This website contains about everything you will need for the course, such as the syllabus, course calendar, discussion questions, and assignments (with the exception of the Experiential assignments, which will be handed out in class).

This course is designed to facilitate your understanding of the basic concepts, vocabulary, theories, empirical knowledge and processes relevant to the study of interpersonal communication.  An equally important goal of this course is to foster the development of your own interpersonal communication skills by increasing your repertoire of behavioral choices. 

Therefore, this course contains the two components of (1) theoretical knowledge mastery and (2) application of skills in everyday life.  Case method, lecture, discussion, cooperative activities, film analysis, simulations, problem analysis and solving (PBL: Problem-Based Learning), written reflections and out-of-class observations will be used toward these two main instructional goals.  The aim is to merge theory and practice throughout the classroom experience.  To this end, we will foster and maintain a stimulating, interactive, open, friendly classroom environment that promotes self and other insight, critical thinking, intellectual growth and communication competence.

The table of contents for the textbook describes the general flow of the course curriculum.

Textbook: Adler, R. B. & Towne, N. (2002).  Looking Out Looking In: Interpersonal Communication (10^th ed.).  Wadsworth Publishing Co. ISBN: 0155058118

Part 1:  Looking In

1. A First Look at Interpersonal Relationships.

2. Communication and Identity: The Self and Messages.

3. Perception: What You See Is What You Get.

4. Emotions: Thinking, Feeling, and Acting.

Part 2: Looking Out

5. Language: Barrier and Bridge.

6. Nonverbal Communication: Messages without Words.

7. Listening: More than Meets the Ear.

Part 3: Looking at Relationships

8. Communication and Relational Dynamics.

9. Improving Communication Climates.

10. Managing Interpersonal Conflicts.

About the professor, Dr. Dan Fox

Dan Fox, Ph.D. joined Monterey Peninsula College in Fall of 2002.  He currently serves as the chair of the Department of Speech Communication.

His academic path has led him from:

1. Southwestern College (A.A., 1988), then to

2. San Diego State University (B.A., 1992),

3. California State University, Chico (Single-Subject & Multiple-Subject teaching credentials, 1994), and

4. Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (M.S., 1995, Ph.D., 1999). 

He is currently doing post-doc study with Master's Divinity & Graduate School for the D.Min.

His teaching career has taken him from high school instruction in northern California, to four years as a graduate teaching assistant at SIU, then to adjunct faculty at Mira Costa College (Oceanside, Ca.) and Southwestern College (San Diego), then three years as an assistant professor at CSU Fresno.

More to come
more to come