COM 512: Communication and Diversity in the Workplace Hi, my name is Dr. Randy Dillon. I'll be your instructor this semester for COM 512 Communication and Diversity in the Workplace. I welcome you to the course. My interest in cultural and diversity issues really began when I was a graduate student down at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana. It is the center of Cajon culture and I was amazed by seeing such a culture that is so different from the one that I grew up in in Missouri. Culture like the Cajon culture that has some many differences of traditions, food, and music. And that interest lead me living and working abroad for a few years in Japan and South Korea where I taught English and did a lot of traveling through Europe and Asia. After doing that, I decided to do my Ph.D. work at the University of Florida in Gainesville. And I focused on intercultural communication as part of my doctoral studies. After getting my dissertation done and my doctorate done, I decided to come back to my native state of Missouri where I've been teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in communication at Southwest Missouri State University. I've also have the fortunate opportunity to teach in London for a semester. I've seen a lot of changes over the last few years here in the Ozarks, and I know these changes have occurring all across the United States. I think this is kind of a good sag way to talk a little bit about COM 512. Just like the increase in diverse changes that are happening here in the Ozarks and in other parts of the nation, more specifically our educational systems, our community organizations, our work places have become increasingly diverse. Questions about how to communicate effectively in such environment abound. This course is designed to explore issues related to communication and diversity in the workplace. we'll exam current theory and research on communication and culture, race, sex, age, sexual orientation, disability and other diversity issues. Particular emphasis will be placed on developing practical applications for communication skills in a diverse workplace and on improving understanding of communication similarities and differences among diverse population groups. The course has four primary objectives: to develop an awareness of diversity issues in the workplace; secondly, to develop knowledge of resources, options and strategies for addressing diversity issues in the workplace; third, develop the motivation for addressing those diversity issues; and fourth, to begin to develop the skills to address diversity issues. Much of the learning of this course will take place online with your participation with discussion and in-class case study issues. Participation will be assessed on the bases of apparent preparation for discussion, evidence of having read and understood the assignments and the level of your contribution to the course. I want to leave you today with a work that I learn in Japan that doesn't really have an English equivalent. The word is "gombate." Gombate means in Japanese do your best, work hard, good luck, and I know you can do well. So I think that's a good way to kind of start of this course. Gombate, I'll see you online. |