COMM 2400 Oral Decision Making Syllabus

COMM 2400 ORAL DECISION MAKING FALL 2023 – THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA CRN 57665 – MWF 10:20 – 11:10am; Gilbert Hall, Room 303 Instructor: Dr. John Banister john.banister@uga.edu 706-542-6893 (Dept. Main Office) Office Hours: 501 Caldwell Hall Wednesday & Friday, 2pm-4pm Send messages to my UGA email address above; do not write to me from eLC email. Use your UGA email address when writing to me. If you write me from an account other than your UGA email address, I will not respond. B. Course description: The theory and practice of democratic decision making, from researching a topic systematically in specialized library sources to reaching a workable solution through group discussion. The second phase will involve the practice of debating and implementing decisions using parliamentary procedure. C. Prerequisites: COMM 1100 or 1300 recommended D. Course Objectives: This course is designed to instill an appreciation for and understanding of the values and procedures of the democratic process. The course aims to help students develop skills in argumentation, discussion facilitation, public speaking, and parliamentary procedure. Students will: • Run meetings efficiently according to parliamentary procedure • Develop an appreciation for civil deliberative practice and its attendant challenges • Facilitate inclusive discussions on salient public issues • Conduct research to draft and debate legislation in a Student Congress • Improve written and oral communication skills by crafting audience-centered rhetorical messages Course Philosophy: This course takes a non-traditional format. It will be primarily studentled. It will not be a lecture course. The instructor will remain an active participant in class, but for him to feed students information to be regurgitated back on exams would be counterproductive to the course’s purpose—that students develop the self-efficacy to manage and contribute to deliberation. As such, students will show what they have learned by engaging in the deliberative process: writing legislation, debating ideas, proposing amendments, and persuading peers of the goodness of their arguments. There are no traditional quizzes or exams, but it will be obvious to me and to your peers if you regularly come to class uninformed (i.e., not having done the assigned readings or reviewed the docket in advance). Take personal responsibility for your learning and recognize that your preparation—or lack thereof—affects all members of the class, not just you. E. Topical Outline 1. Theories of Deliberation 2. Case Studies of Deliberation 3. Conducting Public Policy Research 4. Roberts Rules of Order 5. Drafting Legislation 6. Congressional Debate F. Academic Honesty As a University of Georgia student, you have agreed to abide by the University’s academic honesty policy, “A Culture of Honesty,” and the Student Honor Code. All academic work must meet the standards described in “A Culture of Honesty.” Every student at the University of Georgia should be familiar with the booklet, “A Culture of Honesty: Policies and Procedures on Academic Dishonesty.” If you are not, please obtain one of these booklets and read it carefully. This document has a thorough presentation of four types of academic dishonesty including plagiarism, unauthorized assistance, lying/tampering, and theft, as well as the procedures that are in place to adjudicate alleged incidents of academic dishonesty. The policies and procedures described in “A Culture of Honesty” will be strictly followed. Follow this link to read “A Culture of Honesty:” www.uga.edu/honesty G. The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary. Changes will be announced in class, and students are responsible for making necessary adjustments in the schedule and/or due dates. H. Principal Course Assignments Students will complete the following major assignments over the course of the term: compose a set of reflective reading responses and participate in oral discussions on deliberative theory and case studies, research and write a bill for congressional debate, compose and deliver an authorship speech for that bill during deliberations, manage one class session as the chairperson according to parliamentary procedure, deliver other speeches during congressional sessions held during class to affirm or negate proposed bills. I. Specific Course requirements Written Communication § Reflective Reading Journals: Students will compose short responses (ca. 300–500 words) to assigned readings about deliberative theory and case studies during the first phase of the course. The purpose of these journals is to encourage close reading of the material and prepare students to contribute to discussion. § Compose a Bill: Students will conduct extensive research to prepare a bill for congressional debate. An annotated bibliography and first draft of the bill will be completed prior submitting the final version. § Final Exam: Students will write a short paper (ca. 1000–1200 words) in response to a selected prompt that asks them to take a position on the future of deliberative practice. Prompts will be provided on the last day of class. Essays will be due electronically during the assigned final exam period. Oral Communication § Acting as Presiding Officer: Students will be assigned at least one day to serve as the presiding officer for deliberations and will be assessed on how efficiently and fairly they manage discussions using Robert’s Rules of Order. § Floor Speeches: Students will deliver multiple floor speeches advocating for or against passage of proposed legislation or amendments. The number of speeches required will be determined based on class enrollment. The score for floor speeches will be an average of all speeches delivered—provided the number of speeches equals or exceeds the minimum requirement. Holistic Assessment of Participation How students will be assessed for participation will be decided by group deliberation during the first week of class. This assessment policy will meet the instructor’s intent: § The policy will reward regular and substantive participation. 2 § § The policy will NOT grant points solely on the basis of attendance (but may use attendance as part of a holistic program) The policy will include a peer review component. J. Grading policy Grading Scale A 93-100% A90-92.99% B + 87-89.99% B 83-86.99% B80-82.99% C + 77-79.99% C 73-76.99% C70-72.99% D 60-69.99% F 59.99% and below An “A” is the highest grade you can earn. It is a mark of distinction and is therefore reserved for truly exceptional work. A “B” is generally an indication that you not only met all assignment and/or course expectations but that you exceeded some of them in notable ways. It is a good grade. A “C” is generally an indication that you met all assignment and/or course expectations satisfactorily. It is a mark of proficiency. A “C” performance indicates room for improvement but should not be considered a failure. A “D” is generally an indication that you completed an assignment and/or the course but did not meet all expectations. It is a mark of work that has problems and/or performances that need considerable improvement. An “F” indicates failure to meet basic assignment/course requirements. Weighted Point Distribution Serving as Presiding Officer Committee Draft of Bill Annotated Bibliography for Bill Final Draft of Bill Authorship Speech Floor Speeches- average Reading Journals Holistic Participation Assessment Final Exam 5% 5% 10% 15% 10% 15% 10% 20% 10% K. Attendance Policy The attendance policy will be decided by group vote during the first week of class. The policy will meet the instructor’s intent: § The policy will encourage regular attendance and active engagement throughout the course. § The policy will be simple and easy to administer. § The policy will include a maximum threshold after which missing class will adversely affect a student’s grade. L. Required course material: § Henry M. Robert III et al, Robert’s Rules of Order In Brief (3e) New York: Public Affairs Books, 2020. ISBN: 978-1-5417-9770-3 § Additional materials will be provided on eLC via weblink or as PDF files M. Policy for make-up of examinations or presentations Presentations may be rescheduled on the following conditions: 1) The instructor and the day’s presiding officer are notified in writing prior to the start of class with a detailed explanation of 3 the need to reschedule and 2) the docket is reset by a majority vote after determining that postponement is justified by the reasoning given. Rescheduling a due date for legislation follows the same procedure. An extension for the final exam may be given at the instructor’s sole discretion. This subsection applies to Section P. N. Communication Studies Department Policy on Grade Appeals If a student believes he or she received a grade other than the one he or she earned based on course policies and the evaluation of his or her work, the student must first attempt to resolve the grade dispute with Dr. Banister. If you want to appeal a grade, the department policy is that you must make the grade appeal in writing to your instructor. Prepare and submit a typed argument indicating what your specific appeal is and what grade you believe you deserved. You must have a legitimate argument for the grade change. If the appeal is on a paper, your instructor reserves the right to take more points off or maintain the same grade of the paper if the argument is not legitimate and more problems are detected. Submit the following in writing: a. Student’s full name, UGA student ID number, postal address, UGA email, and phone number on the first page in the upper left corner. b. The class name, term class was completed, instructor’s name c. The grade that was received d. The appeal should make an argument, indicating why the grade received should be changed. e. The appeal should request a specific remedy, i.e., indicate what grade the student believes she/he actually earned. f. Appeals must be prepared and signed by the student. Turn in the appeal before or after class, during office hours, or at a scheduled appointment within one week of the grade being returned. If you have employed these measures and are still dissatisfied, or feel that an appropriate resolution may not be reached by working with your instructor, then I encourage you to contact the Communication Studies Undergraduate Coordinator, Dr. Barbara Biesecker (bbieseck@uga.edu). Dr. Biesecker will also need a written grade appeal in order to help you. If at the department level the decision is unfavorable the student may appeal to the Academic Standards Committee of the Franklin College Faculty Senate. For information on appealing at this level please refer to: http://www.franklin.uga.edu/students/asc.php O. Reasonable Accommodation Policy Students with learning disabilities who may require accommodations should contact The Disability Resource Center (DRC) located in 114 Clark Howell Hall (http://drc.uga.edu/students/register-for-services; 706.542.8719). Accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis according to each student’s individual needs and documentation. Please speak with me the first week of class if you have any accommodations that you require so we can work out a plan. P. Late Work Policy Section M applies to late work. Q. Academic Freedom: Our class is strongly committed to the freedom of speech. Student viewpoints expressed in class are protected speech and reflect the beliefs of the person offering them; allowing expression of a view in class does not constitute an endorsement of that idea by UGA or the instructor. Principles of academic freedom demand that we respect the rights of all 4 participants to present a diverse range of ideas, and that we give all ideas—even those with which we may strongly disagree—an honest hearing. Differences of viewpoint should be offered in a manner that promotes the development of mutual understanding. Class participants are expected to adapt to their audience and avoid using language that might undermine respectful debate and a welcoming classroom environment. R. Assignment Formatting Expectations All written assignments will be submitted electronically to a designated assignment dropbox or discussion forum on eLC. Documents should be submitted as a Microsoft Office file (i.e., .docx, .pptx) or as a PDF. Submissions may be checked using the Turnitin similarity checker to verify originality of student work. Writing is expected to adhere to standard English, be professionally formatted, and adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style. All references must be properly cited using endnotes. S. Campus Carry Information: In accordance with state law, the carrying of concealed weapons is permitted on campus under certain conditions. Students choosing to carry firearms are obligated to know the state laws that apply to them while on campus. For more information on HB 280, as per the University System of Georgia, please review this guidance from the chancellor of the USG Board of Regents. TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE Date HOMEWORK/READINGS IN CLASS Aug 16 Read Course Syllabus Purchase Roberts Rules of Order Discuss Class Structure Begin Deliberation on Attendance and Participation Language for Syllabus Coordinate re: Syllabus Deliberation as needed Syllabus Deliberation Aug 18 Week 2—NOTE: Drop/Add Period: Aug 16–22 Aug 21 Coordinate re: Syllabus Deliberation as needed Vote to Finalize Syllabus Policies Aug 23 Robert’s Rules of Order (RRO) Intro to Parliamentary Procedure Chs. 1-3 Aug 25 Haidt, “After Babel” and Romeo, “How to Spend your City’s Money” (Weblinks) First Reading Journal Due WEEK 3 5 Discussion of what makes for “Good Deliberation” Aug 28 RRO Ch. 4 Observe Parliamentary Debate Aug 30 RRO Ch. 5-6 Review Key Concepts of RRO covered to date Assign Legislation Drafting Assignment + Annotated Bibliography Sep 1 Goodwin, “Institutions for Argument” (PDF) Discuss challenges to effective deliberation Second Reading Journal Due WEEK 4 Sep 4 No Class–Labor Day Holiday Sep 6 RRO Ch. 7-8 Review Voting Procedures Sep 8 Asen, Democracy, Deliberation & Education Ch. 2 (PDF) Discussion of Asen Ch. 2 Third Reading Journal Due WEEK 5 Sep 11 RRO Ch. 9-11 How to preside over meetings Sep 13 Congressional Debate Guide (PDF) Watch Congressional Debate Sep 15 Asen, Democracy, Deliberation, and Education Ch. 3 (PDF) Discuss Asen Ch. 3 Fourth Reading Journal Due Week 6 Sep 18 Committee Draft of Legislation Due Committee Review of Draft Legislation Sep 20 RRO Ch. 14 Review Key Motions Sep 22 Asen, Democracy, Deliberation and Education, Ch. 4 Discuss Asen Ch. 4 Fifth Reading Journal Due 6 Week 7 Sep 25 Annotated Bibliography Due Work on Revising Legislation Sep 27 No readings or assignments due Work on Revising Legislation Sep 29 Final Draft of Legislation Due Set Docket/Presiding Officer Schedule Oct 2 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket A Oct 4 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket B Oct 6 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket C Oct 9 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket D Oct 11 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket E Oct 13 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket F Oct 16 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket G Oct 18 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket H Oct 20 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket I Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11: NOTE: Withdrawal Deadline: Oct 23 Oct 23 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket J Oct 25 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket K Oct 27 No Class: Fall Break Week 12 Oct 30 7 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket L Nov 1 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket M Nov 3 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket N Nov 6 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket O Nov 8 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket P Nov 10 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket Q Nov 13 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket R Nov 15 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket S Nov 17 STUDENT CONGRESS Docket T STUDENT CONGRESS Docket U Week 13 Week 14 Week 15 NOV 20 Nov 22, 24 Thanksgiving Break – No Classes Week 16 Nov 27 STUDENT CONGRESS Nov 29 STUDENT CONGRESS Dec 1 STUDENT CONGRESS Tabled Legislation Tabled Legislation Tabled Legislation Week 17 Dec 4 STUDENT CONGRESS Tabled Legislation Dec 5** Assign Final Exam Complete Course Evaluations Final Exam Week 8 Final Exam 9 Your written final exam will be due no later than NOON on Wednesday December 13.th