Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Global Communication & Culture (Face-to-Face)

COMM 2150-01

Course: COMM 2150-01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: COMM
CRN: 11430

Course Description

A study of the ways people communicate within and between cultures, including a consideration of cultural contexts and the relationship between culture and communication. (Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] General Education Category: Social & Behavioral Sciences

Required Texts


Intercultural Communication in you Life
, Shawn T Wahl, Jake Simmons, & Jeffrey Q. McCune, Jr. 
We are using an ebook, mainly because it's half the price of the paper book. You'll also be able to take quizzes in the book. 
To access the book in Canvas, click on Inclusive Access Course Materials on the left menu. 

Learning Outcomes


By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. DEFINE, DESCRIBE, DISTINGUISH, COMPARE, AND ANALYZE CULTURE.
    Students will describe relevant theories, models, and approaches to culture, including:
    Intercultural communication competence models, process vs outcome orientation, high vs low context cultures, monochronic vs polychronic, culture shock models and the Lewis model.
  2. APPLY EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN A RANGE OF DIVERSE CULTURAL CONTEXTS.Students will recognize, compare, and practice across the following cultural categories:
    a. race, nationality, religion, gender, education-level, power, and economic status.
    b. Students will discover and demonstrate skills in the following communication channels: verbal, written, haptic/tactile, paralinguistic, kinesic/kinetic, and asynchronous.
    c. Students will understand intercultural communication differences in the following environs: professional, interpersonal, religious, government/politics, school, and online
  3. BECOME COMPETENT AND ETHICAL GLOBAL COMMUNICATORS, supported by regional knowledge in identifying cultural differences, specifically in the following regions: The Americas (North & South), Africa (North & Sub-Saharan), Asia (North, South, East, & Central), Australia, the Island nations, Europe (West & East), the Arab Nation, the United States of America, and the state of Utah.

Course Requirements

1. Chapter Quizzes - 200 points total (25%)
There will be 10 chapter quizzes throughout the semester. Each quiz is worth 20 points.

2. Research Papers - 200 points total (25%)
There will be 2 research papers worth 100 points each.

3. Weekly assignments - 200 points total (25%)
There will be smaller weekly assignments connected to the topic discussed during that week. Some of these assignments will be completed in class while others will be assigned as homework. Point value of assignments range from 10 - 25 points each.

4. In-Class participation - 100 points total (12.5%)
Students will be expected to participate and contribute their experiences and ideas during the discussions.

5. Midterm & Final Exams - 100 points total (12.5%)
Each exam is worth 50 points.  


Course Outline

Week 1 - Inclusive Access and introduction to Global Communication. 
Week 2 - CHAPTER 1: Intercultural Communication in Your Life 
Week 3 - CHAPTER 2: Ethical Dimensions of Intercultural Communication 
Week 4 - CHAPTER 3: Culture and Identity 
Week 5 - CHAPTER 4: Sojourning, Assimilating, and Acculturating 
Week 6 - CHAPTER 5: Intercultural Dimensions of Verbal and Nonverbal Communication 
Week 7 - CHAPTER 5: Intercultural Dimensions of Verbal and Nonverbal Communication 
Week 8 - CHAPTER 6: Conversing and Relating in Intercultural Contexts 
Week 9 - CHAPTER 7: Intercultural Issues in Group Communication 
Week 10 - CHAPTER 8: Intercultural Communication and Conflict 
Week 11 - CHAPTER 9: Communicating Social Class and Understanding the Culture of Poverty 
Week 12 - CHAPTER 10: Intercultural Issues in Health, Wellness, and Medicine 
Week 13 - CHAPTER 11: Intercultural Communication in Business and Professional Contexts 
Week 14 - Finals 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Please pay attention to the due dates for all assignments so you have adequate time to complete them.  You will have until 11:59 PM to submit most of the work on the day that it is due.  There will be in class assignments that are due at class time. You may complete and submit any assignment before it is due.  You will have 1 day to submit a late assignment for a 10% grade reduction. After that, late submissions will not be accepted unless a highly unusual circumstance occurs.  These include legitimate and documented illness, family emergency or school approved function.  Vacations, weddings and other such events are not considered emergencies.  Excused absences for illness or personal emergency must be accompanied by appropriate documentation and a direct conversation with me.  I will deal with these situations on a case-by-case basis and I reserve the right to make the final judgment about whether or not an absence is excused. 

Attendance Policy

I do not take attendance. However, a lot of our work is done in class and cannot be made up. The information learned in class will be applied to completing your assignments. I do not share class instruction information after the fact with absent students. 

Course Fees

There are no course fees included with this class. 

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.