Communication Studies Department - Rules and Regulations.

Department Rules & Regulations

Academic
1. Students must have a 50% passing grade in the first term in order to sign up for CAPE Communication Studies.

2. Students who are NOT achieving a passing grade at the end of the first half term will be given an academic warning and telephone contact will be made with parents. (See consequences below)

3. Students are not allowed to sign up for CAPE without written authorization from the instructor.

4. All homework must be submitted by its due date. The penalty for the submission of late homework assignments will be a reduction on the assignment of 5% per day.

5. If a student misses any end of term exam due to an excused absence, (s)he must sit the exam upon return to the classroom. Upon realizing that they are not able to take exam, students will call the school as soon as possible and leave message for the instructor.

6. Portfolio final drafts must be submitted by the due date or students run the risk of being denied the opportunity to sign up for the CAPE exam.


Punctuality & Attendance
8. Students must attend at least 90% of all classes in order to be allowed to sign
up for the CAPE exam.

9. Students who are absent for more than 5 class sessions without a written
excuse will be automatically removed from the course.

10. Students who arrive late to the classroom must enter quietly and be seated
without distracting the instructor or other students.

11. Students who arrive to class late by 15 minutes or more will be allowed in,
but will be recorded as late (this affects attendance percentage).

Failure after one year's study

7. (a) Students who fail the CAPE Communication Studies examination outright, or who fail to register for the examination in the year that they have been alotted, will not be allowed to re-sit the exam through the college.
(b) Such students will, instead, be permitted to take the Cambridge General Paper examination in their second year IF their Communication Studies Lecturer recommends this course of action.
(c) The General Paper classes will be in the evening and will be paid for by the student him/herself.

Examination entrance
The following requirements must be met in order for students sign up for the
CAPE exam:
1. Portfolio must be submitted by the exam sign-up date
2. Students must have attended at least 90% of all classes
3. Students must have their lecturer’s written approval


Important Note
Consequences for non-compliance with rules & regulations
The following consequences exist, in order of severity, with 1 being the least severe and 5 the most severe:
1. Verbal warning
2. Official letter of academic warning
3. Telephone contact with parent/guardian
4. Parent/teacher conference
5. Recommendation for suspension from school


Remember: respect for self and others is key to maintaining a secure atmosphere for peaceful, productive learning!

A summary of the CAPE Communication Studies Syllabus (from the Communications Studies Rules and Regulations handbook)

CAPE Communication Studies Syllabus -A Summary


The qualification will give students a chance to demonstrate their ability to communicate thoughts, emotions, ideas and attitudes effectively. A good grade in this subject will show that a student also understands how people communicate, theories of communication and the relationship of language and communication particularly within the Caribbean context.



A central expectation of the syllabus is that students will be able to “use the structures of English correctly and appropriately, as well as with a degree of elegance” (CAPE Communication Studies syllabus). Developing high levels of competence in English, both in speaking and writing, is at the heart of this the course.


Module 1: Gathering and Processing Information
The main areas covered are
(a) General study skills.
(b) Listening skills.
(b) Comprehension skills for wide range of oral and written material.
(c) Oral summary presentations and summary writing
(d) Critical thinking skills - evaluating arguments and assessing concepts
(e) Using sources and research including data collection methods


Module 2: Language and Community


The main areas covered are
(a) The concept of language
(b) Creole and Creole-influenced languages in the Caribbean
(c) Language and the Caribbean identity and attitudes towards language.
(d) Language in society – development, social, psychological and political
models for language analysis
(e) Communication and technology


Module 3: Speaking and writing


The main areas covered are
(a) Communication theories
(b) Contexts of communication and using the appropriate methods
(c) Organising speaking and writing
(d) Producing a variety of forms of speech and written communication



A full copy of the syllabus can be purchased at Gaymes Book Store. You can get a copy of an extract from the syllabus which gives details of the content of the modules from the Business Copy Centre at College.



We recommend that you have and read the syllabus.

Welcome from the Communication Studies Team (from the Communciation Studies Rules and Regulations handbook)

Dear Student,

Welcome to Communication Studies!

"Communication studies" is the academic discipline that studies communication. Seems quite obvious, doesn’t it? But why does anyone need to study communication? The answer to that question might not be obvious to you now, but that is about to change.

As we become increasingly aware of our place within this ‘global village’ we also become acutely conscious of the need to communicate within ourselves, with others in our immediate sphere and with those beyond our regional borders. Whether we like it or not, people still judge us by our ability to communicate effectively. This is where Communication Studies fits into the picture.

Whether you plan to be a teacher, lawyer, doctor, sales clerk, politician, airline pilot, sports personality or media worker, or if you have not even figured out yet what you want to be, the Communication Studies course will work for you.

The examining body (CXC) says that CAPE Communication Studies ‘integrates, enhances, deepens and broadens language skills already developed in the CSEC English A course.’ However, many of the linguistic concepts to which you will be exposed in Communication Studies will be new material. Having said that, though, this new material will both stimulate you and challenge you to do more with the language skills you have already acquired.

The portfolio, for instance, will definitely expose your creativity. And even though Standard English might not be a spontaneous aspect of your speech repertoire at present, it will become easier by the time we have prepared you for your oral expository presentation.

In addition, we will have you gathering and processing information in a more structured context. We will also have you examining the social, cultural and other factors which have influenced the way we speak. And we will definitely seek to have you investigate, and possibly change, your attitude to language.

The course is assessed internally and externally, with the former accounting for a whopping 20% of your final grade!

And here’s the really great news: should you decide to go to the world-rated University of the West Indies, a good grade in Communication will exempt you from the English course requirement, without which you do not get that certificate. So, need we say more? Welcome, once again, to Communication Studies! We look forward to helping you become a more conscious
communicator; if you do your part you should find this an enjoyable experience.

The Communication Studies Team
Miss Paulette Williams
Miss Jannis Deane
Mrs Clare John
Mr Elsworth Abrams