COURSE INFORMATION

Course Title: Introduction to Communication
Course Prefix, Number, and Section Number: SPCH 1311.0600
Semester/Year of course: Spring 2025
Semester start and end dates: 1/21/2025 - 5/17/2025 
Modality: Face to face, synchronous
Class meeting location, days, and times: M/W 11am-12:20pm, Denton 112
Semester credit hours: 3

Course description:  Introduces basic human communication principles and theories embedded in a variety of contexts including interpersonal, small group, and public speaking.
Course prerequisites: There is no prerequisite for this course.

Required course materials: Short Title: “Communication in the Real World: An Introduction to Communication Studies.”  This is an open educational resource, which means it is free.
You can access it using this link:  https://pressbooks.lib.jmu.edu/communicationintherealworldjmu/Links to an external site.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/legalcodeLinks to an external site.Links to an external site.

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of instructor: Sarah Spikeston
Office location: Gainesville 502, WebEx via https://nctclions.webex.com/meet/sspikeston
Telephone number:  Students can call-in via the WebEx app to https://nctclions.webex.com/meet/sspikeston
E-mail address: sspikeston@nctc.edu 
Office hours for students: Monday/Wednesday 12:30-3pm (Denton campus, virtual), Tuesday/Thursday 11am-1pm. (Flower Mound, virtual). Students can schedule virtual visits during these times by using the Cisco Webex tab then selecting Office Hours to schedule a time. 

SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER

The faculty member reserves the right to make changes to this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced as soon as possible in person and/or writing.

SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

List of graded assignments: See Course Summary below.

Final grade scale: See right column (Group and Weight).

Late work policy:  A major presentation or writing task is due on the day listed on Canvas. However, if you need an extension, please visit with me privately to make those arrangements. I reserve the right not to evaluate any work submitted more than five days late.

COURSE POLICIES

Academic Integrity Policy: Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but not be limited to cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. See Student Handbook “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct [FLB- (LOCAL)]” #18.

Disciplinary Actions [Student Handbook, #5] “When cheating, collusion, or plagiarism has occurred beyond any reasonable doubt, the instructor may give the student or students involved an “F” on a particular assignment or in the course. [See Scholastic Dishonesty FLB (Local)] The instructor shall make a written report of the incident and the planned action to his Department Chair. The Department Chair shall report the incident and action to the appropriate instructional dean who shall review the case, notify the student and, if necessary, take further action. This may involve either probation or suspension of the student or students in question. If such disciplinary action is deemed necessary, the Dean of Student Services shall be notified, and the action shall be taken through that office.”

Prohibited: This course assumes that all work submitted by students will be generated by the students themselves, working individually or in groups. Students should not have another person/entity do the writing of any substantive portion of an assignment for them, which includes hiring a person or a company to write assignments and using artificial intelligence tools (from UMass Amherst Center for Teaching and Learning)

Attendance Policy: Attendance, in both online and face-to-face courses, is required.  Because this course progresses very quickly, I reserve the right to block from this course students who fail to complete assignments for more than one week. Students who are blocked MUST contact the registrar's office and withdraw from the course, or they will receive a semester grade of F. 

Withdrawal Policy: A student may withdraw from a course on or after the official date of record. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a Withdrawal Request FormLinks to an external site.. The last day to withdraw from the course with a “W” is April 7, 2025.

Student Learning Outcomes: Students who successfully complete SPCH 1311 will meet the following learning outcomes:

1. Apply the principles of human communication including: perception, verbal communication, nonverbal communication, listening, and audience analysis.
2. Demonstrate how to establish and maintain relationships through the use of interpersonal communication.
3. Apply small group communication skills including: problem solving, group roles, leadership styles, and cohesiveness.
4. Develop, research, organize, and deliver formal public speeches.
5. Recognize how to communicate within diverse environments.

Core Objectives: Courses in this category focus on developing ideas and expressing them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate persuasively.  Courses involve the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience.

• Critical Thinking Skills (CT)- to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
• Communication Skills (COM)- to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication
• Teamwork (TW)- to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
• Personal Responsibility (PR)- to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making.

COLLEGE POLICIES

Student Handbook: Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the Student HandbookLinks to an external site..

ADA Statement: NCTC will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office for Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate accommodations.  See the OSD Syllabus Addendum.

Student Services: NCTC provides a multitude of services and resources to support students.  See the Student Services Syllabus Addendum for a listing of those departments and links to their sites.

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS

The student should contact the instructor to deal with any questions, concerns, or complaints specific to the class.  If the student and faculty are not able to resolve the issue, the student may contact the chair or coordinator of the division.  If the student remains unsatisfied, the student may proceed to contact the instructional dean.

Name of Chair/Coordinator: Justin B. Hawkins
Office Location: Corinth 171
Telephone number: 940 498 6282 ext. 8502
E-mail address: jbhawkins@nctc.edu

Name of Instructional Dean: Mary Martinson
Office Location: Gainesville 1403
Telephone number: 940 668-4209, ext 4377
E-mail address: mmartinson@nctc.edu

USEFUL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Basic Needs: Any student who faces challenges securing food or housing and believes this may affect their performance in the course is urged to contact the Dean of Students, Dr. Roxanne Del Rio (rdelrio@nctc.edu) for support. Furthermore, please notify me if you are comfortable doing so. This will enable me to direct you to additional resources for support.

Email Correspondence: I reserve 24 hours to respond to students’ emails during the week. Emails sent to me become my personal property, and I may disclose them to third parties if I determine it’s necessary.

Evaluation

• • “A” Work: This presentation is excellent and demonstrates excellence in development, organization, style and tone, and delivery mechanics. There is clear evidence of the speech making process (invention, research, outlining, editing, and delivery).
    •  A = 95   A- = 92   A-/B+ = 90

• • “B” Work: This is good work and delivers substantial information—that is, substantial in both quantity and interest-value. It is well-developed and unified around a clear organizing principle that is apparent early in the piece. There is evidence of the speech making process.  
    • B+ = 87  B = 85  B- = 8  B-/C+ = 80
  • “C” Work: This is an average piece that is generally competent in its development, organization, style, and tone, and delivery mechanics. It meets the needs of the assignment, has few mechanical errors, and is reasonably organized and developed with adequate delivery. This piece also shows some evidence of the speech making process.
    • C+ = 77  C = 75  C- = 72. C-/D+ = 70

• • “D” Work: This is below-average work that lacks development and is not effectively organized to facilitate the audience's understanding. The presentation also shows little or no evidence of the speech making process. 
    • D+ = 67  D = 65  D- = 62

• • “F” Work: This work fails in all aspects of the evaluation criteria.  There is no evidence of the speech making process, and the presentation fails in all aspects of development, organization, style, and delivery mechanics.
    • F (work submitted and attempted) = 55. F (no work submitted or attempted) = 0
      
      

Identity: If you prefer to be called a different name than is on the class roster, please let me know. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records, and so I may call you by your preferred name. If you'd like your name changed in the official roster, please get in touch with the Registrar's office.

Library: Students can access online and physical resources from the NCTC campus library by visiting the library websiteLinks to an external site.. From the library homepage, students can access research databases, locate research help including tutorials and study guides, find information on the hours of operation for each of the campus libraries, our online catalog, our intra- and inter-library loan services, and NCTC library policies. 

Plagiarism: Plagiarism, which should be avoided at all costs, includes the following student actions:

1. Unintentionally or inadvertently turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own as the result of failing to document sources both internally and in the Works Cited.
2. Copying words, ideas, or images from someone without giving credit; Failing to put a quotation in quotations marks.
3. Giving incorrect information about the source of information, quotations, or images.
4. Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit.
5. Copying so many words, ideas, or images from a source that it makes up the majority of the student's work, whether or not the student gives credit.
6. Giving your paper, discussion board posts, or reflections to another student to use as his/her own.
7. Having another person write, type, edit, or revise any parts of your writing assignments.  
8. Submitting work generated by artificial intelligence such as ChatGpt. 

Please be aware that the department takes plagiarism very seriously. You may not use someone else’s writing assignment or buy one from a “professional” source. Failure to follow the proper guidelines for documentation constitutes plagiarism. Considering the severity of the issue, if you ever have any questions or concerns regarding plagiarism, please consider this an open invitation to visit with me about the issue. If I discover that a student has committed intentional plagiarism, the plagiarized assignment will receive a zero, and I will recommend to the Speech Department Head that the student fails the course.

Professionalism: Your college courses are opportunities for you to learn what it means to be a “professional” in your field. Therefore, I expect you to act like a “professional” student in this course. Consider these professional standards for behavior:

• • Prepare and participate meaningfully in online discussion boards.
  • Practice self reliance. (An self reliant student exhausts all available resources of information and attempts to solve problems for themselves before contacting me. For example, read the assignment sheet carefully before e-mailing me to ask how many sources are required in your paper. If you are unsure how to cite a source, look it up in your handbook or a credible, online source—such as The Purdue Owl or a handbook.)
  • Consider the quality (and effort) of required drafts, notes, and daily assignments.
  • Turn in writing assignments on time and as assigned.
  • Mind the quality and tone of email correspondence. All correspondents with me should begin with a greeting (Example, Good morning professor,) and conclude with a sign off (Thank you, Your Name)

Student Rights & Responsibilities: NCTC Board Policy FLB (Local) Student Rights and Responsibilities states that each student shall be charged with notice and knowledge of the contents and provisions of the rules and regulations concerning student conduct.  These rules and regulations are published in the Student Handbook published in conjunction with the College Catalog.  All students shall obey the law, show respect for properly constituted authority, and observe correct standards of conduct.

Tobacco-Free Campus. NCTC restricts the use of all tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, electronic cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco on campus property. NCTC is aware that tobacco use influences underage students, which cumulates unsightly tobacco litter and interferes with assuring clean air for all who come to NCTC. NCTC recognizes the health hazards of tobacco use and of exposure to second-hand smoke. Information on a tobacco cessation program is available for students, faculty, staff who wish to stop using tobacco products. We would like to "thank you" for your help in making our campuses Tobacco-Free. For questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Vice President of Student Services at 940-668-4240.

Presentation Assignments: All major presentation assignments are required.  If you fail to turn in one of the major tasks, you cannot pass the course. I reserve the right to administratively drop any student who does not submit all major assignments.