LIBR 286-11
Interpersonal Communication Skills for Librarians
SUmmer 2005

Instructor: Dr. Renée N. Jefferson
E-mail
Office hours: Blackboard, by appointment

GREENSHEET

Course Materials | Course Format | Instructor Expectations | Assignments | Evaluation

Course Description

This course is a short course surveying the principles and practice of interpersonal communication; small group and peer relationships.
Prerequisites: none

Course Objectives

At the completion of the course, the student should be able to perform the following:

• Understand the role of communication within library and information science environments.
• Examine critically concepts and issues related to personality theories, interpersonal communication techniques, and group dynamics.
• Analyze and evaluate critically research related to personality theory, interpersonal communication, and group dynamics.
• Apply critical thinking and analytical methods to the solution of problems within library and information science environments.

The course supports the following School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) Teaching goal by examining communication and personality theories and demonstrating how they relate to interaction with staff, users, and administrators in library and information science environments.

Course Materials

There is no required textbook for this course.

Course materials will consist of a bibliography (including full-text documents) of required and recommended readings that will be posted in Blackboard.

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Course Format

• This is a four-day intensive and Web-based course.
• The Web version of the course begins July 5, 2005.
• The four MANDATORY class sessions are:
  1. Monday, August 8, 2005
  2. Tuesday, August 9, 2005
  3. Wednesday, August 10, 2005
  4. Thursday, August 11, 2005

Class sessions are from 9:00am— 5:00pm each day.

The class sessions will be held at California State University, Fullerton in Pollack Library South, Room 69.

The Web-based component of the course will be conducted using Blackboard.

Blackboard

• The course will be available on the Blackboard site on Tuesday, May 31st.
• The instructor will enroll you in the course by Tuesday, May 31st; after which, you will be able to access Blackboard.
• Follow the instructions posted in the Announcements’ section. (Note: The course officially does not begin until Tuesday, July 5, 2005.)

Office Hours
I will not set specific online hours. I will be available to answer questions Monday through Friday. You should have a response to your questions within 48 hours. You may also make an appointment to meet with me in the chat room that is available in Blackboard, or you may schedule a time for me to telephone you.

Reasonable Accommodation of Disabilities
Students who need accommodation due to a disability must register with SJSU's Disability Resource Center (DRC) during the first three weeks of the semester. The Center will work with the students to determine the disability, document it, and determine the services and accommodations necessary for student success. Then, the DRC will contact the faculty member to determine the types of consideration necessary.

Students attending the Fullerton campus should first contact the Disability Resource Center in San Jose since they are SJSU students. The DRC will then direct the students to supporting resources on the Fullerton campus.

The DRC Web site: http://www.drc.sjsu.edu/

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Instructor Expectations
Students are expected to adhere to the following:

1. Check e-mail and Blackboard daily for messages and announcements. Communication in an online course is essential.
2. Submit all assignments by the specified due date and time. Instructions for each assignment are posted under the Assignments section of Blackboard. Points will be deducted for failure to follow directions. Any assignment submitted after the due date, without the permission of the instructor, will have its total score reduced by 10%. [Note: You must have permission from the instructor to submit your assignment late PRIOR to the due date.] Any assignment submitted more than one week after the deadline will not be accepted for grading, and a failing grade will be recorded; that is, unless a student has received an extension from the instructor. This is only fair to students who work to submit their assignments on time.
3. Submit assignments that are free of spelling and grammatical errors. All sources must be correctly cited using the APA style manual.
4. All assignments must be your own work. Sources must be properly cited in papers. The San Jose State University codes and rules governing plagiarism are in effect. Please refer to the following sites for specific information.
   

   Read the SJSU Academic Integrity Policy
   http://www2.sjsu.edu/senate/S04-12.pdf

5. Work cooperatively on group assignments. Group work is an important component of this course. If a member of a group is not contributing his or her fair share, please inform the instructor as soon as possible.
6. Be an active participant in class discussions and activities. Class discussions and activities are integral components of the course.
7. Know how to use Blackboard. See the Blackboard Tutorials and Resources for SLIS Instructors and Students located at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/blackboard/.
8. It is the responsibility of the student to maintain a copy of all graded and returned materials for use as evidence in any question that might arise regarding the final grade in the course.
9. Incompletes will be assigned only in cases of medical or family emergency. Medical or other proof will be required.

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Assignments

Students are required to complete the following assignments:

Personality Analysis Paper & Presentation
The focus of the personality analysis paper is the exploration of your personality type and interpersonal communication skills. You will be required to perform the following activities and assignments: (1) take a personality inventory—5 points, (2) watch the movie Monsters Inc.—5 points, (3) write a paper—20 points, and (4) present a summary of your paper to the class—5 points. These activities and assignments will contribute 35 points toward your final course grade. This is an individual assignment.

Topic Paper
The purpose of this assignment is to give you an opportunity to explore a topic related to the effects of personality types on interpersonal communications and/or organizations. The assignment will contribute 20 points toward your final course grade. This is an individual assignment.

Group Project & Presentation
The purpose of this assignment is to give your group an opportunity to analyze and identify solutions for a specific personality and interpersonal communication problem within a library and information science organization. Time will be given during class to work on the group project; however, some groups may elect to use extra time outside of the scheduled class time. Each group will present its problem and solutions on the last day of class. The assignment will contribute 20 points toward your final course grade. This is a group assignment.

• Groups. The maximum number of students assigned to a group is four (3). Participation in the group is mandatory. Group members may terminate the membership of a student who does not participate in the activities defined by the group (e.g., meetings, tasks). If a student is terminated from a group, he/she WILL NOT receive credit for the assignment. No make-up or extra-credit assignment will be permitted for a terminated group member.

Class Participation
A variety of simulations and hands-on activities will be used during the four-day intensive sessions. You must participant in all of the sessions to receive full credit for class participation. Class participation contributes 20 points toward your final course grade.

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Evaluation

All graded assignments will be marked using one of the following letter grades.

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