TENTATIVE SYLLABUS - SPCH 1315 – Spring 2017  

North Central Texas College

SPCH 1315 – Public Speaking

Instructor Dee Ann McFarlin

Office Phone (940) 498-6205 Office Room #202

Office Hours MWF: 7:30-9:00; 12:00 – 12:30

Email Canvas email (preferred) or dmcfarlin@nctc.edu

Required Text:   Dan O’Hair, Rob Stewart, Hannah Rubenstein, A Speaker’s Guidebook: Text  and Reference, 6th edition, Bedford St Martin’s; ISBN: 978-1-457-66353-6.

Course Description

The process of oral communication and its relation to communication in general. Emphasis is placed on developing the student’s abilities in organization and presentation of ideas. Suggested activities include group discussion, oral interpretation of literature and extemporaneous speaking. There is evaluation of both listening and speaking experiences.

 Learning Outcomes

 Upon successful completion of the course, the student will:

1. Recognize and understand the foundational models of communication.
2. Apply elements of audience analysis.
3. Demonstrate ethical speaking and listening skills.
4. Research, develop, and deliver extemporaneous speeches with effective verbal and nonverbal techniques.
5. Demonstrate effective use of technology when researching and presenting speeches.
6. Understand how culture, ethnicity, and gender influence communication.
7. Develop proficiency in presenting a variety of speeches as individual or group (e.g. narrative, informative, or persuasive). 

Core Objectives

Foundational Component Area:  Communication

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      [Rev. 5-2014  THECB]

 Tentative Schedule: See Daily Schedule.

 Grading Policy

If you disagree with any posted grade, you have 48 hours from the time the grade is posted to dispute the grade. Instructions for disputing a grade are given in the Important Documents Module.

All assignments are due as specified on the daily schedule. If it is necessary to change a due date, that information will be given in class. Failure to know of an assignment due date announced in class due to absence or any other reason will NOT be excused. The instructor is not obligated to allow make-up speeches (possible only if times permits). Required outlines, reports, and/or research, if late, will be downgraded by 10 points each of the five days of the work week (M-F).  Students who are tardy to class and present outlines to the instructor upon their arrival or at the end of class will have their outlines downgraded by 5 points. That process will continue until an F is recorded for the assignment. The student, however, must still attempt the assignment. A student must attempt the persuasive speech in order to receive a passing semester grade in this course.

Presentations, outlines, and research will be prepared using techniques presented in lecture. When there is a discrepancy between the textbook and instructor, use the instructor’s methods. The textbook is an information resource, but not necessarily what the instructor expects on assignments for the class.

All outlines and works cited sheets are due on the first scheduled speaking day. All outlines are to be typed and STAPLED OR PAPER-CLIPPED. If an outline is not fastened with a staple or paper clip, points will be deducted from the outline. DO NOT ask to use the instructor’s stapler. It is your responsibility as a student to have all materials necessary to satisfactorily turn in an assignment. The instructor will not return written material to the student until after the student’s presentation..

There are no make-ups for missed exams, group activities, group presentations, pop-quizzes, pop-impromptu speeches, or class activities. There is no extra-credit or do-over work for this class.

The final is mandatory. If a student does not take the final exam or participate in the final exam exercise, his/her earned semester grade will be lowered by one letter grade.

CELL PHONES AND PAGERS are to be TURNED OFF BEFORE entering class. If your cell phone/pager sounds during class, you will be warned the first time. If your cell phone/pager sounds while the instructor is talking, you will be instructed to leave class and will be counted absent for the day. If your cell phone/pager sounds during another student’s speech, either: 1)you will leave, be counted absent, and your grade for that same speech will be lowered by five points, whether or not you have already given your speech or 2)the entire class will have a pop-quiz. If you leave class to answer a cell phone/pager, you will be counted absent for the day. If you think you have extenuating circumstances that require you to answer your phone/pager, talk to the instructor BEFORE class.

The instructor will not tolerate sleeping, doing homework, or other shows of non-participation in class. If any of these occur, the student will be counted tardy or absent for the day (at the instructor’s discretion).

The speaker must be dressed appropriately for the presentation. Dress as if you were teaching a college course for the day. This means: no hats, no shorts, a solid shirt (no writing on the shirt), no sunglasses, no ripped jeans, no revealing clothing, etc. Your eyes must be visible. Pull back your hair if necessary. If in the instructor’s opinion you are not appropriately dressed, 10 points will be deducted from your speech. If you have any questions concerning dress, contact your instructor well before the day you are to deliver your speech.

If you disagree with any posted grade, you have 48 hours from the time the grade is posted to dispute the grade. Take the following steps:

• Request that I double-check that I did not make a recording error. If no recording error has been made, you may dispute the grade. To do this, you must prepare a written defense of your position by explaining how your submitted work meets ALL of the requirements for the assignment as stipulated in the assignment materials, the syllabus, and other instructions that may have been posted on ANGEL.
• When you have completed your written defense, send it to me in an email attachment with a cover letter that announces what you are sending me. Use ANGEL’s internal email.
• I will confirm receipt, review your defense, and justify in writing my decision to keep or change the grade.

All work and communication submitted--from an outline to an email--must be written using all aspects of Standard English--capitalization, spelling, punctuation, grammar, syntax, etc. This means you may not use emoticons. You will lose points on your assignment if you do not use Standard English. If you email me using emoticons or text-messaging jargon, I will return the email to you requesting that you resubmit it using Standard English.

The final grade will be determined by the following tentative point system.

90-100% = A; 80=89% = B; 70-79% = C; 60-69% = D; 0-59% = F

Tentative Assignments

Attendance Policy

You are expected to attend all classes. Your presence in class is as important when you are a listener as it is when you are a speaker. You will, consequently, be penalized for excessive absences. Three tardies equal one absence. If you are tardy, it is your responsibility to see that the instructor marks you present before you leave class that day. Students who leave class before being dismissed by the instructor will be counted absent or tardy (at the discretion of the instructor). Those who leave at break will counted absent. The absence limit varies with the day and meeting schedule of the class. The limit is five (5) absences for classes meeting three (3) times a week. The absence limit is three (3) for classes meeting two (2) times a week. The limit for classes meeting one time a week is two (2) absences. When you have exceeded the allowed number of absences, your instructor reserves the right to drop you from the class. No further warnings concerning absences will be given. It is the student’s responsibility to remember absences. 

Absences are sometimes excused. If you feel you have justification, then email your request to the instructor. You will receive the answer by email. Email is the only means by which absences may be excused in this class. Do not assume that smiling or nodding on the instructor’s part is acknowledgment of an excused absence.

Academic Integrity

 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.

1. Scholastic Dishonesty: Scholastic dishonesty shall constitute a violation of these rules and regulations and is punishable as prescribed by Board policies. Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but not be limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.

“Cheating on a test” shall include:

1. Copying from another student’s test paper.
2. Using test materials not authorized by the person administering the test.
3. Collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during a test without permission from the test administrator.
4. Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, or soliciting, in whole or in part, the contents of an unadministered test.
5. The unauthorized transporting or removal, in whole or in part, of the contents of the unadministered test.
6. Substituting for another student, or permitting another student to substitute for one’s self, to take a test.
7. Bribing another person to obtain an unadministered test or information about an unadministered test.

“Plagiarism” shall be defined as the appropriating, buying, receiving as a gift or obtaining by any means another’s work and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of it in one’s own written work.

“Plagiarism” is further defined as any of the following:

1. Turning in someone else’s ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own.
2. Copying words, ideas, or images from someone else without giving credit.
3. Failing to put a quotation in quotation marks.
4. Giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation or image.
5. Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit.
6. Copying so many words, ideas, or images from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not.

 Note: This definition was taken from plagiarism.org with some modification.

“Collusion” shall be defined as the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for fulfillment of course requirements.

 Disciplinary Actions [Student Handbook, p. 164, #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 of 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.”

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

EEOC Statement

 North Central Texas College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability in the employment or the provision of services.

 Other Pertinent Information

 Drops – The instructor will not drop students with excessive absences from this class. It is the student’s responsibility to drop the class. The only verbal warning is given the first day class meets. The last day to drop class with an automatic assignment of ‘W’ grade is April 6, 2017.

 Discipline – Speech class by its nature is loosely structured. The instructor does expect everyone to treat all members of the class with respect at all times. Behavior that negatively affects the overall participatory nature of the group will not be allowed. Students who consistently break the rules or are disruptive in the class will be dropped from the class. This is solely at the instructor's discretion.