May 24, 1989 

MEMO TO: Janet Blanchet 

Office of the Dean, Applied Sciences 

FROM: ? 

Alison Beale 

Chair 

Undergraduate Committee 

CMNS 

.

SUBJECT: Curiculum Changes 

The Department of Communication Undergraduate Program would 

like the Faculty Curriculum Committee to approve the 

following changes at its next meeting. 

1.

A currently offered course, CMNS 361-4 should be changed 

to 261-3 to reflect the fact that it is a course which 

preparesstudents for research at 300 and 400 levels. A 

revised course outline and rationale will be forthcoming 

from Donald Gutstein, the course instructor, at the end 

of May. 

2. We would like to add one selected topics course at the 

200 level (CMNS 250-3). This would cover course 

material not yet provided for by specific designations 

and would avoid the problem of using advanced (400 

level) independent research numbers in such eventual- 

ities. ? - 

cc. Pamela Parford 

Donald Gutstein 

J: COURSE NUMBER, CREDIT HOURS, VECIOR, NA!IURE OF COURSE & FU1SS.-- 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE 

STUDIES 

?

pn.s 

g

/1. Calendar Information 

?

Departmeltt:COMMUNICATION 

(from) 361 

?

(trun) 4 ? 

(frcin44-u-2 

Abbreviation Code:. CMNS Course Number: 

?

(s-)261 

?

Credit Hours :ft)Vec tor :(i.),_1_O 

?

Title 

of Course: 

(sane 

'

)

Documentary Research in Catinunication 

Calendar Description of Course: 

(safl) Media and camiunication policy research often involves study of historical, 

governmental and corporate data. The course introduces the techniques 

necessary for analysis of the primary source documents. 

Nature of Course (fran) Lecture/Seminar 

?

(to) Lecture/Tutorial 

Prerequisites (or special instructions): 

(fran) 45 or more credit hours. 

(to) GS 110 or 130. Students who have taken GS 361 

may not claim further credit for this course. 

What course (courses), if any, is being dropped from the calendar if this course is 

approved: 

G4NS 361-4 

2.

Scheduling 

How frequently will the course -be offered? 

twice per year 

Semester in which the course will first be offered? 

?

September 1990 

Which of your present faculty would be available to make the proposed offering 

possible? 

Donald Gutstein 

3.

ObjectivesoftheCourse 

To give Ccttinunication students practical experience in finding and interpreting 

basic documents which they will need for their other courses in CcltTnunication. 

4.

Rudgetry and Space Requirements (for information only) 

What additional resources will be required in the following areas: 

Faculty 

Staff 

Library 

Audio Visual 

Space 

Equipment 

5.

Approval 

SCUS 73-34b: (When completing this form, for instructions see Memorandum SCUS 73-345. 

attach course outline). 

Chairman, SCUS 

.

.

Documentary Research in Communication 

(a)

Calendar Description: 

•

?

Media and communication policy research often involves study of 

historical, governmental and corporate data. The course 

introduces the techniques necessary for analysis of the primary 

source documents. 

(b)

Rationale: 

This 

,course is currently being taught as 

It is 

more appropriate as a 

level course because it gives practical 

experience in finding and interpreting basic documents which 

students will need for their other courses in Communication. 

(c)

Sample Outline: attached. 

.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION 

Fall 1990 

CMNS 261-3 

Campus Day 

DOCUMENTARY RESEARCH IN COMMUNICATION 

The purpose of this course is to give communication students practical 

experience in finding and interpreting basic documents which they will 

need for their other courses in communication. These documents fall 

Into several major categories: corporate, policy, legislative, legal, 

regulatory and administrative, and the lectures are organized around 

these topics. There will also be lectures on special topics such as 

archival research and computer databases, and freedom of information. 

Required Text.: 

There are no texts in this course. 

?

Students will find the SFU 

Library's "Communication Library Handbook" useful. This can be 

purchased from the Bookstore. Most documents we will be using will be 

found in the. Library's Social Sciences and Government Documents 

sections on the fifth floor. The same collections can be found at the 

Vancouver Public Library or UBC. 

?

We will also be using the VPL's 

clipping files. 

Prerepujj . 

: CMNS 110 or 130. Students who have taken CMNS 361 

prior to September 1990 may not claim further credit for this course. 

Course Organization: 

There is a two-hour lecture weekly which presents the background - the 

concepts and sources - necessary to do the assignments. The purpose 

of the weekly one-hour tutorial is to provide group and one-on-one 

assistance in undertaking the assignments. 

Grade 

The main emphasis in this course is "learning by doing" or "hands on," 

so the course grade will be based on term assignments and a short 

final exam. 

Assignment #1 

?

Corporate Profile 

?

40%

Assignment #2 

?

Legislative and Policy 

?

40%

Final Exam 

?

20%

The Department expects that the grades awarded in this course will 

bear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices 

to both levels and distribution of grades. 

.

1C22 261day.893 89/6/13 

?

SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES 

S

-.------- 

NEW COURSE PROPOSAL FORM 

1.

Calendar Information 

?

Department: 

Communication 

W ?

Abbreviation Code:Q'INS 

?

Course Number: 

250 ? 

Credit Hours:3Vector: 2-1-0 

Title of Course: 

Selected Topic. 

Calendar Description of Course: 

Analysis of a particular topic in the general area of 

Communication. 

Nature of Course 

Lfcture/tutorial 

Prerequisites (or special instructions): 

CMNS 110 and CMNS 130 

What course (courses), if any, is being dropped from the calendar if this course is 

approved: 

None. 

2.

Scheduling 

How frequently will the course be offered? 

When occasion arises. 

Semester in which the course will first be offered? 

g o-3 

or

Which of your present faculty would be available to make the proposed offering 

possible? 

Any member of our faculty 

3.

Objectives of the Course 

To provide students with new information which may 

not be covered in other regularly scheduled courses. 

4.

Budgetary and Space Requirements (for information only) 

What additional resources will be required in the following areas: 

Faculty 

?

None 

Staff. 

None 

Library 

None 

Audio Visual 

None 

Space 

None 

Equipment 

None 

Depar ? 

nt hairinan 

?

e ?

hairinan, SCUS 

SCUS 73-34b: (When completing this form, for instructions see Memorandum SCUS 73-34a. 

attach course outline). 