Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Summer Semester 2026

Communication Theory (Online)

COMM 3100-30I

Course: COMM 3100-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Summer Semester 2026
Department: COMM
CRN: 20426

Course Description

Theoretical approaches to the study of human interaction, media effects and strategic communication. The course emphasizes the way theories can be used in message design, dissemination, and analysis. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)]

Required Texts

Various articles available in Canvas modules.

Learning Outcomes

  • Students will have opportunities to understand what theory is and how to think with and apply theory in personal and professional work situations.
  • Assessment: a) Class activities will emphasize theory comprehension by discussing key principles and components of various theories. b) Students will confirm their cognitive awareness of these theories by applying their knowledge to various communication texts/phenomena in class discussions, in quizzes, and in these assignments: Infographic, Apps and Explanations, News and Social Media, and Pop Culture.
  • Ties to SUU Essential Learning Outcomes: Communication & Critical Thinking; Digital Literacy; Inquiry & Analysis
  • Students will have the opportunity to become familiar with major theories that span key areas of study in the communication discipline.
  • Assessment: a) Students will study relevant communication theories and well-known theorists to become familiar with their application and strengths/weaknesses.  b) Students will have an opportunity to evaluate their level of mastery in course quizzes and portfolio assignments.  c) Students will also be exposed to the various ways theory informs research by completing these assignments: Original Article Explanation (aka Big 3 Functions), Key Terms, and Annotated Bibliography. 
  • Ties to SUU Essential Learning Outcomes: Communication & Critical Thinking
  • Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their acquired theoretical knowledge about a key communication theory by completing a capstone theory portfolio that is thoroughly conceptualized, researched, and executed in correct APA style (where applicable).
  • Assessment: a) Students will complete all portfolio assignments. b) Students will display all assignments in a wix, weebly, google sites or wordpress blog page to display their semester’s work. c) Students will complete the theory reflection assignment at the end of the semester.
  • Ties to SUU Essential Learning Outcomes: Inquiry & Analysis; Communication & Critical Thinking; Digital Literacy

Course Requirements

Exams
Exams (canvas calls them quizzes) will consist of multiple-choice and short answer questions taken from assigned readings in canvas and course slide decks. All quizzes will be taken via canvas and will be open note. You CANNOT take them with other students, nor can you use AI in any way to help you. They will be challenging and will require you to read the material thoroughly, take good notes and make connections between theory and application. Completing course readings will be critical here.  With the exception of the final, quizzes will be open for 1 week after that instructional unit ends, so plan your time accordingly. There will be 6 Units of Instruction ending in a quiz for each one. They are as follows:

            Unit #1: Day 1 Discussion; Understanding Communication Theories

            Unit #2: Uncertainty Reduction; Social Penetration; Relational Dialectics

            Unit #3: Elaboration Likelihood; Extended Parallel Process

            Unit #4: Agenda Setting; Uses & Gratifications; Media Ecology

            Unit #5: Aristotle; Constructivism

            Unit #6: Kategoria; Image Repair (Apologia); Antapologia

Written Work
Assignments for this class should conform to APA 7th edition style (where appropriate).  It is your responsibility to obtain the style guide and make sure you understand how to properly cite your sources in both the text and in the reference section.  The specific requirements for each assignment are discussed later in the syllabus as well as in canvas, including a discussion of how the grade for each assignment will be weighted.  Please read each of these documents carefully. If you are unsure about how to complete these assignments, please ask me because I want you to be successful in this course and it may be that we need to arrange a zoom or phone call. Additionally, if you have any concerns over a grade that you receive on an assignment or quiz, feel free to discuss it with me. I ask that you think carefully about your question, write down what you see as a discrepancy and then take care of it in 1 week.  Issues not addressed during this time will stand as graded.   

Grading Scale
A | 100-93% | B | 86-83% | C | 76-73% | D | 66-63%
A- | 92-90% | B- | 82-80% | C- | 72-70% | D- | 62-60%
B+ | 89-87% | C+ | 79-77% | D+ | 69-67% | F | 59-0%

Assignment Title | Points Possible
Topic Approval | 10 Points
Portfolio Format | 10 Points
Completed Portfolio | 10 Points
Theory Reflection | 10 Points
Original Article Explanation/Big 3 Functions | 25 Points
Key Terms | 25 Points
Infographic | 25 Points
Apps & Explanations | 20 Points
Annotated Bibliography | 15 Points
News & Social Media | 20 Points
Pop Culture | 20 Points
Unit #1 Exam | 20 Points
Unit #2 Exam | 30 Points
Unit #3 Exam | 20 Points
Unit #4 Exam | 30 Points
Unit #5 Exam | 20 Points
Unit #6 Exam | 20 Points
Total | 345 Points

Course Outline

Unit Breakdown
  • Week 1 covers Unit #1: Understanding Communication: Theories, Functions & Ologies (complete associated assignments and quiz 1)
  • Week 2 covers Unit #2: Relationship Theories (complete associated assignments and quiz 2)
  • Week 3 covers Unit #3: Persuasion Models (complete associated assignments and quiz 3)
  • Week 4 covers Unit #4: Media Theories (complete associated assignments and quiz 4)
  • Week 5 covers Unit #5: Credibility, Reality & Message Design Theories (complete associated assignments and quiz 5)
  • Week 6 covers Unit #6: Image Management Theories (complete associated assignments and quiz 6)
  • Week 7: Complete Portfolio & Theory Reflection

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

Late Work and Incompletes
You should plan to turn in your work by 11:59 pm on the day it is due. Late work will receive a non-negotiable 10% grade reduction for each day it is late unless your situation falls under the excused category discussed in the attendance policy. Late assignments must be turned in no later than one week after they are due, or you will receive a zero. Incompletes will not be awarded in this course except for a serious medical crisis or other extenuating circumstances judged on a case-by-case basis. To be eligible for an incomplete contract you must be passing the course with a C- and have completed at least 75% of the assignments.

Email Communication
You will receive frequent emails related to the learning process (e.g., due dates, changes to class schedule). The instructor will use the email you have supplied to SUU, so please check it regularly. While responses will be as timely as possible, email is typically checked during work hours; expect replies within 24 hours during the work week, but not on weekends.

Department A.I. Guideline

Department 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.   

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. 

Attendance Policy

Because this is an online asynchronous course, you are expected to be in charge of your learning by completing all of the readings and meeting all assignment due dates.  If you miss a deadline and your work is late, a late penalty will be assessed.  The only exceptions are in the case of legitimate and documented illness, family emergency or school approved function.  If your absence will affect when assignments or quizzes are scheduled, you need to contact me so we can discuss an alternative arrangement, but that is the exception not the rule. I reserve the right to make the final judgment about what constitutes an excused absence and opportunities to make up work.  

Course Fees

$12 course fee

Student Resources

Course Evaluations

Constructive feedback about course content and instruction is appreciated and used to make improvements based on patterns that surface. Please take time at the end of the semester to share your experiences in the course.

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.