Assertiveness Class Syllabus
Many times in relationships we struggle with being assertive. Being passive or aggressive can have affects on our friendships, jobs, and even academics. There are also a few easy ways to break this cycle. The Student Counseling Center (SCC) is offering a new class to help students work on the all too common difficulty of ASSERTIVENESS patterns. This is NOT therapy, but an opportunity to learn some new skills.
The ASSERTIVENESS CLASS is an open class allowing STUDENTS, FACULTY, and STAFF to come to any or all of the scheduled classes. The classes are designed to be experiential, discussion oriented, and training oriented. The class will be on THURSDAYS from 12:00pm – 12:45pm in the STUDENT WELLNESS CENTER, Room 100. The below “syllabus” describes the dates of the class and different topics for each.
Sept. 17, 2009 & Oct. 29, 2009
“Introduction to Assertiveness” (Katie Brown, Ph.D.)
Assertiveness is a set of behaviors that allows you to express needs and set limits and state positive and negative feelings and acknowledged your own needs and those of others. This class will help determine how assertive you are and the obstacles to assertiveness in your life.
Sept. 24, 2009 & Nov. 5, 2009
“Passive Communicators” (Amanda Smith, M.Ed.)
This second part of the series on assertiveness covers the passive communication style. The session will focus on exploring this particular way of communication and relating to others, how to start moving away from passivity to assertiveness, and introduce both general skills and specific techniques aimed at facilitating this change.
Oct. 1, 2009 & Nov. 12, 2009
“Aggressive Communicators” (Bryan Duncan, Ph.D.)
Participants will learn the distinction between the use of aggressive statements and the more effective strategy of using assertive statements when addressing potential conflict with others. Participants will also practice the use of statements that focus on one’s own reactions to others behaviors, rather than statements that place blame or pass judgment, in order to maximize the likelihood that one’s needs are met in interactions with others.
Oct. 8, 2009 & Nov. 19, 2009
“Passive-Aggressive Communicators” (Larry Carter, M.A.)
The goal in this section is to learn how to deal with the final type of communication style. Passive-Aggressiveness tends to be a response towards assertive behavior and it can be a poor style of communication that many attempt with Assertiveness. We will explore this style of communication and assimilate all previous sections to feel more confident with assertiveness.
All of the courses will be taught at the Student Wellness Center in Room 100. You do not need to reserve a spot for this class. You can attend any or all of the classes.