Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Summer Semester 2026

Communication in Human Interactions (Online)

COMM 2110-31I

Course: COMM 2110-31I
Credits: 3
Term: Summer Semester 2026
Department: COMM
CRN: 20423

Course Description

The course emphasizes interpersonal communication patterns and situations designed to aid the student in improving social relationships, increasing self-awareness and in using appropriate communication to achieve personal goals. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] General Education Category: Humanities

Learning Outcomes

General Education Category: Humanities
Essential Learning Outcomes:
1. Communication: Students develop and express ideas and will be able to do so in a variety of ways, namely in writing, by speaking, kinesthetically, and aurally.
a. Assessment: Accomplished by completing assignments and through instructor feedback on students’ class discussion and assignments.
2. Critical Thinking: Students demonstrate disciplined processes of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.
a. Assessment: Accomplished through conceptualizing and synthesizing information into required assignments and class discussion.
Course Goals and Objectives:
1. The student will understand the need to reflect upon interpersonal communication practices.
2. The student will gain knowledge of concepts, theories, and research findings in interpersonal communication.
3. The student will develop and practice communication skills in a supportive environment.
4. The student will learn the vocabulary of interpersonal communication theory and practice.
5. The student will understand various contexts (friendship, co-worker, family, etc.) in which interpersonal communication occurs.

Required Texts

Required Texts: 
1) Looking Out Looking In  (FREE - PDF PROVIDED)
Authors: Ronald B. Adler and Russell F. Proctor II
14th Ed. (If you want a hard copy, you can purchase the 14th Ed. or later editions. However, I will provide a free digital copy of the 14th edition as a PDF file on Canvas on the first day of class.)
ISBN-10: 0-8400-2817-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-8400-2817-4

This is the 14th edition which is not the latest edition so I'm giving you access to the entire text .pdf file that you can find on the Modules course materials page.  This is a very long text -- 400 pages + of full color so don't print it out.  Use it if you are comfortable reading off a screen.  If you want a hard copy, there are many places you can get it cheap online.

2) The Five Love Languages   (THIS ONE YOU MUST PURCHASE)
Author: Gary Chapman
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 080241270X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0802412706

This is a short paperback book that you will need to purchase.  You should be able to get it from the bookstore or their recommended sites.  Last I checked, it was only $9 on Amazon and most people find it was worth it.  Order this right away so you will have it on time.

Course Outline

General Outline of the Course
There are 8 units covered in this course:
  • Communication Fundamentals
    • The four needs met by communication, the social penetration model and the transactional model.
  • Identity and Communication
    • Personality test comparison, reflected appraisal, self-concept, the Color Code Test, and presenting the self.
  • Perception
    • The perception process, stereotypes, what you see is what you get, fallacies and errors in perception
  • Emotional Well-Being
    • Emotional intelligence, the Atlas of Emotions, and the difference between feelings and emotions
  • Listening
    • The listening process, barriers to listening, and improving your listening behaviors. 
  • Language
    • Idioms, language nuances, connotation vs. denotation, slang, euphemisms, and jargon.
  • Nonverbal Behavior 
    • Emblems, narrative, gestures, chronemics, proxemics, appearance, field work
  • The 5 Love Languages
    • Quality time, physical attraction, physical touch, acts of service, giving and receiving gifts

Course Requirements

Videos 
There are videos that I have made that go with each topic and the assignments. These are relatively short videos that delve into the chapter topics.  I also have videos that explain each assignment.  Hopefully, these are helpful rather than just reading everything that is commonly how online courses are conducted. I tend to be sarcastic and goofy, so just be prepared! 
Feedback
I love feedback, so if there's something in a video, quiz or assignment that you feel I should know about, please tell me.  If you are concerned about it affecting your grade, then email me after the course grades have been posted. I do care that this class is the best it can be, so feedback is important.  I know you are asked to do a course/instructor assessment at the end, but sometimes I don't even see those, so just email me.
YouTube and Closed Captioning
All the videos are posted on YouTube and you can only access them through the link provided on the assignment.  YouTube automatically captions videos when they are uploaded.  If you need captioning, you click on the CC on the video to turn it on or off.  If there are any problems accessing videos, or if there's a problem with the captioning, please let me know ASAP through email.

Course Requirements:
Readings and Quizzes (42%)
- Most of the work in this class involves reading the chapters and then taking a quiz based on the material covered in the chapters and the accompanying video(s).  The quizzes can only be taken once and are timed, so be sure to prepare by reading the material in advance. The quizzes are obviously open-book.  There's no way for me to monitor what you do in your home. (But who knows what AI tools I'll have in the future to do that). The quizzes are 20 - 40 multiple-choice questions each. (230 pts. total)
  1. Writing Assignments (32%)
    • Perception -  After you watch this brief video on how we stereotype people, you will write an essay explaining what you learned and what you will apply to your life. (20 pts.)
    • Identity Paper - The Color Code personality test - This is a 3-part assignment analyzing your identity based on the results of the Color Code personality quiz and one other personality quiz of your choosing.  You are then to compare and contrast the results. You will be graded on your application of course concepts to your analyses. College-level writing is expected. (60 pts.) 
    • Listening Barriers - This is a brief, three-paragraph assignment that analyzes your listening barriers. You will be given a list of barriers and it will be discussed at length in a posted video.  Your essay will be graded on your identification of each barrier and examples that demonstrate your understanding of the course concepts. (15 pts.)
    • What I Know Now Paper - This is your final.  There's no final exam.  This 4-5 page write-up is designed to demonstrate your understanding of course concepts and how they apply to your life.  You will also be expected to make assessments about what you learned over the term.  (80 pts.)
  2. Analysis Activities (15%)
    • Nonverbal behavior observational activity - This assignment includes several options where you must go out and do field work to observe and test the dynamics of nonverbal behavior and then write up what you observed.  This could include blocking people's view, shaking hands strangely (too firm/limp/too many times), subtly invading someone's space or smiling too much. (20 pts.)
    • Perception - Ted Talk Review - Choose a TEDx talks and write a one- to two-page, double-spaced review of the main point(s) of the talk.  (15 pts)
    • Perception - The Boxes - Watch the video and explain in 2-3 paragraphs what the lesson of the video is and how you can apply the lesson(s) (10 pts)
    • Language - Idioms -  This assignment is set up like an essay quiz where you identify, explain, analyze and idioms and their impact on interpersonal communication. (25 pts.)
    • Atlas of Emotions - Visit the Atlas of Emotions website at this link and then write a short essay. Describe the fundamental emotional states and the concepts related to "Timeline," "Experience," "Response," and "Strategies.  Write at least one paragraph on each of the concepts. Use the word genius two times in the essay. (25 pts.)
    • Emotional Quotient vs. Intelligence Quotient - Watch a short video and explain in 2-3 paragraphs what the lesson of the video is. What can you learn and apply from the comparison of your EQ and IQ? (15 pts.)
  3. Slide Presentation (11%)
    • The 5 Love Languages - This is a short, inexpensive book that you will be required to purchase. You will not regret purchasing it. It offers life-changing yet straightforward guidance on achieving successful relationships. There is a quiz in the book that will help you know your own love language. For this section, you will briefly summarize the chapters by creating a slide presentation. You must create 1-3 slides per chapter, incorporating text and engaging graphics. You will need to upload this presentation on Canvas by the due date. (60 pts.)
Extra Credit - Day of Disconnect - For 24 hours you will be expected to live without electronics.  This means no phones, internet, computer, TV, and gaming. After you disconnect for 24 hours you will answer several essay questions about your experience.  (20 pts.)

Grading Scale

There's no choice for me to give an A+, so whether you get 94.5% or 102% it's still an A.  You receive a grade in accordance with the following scale.

94 - 100% = A
93.99 - 90 = A -
89.99 - 87.0 = B+
86.99 - 84.0 = B
83.99 - 80 = B-
79.99 - 77.0 = C+
76.99 - 74.0 = C
73.99 - 70.0 = C-
69.99 - 67.0 = D+
66.6 - 64.0 = D
63.99 - 60 = D-
< 60 = F

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

 Late Work- I do not accept late work without a documented excuse.  

Attendance Policy

This is an online course with weekly deadlines.  You must stay on top of your work and meet your deadlines.  So, be sure you are checking your To Do stream on Canvas.

Department of Communication AI Guideline (Beginning Summer 2026)

AI cannot substitute for foundational learning. Students must acquire disciplinary knowledge and critical thinking skills in order to evaluate AI outputs appropriately. Thus, the Communication Department will maintain a 25% tolerance threshold for AI use in completing assignments. That means, unless explicitly stated by your instructor for a specific assignment, any work that is submitted as AI generated at a rate of 26% or higher will receive a zero and require a conversation with the instructor. In those 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 (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) as it is illegal and violates expectations of privacy and academic/creative work.   

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.