CMAT 110-002 Introduction to Mass Communication
Darrell Newton, Ph.D.
Our class, Introduction to
Mass Communication meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from
My office is located in Fulton
Hall, room 269. My e-mail address is dmnewton@salisbury.edu and my
office phone number is 410-677-5060. Office hours will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays
from
Course Objectives
This course
introduces you to mass media through a basic history of print, film, radio,
recordings, television, multimedia and more. Our class will analyze how these
elements have affected society through basic communication and as major
industries. The fundamentals of good study habits are expected, along with a
desire to examine the impact of media upon our daily lives. Our class will also
utilize Web CT as a learning tool.
Assigned readings will come
from our text, Baran’s Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy
and Culture – Third Edition.
Discussions
Discussions of the assigned
readings will be an important part of the class. All students should
ideally participate.
Quizzes and Examinations
There will be two quizzes given
this semester. The first will be on February 22nd and the second will
be given on April 12th. Each quiz is worth 75 points for a total of
150 points. The midterm exam will be on March 15th during class
time. It will be worth 150 points. The final exam will be given on May --- from
Grading
The grading system is based
upon a 500-point scale. The breakout of totals for your final course grade will
be:
500 to 450 A
449 to 400 B
399 to 350 C
349 to 300 D
299 and less F
Absenteeism, Tardiness and Misconduct
As with many courses that you
will take during your academic career, it is important that you get all you can
from this one. Therefore, you are expected to be in class and on time.
If you repeatedly miss class
for any unexcused reason, it will cost you 5 points off your final grade, per
occurrence. Therefore, if you miss class a number a number of times, you could
seriously affect your grade and your G.P.A.
Under the heading of academic
misconduct, one can get into serious trouble if they engage in cheating,
plagiarism or any other activities considered unethical by this institution or
this instructor. Please note that Academic misconduct is considered a breach of
academic integrity which may include, but is not limited to, the following:
a. Plagiarism: presenting as
one’s own work, whether literally or in paraphrase, the work of another.
b. Cheating on exams, tests,
quizzes: the wrongful giving or accepting of unauthorized exam material and/or
the use of illegitimate sources of information. This includes tests given in
WebCT.
c. Illicit collaboration with
other individuals in the completion of course assignments.
d. The use of fraudulent
methods in laboratory, studio, field work or computer work.
e. Other acts generally
recognized as dishonorable or dishonest which bear upon academic endeavors.
For more information
regarding student misconduct please consult the Student Policy on Academic
Integrity on pages 32-34 of your SU student handbook or go to: (www.salisbury.edu/Students/handbook/welcome.html)
and search for “academic misconduct.”
The CMAT department expects
that all students will read and understand the University’s policy on academic
misconduct and thereby agree to honor these standards. The CMAT
department considers academic dishonesty as a serious offense and ALL
incidences are subject to disciplinary action including, but not limited to,
separation from the university. The entire policy on Student Academic
Integrity and Procedures is published on pages 51-52 of the Student Handbook.
If you have a
physical, mental, or learning-related disability, please obtain documentation
from Disability Support Services (DSS) at 543-6082. Once I have received the
appropriate documentation, I will make every effort to accommodate your needs.
In closing, please remember
that this class, besides being educational, is also designed to be enlightening
and challenging. Please do not hesitate to make the absolute best of it that
you can. Ideas, input and intelligent responses are always welcomed.
If I can be of any assistance
to you during your time with me or otherwise, please do not hesitate to let me
know.
Introduction to Mass Communication
Roster of Events for spring 2007
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Week Sixteen:
The final
exam will be given on May 18th from