Audio Production I Syllabus for 2025-2026
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Instructor Information

Course Information

AI Statement

Collusion is defined as “the unauthorized collaboration with another person or by any other means, including artificial intelligence (AI) and computer translators, in preparing work for fulfillment of course requirements.” Using AI like (ChatGPT or Google Gemini) to create a document is considered colluding. The use of Generative Artificial Intelligence on specific assignments is at the discretion of the instructor.

Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Reporting

Amarillo College prohibits discrimination and harassment based on sex, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking, under Title IX and Texas Education Code §51.253–255. Faculty and staff are mandatory reporters and must share any related concerns with the Title IX Coordinator at titleix@actx.edu. Reports and additional information are available at https://www.actx.edu/hr/title-ixtitle-ix. Confidential counseling and advocacy services are available through the Counseling Center and Advocacy & Resource Center.

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Enrollment Center, Suite 700. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.

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As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Tutoring for Success applies to any student whose overall performance in the course falls below 75%. The instructor will create the task in the Student Engagement Portal (Watermark) to direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty- or SI-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. The tutoring service assigned, the due date for when the tutoring must be completed, and the amount of tutoring required are at the discretion of the instructor. Additionally, the task will alert the student’s success team. Students who do not fulfill the assigned tutoring task may be subject to program- and course-specific penalties that could result in a grade reduction and/or in not being allowed to progress in the course until the tutoring requirement has been satisfied.

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.

NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

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Course

COMM-2303-001 Audio Production I

Prerequisites

Course Description

Practical experience in the operation of audio equipment, including both prep and post-production needs.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 2 lec, 2 lab)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

FM90 Operations Manual (given to students in class by the instructor.)

Supplies

- A blue or black ink pen.

- Pair of headphones with a 1/4” stereo plug adapter. Over-the-ear, not earbuds. (available in the AC Bookstore)

Student Performance

Refer to FM90 Operations Manual.

 

Purpose of this course: This course will introduce the student to radio broadcasting. Students will learn basic production, FCC rules and regulations, programming, station organization, and proper equipment usage.

Specific Objectives:

• Student will be able to list and analyze the responsibilities of the different positions at a commercial radio station. 
• The student will be able to list crucial FCC rules and guidelines necessary for station operation. 
• The student will be able to execute FCC and station policy guidelines and will pass FM-90 permit exam as proof.
• The student will be able to list the elements of a station’s public inspection file. 
• The student will be able to list and describe popular radio formats. 
• The student will be able to list and describe formats of all Amarillo radio stations. 
• The student will be able to analyze radio station “Hot Clocks.” 
• The student will be able to demonstrate studio equipment use in KACV-FM.
• The student will be able to analyze Nielsen Ratings results and describe Nielsen terminology. 
• The student will be able to analyze and prepare basic radio promotions. 
• The student will be able to execute promotions on KACV-FM both off-air and on-air.  
• The student will be able to act as a KACV-FM radio personality.  
• The student will be able to solve problems of computer hardware and software crashes. 
• The student will be able to write, process and communicate thoughts to target audience. 
• The student will be able to organize liners, newscasts, music and feature programming within time allowed. 
• The student will be able to organize control room work area and materials efficiently. 
• The student will be able to assume responsibilities of scheduled air shift, socialize with questionnaires to listeners and monitor progress of goals with regularly scheduled critique sessions. (airchecks) 

*SCANS competencies met:

• Resources: Identifies, organizes, plans and allocates resources (time, money, materials and facilities, human resources).
• Information: Acquire and uses information.
• Interpersonal: Works with others, serves clients, exercises leadership.
• Systems: Understands complex interrelationships (evaluates, monitors, improves social, organizational and technological systems)
• Technology: Works with a variety of technologies (selects technology, maintains and troubleshoots equipment).
• Basic Skills: Reads, writes performs arithmetic and mathematical operations, listens and speaks.
• Thinking Skills: Thinks creatively, makes decisions, solves problems, visualizes, knows how to learn, and reasons.
• Personal Qualities: Displays responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, integrity and honesty

 

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Course syllabus and course calendar are both subject to change. 

- Attendance of two in-class lectures per week for 16 weeks (unless otherwise noted according to the class calendar.)

- Students must participate in weekly in-class discussions.

- Students will broadcast weekly on FM90 - one 3-hour shift per week for 15 weeks. (TBD on first day of class in accordance with the student's schedule.)

 

FM90 air personalities are required to be aware of and follow the FM90 Operations Manual, Amarillo College policies, Matney Mass Media policies and FCC operational rules. Failure to comply with these regulations will result in IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION from the air for an indefinite period of time. Please refer to the FM90 Operations Manual for more information regarding appeals. 

 

Plagiarism is unacceptable. Plagiarism is considered serious academic misconduct. All written assignments presented in this class must be original work by the student. Any student caught plagiarizing or cheating will receive a failing grade for the course.

 

AI Policy: Collusion is defined as “the unauthorized collaboration with another person or by any other means, including artificial intelligence (AI) and computer translators, in preparing work for fulfillment of course requirements.” Using AI like (ChatGPT or Google Gemini) to create a document is considered colluding. The use of Artificial Intelligence on specific assignments is at the discretion of the instructor. 

Grading Criteria

Class: The lecture portion of the class will consist of four section exams and one final project. There are broken down as follows:

Exams: In this class there are four sections: 

• Section 1: The History of Radio
• Section 2: Station Management
• Section 3: Programming, Promotion, and Sales
• Section 4: Pop Culture in Radio

There will be four exams, covering each of the four sections.

 

Weekly discussion questions: Discussion questions will be during class. Students must participate in order to receive credit. Discussions will be counted towards a student’s APT (Attitude, Participation, and Teamwork) grade.

Final Project: The final project allows students to build their "Dream Radio Station,” applying knowledge they've learned during the course.

 

To complete this course students are required to broadcast on KACV-FM (FM90) as part of their lab requirement. 

Lab: The Lab portion of COMM2303 comes from scheduled weekly air shifts on FM90. One 3-hour shift is required each week. These shifts will be assigned with the FM90 Program Director based on the student's schedule.

Lab grades consist of: 

• Number of airshifts
• Arriving on time for shifts
• One air check
• One on-location remote
• Attitude, Participation, Teamwork (APT)
• Overall knowledge of equipment.

More than two unexcused absences from the lab meeting will result in you failing the lab portion of the class.

 

Aircheck: Students must arrange an air check critique with instructor. Students will not get credit if critiques do not take place within time limit. Airchecks will be held at least every 6 weeks. But all shifts may be airchecked at any time.

 

On-Location Remote: There will be opportunities for remotes with Amarillo College events and/or non-profit organized events. If we are unable to do a remote in public due to health and safety concerns, a "Remote By Phone" option will be offered. Students will call the instructor and simulate a live radio broadcast.

Attitude, Professionalism and Teamwork (APT): Any violations of a policy in the FM-90 Operations Manual will result in a deduction of points in this category. Two or more policy violations will result in on-air probation and/or supervision. Policy violations include logging procedures, EAS activations and tests, etc. Suspension will occur for students under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances. Students may be reinstated after review with instructor, general manager and department chair.

All block format jocks must also pull one alternative music board shift per week. Waivers will be granted only in extenuating circumstances.

 

Equipment Care Policy: Students are expected to treat all radio station equipment with the utmost care and respect. This includes microphones, headphones, control boards, computers, software, and any other studio-related materials. Intentional damage, theft, or mistreatment of equipment will not be tolerated.

Any student found to be deliberately misusing or damaging equipment will receive a deduction of up to 25 points from their final grade, depending on the severity of the incident. In cases of theft or significant damage, disciplinary action may also be pursued through campus administration.

Proper equipment care is essential for the success of the station and the learning experience of all students.

 

Missed Work and Late Assignments:

• Late work is generally not accepted in this course, and deadlines are firm. You are responsible for keeping a back-up copy of submitted assignments to protect your assignments from Blackboard, technological, or Internet errors. Missed assignments can only be submitted in health, emergency, or extraordinary personal challenge situations (see more below).
   
• Depending on the situation, you may be allowed to submit late work with a minimum penalty of 10% off the grade for each day (or portion of days) after the deadline. For late work to be considered, you must contact me via email within 24 hours of the deadline (apart from emergencies where this was not possible), and I will review the possibility of an extension (or not).

 

• Print the course schedule document to keep up with your course materials, add it to your planner and/or phone, and know your deadlines for each week.

 

• If I need to extend a deadline, I will issue a schedule
  update via Announcements and update the course schedule.

 

• All deadlines are for Central time zone at 11:59 PM. 

 

• The best way to avoid late work is to never wait until the last minute to do your work on Blackboard in case of technical delays with Blackboard or your own Internet connections.

 

• About Technological Issues: If you are ever having Blackboard or technological trouble before a due date, email me before the due date with your completed assignment attached file to avoid losing all credit. Such emails should happen on rare occasions, so please submit online assignments in advance of deadlines.

 

• About Emergencies and Challenges: I understand that sometimes emergencies or challenges occur in a semester that prevent you from meeting a deadline. Should an emergency or challenge occur (i.e., health issue that requires your absence from school, family or personal emergency, immediate crisis, death of a loved one, etc.) that will prevent you from meeting a major project or assignment deadline, please contact me via email (when possible) before the due date. We will have a private conversation about your emergency need and how/if I can give you an extension on a specific assignment and what the late penalty will be (if any). Emergency extensions or late work are not guaranteed.

 

Attendance: Attendance is vital to success in this class. Students will check-in during class on Watermark to be counted present. After 10 minutes the link to Watermark will expire and students will then be counted absent.

When a veteran student stops attending class, the Registrar’s Office and the veteran’s counselor will be notified. NO official warnings will be given to students when excessive absences jeopardize their successful completion of the class.

 

I DO NOT GIVE EXTRA CREDIT!

 

Grading:

A = Excellent (100%-90%)

B = Good (89%-80%)

C = Average (79%-70%)

D = Weak (69%-60%)

F = Unacceptable (59%-0%)

This course is graded on a 100-pt scale broken down as follows:

 

Lecture Grades:

Section 1 Exam - 10%

Section 2 Exam - 10%

Section 3 Exam - 10%

Section 4 Exam - 10%

Final Project - 10%

= 50%

 

Lab Grades:

16 Board Shifts (One 3-hour shift per week for 16 weeks) - 20% total.

1 - Aircheck - 5%

1 - Live Remote - 10%

Attendance, Professionalism, Teamwork and Skill Acquisition - 15%

= 50%

 

Lecture (50%) + Lab (50%) = 100%

 

Grading Rubric for Airchecks: 1 and 2 = NOT MET, 3 and 4 = MET

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4
On-Air Delivery:	Not talking on-air.	Talking on-air but with minimum effort.	Appropriate amount of talking and effort while broadcasting on-air.	Appropriate amount of talking, creative breaks, adding extra information into breaks.
On-Air Reading:	Not reading information on-air.	Reading information that isn’t approved by instructor.	Reading the appropriate amount while on-air.	Reading appropriate number of liners, adding extra personality and energy.
Audio Levels:	Audio levels are not audible or over amplified.	Audio levels are inconsistent.	Audio levels are consistent.	Audio levels are consistent among multiple channels using various equipment.
Mechanics:	Missing breaks, dead air.	Breaks are not started quickly causing some dead air.	No dead air, breaks and talking starts directly after song.	Breaks and talking are fluid, talking over songs and hitting the post.

 

 

Attendance

**NOT SHOWING UP FOR A SCHEDULED SHIFT WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE INSTRUCTOR MAY RESULT IN SUSPENSION FROM FM90**

 

Attitude-behavior/Attitude problems will result in a deduction for each offense.

More than 2 instances will result in suspension

 

We will cover a large amount of material in this class and your attendance is essential. You will be allowed five absences between class and lab. You cannot be on the air if you do not attend class.

 

Students may set up a scheduled meeting time with the instructor: amy.presley@actx.edu

Calendar

Additional Information

School and Government Police: Due to the nature of the radio industry (government licensed), it is imperative that you understand and follow both school policy and FCC regulations regarding the operations of KACV-FM. You must sign and return 1.) The attached form and 2.) The form attached to the operations manual. Both must be turned in immediately to the instructor. Failure to follow these rules will result in withdrawal from the class. NO EXCUSES!

 

"Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact Accessibility Services (L101, Phone 806-371-5436) as soon as possible."