Course Name:Communication Design 
Course Prefix: COMM
Course Number: 3350
             Submitted by (Name & E-Mail):  Sheree Josephson, sjosephson@weber.edu

Current Date:  11/2/2012
College: Arts & Humanities
Department:   Communication                              
From Term: Fall  2012 

Substantive

change 

Current Course Subject COMM
Current Course Number 2350

COMM 2350 Communication Graphic Desigsn (3) An introduction into the design of communication projects with special emphasis on creative typography, paper, computer-assisted layout and design as well as publication techniques. Working familiarity with desktop publishing required. prerequisite: COMM 1130.

New/Revised Course Information:

Subject:  COMM            

Course Number: 3350

 Check all that apply:
    This is for courses already approved for gen ed.
    Use a different form for proposing a new gen ed designation.
DV  CA  HU  LS  PS  SS 
EN  AI  QL  TA  TB  TC  TD  TE

Course Title: Communication Design

Abbreviated Course Title: Communication Design

Course Type:  LEC

Credit Hours:  3  or if variable hours:    to

Contact Hours: Lecture   Lab    Other

Repeat Information:  Limit 0   Max Hrs 0 

Grading Mode:  standard

This course is/will be: a required course in a major program
a required course in a minor program
a required course in a 1- or 2- year program
elective

Prerequisites/Co-requisites:

COMM 1130 Media Writing

Course description (exactly as it will appear in the catalog, including prerequisites):

COMM 3350 Communication Design

Visual messages have great power to inform, educate and persuade. In all fields of communication, visual presentation of the message helps determine the success of the message. This course is designed to help students become effective and ethical visual communicators on the page or the screen. In addition to creating design projects, students will learn how to critically analyze visual designs and to understand major visual communication theories. Prerequisite: COMM 1130.

Justification for the new course or for changes to an existing course. (Note: Justification should emphasize academic rationale for the change or new course. This is particularly important for courses requesting upper-division status.)

Visual messages have great power to inform, educate and persuade. In all fields of communication, the visual presentation of the message helps determine the success of the message. Therefore, it is imperative that all communication students learn how to effectively and ethically communicate messages on the page or on the screen. They also need to learn how to critically analyze visual designs and to understand major visual communication theories.

The Department of Communication currently has a class titled COMM 2350 Communication Graphic Design (3) on the books. In this class, primarily public relations/advertising and journalism students design print materials, including newsletters, business cards, letterheads, newspapers and magazines. We propose replacing this course with COMM 3350 Communication Design (3).

We want to make this change for five main reasons:

1.The importance of print is declining. Students need to also learn how to design for the screen whether that is a website, a television show or a mobile app.

2.Students in all fields of communication, not just public relations and journalism, need the ability to communicate visually. The new upper-division class will be required by students in the public relations/advertising, journalism, organizational communication, and communication teaching concentrations. It will be an elective for students in civic advocacy and electronic media.

3.An upper-division class would allow instructors to spend time discussing how to critically analyze visuals and to teach a number of the most important visual communication theories. The lower-division class was more of a hands-on class about desktop publishing. Students will both develop skills and learn theory in this class.

4. This class will be more in line with courses offered at our sister institutions such as the University of Utah, which offers a course called COMM 3350 Principles of Visual Communication. (We are opting to call our class something different because the Visual Arts Department has a class called Visual Communication.)

5.A 3000-level course can be offered to students in the Master of Professional Communication program as a 5000-level “swing” course. A number of students in the MPC have requested an introductory class in visual communication and design.

INFORMATION PAGE
for substantive proposals only

1. Did this course receive unanimous approval within the Department?

true

If not, what are the major concerns raised by the opponents?

2. If this is a new course proposal, could you achieve the desired results by revising an existing course within your department or by requiring an existing course in another department?

We are revising an existing course.

3. How will the proposed course differ from similar offerings by other departments? Comment on any subject overlap between this course and topics generally taught by other departments, even if no similar courses are currently offered by the other departments. Explain any effects that this proposal will have on program requirements or enrollments in other department. Please forward letters (email communication is sufficient) from all departments that you have identified above stating their support or opposition to the proposed course.

Our proposed class is similar, yet different from classes in the Department of Visual Arts (DOVA) and Networking, Technology and Multimedia (NTM). In the art classes, obviously the creation of art is emphasized while in the NTM classes, the use of technology is the focus. Our class will continue to emphasize the creation of the message. The study of the message is what always sets the field of communication apart from other disciplines.

It is also important to note that neither department has had a problem with our previous class. These other departments would also not be able to accommodate all of our students. Finally, the Department of Visual Arts has reviewed the proposal and has no objections to our department making this change. Here is the email from Oct. 23, 2012:
Hello, Sheree.

Matt Choberka and I have discussed your proposal to raise the status of COMM 2350, Communication Graphic Design, to upper division. While there is some inevitable content overlap between this course and several courses in Visual Arts, we recognize that our programs, our majors, and our approach to pedagogy are oriented quite differently. We see no reason for COMM not to improve and upgrade this existing course.

Matt's comment is below.

Mark Biddle

_____________________________
Agreed, DOVA can support this proposed change for COMM.

Best,

Matthew Choberka
Chair and Associate Professor
Department of Visual Arts
Weber State University
2001 University Circle
Ogden, UT 84408-2001
office: (801)626-7270
mobile: (801)388-0021



4. Is this course required for certification/accreditation of a program?

no

If so, a statement to that effect should appear in the justification and supporting documents should accompany this form.

5. For course proposals, e-mail a syllabus to Faculty Senate which should be sufficiently detailed that the committees can determine that the course is at the appropriate level and matches the description. There should be an indication of the amount and type of outside activity required in the course (projects, research papers, homework, etc.).