Communication (COMM)

COMM 105. Public Speaking. (3 Credits)

This course considers the fundamentals of giving speeches that are informative, persuasive, inspirational, or entertaining. Students learn to manage speech tension, use vocal variety, improve delivery, and organize and support effective presentations with research and visual aids.

COMM 112. Speech Communication. (3 Credits)

This course focuses on oral communication between the speaker and audience. The ability to speak with confidence is developed through a variety of speaking experiences. This course combines the theory of public speaking with practical experience in delivering informative, persuasive and inspirational speeches. Emphasis is placed on the ability to give and receive feedback of a critical nature.

COMM 191. Beacon-Newspaper. (1 Credit)

This course affords students the opportunity to write, edit and publish the university newspaper.
Prerequisite: COMM 265.

COMM 193. WCUW-Radio. (1 Credit)

This course considers the fundamentals of preparing and perfoming an on-the-air radio show, with a variety of skills including monologues, interviews, co-hosting, and introductions of other material. No prerequisites, although COMM 351: Radio Production is strongly recommended.
Prerequisite: COMM 351.

COMM 195. WCUA-Radio. (1 Credit)

This course requires acceptable work with the student radio station.
Prerequisite: COMM 351.

COMM 196. Lighthouse-Newspaper. (1 Credit)

This course requires acceptable work on the student newspaper.

COMM 201. Interpersonal Communication. (3 Credits)

This course studies why communication breaks down in interpersonal relationships, focusing on such topics as perception, self-concept, non-verbals, listening, gender, self-disclosure, power, and conflict. Assignments lead students to a greater awareness of their strengths and weaknesses as communicators.

COMM 205. Advanced Public Speaking. (3 Credits)

This course teaches the use of research, strategy, audience analysis, and technology to attain professionalism in presentations. Students apply speaking skills in a variety of speeches selected by the instructor such as, “after dinner” humor presentation, an informative/persuasive PowerPoint lecture, a team debate judged by students, and an inspirational or devotional presentation.
Prerequisite: COMM 105.

COMM 215. American Cinema. (3 Credits)

This course introduces basic issues related to the phenomenon of American cinema. It looks at American film history from the 1890’s through the1990’s, but it does not explore this history in a purely chronological way. It is a cultural history which focuses on topics and issues more than on what happened when. It also explores how Hollywood films work technically, aesthetically, and culturally to reinforce and challenge America’s national self-image.

COMM 225. Intercultural Communication. (3 Credits)

This course provides students with an opportunity to develop communication skills necessary for a diverse workforce. In this course students come to understand intercultural communication by discussing language, stereotypes, behavior and patterns. Students develop the ability to apply cultural concepts to modern business situations and relate across cultures within that setting.

COMM 245. Media Literacy. (3 Credits)

Media literacy is essential, as it allows individuals to deconstruct messages in order to gain control over them. In an age where claims of "fake news" are prevalent, it is increasingly important that audiences understand the messages being presented. In this course, students will engage with a variety of media - photographs, news articles, advertisements, websites, movies, tv shows - and develop an understanding of how this content can influence audiences. We will draw on persuasion and media theories, in order to evaluate the messages being presented in society. This course places equal emphasis on the foundation of solid scholarly writing and the pervasiveness of media messages. The course will feature regular writing assignments, in-class discussions, and a final project in which students analyze media messages using persuasion theories and discuss the importance of media literacy in evaluating persuasive messages.

COMM 250. Intro To Mass Communication. (3 Credits)

This course acquaints the student with the basic forms of mass communication and the media through which messages are conveyed. Current media trends and their origins will also be studied.
Prerequisite: ENG 104.

COMM 260. Social Media. (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to theories about the ways in which social media influences society and provides students the opportunity to employ those theories via practical application.

COMM 265. Journalism. (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to the basics of reporting, writing, and editing in a journalistic style, and examines contemporary issues facing journalists and journalism.

COMM 270. Sports Journalism. (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to the skills of a sports journalist, primarily the techniques and principles of interviewing, reporting, and writing sports. A hands-on approach is emphasized, with several opportunities for field experience.
Prerequisites: (COMM 265 or ENG 104).

COMM 280. Careers in Communication. (3 Credits)

This course provides an overview of the many fields and occupations open to Communication majors, with guest speakers from a variety of backgrounds talking about their fields and their own experiences.

COMM 295. Sports Broadcasting. (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to the skills of a sports broadcaster, primarily the techniques and principles of interviewing, reporting, and the on-air broadcasting of sports. A hands-on approach is emphasized, with several opportunities for experience.

COMM 299. Independent Study. (1-3 Credits)

Course will be developed by the instructor and student.

COMM 321. Media Writing. (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to the basic practices and principles for writing for different mass media.

COMM 322. Multimedia Design. (3 Credits)

This course presents an overview of multimedia design considerations including interface design, interactive narrative structure, preproduction planning of projects, integration of different media into a unified concept and aesthetic, and also examines the history and development of multimedia.
Prerequisites: (ART 110 or 111).

COMM 325. Political Communication. (3 Credits)

This course covers communication’s role in politics and the dissemination of political ideas, through speeches, written documents, policies, and more.

COMM 327. Storytelling & Oral Histories. (3 Credits)

This course examines the art of storytelling and oral histories as communication. Particular attention is given to storytelling and oral histories as cross-cultural communication. Students define criteria for selecting and evaluating folk and fairy tales for performance. The course also introduces the student to methods of collecting, writing and performing oral histories.

COMM 329. Film History. (3 Credits)

This course examines the development of motion pictures from its beginning to the present day. Films will be screened representing various movements, periods, and styles.

COMM 333. Servant Leadership. (3 Credits)

This course engages students in understanding and applying theory and skills grounded in the biblical concept of servanthood. Students are challenged to become effective leaders who value service, individual dignity, growth, and wholeness.

COMM 335. Technical Writing and Speaking. (3 Credits)

This course focuses on the technical types of writing and speaking needed in professional positions, specifically presenting specialized information in an accessible way to a variety of audiences. Students will learn to write and design effective technical documents and present them orally.
Prerequisites: ENG 104 and BCOM 247.

COMM 339. Film & Video Production. (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to the world of film and video production. Students learn the process involved in preproduction, production, and postproduction throughout the development of digital video productions.

COMM 347. Animation. (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to the theoretical bases of Animation and how it works, the history of animation from optical toys, through the silent film era and the coming of sound, the latter half of the 20th century and into the digital era. The course also includes several practical projects in which students try their hand at animation.

COMM 348. Multimedia Production. (3 Credits)

This course considers the fundamentals of multimedia production, including making projects individually and as a group, and for clients as well. Students not only learn software, but also aesthetics and practical knowledge regarding multimedia.
Prerequisites: COMM 322 and 339 and (ART 110 or 111).

COMM 351. Radio Production. (3 Credits)

This course introduces the student to the elements of radio broadcasting, and considers the history, equipment, and techniques of radio production.

COMM 354. Gender and Communication. (3 Credits)

Students will study the differences – and similarities – between men and women as they communicate. Verbal and nonverbal elements are studied, along with why any differences might exist. Gender-specific issues in dating, education, family, religion, and the workplace will be discussed. A significant final project analyzing institutional artifacts specific to gender will be required.

COMM 379. Imaginary Worlds in Media. (3 Credits)

This course explores the imaginary worlds made in media, including literature, film, television, comics, video games, and more, examining how they function, their history, and their importance in culture. As “subcreation” in the Tolkienian sense, imaginary worlds will also be examined from a Christian perspective, since the desire to create is one of the ways that human beings are made in the image of God.

COMM 399. Visual Rhetoric. (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to communication through the use of visual media, including visual literacy and the methods of persuasion that employ imagery and design. A wide range of visual materials will be examined, including hand-drawn imagery, photographic imagery, computer-generated imagery, moving imagery, and a variety of different visual media. Students will learn to analyze imagery for its rhetoric content, as well as learn strategies of how ideas are embodied with images.

COMM 435. Critical Thinking and Information Dissemination. (3 Credits)

This course applies logical reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving approaches to the reading and writing processes with the intent to disseminate the information to internal and external audiences. Students will weigh, judge, and evaluate information from qualitative and quantitative perspectives.
Prerequisite: COMM 335.

COMM 439. Advanced Film and Video Production. (3 Credits)

This course concentrates on the development of semester-long student film or video projects, and the various stages of its preproduction, production, and post-production.
Prerequisite: COMM 339.

COMM 448. Advanced Multimedia Production. (3 Credits)

This course takes students further into the world of multimedia production. Students delve deeper into the processes of pre-production, production, and post-production throughout the development of two projects: a single group project done for a client, as well as a personal one-person project of some complexity. Software will also be discussed, learned, and used in the projects. In addition to learning technical information, students will also read about and see examples of the aesthetic principles involved in the making of multimedia.
Prerequisites: COMM 322, 339 and 348 and (ART 110 or 111).

COMM 460. Cross-Cultural Communication. (3 Credits)

This course examines the cultural diversity that exists locally, nationally, and globally in order to develop a positive appreciation for the contributions of other cultures. Students will gain personal contact with members of other cultures and learn effective intercultural skills for a diverse world.
Prerequisites: (COMM 105, 201 or PSY 201) and ENG 104.

COMM 470. Internship. (3-12 Credits)

This course involves supervised work at a commercial communication enterprise. Prerequisites are explained in the internship packet, which may be obtained from any communication professor.

COMM 480. Fan Communication Practicum. (3 Credits)

This is an advanced course in sports reporting, writing, blogging, broadcasting, and presenting. Students prepare publishable-quality pieces covering campus sports teams, athletes, and events. Students will hone their research, interviewing, and reporting skills utilizing a variety of technologies during this hands-on practicum course.

COMM 490. Research Seminar. (3 Credits)

This course allows students to demonstrate their communication competencies by writing a research paper related to their particular major and giving a public presentation.