Spring 2026
Interpersonal Communication
SPCH 1318 Interpersonal Communication, 9M1 INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Tafhimur Rahman Email: trahman@lit.edu Office Phone: (409) 247-4793 Office Location: Technology Center 206 Office Hours: Appointment Only and via Zoom CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (3 hours lecture, 0 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Online PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: None COURSE DESCRIPTION Application of communication theory to interpersonal relationship development, maintenance, and termination in relationship contexts including friendships, romantic partners, families, and relationships with co-workers and supervisors. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to • Exhibit understanding of interpersonal theories and principles. • Demonstrate ability to analyze and critique verbal and nonverbal interactions in mediated and face-to-face contexts. • Identify perceptual processes as they relate to self and others. • Demonstrate critical thinking ability by effectively researching, evaluating, and applying communication theories in oral and/or written assignments. • Demonstrate understanding of the relevance of cross-cultural, co-cultural, gender and age influences on human communication. • Demonstrate ability to identify, evaluate, and apply conflict styles and conflict management techniques in dyads and/or groups. • Identify types of barriers to effective listening. • Demonstrate written and oral competencies as it relates to employment (including job searches, interviews, interpersonal interaction, conflict management, and leadership and performance appraisals). REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS • Interpersonal Communication: A Mindful Approach to Relationships by Jason S. Wrench, Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter and Katherine S. Thweatt. This is a free e-book available online at Interpersonal Communication: A Mindful Approach to Relationships - Milne Open Textbooks as a PDF. You can also view and download the PDF on Blackboard. • 1 package of 3x5 or 5x8 index cards • Must have the ability to upload/print documents for class. • We will be using Blackboard for this course. ATTENDANCE POLICY Regular attendance in class or online is expected at Lamar Institute of Technology. Student absences will be regularly recorded in Starfish, so that you can log in and check it throughout the semester. Students are allotted three excused absences for the semester. I will not be accepting doctor excuses or excuses in my class unless it is school related. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process by the specified drop date as listed on the Academic Calendar. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. STUDENT EXPECTED TIME REQUIREMENT For every hour in class (or unit of credit), students should expect to spend at least two to three hours per week studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit-hour class, students should prepare to allocate approximately six to nine hours per week outside of class in a 16- week session OR approximately twelve to eighteen hours in an 8-week session. Online/Hybrid students should expect to spend at least as much time on this course as in the traditional, face-to-face class. COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: • 30% Speeches o Who I Am o Family Structure o Relationship Analysis • 30% Journals o Journals (6) • 20% Quizzes o 10 Chapter quizzes. You can utilize the PDF textbook. o No collusion on examples, short answers, or essay questions. Individual work is expected. • 20% Theory Speech (Common Assignment) o Theory Presentation Participation Activities 1. Listening riddles 2. Gallery Walk- Family Structure 3. Personality quizzes 4. Family Structure Egg Competition 5. Obstacle Course 6. Dear Abby 7. Relationship Map 8. NV- Charades 9. Journal Discussion 10. Poll Everywhere (Mentimeter) GRADE SCALE • 90-100 A • 80-89 B • 70-79 C • 60-69 D • 0-59 F LIT does not use +/- grading scales ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Students found to be committing academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, or collusion) may receive disciplinary action. Students need to familiarize themselves with the institution’s Academic Dishonesty Policy available in the Student Catalog & Handbook at http://catalog.lit.edu/content.php?catoid=3&navoid=80#academic-dishonesty. Academic Dishonesty (Cheating, plagiarism, etc.) will not be tolerated. On the first offense, you will fail the assignment. On the second offense, you will fail the class. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc. can be online at https://lit.edu/online-learning/online-learning-minimum-computer-requirements. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IN THE COURSE Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI). The use of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, is permitted in this course only in a limited capacity. Students may not use AI to create speeches, assignments, or any original content that is required for grading. The development of ideas, research, arguments, and speech drafts must be the student’s own work. AI may only be used as a supplemental tool to refine material that has already been written by the student. Acceptable uses include checking grammar and spelling, ensuring clarity and cohesion, and assisting with the organization of outlines. For example, it is not acceptable to ask an AI tool to “create a relationship analysis for X assignment” However, it is acceptable to paste a draft the student has written into an AI tool and request a review of grammar or flow. Whenever an AI tool is used, students are required to disclose this use within their assignment by including the following statement: “For this assignment’s preparation, the author(s) utilized [Generative AI Tool Name], a language model created by [Generative AI Tool Provider]. Within this assignment, the tool was used only for [e.g., grammar correction, minor phrasing adjustments, or organizational support].” Failure to properly acknowledge the use of AI tools or relying on them beyond the limits described above will be considered a violation of academic integrity and may result in penalties in accordance with the LIT policy. STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. COURSE CALENDAR (subject to change at the instructor’s discretion) Note: Our syllabus schedule is not a contract in stone; I will attempt to maintain our schedule but there may be times when it is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. It is your responsibility to keep up with any such changes. Please check our Blackboard for the course schedule. Week/Date Readings/Assignments Due Date Week 1 Jan. 20- 25 1. Orientation to the course – Read Syllabus 2. Course Icebreakers 3. Read Chapter 1 Human Communication 4. Review Who Am I Speech Assignment Jan 25 by 11:59 PM Submit Signed Syllabus Agreement Week 2 Jan. 26-Feb.01 1. Read Chapter 2 Interpersonal Overview 2. Read Chapter 3 Intrapersonal Communication Feb 1 by 11:59 PM Journal 1 Who Am I speech PPT Week 3 Feb. 2-8 Who Am I Presentations Feb 5 Points of Connection Feedback Week 4 Feb. 9-15 1. Read Chapter 4 Verbal Elements of Com 2. Read Chapter 5 Nonverbal Com Feb 15 by 11:59 PM Journal 2 Week 5 Feb. 16- 22 1. Personality Assessment 2. Conduct Personality Research Feb 22 by 11:59 PM Journal 3 Personality Assessment Week 6 Feb. 23- Mar. 01 Personality Tests Mar 1 by 11:59 PM Journal 4 Week 7 Mar. 02-08 1. Read Chapter 6 Cultural Factors 2. Review Theory Presentation Guidelines Mar 8 by 11:59 PM Journal 5 Week 8 Mar. 09-15 1. Read Chapter 7 Talking & Listening 2. Read Chapter 8 Building & Maintaining Mar 15 by 11:59 PM Test Week 9 Mar. 16-22 Family Structure Presentations Mar 22 by 11:59 PM Post Final PPT to discussion board Week 10 Mar. 23-29 1. Read Chapters 9 Conflict and 14 Dark Side 2. Review Guidelines for Theory Presentations Mar 29 by 11:59 PM Journal 6 Week 11 Mar. 30-Apr. 05 1. Read Chapters 10 Friendships and 11 Family & Marriage Apr 5 by 11:59 PM Week 12 Apr. 06-12 Work on Theory Presentation Apr 12 by 11:59 PM Week 13 Theory Presentation Submission Apr 19 COURSE REQUIREMENTS • Blackboard – You all have an LIT Blackboard account that you should check 3-4 times per week, at minimum. In addition to finding assignment directions, PowerPoint files, grades, etc, you will also turn in some of your assignments on Blackboard. • LIT Email – You should check your LIT email daily. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION 1. Academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.) will not be tolerated. The first offense will result in failure of the assignment. A second offense will result in failure of the course. 2. All assignments must be submitted through Blackboard. Work submitted by email or in person will not be accepted. It is the student’s responsibility to learn and use Blackboard correctly. 3. Blackboard training is available to students at no cost. 4. Late work will not be accepted under any circumstances. 5. Emails sent during the week will receive a response within 24 hours. Emails sent over the weekend will be answered on Monday. 6. Speech requirements are outlined below. Failure to meet all requirements will result in a grade of zero for the speech. a. Students must submit: i. Full-sentence preparation outline ii. Works Cited page iii. Visual aid iv. Speech video b. Each speech must be delivered to a live audience of at least three audience members. Failure to meet the audience requirement will result in a zero. c. Videos must clearly show the student from the front as well as all three audience members throughout the entire speech. Failure to do so will result in a zero. d. Videos must be unedited. Edited videos will result in a zero. e. Videos must be uploaded to YouTube with the privacy setting on “unlisted” or “public.” Videos set to “private” cannot be viewed and will be treated as not submitted. f. Videos must be clear and well-lit, with no distractions such as background noise (babies, children, pets, TVs, phones, etc.). Poor lighting will result in a letter grade Apr. 13-19 Apr. 20- 26 Week 14 Read Chapters 12 Computer Mediated & 13 Work Relationships Apr 26 11:59 PM Apr. 27- May 03 Week 15 Check if you have completed all assignments and tests May 3 May 04 - 10 Week 16 Final Week Grades will be posted penalty. g. Students must dress in business casual attire for speeches. Inappropriate attire (jeans, joggers, ball caps, gum chewing, lack of shoes, etc.) will result in a letter grade penalty. This is a college course, and students are expected to deliver professional presentations. h. Students are expected to review their videos before submission. Ask yourself, “Is this my best work?” Multiple recordings may be necessary. Practice thoroughly before recording with your audience. i. Reading directly from a script is not acceptable and will result in a penalty of up to two letter grades. Speeches must be delivered extemporaneously, well-researched, well-rehearsed, using note cards effectively. j. Speeches must meet the assigned time limit. A penalty of one point will be deducted for every five seconds over or under the time requirement. All out of class assignments should be typed in the following format: ▪ Times New Romans ▪ 12 Font ▪ Double Space Email Policy • LIT email only • Email is checked in the afternoon. Allow 24 hours for a response. Weekend emails may be answered on Monday. • Please include your class time and an accurate subject. • Assignments should only be emailed if Blackboard is having technical issues. • Student emails requesting a review of class content may be directed to come in during office hours for more instruction. Assignment Submission • Assignments are accepted solely on Blackboard. The only exception is when Blackboard is having technical issues. If Blackboard is down due to technical issues, assignments should be emailed to the instructor by the due date (trahman@lit.edu). • Blackboard Error- I make every attempt to check and re-check Blackboard dates at the beginning and during the semester. However, I’m human and might occasionally enter an incorrect assignment date/time on Blackboard. If this happens, please know you have my apologies and I’ve created an “open assignment link” for this reason. Use this link if you have any trouble submitting assignments on time. Blackboard will record your submission time, and no late points will be deducted. Late Work • Late work is highly discouraged and incurs a 2-letter grade deduction after the 2nd late assignment. • Late work is only accepted within 6 weeks of the original due date. • If you are going to miss an upcoming assignment, it is the student’s responsibility to let the instructor know ahead of time and schedule another time to complete the assignment within 6 weeks of the original due date. • Extensions on assignments without penalty are not given via email. Please talk to the instructor during conference time or office hours. You are more likely to receive an extension if you ask before the due date. • Please email me to notify me that late work was submitted on Blackboard. Grading Policy • Late work will be graded within 2 weeks unless a major assignment is currently in the process of being graded. The major assignment grades will be posted 1st then late work. • The instructor will make every attempt to update all late assignment grades before grading reports are due. However, there are no guarantees if multiple assignments are submitted late the same week grading reports are due. • Speech grades will be posted after the paperwork is submitted and the class completes the verbal presentations. Students can receive 10 points of extra credit for rehearsing their speech prior to presentations starting. You can submit a video or practice with the instructor. Please follow the video instructions for online students. 1 audience member is required. Journal Guidelines Journal entry assignments are designed to show that you understand the relationship between chapter content and real-world communication situations. Entries should be 300 to 500 words in length. When writing entries, you may be as personal as you choose. Never feel that you have to share more than you are comfortable sharing. Journal entries are due on the dates posted on the calendar. Late journals are not accepted. Each entry is graded on content, relationship to the concept in the journal prompt, development and completion of thoughts in writing, proper use of grammar/capitalization/spelling, and the guidelines above. Standard Speech Deductions Students are provided with detailed instructions for all speeches, and expectations are discussed in class and practiced before completing for a grade. For fairness, there is a list below of the standard deductions for common errors on speeches. Error Penalty No Outline and/or Works Cited Zero on the speech Over/under time -1 point per 5 seconds Missing source(s) on Works Cited -10 per source Sources not verbally cited -5 per source Syllabus Agreement I have received the SPCH 1315 syllabus. I have read and agree to the policies set forth in the syllabus and syllabus addendum. My signature below also affirms that, by enrolling as a student in SPCH 1315 at Lamar Institute of Technology, I agree to and will abide by the course policies set forth in this syllabus. Printed Name: _________________________________________ Date: ____________ Signature: _______________________________________________________________ All out of class assignments should have a title page. The title page should look like the following below. NO EXCEPTIONS!! You may copy, paste the document and edit the information. Title of Paper Submitted by: (Your NAME) Submitted to: Mr. Rahman SPCH 1318 Interpersonal Communication Lamar Institute of Technology Submission Date: NOTE: All class assignments must be typed and have a title page.