Intro to Communication Studies – Course Overview, Structure, Policies, and Instructor Background

Instructor and Course Context

• Instructor: Barak Kadar (also referred to as Farah Kadar in some parts), Assistant Teaching Professor in the Rowan University Communications Studies department.

• Experience: Fifth year at Rowan; started as an adjunct, then became a full-time teaching professor/lecturer; plans to get to know students better through the semester.

• Class setting: In-person introductory course; attendance and participation are emphasized; office hours and accessibility highlighted.

• Office hours: Wednesdays, 10:00–11:00 AM in 621 (Sixth Floor). Additional options: Monday–Thursday mornings at 10:00 AM, or around 2:00 PM; Zoom available by arrangement; email to schedule.

• Class logistics: Canvas is used for syllabus and materials; printed copies available on request. Patience with online systems expected as the course is organized around Canvas.

Course Purpose and College Context

• Purpose: Introduce students to the communication studies field and the diversity of thought within its scholarly discourse community.

• College context: Rowan has merged with CHEST (College of Social Sciences and Humanities). Formerly part of the College of Communication and Creative Arts.

• Related majors/minors in the same college: Public Relations (PR), Journalism, Writing Arts, and various combinations (e.g., comm studies as a minor or double major).

• Course aim: Clarify what comm studies studies, how messaging operates, and how messages are interpreted.

• Engagement with faculty: Students will engage with faculty across the department, potentially exploring minors and cross-disciplinary work.

• Research orientation: Emphasis on reading scholarly articles, engaging in classroom discussion, and understanding how knowledge is produced in the field.

• Student trajectories discussed: Grad school vs. field work; potential career and research pathways tied to subfields.

• Foundational questions: What is comm studies? How do messages relate to context and interpretation?

Course Objectives and Theoretical Foundations

• Primary objectives: Identify, explain, and evaluate how knowledge is produced within the field, focusing on philosophical roots in three paradigms:

  • Social science

  • Humanism (humanities)

  • Critical paradigm

• Foundational discussion: Difference between social science and hard sciences (e.g., physics, chemistry) and between social science and humanities; social science emphasizes human interactions and may yield non-repeating results due to human variability; humanities emphasize value judgments and qualitative inquiry.

• Methodological emphasis: Exposure to theory and theoretical concepts to develop a paradigmatic worldview in communication studies.

• Scholarly orientations in the field: Most comm studies scholars align with either social science (quantitative/qualitative methods focusing on data and patterns) or humanist (qualitative, value-oriented analyses). A third perspective, critical, critiques dominant viewpoints.

• Student reflection: Encourage students to assess whether their approach to communication is more like a humanist or social scientist.

• Research orientation: Understanding the questions scholars in comm studies ask across subfields and what methods they use to answer them.

Subfields of Communication Studies and Course Focus

• Subfields discussed (examples):

  • Interpersonal communication (one-to-one interactions)

  • Intercultural communication (communication across cultures)

  • Mass/media/mediated communication (broadcast, social media, politics, etc.)

  • Political communication (communication in politics)

  • Health communication (communication in health contexts)

  • Others include health communication, organizational, etc.

• Purpose of subfields: Students will develop an appreciation for different subfields and determine which areas (one or two) are most intriguing for future study or career.

• Course structure around subfields: After foundational weeks, each week focuses on one subfield; faculty features (guest scholars) typically occur on Wednesdays.

• Practical outcomes: Even if students do not pursue intensive research, they can identify a subfield to study for potential careers.

Course Structure, Schedule, and Assessments

• Meeting pattern: Monday and Wednesday meetings; early weeks focus on foundations before moving into subfields.

• Demonstrations: Open-note exams designed to assess understanding of the material; examples of prompts include identifying subfields and choosing an approach (humanities vs. social science) with concrete examples.

• Assessments and components:

  • Individual engagement components: $200$ points

  • Group exploration components: $200$ points

  • Faculty feature components: $300$ points

• Extra credit: Up to $70$ points total (two opportunities, each worth $35$ points) by attending extracurricular communication studies events (e.g., comm studies club meetings, department talks, colloquiums, speaker events).

• Weekly Canvas discussion boards: Roughly weekly starting week 3; reflections on readings and class discussions; due Mondays at 11:59 PM.

• Individual interview and reflection: One interview with someone outside the immediate family (family interviews require instructor permission); video essay response detailing what was learned and a potential research question a comm scholar might pursue based on the interview.

• Group assignments: Four groups, each assigned one scholarly article per week; groups complete a scholarly reading sheet (methodology, hypotheses, conclusions) and present to the class; grading based on the group sheet and group participation.

• Group subfield structure: In weeks after foundations, each week covers a subfield; groups present articles, and weekly faculty features occur where scholars discuss their work.

• Faculty features: Weekly or near-weekly guest faculty who discuss their research; students complete an individual reading sheet for the faculty reading if provided; evaluation based on engagement during the meeting.

• Video essay: Two video essays throughout the semester focusing on two faculty features; each video essay should be not more than five minutes.

• Schedule outline (tentative): Foundations and differences between social science and humanities; introduction to subfields (rhetoric, interpersonal, health, etc.); early demonstration; subsequent weeks focus on subfields and faculty features; final demonstrations conclude the term.

• Schedule reference: Course schedule is on page 11 of the syllabus; assignments described on page 6 of the syllabus; weekly announcements summarize due dates and activities.

• Final note on structure: The plan is tentative to ensure students master foundational concepts before moving deeper; demonstrations are rolled into the course and adjusted as needed.

Policies: Attendance, Participation, and Illness

• Attendance and participation: Mandatory for this in-person course; attendance policy uses unexcused absences as the basis for failure if exceeding six unexcused absences.

• Absence rules:

  • More than six unexcused absences → automatic failure

  • Lateness: more than 15 minutes late counts as a half-absence (unexcused)

• Illness policy: If sick, do not attend; emailing to inform is recommended; a medical note can excuse an absence; if extended, speak with the Dean of Students to obtain official excused status.

• Documentation for late or missed assignments: Late work generally not accepted unless documented; documentation should be submitted as soon as possible, ideally by the second class meeting after return.

• Academic integrity: Emphasis on honesty and originality; plagiarism is prohibited; students should avoid presenting others’ work as their own.

• Incompletes: Rare; possible if a student has completed more than 50% of coursework but cannot finish the semester due to extenuating circumstances; the instructor can assign an incomplete with the registrar for late completion.

• Breaks and accommodations: Instructor acknowledges resources like counseling, Wellness Center, Rowan Thrive; accommodations letters will be acknowledged by the instructor by the end of the week; if not received, students should contact the accommodations office.

• Class notes and recording: Recording classmates or the instructor without permission is prohibited and violates academic integrity.

AI Policy and Academic Use

• AI usage policy: The instructor discourages reliance on AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) for assignments in this class due to potential inaccuracies and as a learning-wisdom exercise; AI should not be used as a primary source for coursework here. Students are encouraged to discuss concerns with the instructor ahead of time if needed.

Accommodations and Support Resources

• Accommodations: If you have accommodations, you should receive an acknowledgment from the instructor by the end of the first week; if not, contact the appropriate campus office (Dean of Students or ADA/Disability Services).

• Support: The instructor positions themselves as a resource for directing students to campus services and supports; counseling, wellness, and other campus resources are highlighted for student well-being.

Class Culture and Student Onboarding

• Ground rules for a respectful environment: Be respectful; foster an open, attentive, inclusive learning environment; do not disturb others; actively participate; learn and have fun; avoid talking over others; use technology only for class purposes unless otherwise directed.

• Community building: The course emphasizes building a scholarly community; attending events related to communication studies is encouraged for networking and practical exposure; extra credit offered to promote engagement with the field.

• Icebreaker and student introductions: The instructor plans to ask students why they are taking the course and what they hope to gain from comm studies; students will share these reflections in upcoming sessions.

Personal Background of the Instructor and Relevance to the Course

• Personal journey: Barak/ Farah Kadar is from New York City (Harlem); undergraduate at Harvard in Government with a track in International Relations; secondary field in Chinese studies; studied in Beijing and Guangzhou; work experience in multinational corporate training and leadership development (e.g., Deloitte in Shanghai) with clients including Colgate, Huawei, ExxonMobil, Procter & Gamble.

• Graduate study: Master’s degree from the University of Arizona; focus on intergroup communication; thesis on self-talk (intrapersonal communication) and its relation to conflict and communication dynamics.

• Research interests: Intercultural communication, peace/conflict mediation, intrapersonal communication (self-talk).

• Teaching focus: Intercultural communication, interpersonal communication, public speaking, and related courses (e.g., engineers’ communication clinics).

• Language and cross-cultural emphasis: Emphasizes the importance of language skills and immersion for intercultural communication; advocates for multilingualism as a valuable skill in comm studies.

• Practical takeaway: The instructor frames communication as both a scientific and humanistic pursuit, informed by real-world experiences in international business and cross-cultural contexts.

Getting to Know Students and Next Steps

• Icebreaker prompt for Monday: Students will be invited to share why they are in the course and what they hope to gain from comm studies; no need for a pre-written long answer—impromptu responses are encouraged.

• Next steps: Questions and open discussion at the end of the session; plan to start with foundational concepts on Monday; the instructor looks forward to meeting students and building a community.

Quick Reference: Key Numbers and Formulas

• Points breakdown: $200$ (individual) + $200$ (group) + $300$ (faculty feature) = $700$ base points; extra credit up to $70$ points (two events × $35$ each); total possible points: $700 + 70 = 770$.

• Absences policy: more than six unexcused absences = fail; late arrivals over 15 minutes count as half an absence.

• Weekly discussions: Canvas discussion boards due on Monday at 11:59 PM.

• Demonstration format: Open-note assessments using a device with internet access; example prompts involve subfields and methodological orientation (humanities vs social science).

Questions and Interactions

• The instructor invites questions and emphasizes ongoing availability via office hours, emails, and Zoom arrangements.

• Priority is on understanding the course structure, policies, and opportunities to engage with the comm studies community across the department.