Engage in mature, independent thought and express that thought effectively in oral and written communication. Students are required to write original, weekly papers which relate their personal experiences to course topics. Weekly discussions, group activities, role plays, or simulations provide numerous opportunities for oral expression of ideas. Apply sound standards of analysis and evaluation to reach logical decisions. COM 181 students learn about the process of interpersonal communication and how they can improve their own interaction skills.
Students analyze their own and others' communication patterns.
Understand the dynamics of cultural diversity, of competing economic and political systems, and of complex moral and ethical issues. Students learn about cultural diversity in at least two ways during this course. First, because COM 181 is communication intensive by nature, students get to know their classmates and learn about their individual backgrounds. In this case, the diversity represented may be as limited as different geographical locations within the United States, or as broad as numerous foreign countries. Understand the nature of responsible citizenship and pursue an active role in a democratic society.