SPCH 1315 Introduction to Public Speaking Location: CHS. Syllabus

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1 SPCH 1315 Introduction to Public Speaking Location: CHS Syllabus Instructor: Jennifer Poland address: or M.A. Communication (LSU) M.E. Education (Lamar University) B.A. Communication (SHSU) Textbook Introduction to the Speechmaking Process, ISBN# , 14 th Ed. by Raymond S. Ross and Diana K. Leonard Required course materials are available at the Brazosport College bookstore, on campus or online at A student of this institution is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college bookstore. The same textbook is/may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer. Introduction to the Speechmaking Process, ISBN# , 14 th Ed. by Raymond S. Ross and Diana K. Leonard Course goals: This course introduces the beginning speech student to general principles of the Speech Communication field. The course will provide instruction in specific speech preparation techniques and basic communication skills appropriate to students further academic and professional careers. Students are expected to prepare, organize, deliver, and critique several speeches achieving the aims of informative and persuasive public address. My objectives for this course for you are: 1. To learn the basic principles of human communication. 2. To become a more effective communicator. This involves application of all information in the text as well as in class discussion. 3. To become a more careful and critical thinker and communicator, both as a speaker and as a listener. 4. To understand and practice ethical communication. Schedule M = Monday night class, Th = Thursday night class M (8/24) or Th (8/27) Course Intro and Ice Breakers M (8/31) or Th (9/3) Ch. 1 Public Speaking and Communication, Ch. 2 Critical Listening Labor Day is Monday, September 7 no class Th (9/10) or M (9/14) Ch. 3 Audience Considerations, Ch. 4 Preparing and Researching the Speech Th (9/17) or M (9/21) Review Speeches Th (9/24) or M (9/28) Ch. 5 Organizing the Speech, Project Session Th (10/1) or M (10/5) Ch. 6 Outlining the Speech, Ch. 10 Speeches to Inform Th (10/8) or M (10/12) Informative Speeches Th (10/15) or M (10/19) Ch. 7 Language Habits, Ch. 8 Delivering the Speech Th (10/22) or M (10/26) Ch. 9 Using Visual Aids, Ch. 11 Speeches to Inform Th (10/29) or M (11/2) Ch. 12 Logical Reasoning and Argument, Project Session Th (11/5) or M (11/9) Persuasive Speeches Th (11/12) or M (11/16) Ch. 13 Unique Formats and Occasions, Ch. 14 Speaking in Group Settings Th (11/19) or M (11/30) Final Exam (Thanksgiving Break is 11/23 11/27) Th (12/3) or M (12/7) Final Speeches (Project Presentations) Student Evaluation: This class operates on a points principle. To obtain a certain grade, you must acquire the correct number of points. There will be no extra credit unless offered to everyone. The points are distributed as follows: Participation 30 pts. (15%) Final Speech 30 pts. (15%) Review Speech 10 pts. (5%) Informative Speech 20 pts. (10%)

2 Persuasive Speech 20 pts. (10%) Reading Quizzes 20 pts. (10%) Outlines 20 pts. (10%) Final Exam 30 pts. (15%) A= 89.5%-100% ( ) B=79.5%-89.4% ( ) C=69.5%-79.4% ( ) D=59.5%-69.4% ( ) F=0%-59.4% (0-118) All GRADE APPEALS must be submitted in writing ( ) within one week of the returned assignment! There are no late assignments accepted. If you miss class for a reason other than a documented emergency (school activities are not emergencies), you must get prior approval in order to make up the assignment. If you miss a speech, it will be a zero unless it is excused. The professor has the final say on what is or is not excused. Please at least a week prior to the date you need to miss. Participation (30 pts): Your enrollment in any course entails certain social responsibilities. As such, you will be graded according to the following: I. Policies and Procedures Quiz (4 pts) II. III. IV. This will cover all policies and procedures on this syllabus. Peer Critiques (9 pts) In class, you will be assigned to a group for speech preparation and critique. You may not switch groups. For each of the three speeches (you will not critique the final speech), you will be required to critique the other members of your group and participate in a critique session after the speeches. Your participation is important and will help you become a more careful and critical thinker and communicator, both as a speaker and listener. There are no late or make-up peer critiques. Critiques will be submitted at the end of the class in which speeches are given. Pre- and Post-Assessment (8 pts) You will complete a pre-assessment online regarding your skills, knowledge, and competency as a speaker. At the end of the course, you will complete a post-assessment so that you can compare how you have grown as a presenter. Speech Workshops (9 pts) These will be completed online in the discussion sections. Final Speech (30 pts): This will be your presentation of the project (more details to come). You will be required to have a PowerPoint or Prezi for your presentation. Review Speech (10 pts.): In this speech, you will be responsible for giving a review of a product or form of media. More information will be given at a later date, but please note that the purpose of this speech is to give you a practice run for how we give speeches and critiquing. The grade for this speech will primarily be based on organization and topic. Informative Speech (20 pts.): In this speech, you will be responsible for informing the audience about a current topic. More information will be given at a later date, but please note that the purpose of this speech is to simply give information about the topic without attempting to persuade the audience to view it in a certain way. The grade for this speech will primarily be based on organization and information given, but you will lose 5 points if your speech is persuasive rather than informative. Persuasive Speech (20 pts.): In this speech, you will be responsible for persuading the audience to respond in a given way to your topic. More information will be given at a later date, but please note that the purpose of this speech is to convince your audience to view your topic the way you

3 view your topic. The grade for this speech will primarily be based on organization and types of evidence used, but you will lose 5 points if it becomes clear that you are not truly doing a persuasive speech. Reading Quizzes (20 pts.): Each week, you are responsible for taking a quiz over the readings prior to coming to class (exception: Week 1 quiz will be over this syllabus and will be taken Week 2). We will take them at the beginning of the class each week, so make sure you come ready to take the quiz and come on time. If you are late and miss the quiz, you will get a zero. They are multiple choice. Outlines (20 pts.): You will be responsible for bringing a copy of your speech outline on the day of the speech. This must be an outline and not a manuscript, so make sure to follow the directions given in class. Final Exam (30 pts.): This will be cumulative and cover all materials from the reading quizzes and class. You must be present for the final exam- there are no makeups. Please note that we are doing the final exams a week ahead of time and doing the final speech during the final exam week. Speech Project (20 pts.): The speech project will give you a chance to analyze a famous rhetorical speech according to the canons of rhetoric. We will have two sessions in class to go over it and discuss the requirements, and it is must be submitted via prior to presenting on it for the final speech. Speech regulations: All speeches, regardless of topic or length, must meet the following requirements: 1. Topics must be approved. Any presenters who have failed to get the topic approved will not be allowed to speak. There will be no exceptions to this policy. 2. Students must bring a typed copy to use while presenting. This will be a grade. 3. On the first day, we will split into groups. Those will be the groups you use for speech workshops, and those will also be the people you will be evaluating for peer reviews. 4. Speeches must be within the time limits. Speeches that go under or over the time limit will face a point reduction equivalent to a letter grade. The best way to be certain that your speech goes the necessary length is to practice it several times. You will be given a 30 second grace period in either direction. 5. You have certain obligations as a speaker, but you also have certain obligations as a listener. As such, distracting the speaker will result in a deduction to your own speech grade, to be determined by me. Entering during a speech, allowing your cell phone to ring during a speech, and other inconsiderate behavior may result in as much as a letter-grade deduction to your speech. Absences: If you miss class on a speech day, you will not be allowed to make it up unless it is for a documented emergency (i.e. something you couldn t prevent such as emergency surgery, hospitalization, or death in the family). If you have one of these occur, you must notify the instructor as soon as possible and will be expected to make up the speech on the next available date. Final speeches must be made on the last day as there are no other class meetings after that point. If you miss for a documented emergency, you can take an incomplete in the class and come present in the following semester s course. This is a last resort. If you have a school activity and have to miss, you must get approval via at least a week prior to missing. ing does not guarantee approval- this is at the instructor s discretion. Grade Disagreements: All grades will be given out the following week. It is your responsibility to keep up with your grades. If you disagree with a grade, you have one week to submit, in writing via , your concerns over your grade and your reasoning for the disagreement. Submitting a grade dispute does not mean you will be given a higher grade. The instructor still has the final say on all grade disputes. Communication: If you the instructor for any reason, you should hear back within 48 hours. If you do not, please resend. I would recommend using my Yahoo address. Remind

4 I have a Remind account created so that I can send text message reminders for this course. Mainly, this will be used to remind you of speeches and due dates. If you would like to receive these texts, please text the number with the You will get a message back- please reply with your first and last name to be subscribed. At the end of the semester I ll remove you from the list. Academic Honesty: BC assumes that students eligible to perform on the college level are familiar with the ordinary rules governing proper conduct including academic honesty. The principle of academic honesty is that all work presented by you is yours alone. Academic dishonesty including, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, and collusion shall be treated appropriately. Please refer to the BC Student Guide for more information (available online at If you are caught plagiarizing a speech or cheating on an assessment, you will receive a zero for that grade. Cell phone policy: Cell phones are to be kept on silent and put away during speech days. I reserve the right to ask students who do not follow this policy to leave the classroom, resulting in an absence for the day. Respect for others: This class will be treated as a safe environment for discussion. All students will treat others with respect at all times. Students who have a problem with this policy will be dealt with accordingly. This respect extends to all viewpoints and beliefs expressed in this class. Students with Special Needs: BC is committed to providing equal education opportunities to every student. BC offers services for individuals with special needs and capabilities including counseling, tutoring, equipment, and software to assist students with special needs. Please contact Phil Robertson, Special Populations Counselor, for further information.

5 SPEECH 1315 MEASURING LEARNING OUTCOMES 1. Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate orally from the podium in clear, coherent, and engaging language appropriate to the specific purpose, the central idea and the audience. Assessment: Deliver four or more (at the discretion of the instructor) major speeches 70%) (passing with at least 2. Demonstrate competency in listening at college level, analyzing and interpreting verbal and nonverbal communication, and responding appropriately. Assessment: Deliver four or more (at the discretion of the instructor) speaker evaluations (passing with at least 70%) 3. Demonstrate competency in the speech writing process by germinating, developing, researching, organizing, and properly documenting a speech and the sources used in speech preparation Assessment: Deliver four or more (at the discretion of the instructor) speech outlines or manuscripts (at the discretion of the instructor) (passing with at least 70%) 4. Demonstrate logical reasoning and critical thinking skills in problem solving and developing, evaluating and presenting oral arguments. Assessment: Deliver a persuasive speech (passing with at least 70%

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