Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Persuasion (Online)

COMM 3110-30I

Course: COMM 3110-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: COMM
CRN: 11440

Course Description

The course teaches students how to use and evaluate persuasive strategies for attitude and behavior change. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] 

Required Texts

Gass, R. H., & Seiter, J. S. (2011).  Persuasion, social influence, & compliance gaining (6th Ed.).  Boston: Allyn & Bacon.  ISBN #978-0-205-69818-9

Other readings as assigned – these are posted in canvas. 

Learning Outcomes

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomed are listed below in the Course Requirements section.


Course Requirements

1. Students will be exposed to valuable definitions and relevant theories of persuasion (in a variety of personal and public contexts) and will work to develop and express this knowledge in writing via specific class learning opportunities.  They will use this information to understand the persuasion process as well as how to apply this knowledge to messages they both create and consume.

Assessment:  Accomplished through course readings, exams, and Project assignments.

Ties to SUU Essential Learning Outcomes: Communication; Problem Solving

2.  Students will have opportunities to further develop their knowledge and skills related to contemporary persuasive message design and strategies by actively studying relevant research, synthesizing that knowledge and analyzing practical communication situations.    

Assessment:  Accomplished through various course readings, persuasive strategy assignments online, and through analyzing social movement persuasive strategies. 

Ties to SUU Essential Learning Outcomes: Communication; Critical Thinking; Digital Literacy, Teamwork   

3.  Students will have opportunities to develop a greater awareness of the ethical choices involved in all persuasive situations reflecting on and reasoning through “means-end” thought processes.

Assessment:  Accomplished through in class exercises and completion of course assignments.

Ties to SUU Essential Learning Outcomes: Communication; Critical Thinking

Course Outline

Course Schedule Readings and Assignments.
 

 Section #1- to Jan. 30
Course Introduction; Read Chapter 1 in the Gass and Seiter text and Chapter 2 (What Constitutes Persuasion?)
https://www.behaviormodel.org/. See assignments for these chapters in the assignment tab on canvas.

We will have a discussion on canvas and in this discussion assignment you will write a three paragraph review about you and any information you want the entire online class to know about you and your life to this point.

In this section, read Chapter One of the Cialdini text. This Chapter includes pages 1 to 13. Read the assignment for this chapter in the assignments tab on canvas.

Also read Chapter Two of Cialdini's text entitled Reciprocation.  Take notes from the reading and write about how you relate to this chapter.
The assignment will be on canvas for you to complete. You will review five concepts from this chapter.

Section #2- to Feb. 26th.
 
Read Chapter 3 and 4 of the Gass and Seiter text. Assignments will be explained in canvas under assignments.

Read Chapter 3 of Cialdini. You will need to take notes on this chapter included on the first exam.

Read Chapter 7 on the Language of Persuasion found in Gass and Seiter. Prepare an outline of notes from the chapter to use on the exam.

 Find an article that discusses the use  and importance of Persuasion.  Find the article in Communication Journals that you can find online or in the SUU library. Write a review of the article and place it on the discussion board for myself and class members to read. See more instructions available on canvas as to due dates for this assignment.

 Exam #1 – Covers Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7. of Gass & Seiter. And Chapters 1, 2, 3 of Cialdini.
The exam will be given in the beginning of Section #3.


Section #3- to March 31.
 The first exam will be placed on canvas this first week in March. The chapters are listed above. It is open notes and  open book.

 Read Chapters 6, 8, 9 from Gass & Seiter. Select one of these three chapters and create a power point, Prezi or Google Slides reviewing the contents of the chapter you select to cover.

 Be reading in the Cialdini text Chapters 4 and 5. Choose one of these Cialdini chapters and write a review of the ideas in the text. Make sure you cover four of the ideas in this chapter.

 Spring Break is March 9 thru March 13th.

Section #4-to April 24.
Read Chapter 6 & 7 of the Cialdini text and Chapters 10 thru 12 of the Gass & Seiter text. You won't need to write reviews of these chapters, just take notes for you to use on the final exam .

Your individual project is to select from Cialdini 6 & 7 and follow the instructions.  Or if you prefer, select a chapter from Gass & Seiter, 13, 14, or 15 and use it to complete the assignment by April 20th. For more information see the Assignment in canvas.

 I will put the final written exam, on canvas the final week of the semester. The Chapters on the final are: 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 thru 12 of Gass & Seiter and Chapters 5, 6, & 7 of Cialdini. You can use your notes and the texts on the test for the completion of the final exam.








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


Late Policy is written here.
 I will accept late work, but each day the work is late a 5% grade deduction will apply for the assignment.
If there are circumstances that make completion of the assignments impossible, let me know as soon as policy and we can work this out.


Attendance Policy

ATTENDANCE  Attendance will not be applicable in this online  course. 
If your absence will affect when assignments or quizzes are due, you need to contact me so we can discuss an alternative arrangement.  To keep campus running smoothly for all of us, please vigilantly monitor your health and I reserve the right to make the final judgment about what constitutes an excused absence and opportunities to make up work.  
   I will not be recording class sessions unless required separately by the Student Accommodation office for individual cases under the law, nor will the class be broadcast over zoom.  Refer to posted slides, notes from friends in class and office hours with me to help you understand any content you might have missed or misunderstood.  Thank you for understanding.

Course Fees

$12 course fee

Department AI Guideline

AI cannot substitute for foundational learning. Students must acquire disciplinary knowledge and critical thinking skills in order to evaluate AI outputs appropriately. In cases where assignment instructions allow for AI use, students must certify that they have reviewed, verified, and edited all AI outputs, which may include AI prompts used. Students should treat AI as a partner in thought and creation, not as a shortcut or a substitute for human expertise, ethics, and judgment. Students should not input sensitive, personal, confidential, copyrighted or proprietary information into public AI tools (such as ChatGPT) as it is illegal and violates expectations of privacy and academic/creative work.

AI is allowed for certain assignments (see assignment instructions for details). Presenting AI-generated work as entirely one's own in a course that does not permit such use, or using AI in ways explicitly prohibited in assignment instructions, constitutes a violation of SUU Policy 6.33: Academic Misconduct and opens the violator up to a series of potential sanctions. 

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.