CMN 213: Small Group Communication

Alec Kuznitsky

Advertising students with a communication minor or an interest in account planning will benefit from taking CMN 213, otherwise known as “Small Group Communication.” The class offers insight into working with client groups and provides various approaches and theories that facilitate one’s understanding of small groups and how they function. Additionally, much of the class entails group work and applying course concepts to think critically about students’ contributions to a group setting. The groups formed within the class are assigned according to each individual’s listed
availability. The students then choose a small group they will spend time observing. Each group contacts their prospective client groups by e-mail to notify them that they are interested in observing them. When the students garner the client group’s approval, no fewer than three meetings are arranged amidst the student group. Then, interviews with Executive Vice Presidents of the client group are scheduled. The observations and interviews act as part of the final project which is an eight-minute presentation where the client group’s structure and function are explained to the class using course concepts.

I have found this class to be both enjoyable and rewarding because it effectively provided valuable skills for me without being a burden. The course itself is relatively low-maintenance; the reading is light, notes are posted on Moodle, and the few quizzes and tests merely require basic knowledge of course concepts. Obviously, the course is centered strongly on the work that takes place in groups , and the course’s objective is simple enough to necessitate only brief meetings with students’ groups. It’s a win-win situation. CMN 213 made me more literate in theories and approaches to analyzing
groups. I can utilize my newfound knowledge to think critically about strategies that can be implemented to increase a client group’s effectiveness. Overall, I would recommend enrolling in CMN 213 to communication minors, or those interested in working closely with client groups in their professional career.