Goshen College
Department of Communication
Syllabus: COMM 190: Introduction to Radio
Term: Fall Semester 2006
Location: Newcomer 13 Tuesday/Thursday 11:00 - 12:15 PM
Instructor: Jason Samuel
Office: Newcomer 10 with office hours MTW 3:00 - 4:00 PM and by appointment
Phone: (574) 535-7688 campus, (574) 534-9308 home
Email: jasonks@goshen.edu
Class Overview & Objectives
Introduction to Radio is designed to introduce students to the theory and aspects of the radio industry while developing foundational skills in diction and announcing. As your instructor I will provide you with the information, materials and hands-on instruction essential to your classroom experience. Students will learn basic control room operation of WGCS-FM, understand its historical significance to the college and the greater community and learn the industry standards of operating, marketing and managing a radio station. Class sessions will be broken down in to three units:
Unit I: History and Relevance
Unit II: Skill Development and On-Air Performance
Unit III: Station Operations
Course Materials
There is no text for this course. Instead we will use the industry publication, Radio & Records which is available in the periodical section of the Harold & Wilma Good Library, several articles on closed reserve located at the main desk of the library and the WGCS Handbook, of which copies are available in the WGCS production studio.
Lecture and hands-on studio instruction will comprise the majority of the material on which you will be tested. Moreover, a portion of your participation grade will be caculated based on your lecture notes. Be prepared to have your notes collected at various times throughout the semester. Unit notes will not be collected prior to a corresponding unit exam.
Class Assignments & Exams
You will be assigned projects that develop skills in diction and announcing as well as observations and listening exercises. These elements will be brought together in preparation for you to host an air shift on WGCS ( 91.1 The Globe )during the second half of the fall semester.
All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day scheduled. For any assignment or exercises that involve speaking or radio operations you will save those assignments in a file on the computer in the WGCS radio labs.
Assignment 1: Radio Listening Exercise (25 points)
Assignment 2: R&R Article Report (35 points)
Assignment 3: Diction Exercise (50 points)
Assignment 4: Shift Observations (25 points)
Assignment 5: R&R Article Report (35 points)
Assignment 6: Assisted Control Room Operation Exercise (80 points)
In addition to the six assignments there will be exams at end of each unit. Each exam is non-cummulative and worth 100 points.
Evaluation & Grading
You will receive a letter grade for you work in this class. Your letter grade will be based on the following points scale:
Exams 50% (300 points)
Assignments 42% (250 points)
Participation 8% (50 points)
Scale
A (600-564)
A- (563-546)
B+ (545-528)
B (527-510)
B- (509-492)
C+ (491-474)
C (473-456)
C- (455-438)
D+ (437-420)
D (419-390)
F (389 and below)
Course Policies
Late Policy: All assignments are due at the beginning of class unless otherwise noted. Late assignments will be penalized one full letter grade per day for three days after the due date. Beyond the third day the assignment will not be accepted and your resulting grade will be zero for that assignment. In the event of a known future absence you may submit your assignments prior to the due date.
Attendance: Students are expected to attend all class sessions for which they are registered. Seat time is critical for this class especially considering that we will not meet for the entire semester. That said, each student may miss up to two class sesssions with no direct bearing on the final grade. For each unexcused absence beyond two class sessions, the final grade will be lowered by one-third of a letter grade Excused absences require some sort of verification, such as a note (from a doctor) or an official posting (in the case of a field trip or a GC athletic contest). Radio stations do not run well without operators and operators who fail to show up for their shift in the "real world" look for new jobs. Therefore, each missed on-air radio shift will result in your final grade being lowerd by one full letter grade.
If you know of an impending future absence it is in your best interest to inform me ahead of time so that you can prepare for any lecture materials, studio instruction or assignments you will miss.
Institutional Policies
Academic Support: I want you to see radio as fun and interesting. I am here to help you succeed and I am available to help you with any aspect of this class. Please contact me with questions or concerns. Goshen College wants to help all students be as academically successful as possible. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor or the Director of the Academic Support Center, Lois Martin, early in the semester so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. In order to receive accommodations, documentation concerning your disability must be on file with the Academic Support Center, KU004, x7576, lmartin@goshen.edu. All information will be held in the strictest confidence. The Academic Support Center offers tutoring and writing assistance for all students.
Academic Integrity: Goshen College expects all students and faculty members to practice academic integrity. Honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility are essential building blocks in creating a vital learning community. They are also the foundation for lifelong integrity. A fuller description of academic integrity is printed in the student handbook.
Academic dishonesty at Goshen College is considered a serious breach of the "Standards for Guiding our Life Together." Academic dishonesty is any act that misrepresents academic work or interferes with the academic work of others. It includes
Consequences of academic dishonesty are based upon the severity of the offense, course expectations, and other variables. Consequences for individual offenses may range from re-doing the assignment to dismissal from the college. See the student handbook for a fuller explanation.
Tentative Class Schedule
Date Topic/Assignments
Aug 29 Course and personal introductions; tour of WGCS facilites
Aug 31 Unit I: History of Public Radio and WGCS; Assignment 1: Radio Listening Exercise
Sep 5 Unit I: Commercial radio vs. non-commericial radio; Assignment I due (25 points).
Sep 7 Unit I: Radio stations and the music industry; Assignment 2: R&R Article Report
Sep 12 Unit I: Mission of WGCS as a community resource; Assignment 2 due (35 points).
Sep 14 Unit I Exam (100 points)
Sep 19 Unit II: Vocal characteristics (diction, rate, pace), posture, preparation; Assignment 3: Diction Exercise
Sep 21 NO CLASS
Sep 26 Unit II: Announcer techniques and relationship to audience; Assignment 3 due (50 points).
Sep 28 Unit II: Programming, formats and hot clocks. Choose on-air shifts; Assignment 4: Shift Observations
Oct 3 Unit II: Sports & News: Reporting and announcing
Oct 5 Unit II Exam (100 points); Assignment 4 due (25 points).
Oct 10 Unit III: Console operations (program, audition, external and cue); Assignment 5: R&R Article Report
Oct 12 Unit III: Software applications (Simian, Adobe Audition, Natural Music); Assignment 5 due (35 points).
Oct 17 NO CLASS - MID TERM BREAK
Oct 19 Unit III: Hardware applications (Telos, CD, MD); Assignment 6: Assisted Control Room Operation Exercise
Oct 24 Unit III: Emergency Alert System
Oct 26 Unit III Exam (100 points); Assignment 6 due (80 points).
WGCS on-air shifts begin week of Sunday, October 29th. All students are responsible for shift coverage over the Thanksgiving Holiday and through the end of final exams on Friday, December 8th. If you plan to be off campus during these times please make arrangements to voice track your shift.