Contact Information

Name: Bernardita M. Yunis Varas, M.A. (Bernardita, Ms. Yunis, Profe Bernardita)

Email: bernardita.yunis@colorado.edu

Virtual Office Hours:  Monday through Friday, 11am - 12pm or by appointment

Join Zoom Meeting: https://cuboulder.zoom.us/j/91467620435
Meeting ID: 914 6762 0435
Passcode: OfficeHrs

Instructor Welcome Video: See the Start Here page

Course Schedule: Access Course Schedule

This syllabus tells students what to expect in the class. The instructor reserves the right to make adjustments to best suit the needs of the class. Students will be clearly informed in a timely manner of any changes.

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Course description

This course explores complex relationships between culture and communication processes from various conceptual perspectives. Considers the important role of context (e.g., social, historical, and cultural) in intercultural interactions. Recommended Prerequisites:  COMM 1210  and  COMM 1600.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).

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What this looks like in practice

This course reframes intercultural communication through a power-based perspective that highlights how macro structures and forces (governmental, historical, economic, media, institutional forces) interrelate with micro-communication acts, encounters, and relationships between and within cultural groups. Such a macro-micro power focus reveals the complex, dynamic, and multi-layered nature of contemporary intercultural communication. The field of intercultural communication has mostly privileged an interpersonal approach to intercultural communication, emphasizing individual and group-centered attitudes and communication skills. While important in its own right, such an approach glosses over the larger macro-micro process of intercultural communication, or the ways in which larger structures of power (governmental, institutional, legal, economic, and mediated forces) seep into micro-acts and encounters among/within cultural individuals and groups. This course proffers an alternative perspective of macro-micro processes that frame intercultural communication through the framework of “in/visible dimensions” and power. Meaning, this course will introduce the student to both the hidden (beneath-the-surface) and visible (what we see but take-for-granted given its naturalized appearance) aspects of power that constitute intercultural communication encounters and relations.

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Required Texts

• Halualani, Rona. (2018) Intercultural Communication: A Critical Perspective (1^st) Cognella. ISBN: 978-1-5165-4526-1. Available at Amazon here and CU Boulder bookstore.

• Canvas: All class members must have access to the course site on Canvas, https://learn.colorado.edu/ Course readings, instructions for course assignments, and assignment submissions will be available here. All written work must be submitted to Canvas.
• Cognella Active Learning platform. Your access can be obtained by purchasing the textbook through the Cognella website or by purchasing a textbook with an access code from the CU Boulder campus bookstore. Access instructions are provided on Canvas.

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Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes

• Identify how power shapes and frames culture and intercultural communication relationships
• Recognize the role of macro-structures in creating contexts and conditions of inequality among cultural groups and disproportionate power relations.
• Distinguish between dominant and oppositional forms of power with regard to cultural groups.
• Explain & evaluate the power dimensions embedded in the following concepts: culture, communication, intercultural communication, context, structures of power, ideology, hegemony, representation, history, identity, race, intercultural relationships, social agency, among others
• Evaluate everyday contexts and scenarios in terms of the power implications
• Identify how cultural groups can contest dominant conditions
• Summarize a critical intercultural communication perspective
• Distinguish between a critical intercultural communication perspective and a normative one.

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  CRAFT

Communication courses help you learn and practice a CRAFT to take beyond the classroom. Communication is CREATIVE, RELATIONAL, ANALYTICAL, FLEXIBLE, and TRANSFORMATIVE. For this course, some assignments that develop each of these skills are: 

• Creative:  Designing messages in your discussion forum responses, short papers, and final exam. 
• Relational: Interacting with peers and building connections as you develop ideas are key features of the weekly discussion boards.   
• Analytical: Analyzing thinking and rationales in your short papers and final exam.
• Transformative: Understanding macro and micro power dynamics in ways that help you know how to understand our world and make a difference in real situations and about topics you care about. 
• Flexible: Featured in most of the assignments, the ability to "translate" intellectual, theoretical language into a form understandable to others is a crucial skill across careers, offering the flexibility to thrive in a variety of professions. 

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Online Class Expectations

This online class strives to offer course content and activities equitable to those in "face-to-face" classes. For instance, similar work loads, interacting with peers on a weekly basis, and pursuing similar major assignments. The course content is arranged thematically by modules or units, helping you move through the course in an organized way. There are regular due dates to help you hold yourself accountable. As a Continuing Education online course, most of the course work is asynchronous, but you will on occasion be required to attend a synchronous meeting with your instructor and/or peers, in which case you will be offered several times from which to choose. 

Online courses require engaging with materials and one another on a regular basis. Expect to log in to the course at minimum 3 days a week (likely more), for long enough to read discussions, take quizzes, make substantive comments to peers, and ensure you are engaging with the course and classmates. Later in this syllabus are details about what technical skills and tools you need proficiency in, to succeed in this course. 

HOW MUCH TIME DOES THIS TAKE? 

Online students should expect to spend the same number of hours actively participating online as in an in-person course. For example, a 3 credit hour course during a 15 week semester expects students to spend 3 hours “in class”  and an additional 6 hours of course work each week, a total of 9 hours a week—135 hours for the semester. In shorter semesters (outlined below), students are expected to complete the same amount of work (135 hours) for the same number of credits (3), requiring more hours/week to meet the standard.

• 15 weeks:  9 hours/week
• 14 weeks: 9.75 hours/week
• 10 weeks: 13.50 hours/week
• 7 week: 19.25 hours/week

Don't forget - scroll back up to the top of the page to read the "Assignments & Grading" and "Course Policies" tabs

Assignment List & Points Breakdown

Assignments	Details	Points Possible
Reading quizzes	Quiz #1 Quiz #2 Quiz #3	30 each/ 90 points total
Discussion Forums	Posting in each discussion forum prompt, and responding to at least 2 peers' comments (plan on 2 discussions per week)	15 each/150 points total
Participation	Engagement with peers, instructor, and class content; responsiveness to communication	60
Intercultural Papers	Paper #1 Paper #2	150 each/300 total
Final Exam		200
Total Possible Points		800

Grading Scale & Criteria

Grades are based on completeness, correctness, coherence, creativity, and timeliness. They are earned, not given. A “C” grade means completing the expectations of the assignment, a “B” signals exemplary work, and an “A” signals excellent work that needs almost no improvement of any element. Letter grades are determined using the following scale:

A	94-100%	Superior work. Almost flawless. Difficult to improve upon	C	73-76%	Meets basic assignment requirements, but may lack development of elements
A-	90-93%	Excellent work	C-	70-72%
B+	87-89%	Very good work. Diligence and attention to detail are evident	D+	67-69%	Requirements fulfilled, but lack of effort is present
B	83-86%	Good quality of work	D	63-66%	Barely fulfills minimum requirements
B-	80-82%	Might need minor revision and reworking, but conceptually sound	D-	60-62%
C+	77-79%	Meets requirements but student needs to apply concepts more directly	F	0-59%	Does not fulfill requirements for a passing grade

See the "Course Foundations" module for more about class engagement & discussion board guidelines. 

Letter grades reflect the following standards. Please note that in order to earn an A or a B you must exceed the requirements for the assignment.

A         Exceeds the requirements of the assignment. The work is uniformly excellent and critically and creatively engages with course material.

B         Meets and, at times, exceeds the requirements for the assignment. The work is more than satisfactory.

C         Meets the basic requirements for the assignment

D         Fails to meet some of the minimum requirements for the assignments.

F          Fails to meet the basic requirements for the assignment. An F is also given for assignments that are not turned in.

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Assignment Descriptions

Reading quizzes (90 points; 30 points per quiz)

It is hard to stay focused on readings during the summer, especially during an intense period of learning like a summer class. To give you extra motivation to read I will give three quizzes on the readings during our three weeks of working together. Each quiz will consist of two short essay questions and will be worth 30 points.

Discussion Forums (150 points total; 15 points per discussion) 

Each week, you will apply what you are learning in the course and get to interact with you peers in discussion forums on Canvas--this is in lieu of our classroom time together. You will post in each discussion forum prompt, and respond to at least 2 peers' comments in a timely manner throughout the week. Plan on 2 discussion forums per week.

Participation (60 points)

Participation will be assessed in a variety of ways, including through discussion engagement, interaction with peers and instructor, responsiveness to communication, and other engagement and activities.

Intercultural papers (300 points, 150 points per paper)

You will complete two 5-6 page double-spaced papers for the course. The first paper will be on “intercultural ideologies and structures of power.” The second paper will be on “representation, speaking for others and intercultural communication.” See a brief description below and assignment details for each paper on Canvas.

• “Intercultural ideologies and structures of power” paper (150 points): In this assignment, you are to pinpoint and analyze the intercultural ideologies, hegemonies, and structures of power that surround you every day. You will apply critical intercultural communication course concepts from the course module on “Ideology and intercultural communication.” In addition,  you  will  also  discuss  the  degree  to  which  you  think these  forces  of  power  are  permeable  and
• “Representations, speaking for others, and intercultural communication” paper (150 points): In this assignment, you are to analyze a contemporary discourse in terms of its politics of speaking for and about “others” or “specific cultural groups.” Such a discourse could represent a negative example of speaking for others from an internal/inside or external/outside vantage point with deleterious implications for that cultural group or a positive example of speaking with and on behalf of others from an internal/inside or external/outside vantage point with advantageous conditions for that cultural group.

Final exam (200 points)
There will be one cumulative final exam (Friday, July 2nd). The final will contain 50 multiple choice questions and two short essay questions.

TOTAL Possible Points (800 points)

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Submission Policies

All assignments... 

• demonstrate academic integrity, upholding all elements of the Honor Code
• are submitted through Canvas, and all feedback is returned through Canvas.
• due dates and times are listed in DENVER time (Mountain time zone), unless otherwise noted.
• should be formatted as follows:
  Student Name
  Professor Name
  Assignment Name
  Date on the top left corner.
  Title centered and bolded.
  In 12 size Time New Roman font, double spaced.

Don't forget - scroll back up to the top of the page to read the "Course Policies" tab

Communication

1. Email is the best way to contact me to ask questions or set-up a Zoom meeting. You can reach me at Bernardita.Yunis@Colorado.edu. 
2. I check my email 3 times a day between 9-5 on weekdays. Evenings and weekends I have family obligations so I may not respond until Monday.
3. I will respond to email by the next business day at the latest. If you do not receive a response within 48 hours, feel free to reach out again.
4. In turn, I expect you to check your CU email account regularly.

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Addressing One Another

You are welcome to call me Bernardita or Profe Bernardita.  I use the pronouns she / her / hers ( see why pronouns matter ).  From the beginning of our semester together, I will check in with each of you about your preferred names and pronouns and will honor and use those. Please, help me do so. Outside of class, you can contact me via email, which I aim to respond within 48 hours. This may take longer over weekends or holidays. **Please include your course # in the subject line, as well as a few words about your email’s content. Never send an empty email with attachments, and do not turn in assignments through email.

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A Note on Mental Health

I care deeply about the mental health of my students and recognize that anxiety and depression are on the rise on campuses across the United States. I also recognize it is difficult to keep up with all of our daily responsibilities navigating school, and more so with various mental health issues and illnesses. At the same time, each of us has a responsibility to this course and to our participation in the university. Thus, I encourage any students struggling, or wanting to prevent the struggle, to access the mental health services offered by the university. Even if you do not identify as someone with anxiety, depression, or other mental health needs, the office of Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) provides helpful tools to succeed take care of your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. 

• CAPS Services: Counseling, Psychiatry, Workshops, Therapy Groups, and other resources on campus and in the community. See more at https://www.colorado.edu/counseling/. Workshops are free and helpful for all students! See their offerings here: https://www.colorado.edu/counseling/workshops#feel_better_fast-28
• Office of Victim’s Services: OVA provides free and confidential information, consultation, support, advocacy and short term counseling services to University of Colorado students, faculty, and staff who have experienced a traumatic, disturbing or life disruptive event. See more information here: https://www.colorado.edu/ova/.
• Student Services + Case Management (SSCM): provides support to students throughout their college career and helps them achieve their academic and personal goals. SSCM case managers coordinate with other CU Boulder departments and facilitate communication to and from the Student of Concern Team (SOCT), which reviews more elevated student cases involving serious safety issues. SSCM is not counseling or therapy; rather, case managers have the opportunity to develop close helping relationships with students while coaching students toward appropriate self-care and self-advocacy. SSCM@colorado.edu , Online Referral Form, 303-492-7348.

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Late Work & Grade Appeals

Late Policies

Some of your assignments may be turned in late with a penalty of 5% points (based on the assignment) per calendar day. Some assignments may NOT be turned in late for credit. 

These assignments will be accepted late with a 5% point late penalty deduction: Intercultural Papers and Final Exam. 

However, other assignments must be completed on a timely manner so that we can engage together in meaningful and fruitful discussions on the forums.

Grade Refutation

Once grades are distributed, wait at least twenty-four (24) hours and no longer than seven (7) days before questioning the grade with me. This will give you time to review the grading criteria and write a refutation down in a Word doc or PDF that should be sent to me. I will respond to you in writing and, should you request, also in zoom, and I will respond within seven days of receiving your refutation. I will not consider any refutations that do not follow these guidelines. If you submit a request for reconsideration, I reserve the right to lower the grade upon closer inspection. Such requests should not be taken lightly; students asking for a grade appeal are questioning my professional judgment. Nevertheless, I am human, and I realize some appeals are worth considering. You also always are welcome to come to office hours to learn more about how you can improve your performance in the future or to work through any course material you are finding challenging.

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COVID-19 Technology Help, CMCI

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many classes have transitioned to partial or completely remote or online. For some students, however, the transition to remote learning may be delayed or blocked by their lack of stable Internet access or Internet access overall. To help make this transition easier, CU Boulder is providing resources for students in need, including checking out Hotspot devices, accessing internet, technology grants, and more. See the information here. 

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Online Class Tools and Dealing with Technical Difficulties

To be successful in this course, you need to have a working knowledge of receiving and sending email; using a word processing program;  navigating Canvas and using its assignment, quiz, and discussion functions (such as the rich text editor), and adjusting Canvas settings such as subscriptions for updates; downloading and uploading files; and researching online with search engines. Ideally, for most courses, I also suggest a level of comfort with a slide-building program such as PowerPoint or Google Slides. I will include "how to" resources where applicable.

We will utilize Zoom for meetings and, in some cases, class presentations. This is a program you have a subscription to through the university and is relatively simple to start using. See more about Zoom meetings here.

If you need to access scholarly articles for class assignments and are working from off-campus, you may encounter a paywall. To avoid this, set up CU's VPN (Virtual Privacy Network) on your personal computer to tell library and academic journal sites that you are a member of the CU community.

Please make use of the CANVAS student support help guides as needed.

Before emailing me that Canvas "isn't working," please try using a different browser, each one interacts with the site differently. If changing browsers doesn't work, inform me of any problems you have with the course site with a clear description and/or screenshot of the problem. Please contact the Office of Information and Technology (OIT) for help at help@colorado.edu. If/when you contact them (or me) about site issues, you will need to be specific about error messages and other information about your usage.

(updated Spring 2020)

CMCI Diversity and Inclusion

A Commitment and Invitation from our College: CMCI strives to be a community whose excellence depends on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We aim to understand and challenge systems of privilege and disadvantage in higher education, such as those based on class, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and dis/ability. We seek to reach across social and political divides and to make space for voices historically underrepresented in higher education and marginalized in society. In other words, diversity is not just a future reality for which we try to prepare students. It is a priority we want to put into practice here, now, and together, in order to foster places of learning where all members can thrive. Our question for you is, how are we doing? Please contact the CMCI diversity team (email Lisa Flores or visit the CMCI Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Staff page)

• if you need support or other resources but don’t know where to turn
• if any aspect of your educational experience with CMCI does not reflect the commitment expressed here, or if you want to share a positive instance of this commitment in action
• if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas related to diversity
• We want to hear from you so that we can do better, and to support you however we can!

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University Policy: "Classroom" Behavior

Both students and faculty are responsible for maintaining an appropriate learning environment in all instructional settings, whether in person, remote or online. Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, political affiliation or political philosophy.  For more information, see the policies on classroom behavior and the Student Code of Conduct.

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University Policy: Requirements for COVID-19

As a matter of public health and safety due to the pandemic, all members of the CU Boulder community and all visitors to campus must follow university, department and building requirements, and public health orders in place to reduce the risk of spreading infectious disease. The campus regulations and safety measures for in-person settings are detailed in the Course Resources Page.

Students who have tested positive for COVID-19, have symptoms of COVID-19, or have had close contact with someone who has tested positive for or had symptoms of COVID-19 must stay home and complete the  Health Questionnaire and Illness Reporting Form remotely. In this class, if you are sick or quarantined , please, take the time to rest and recover and let me know that you will need to take some time to do heal and deal with a personal health matter--you do not need to disclose the nature of your illness when alerting me. If need be, we can discuss alternatives for completion of the course after you are well.

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University Policy: COVID-19 Era Policies - Assignments & Attendance

If you test positive for COVID-19 and are unable to maintain coursework during your illness, we can discuss alternative arrangements for you once you are well. Your health is of paramount importance, and you will do your best work when you are well. So, communicate with me only to alert me that you have to take care of an illness, and we will check in when you are recovered about making up work and completing the course.

If you are well enough to engage in the course content and assignments, you are welcome to do so. However, if you need alternative deadlines, we can work together to develop a plan. 

The Office of Disability services has a Flex Plan for attendance and due dates for those who need it. 

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More CU Policy Details

The following University of Colorado Boulder policies are detailed in the CU Resources page, always available on the Course Homepage.

• Accommodation for Disabilities
  • Reminder: accommodations are not retroactive, so if a need arises, seek out the office ASAP so that we can get you set up for success, even for temporary issues.
• Preferred Student Names and Pronouns
• Honor Code
• Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, Harassment and/or Related Retaliation
• Religious Holidays