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| COURSE: | Introduction to Media and Entertainment (Jour/EMC/RI 1020-009) Tuesday and Thursday, 8:00-9:25, Bragg 104 | |
| TEXT: |
Report
of the Committee on Freedom of Expression |
 |
| INSTRUCTOR: | Dr. Larry L. Burriss, Ph.D., J.D. | |
| OFFICE: | 204 Mass Communication Building | |
| PHONE: | 615-898-2983 (office) | |
| E-MAIL: | lburriss@mtsu.edu | |
| OFFICE HOURS: | Monday 11-2, Wednesday 9-2, Friday 9-12. Other hours by appointment | |
Dr. Burriss is a professor in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media. He has served as director of the School of Journalism, dean of the College of Media & Entertainment, and director of graduate studies. He has also served as president of the MTSU Faculty Senate and as a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents.
He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from The Ohio State University, where he majored in broadcast journalism. He also has a master's degree in human relations from the University of Oklahoma.
Dr. Burriss received his Ph.D. in communication from Ohio University, where he minored in law, and his law degree from the Concord Law School.
He is particularly interested in the relationships between media and national security issues.
Dr. Burriss has worked in both print and broadcast news, as well as in public relations. He has published extensively in professional research journals, as well as in popular magazines. He has won numerous awards for both writing and work with new technologies.
He was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force and the Tennessee Air National Guard, and served in Mali, Bosnia, Somalia, Central America, England, Germany and the Pentagon.
Dr. Burriss enjoys travel, reading, and at one time was ranked 3rd in the Tennessee Division, American Fencing Association.
The major goal of this course is to help students understand the nature, functions and limitations of American mass communications institutions; to help understand the social, political, economic and legal freedoms, responsibilities and limitations of mass media; to help students understand the process of communications itself; to understand that the American mass media are an inter-related system, not a group of freestanding businesses; and finally, to understand your role in the mass communication process.
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ATTEND CLASS, TAKE NOTES, STUDY THE TEXT AND HANDOUTS, ETC. IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE THAT THE MATERIAL IS PRESENTED IN A COHERENT, INTERESTING MANNER. IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE MATERIAL.
It would be a serious misunderstanding of the intent of the instructor to assume that because a tape or film is being shown that no important material is being presented. Quite the contrary is true.
The following competencies and values will be stressed:
* Critically appraise the truth, fairness and diversity of the numerous and varied modalities of mass communication within the global community.
* Apply tools and technologies related to both the theory and practice of mass communication.
* Be able to make connections between theories and practices of mass communication across the multiple contexts that are part of a democratic society.
* Particularly understand the legal rights and obligations related to mass communication within the global community.
* The TBC outcome for Discovery in Social and Behavioral Sciences (HSSR): Students think critically by explaining issues/problems, selecting and using evidence,
considering context and assumptions, and representing their position and conclusions logically and effectively.
COURSE PROCEDURE
Discussion of assigned reading topics will be featured in class. I do not lecture from the text. Active class participation is urged to the maximum extent possible.
Regular attendance is expected--if you aren't here you can't gain anything. No tests or quizzes may be made up unless you can document, to the satisfaction of the instructor, that your absence was due to personal illness or death in the immediate family. Any make-up work will be essay in nature, and is more difficult than the original test material.
By enrolling in this course, you are indicating your recognition and acceptance of your responsibility to read, understand and meet the course requirements set forth, both in written and spoken form, and that you will not be exempted from these requirements because of ignorance, negligence or contradictory advice from any source.
1. Regular attendance and participation
2. Three exams
The tests will be objective, multiple choice and true/false, and will cover material from previous readings and lectures. The final exam is not comprehensive. There will be no extra credit assignments. Make-up tests will be given only due to documented personal illness or death in the family, are essay in nature, and are more difficult than the regular test material.
| Exam #1 | 1/3 |
| Exam #2 | 1/3 |
| Exam #3 | 1/3 (Tuesday, Dec. 10, 8:00-10:00) |
In a course with this many students, consideration of individual differences in learning styles, abilities, potentials, etc., is difficult, if not impossible. And, of course, different students respond differently to different teaching styles.
As you may know, the normal "90-80-70" grading scale has some severe problems (see, for example, William B. Gartner, "Dr. Deming Comes to Class," Journal of Management Education, May 1993, 143-158), which can be summarized in the following question: "Is the student who gets 90% of the questions right really that much better than a student who gets 89% right?" Obviously, the one student will get an "A," while the other will receive a "B." And, then, of course, the student who received the 89% wants the scale dropped so that 89% will be an "A." Then the student who receives an 88 wants the scale dropped again, and so on. At this point the grade scale becomes arbitrary, and has no basis in reality.
Therefore, I am going to let YOU determine the grading scale. Here's how it works: If any student receives a grade of 90 or above, the standard 90-80-70 scale will apply. However, if no student receives at least a 90, then the person(s) who received the highest grades will receive an "A," and the remainder of the scale adjusted accordingly. This will (1) remove the arbitrary nature of the "90-80-70" scale, (2) will allow for material that was unclear, etc (if everyone misses a question, is the problem with the students who just didn't "get it," or is the problem with the instructor who didn't present the material very clearly, or is the problem with the question?) and (3) will correct for any systemic "defects" in the course, environment, teacher, students, etc. Suppose, for example, the high grade is 92%. The grade scale would look like this:
| F | D | C | B | A |
| 0-59 | 60-69 | 70-79 | 80-89 | 90-92 |
| F | D | C | B | A |
| 0-49 | 50-59 | 60-69 | 70-79 | 80-85 |
However, in no case will a grade of less than 80% result in a grade of "A."
This method allows you and your classmates to set the standards for the course. I believe all students want to learn as much as they can, and want to do as well as they can. So, if you are as good as everyone else in the course, then you will get an "as good as" grade. If you do a lot better than everyone else (either because you really ARE better, or because you work harder), you will be rewarded accordingly.
In determining your final grade, A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1
Final grades will not be curved beyond the criteria described above.
We will NOT be using +/- grades.
All exams will be taken using the large (8.5 x 11), blue Scantron sheet. Please note that part of any job is getting the job done correctly. Therefore, points will be deducted for incorrectly completed test forms.
Middle Tennessee State University takes a strong stance against academic misconduct. Academic Misconduct includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, and fabrication.
For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
Academic Misconduct: Plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, or facilitating any such act.
(1) Plagiarism: The adoption or reproduction of ideas, words, statements, images, or works of another person as one's own without proper attribution. This includes self-plagiarism, which occurs when an author submits material or research from a previous academic exercise to satisfy the requirements of another exercise and uses it without proper citation of its reuse.
(2) Cheating: Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise. This includes unapproved collaboration, which occurs when a student works with others on an academic exercise without the express permission of the professor. The term academic exercise includes all forms of work submitted for credit or hours.
(3) Fabrication: Unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.
To be clear: going online and taking information without proper citations, copying parts of other student's work, creating information for the purposes of making your paper seem more official, or anything involving taking someone else's thoughts or ideas without proper attribution is academic misconduct. If you work together on an assignment when it is not allowed, it is academic misconduct. If you have a question about an assignment, please come see me for clarification.
Any cases of academic misconduct will be reported to the Office of Academic Affairs for violating the academic honesty requirements in the student handbook. They will also result in failure for the course.
Remember: ignorance is NOT a defense.
If you have a disability that may require assistance or accommodation, or if you have a question related to any accommodations for testing, note takers, readers, etc., please speak with me as soon as possible. Students may also contact the Disability Access Center (615-898-2783) with questions about such services.
To retain Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS) eligibility, you must earn a cumulative TELS GPA of 2.75 after 24 and 48 attempted hours and a cumulative TELS GPA of 3.0 thereafter. You may qualify with a 2.75 cumulative GPA after 72 attempted hours (and subsequent semesters), if you are enrolled full-time and maintain a semester GPA of at least 3.0. A grade of C, D, F, FA, or I in this class may negatively impact TELS eligibility. Dropping or stopping attendance in a class after 14 days may also impact eligibility; if you withdraw from or stop attending this class and it results in an enrollment status of less than full time, you may lose eligibility for your lottery scholarship. Lottery recipients are eligible to receive the scholarship for a maximum of five years from the date of initial enrollment, or until reaching 120 TELS attempted hours or earning a bachelor degree.
For additional TELS rules, please refer to your Lottery Statement of Understanding or contact the Financial Aid Office at 615-898-2830.
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In general, under FERPA I am not permitted to disclose your academic progress to anyone not allowed to receive such information. Thus I cannot discuss your academic progress, grades, etc., over the phone or via e-mail. All such discussions must be in person. At the end of the semester I cannot disclose your final grade over the phone or via e-mail. Nor can I "post" your grades on my door. You will receive your final grades via PIPELINEMT or WEBMT. Additionally I cannot access your grades if you have a "hold" on your records.
MTSU comprises students, faculty and staff from a variety of diverse backgrounds. Please be mindful and respectful of these differences, but also recognize that debate and discussion on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open, and that the debate and discussion may well be vehement, caustic, and sometimes unpleasant. To quote one of my favorite philosophers, Lt. Nyota Uhura of the Starship Enterprise, "We've learned not to fear words."
In this regard I call your attention to, and strongly encourage you to read the aforementioned "Chicago Statement," more formally known as the "Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression," which was affirmed by the MTSU Board of Trustees in January 2018.
This schedule, including exam dates, may be adjusted to fit the needs of speakers, availability of films, etc.
capone.mtsu.edu/lburriss