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COURSE SYLLABUS

SPECIAL NOTICES RELATED TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FOR NEWHOUSE COURSES AND CLASSROOMS During the COVID-19 pandemic, classroom norms and behaviors are necessarily different than in the past and have resulted in the following directives and guidance: Stay Safe Pledge Students are required to sign and follow the Syracuse University’s Stay Safe Pledge: https://www.syracuse.edu/fall2020/stay-safe-pledge/ The pledge reflects the high value that we, as a university community, place on the wellbeing of our members. It promotes community health and wellbeing. Students who do not follow the pledge will not be allowed to attend face-to-face classes. Repeated violations will be treated as violations of the Code of Student Conduct and may result in disciplinary action. Classroom expectations include the following: 

Syracuse University and the Newhouse School require properly wearing a mask AND social distancing at least 6 feet from others.

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A mask that covers the nose and mouth is to be worn at all times.

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Face shields are not an acceptable substitute for masks. They can be worn in addition to a mask.

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If you feel unwell, stay away from in-person classes.

Additionally: 

Masks AND face shields are required for any type of field productions and other situations if defined in the syllabus and/or future assignments by your course instructor.

Classroom Entrance and Egress All students are expected to follow this procedure for entering and leaving Newhouse classrooms: 

Take a dollop of hand sanitizer and a disinfectant wipe upon entering the classroom.

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Sit in the furthest available seat from the door.

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Wipe your personal space; rub hand sanitizer into both hands. 1

COM 107 Syllabus – Fall 2020 

When class ends, the last person in leaves first.

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Put dirty wipe in waste receptacle.

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Sanitize hands.

Food and Drink in the Classroom Food and drink will not be allowed in any classrooms during Fall 2020. Eating and drinking require the lowering of the face mask, creating a potentially dangerous situation. Instructors teaching classes that are longer than 80 minutes in duration should include a short break to allow students to get a drink and use the bathroom. Course Formats Hybrid (COM 107 follows this format) A hybrid course combines in-person and synchronous remote instruction in an A/B format – in any given class, half the students will attend in-person and the other half will be online. This will flip in the subsequent course. You have received initial instructions on which group you are in for at least the first day of class. Most hybrids are classes that meet twice a week. Students participating remotely in hybrid class sessions are participating on an equal basis as the students who are in the classroom. It is expected that online students will have their webcam on and could be called upon as an instructor would call on students who are in the room. Online students should dress, behave and be attentive as they would in a face-to-face class. In both hybrid and fully online classes, students should use the “raise hand” function to ask questions and refrain from interrupting the class. In-Person An in-person course is one in which instruction is delivered fully on-site with face-to-face interaction between the instructor and student. Most in-person classes are ones that meet once a week. Online An online course is a course that is provided entirely through a professor’s chosen online platform. Asynchronous Content This is course content that has been developed in an online format and is consumed by students through online channels without real-time interaction. Asynchronous content will include an assessment mechanism to enhance remote learning. Not all courses will 2

COM 107 Syllabus – Fall 2020 have asynchronous content. If your course does, your instructor will explain how it is to be accessed and the deadline for completion that will need to be done outside of regular class meeting times. Most courses and online course content will require you to have access to a computer with certain capabilities. Please reference this website for details: https://newhouse.syr.edu/about/facilities/technology-requirements Attendance and Recordings/ Intellectual Property If you are feeling unwell, do not go to in-person classes. Contact your professor to arrange to attend remotely, if possible, or for other accommodations. Students who enter quarantine (exposure to COVID-positive person) or isolation (confirmed COVID infection) will not be able to attend in-person class sessions. Affected students may continue to participate in classes remotely. If you are unable to participate in classes remotely during this time, contact the Dean of Students office ([email protected]) and ask for an absence notification form, which will be used to notify faculty. Per the University, classes are recorded for students who are unable to attend synchronously because of illness or time zone issues. However, this does not mean a student can pass a Newhouse course by only listening to recorded classes. Newhouse courses are experiential. Therefore, each professor will assess how many classes must be attended synchronously – either in-person or online -- for a student to minimally pass the course. Original class materials (lectures, handouts, assignments, tests, etc.) and recordings of class sessions are the intellectual property of the course instructor. You may access these materials for your use in this course. However, you may not provide these materials to any other party in any format without permission of the course instructor. Doing so is a violation of intellectual property law and the Code of Student Conduct. Special Calendar for Fall 2020 The university has adopted an accelerated calendar for the fall semester, in which classroom instruction ends prior to Thanksgiving. This semester’s calendar includes the following: 

Monday classes will meet on Labor Day (September 7).

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Monday and Tuesday classes will meet on the week of Thanksgiving (November 23, 24).

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To account for the weekdays missed during Thanksgiving break, classes will take place on three weekend days:

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COM 107 Syllabus – Fall 2020 o Wednesday classes will meet at their normal times, in their assigned rooms, on Saturday, September 5. o Thursday classes will meet at their normal times, in their assigned rooms, on Sunday, October 25. o Friday classes will meet at their normal times, in their assigned rooms, on Sunday, November 8. 

Everything will be conducted online after the Thanksgiving break. Reading Days and final exams will run Nov. 30-Dec. 9. Your professor will explain the online expectations for your course.

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COM 107 Syllabus – Fall 2020

COM 107: Communications and Society Fall 2020 8:00 – 9:20 a.m., Tues./Thurs. 140 Newhouse 3: Hergenhan Auditorium (“The Herg”)

Instructor: Alex Richards Office: 464 Newhouse 3 Office hours: Mondays 2:15 – 4:15 p.m.; Tuesdays 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.; or by appointment Phone: 315-443-3370 (office); 702-606-4519 (cell) Email: [email protected]

IA: Sabrina Lebron Office hours: Wednesdays 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.; Thursdays 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.; Fridays 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.; or by appointment Email: [email protected]

Prerequisite/Co-requisite None. Audience First-year. Course Description Mass media and their functions. Contemporary issues of the media; legal, social, economic, diversity and psychological implications of their relationships with society. Additional Course Description At the conclusion of this course, students will have a more critical understanding of the role of mass media in American life and the demands on the professionals who create and distribute media content. They will also have a better understanding of the career paths open to them in their studies at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School and upon graduation. They will also be a more critical media consumer and a more mindful media producer. Credits 3.

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COM 107 Syllabus – Fall 2020 Learning Objectives After taking the course, students will be able to: 

Apply basic principles of the First Amendment freedoms of speech and press;

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Communicate the media’s role in shaping cultural understandings of identities such as race and gender;

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Apply economic principles to how the media operate;

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Identify changes that have overtaken the “legacy” media in the last 40 years in light of the digital revolution;

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Define and differentiate the roles of advertising, public relations, news and entertainment media in American society.

Bibliography / Texts / Supplies – Required 

Campbell, R., Martin, C. R., & Fabos, B. (2019). Media & Culture: Mass Communication in a Digital Age (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, Macmillan Learning.

Note: In COM 107, your textbook can be provided through Orange Instant Access. You are automatically enrolled, and your required course material will be accessible via Blackboard — all you need to do is log in. (It’s a 180-day rental for $48.75.) You will have until September 14th, 2020, 11:59PM EDT to decide if you would like to remain enrolled in OIA. If not, you have been provided instructions on opting out by the bookstore. If you opt out, you are still responsible for obtaining the materials elsewhere. Your instructor has no preference about where you get the book as long as you have a copy. After September 14th, 2020, 11:59PM EDT, the cost of your material will be charged to your SU Bursar account. Bibliography / Texts / Supplies – Additional Part of this class is intended to help you develop into a savvier news consumer, so I’m going to ask you to do just that — consume news. What does that mean, exactly? You’re going to need to stay abreast of major news developments by reading the work of a reputable national media organization every day, such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal or NPR. We’re going to have in-class current events assignments and discussion most weeks (see below for more information on these); forming this habit will help you immensely because it will make these assignments much easier.

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COM 107 Syllabus – Fall 2020 You’re also part of a community here in Syracuse; I’d recommend keeping track of local news events from sources such as the Syracuse Post-Standard (online at syracuse.com), WAER (waer.org) and, of course, the Daily Orange (dailyorange.com). Course Website This course uses Blackboard (https://blackboard.syr.edu) for class information and grades. I’ll point you there for updates to our syllabus and course schedule, as well as for any other class updates. Please be sure to check it at least once or twice a week; important announcements will also show up in your university email accounts. Course Requirements and Expectations See descriptions in “Course Details” further down for more information about each requirement listed here.

Assignment

Key Dates

Point Value (%)

Participation, professionalism and activities

Ongoing throughout the semester

200 points (20%)

SEM 100 / alternate assignment

SEM 100 ends mid-Oct. Alternate assignment due date is Tuesday, Nov. 24, 8:00 a.m.

100 points (10%)

Current events analysis

Ongoing throughout the semester

100 points (10%)

Paper 1

DUE: Tuesday, Sep. 15, 8:00 a.m.

150 points (15%)

Exam 1

Tuesday, Sep. 29

100 points (10%)

Paper 2

DUE: Tuesday, Oct. 13, 8:00 a.m.

150 points (15%)

Exam 2

Tuesday, Oct. 27

100 points (10%)

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COM 107 Syllabus – Fall 2020

Assignment

Key Dates

Point Value (%)

Paper 3 (Optional)

DUE: Tuesday, Nov. 10, 8:00 a.m.

—

Final Exam

Wednesday, Dec. 9 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

100 points (10%)

(Semester total)

1,000 points (100%)

Grading Grade

Points

A

930-1000

A-

900-929

B+

870-899

B

830-869

B-

800-829

C+

770-799

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COM 107 Syllabus – Fall 2020

Grade

Points

C

730-769

C-

700-729

D

600-699

F

Below 600

University Attendance Policy (Including absence notification) Attendance in classes is expected in all courses at Syracuse University. It is a federal requirement that faculty promptly notify the university of students who do not attend or cease to attend any class. Faculty will use Early-Semester Progress Reports and MidSemester Progress Reports in Orange SUccess to alert the Registrar and Financial Aid Office on non-attendance. For more information visit: Faculty: Information for Faculty: Non-attendance or Stopped Attending Students: Information for Students: Non-attendance or Stopped Attending Students should contact the Dean of Students Office when they are absent from class for an extended period of time (48 hours or more). This office staff will require documentation for the absence and will utilize Orange SUccess to send notifications to faculty to verify that documentation has been received for the stated absence. Barnes Center at the Arch (Health, Counseling, etc.) staff will not provide medical excuse notes for students. When Barnes Center staff determine it is medically necessary to remove a student from classes, they will coordinate with the Dean of Students office staff to provide absence notification to faculty through Orange SUccess. For absences lasting less than 48 hours, students are encouraged to discuss academic arrangements directly with their faculty. Information may be found at: https://ese.syr.edu/dean-of-students/ 9

COM 107 Syllabus – Fall 2020 Blackboard Learning Management System Syracuse University recognizes the importance of teaching and the use of appropriate teaching materials to successful student learning. The Blackboard Learning Management System is a key instructional technology tool that enables Syracuse University instructors to engage in transformative teaching and learning, both for faceto-face and online courses. All faculty, staff and students at Syracuse University can access Blackboard using their University NetID. Course access is granted through an integrated data feed with the MySlice student information system. This integration automatically generates course sites and enrollments for all officially recognized courses each semester. Student access to Blackboard class page is activated when the instructor makes the course “available”. Information Technology Services ensures the optimal performance of the Blackboard system by overseeing system access, account creations, system operations, user training and technical support. Additional information about Blackboard is available on Answers Blackboard; alternatively, you can contact Information Technology Services by sending email to [email protected] or by calling 315.443.2677. Accessible Blackboard Content Syracuse University is using Blackboard Ally, a tool to help enhance the usability and accessibility of course documents in the Blackboard learning management system. Ally provides students with multiple accessible formats of the original document so they can select the best one that fits their unique needs. Currently, Ally offers accessible versions of Portable Document Format (PDF) files, Microsoft Office files (Word and PowerPoint), images and uploaded HTML files. Students will see a dropdown menu to the right of each document. From this dropdown menu, they can select one or more Accessible versions to download and use. Additional information on the Blackboard Ally tool is available on Answers Blackboard Ally; alternatively, you can contact Information Technology Services by sending email to [email protected] or calling 315.443.2677. Course Details: Participation, Professionalism and Activities (20%) Daily attendance won’t be taken in this section of COM 107. That said, there’s a straight line between being in class and doing well. We’re going to cover a lot of ground; some of it will be in the Media & Culture textbook, but some of it won’t. Showing up and engaging will help shape your understanding of the material and the complexity of the issues we address. I expect you to come to class prepared, to ask insightful questions and to offer constructive, coherent criticism. I also may ask you to work in small groups (virtually) on in-class activities, or you may be required to submit a 10

COM 107 Syllabus – Fall 2020 short assignment during class. Your participation during those times will be factored into your grade. If you’re feeling unwell, the Stay Safe Pledge requires you to stay home and attend remotely, if possible. Also, I will often make short videos available for you to watch before class, and these pieces will often have questions to respond to interspersed throughout. Consuming these videos and answering the questions will be factored into your grade. In addition to this, you’ll need to fulfill two important requirements outside of normally scheduled class time. If you choose not to participate in these, you don’t get credit — it’s as simple as that. 1: Academic Integrity Training You are required to review a module designed by the Newhouse School to acquaint you with issues of academic integrity. It should answer most of your questions about what is appropriate and inappropriate in the presentation of work that you present as your own. See Blackboard for a link and specific instructions. Make sure you have completed this by Oct 1. 2: Major Exploration Sessions Throughout the fall term, Newhouse departments plan to host informational sessions to help students gain an understanding of different areas of the communications industry. Each one discusses the coursework and skills acquired through different majors and allow students to hear from alumni and experienced students. Your attendance at two of them (your choice) is required. See Blackboard for more information and the specific schedule. Everyone is going to start with full credit here — skipping class, not participating, ignoring video content, repeatedly running afoul of the electronic etiquette rules, etc., will chip away at your point total. SEM 100 (10%) The faculty involved in teaching required courses for first-year students, such as COM 107, are required to use a uniform grading policy for integrating your SEM 100, First Year Experience work with the requirements of this course. The policy has three goals:   

Ensure that grading is fair and consistent across all courses. Encourage your full participation on the SEM 100 meetings and journaling assignments. Reward your full participation in the SEM 100 activities.

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COM 107 Syllabus – Fall 2020 The collective SEM 100 activities will be graded as Pass/Fail following your last meeting during the first week of October. Because this course is three credits, your SEM 100 grade will count for 10% of your COM 107 grade (100 points). Students who pass their overall SEM 100 experience will receive all 100 points (100%, an A). But students who fail their overall SEM 100 experience will receive no points (0%, an F). Students with questions about their performance in SEM 100 should consult with their SEM 100 instructor first and follow the guidelin...