skills to critically read and evaluate applied and scholarly research from the fields of communication and other social sciences.

COM 674 Theories of Interpersonal Communication R 6:30- 9pm, #62057 Orbe

This graduate level seminar is designed to provide students with a thorough foundation in terms of existing interpersonal communication theories. Specifically, students will be engaged in the identification, analysis, application, and criticism of major theoretical approaches in the following areas: identity formation, cognitive processing, relational development, friendship, emotion, and persuasion. Additional attention will be given to how specific theories have emerged from within a distinct set of methodological assumptions/processes.

COM 673 Conflict and Negotiation T 6:30-9pm , #62044 Propp

This course examines and applies communication principles to the study of conflict management, negotiation/bargaining, and mediation. 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. Applications in interpersonal, group, and organizational contexts will be explored. In order to ensure application of the concepts/ideas covered, students will synthesize the materials by developing a training session as the major project of the semester.

COM 680 Contemporary Issues in Organizational Communication M 6:30-9pm,
#62066, L. Ford

The goal of this course is to integrate the most current theorizing in the discipline of organizational communication (feminist, critical, and postmodern perspectives) with the issues and challenges facing contemporary organizations (e.g., socialization practices, workplace democracies, quality improvement programs, diversity management). In this effort, the nature of the contemporary problem and the strategies used to address that problem will be examined and critiqued. Further, the contributions of organizational and communication scholars to the resolution of the organizational problem will be evaluated.

COM 680 Organizational Communication Ethics W 6:30-9pm, #62079 Borden

Theories and methods in moral philosophy will be applied to ethical questions that arise in communication within organizations and between organizations and various external publics. This reading-intensive seminar will cover major ethical theories, examine the nature of the interface between organizations and their members, and explore the
implications of the organizational context for the degree and nature of individual and collective responsibility. Ideas for successfully integrating ethics into the fabric of organizational life will be discussed.

***Please note additional course offerings at the 500 level in course schedule books.
Grand Rapids

COM 602 Communication Research Methods T 6-9pm, #65177 Lapinski
See course description for Kalamazoo above

COM 643 Telecommunications and Organizational Planning R 6-9pm, #65186 Gershon

Objective:

This course is intended for the information specialist who is responsible for planning, managing
and implementing telecommunications services in support of both public and private organizations. Special attention will be given to facilities planning, regulatory economics and the corresponding
impact that such technologies have on organizational structures.

Description:

The combination of telecommunications and distributed data processing have virtually eliminated
the time and distance barriers that once separated an organization's strategic center from its affiliate sites. Telecommunications enables the modern day organization to communicate in real time with
its affiliate sites and thereby makes possible an organization that truly operates in a global environment. At the heart of any telecommunications system is the intelligent network. The intelligent network can be likened to the internal nervous system of an organization. It provides the basis for the seamless integration of information and communication both internal and external to the organization.

The intelligent network is a dynamic information resource designed to support both strategic decision making and routine operations. By providing such added value and efficiency, the intelligent network makes it possible for a highly complex organization to operate on a worldwide basis.

COM 682 Organizational Communication W 6-9pm, #65190 Butler-Ellis

This course seeks to provide an overview of theory and research in the field of organizational communication. Lively classroom discussions will be used to examine and critique scholarly ideas. Another important aspect of this class involves the application of course concepts to case studies and personal organizational experiences. By pooling everyone's years of organizational
experience and critical thinking skills, class time will consist of active theory testing and meaningful class discussions.