Speech 1315: Public Speaking

Instructor: Tamar Artin

Course Description:

This academic core course is an application of communication theory and practice to the public speaking context, with emphasis on audience analysis, speaker delivery, ethics of communication, cultural diversity, and speech organizational techniques to develop students’ speaking abilities, as well as ability to effectively evaluate oral presentations.

Course Context:

In this course, respect for yourself and others are essential for creating a positive learning environment in this class. I look forward to working with you to make this happen. We expect to make connections between theory and our personal lives in this class. In fact, your personal lives are sites where the many facets of communication can readily be observed, understood and even transformed. This course is designed to include information sharing, application, and discussion regarding the foundations and fundamentals of public address and sustained practice of persuasive speaking skills in a variety of contexts.

Course Expectations:

• Prepared: Read & Engage with course text & Canvas
• Present: Be present in class physically and mentally
• Committed: Produce thoughtful and well written work
• Respectful: Work to create a fruitful learning environment.

Course Texts:

• Textbook: O'Hair, Dan, Hannah Rubenstein, and Robert A. Stewart. A Speaker’s Guidebook 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2015. ISBN-10: 978-1-457-66353-6  

Course Assignments

1. Speeches 55% (Total, Individual Points Below)

There are six speeches over the course of the semester, see our Course Canvas page for detailed prompts. Each speech will require a Topic Approval. Topic approvals are required and must be approved prior to delivery (see course policies for details). Outlines: You will NOT be permitted to speak if you don’t submit a typed outline in MLA format submitted to Canvas BEFORE your delivery, along with an evaluation sheet from Canvas.

• Introduction Speech (CR/NC): In this 2-minute credit/no credit presentation, you will either introduce yourself or someone else will introduce you to the class.
• Impromptu Speeches: (5%) You will deliver two impromptu speeches over the course of the semester. One as an in-class lab and the other on our final exam day.
• Cultural Artifact Speech, Topic Approval, and Outline (10%): In this 3-4 minute speech, you will deliver a speech about the history or customs that are significant to your own culture or a culture that fascinates you.
• Informative Speech, Topic Approval, and Outline (20%): This 5-6 minute speech should serve to educate the class about a general topic area.
• Persuasive Speech, Topic Approval, and Outline (20%): This 6-7 minute speech should advocate the support of or change in a current attitude and/or social behavior. Dress code will be enforced (we will further discuss in class).

2. Chapter Quizzes 15%: Students are expected to read the assigned chapters. After reading the chapter, you will complete the chapter quiz for each assigned chapter online, prior to coming to class on Canvas.

3. Final Exam 10%: As your final exam, you will submit a letter written to the future student of this class. Your letter will be a reflection of your experience and knowledge acquired in this course and help future students glean from your own moments of growth in public speaking, academically, and beyond. Detailed prompt listed on our course Canvas.

4. Speech Self-Evaluation 10% (2 @5% each): Each student will complete a total of two Self-Evaluations. These assignments are designed to reflect upon speeches delivered and thus further enhance speaking skills. These assignments will be submitted to our Course Canvas site.

5. Class Participation (10%): This is an interactive class. Students are expected to engage actively in class discussion, learning exercises, in-class labs, providing positive feedback after the delivery of speeches, and group activities. There are many ways to participate including active listening, thoughtful inquiry, as well as verbal and non-verbal communication. Attendance is absolutely critical to meeting the overall requirements of the course. It is very difficult to participate if you are not here! Your class participation grade will be negatively affected if you have more than one absence or tardy throughout the semester. The in-class lab assignments are crucial to the contribution of your class participation on a credit/no-credit basis. No makeups are allowed for labs or in-class activities.

Course Policies and Procedures

Due Dates

Speech Delivery: Should a student fail to appear in class the day of the assigned speech, the student would forfeit the grade associated with that speech (NO EXCEPTIONS). Changing the day to deliver your speech is your responsibility and can only be done by contacting another student yourself.

Speech Outlines & All Canvas Submitted Assignments: Assignments are due on assigned days. If an emergency arises, the student must contact the instructor BEFORE the assignment is due. Certain documented illnesses or emergencies are the only exception to this policy, at the discretion of the instructor. Please provide a copy or emailed attachment of the documentation upon submission.

• Late assignments without documentation turned into Canvas or to your instructor will receive only partial credit. Late assignments can and will only be accepted within one week of the original due date listed on Canvas. Any assignment turned in after one week of the original due date will result in a forfeit of all points, no exceptions, with or without documentation.

Attendance

• See NCTC Student Handbook for Policy
• Email me when you are absent for more than one class.

Topic Approvals

All speech topic approvals are to be posted on our course Canvas website. Each student is to submit three topic choices of their preference. Please be advised that all speech topics are selected solely on the basis of the instructor’s discretion. Grounded in the criteria of: relation to speech prompt, ethics, professionalism, and novelty. If none of your three topics are approved, for time efficiency, I will provide a list of topics for you to choose from. The course instructor must approve speech topics in order to be delivered before class. Delivering a speech topic not approved by the instructor will result in a failing grade in the assignment. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself: Would I deliver this speech to a corporate business meeting?

Canvas/MyNCTC

You will be able to access course materials, information, and your grades via the course Canvas site. All assignments are to be turned into Canvas before our class meeting as listed on our course schedule. Please take technical issues into account; it is your responsibility to allocate enough time for possible errors or technical issues. Please Call/Email NCTC IT for all technical issues.

Email

• Assignments: I will not accept any assignments via email. No exceptions. Designated assignments must be submitted on Canvas. Assignments not turned in by due date will be counted late.
• Updates: It is not my responsibility as your instructor to update you on missed work. It is your sole responsibility to contact another student via email for updates about missed class or assignments. You can also use our course Canvas forum to communicate with other classmates. However, I am always happy to address any questions of content.
• “Netiquette”: Please be advised that I expect all email communication to be professional. The professionalism can be demonstrated by addressing me as your instructor at the top of the email, including a subject line, signing your name at the bottom, and proofreading the content of your email. I will respond to you within 24 hours on weekdays and 48 hours on weekends.
• Check Your Email Regularly

Help

Always ask for help when you need it. The best way to ask for help is during my office hours. I am happy to meet with you during office hours or by appointment to talk through your ideas, answer questions, or look at your work or via email. Please, don't wait until you're behind; ask for help as soon as you need it.

Course Conduct

• Respect our Peers: Active listening and respect to other students during the delivery of their class business or during exams is of high importance in my classroom. I reserve the right to subtract from the total class participation grade per instance for those students being disrespectful to others during class time. This includes talking, spending class time on social media, doing other assignments, leaving and entering the room during a speech or an exam. This will be a 1% deduction per occurrence of your class participation grade. Common Courtesies: If you are late to class, wait for applause to enter the room and wait in between speeches to leave and enter the room when necessary.
• Classroom Disruption: Disruptive behavior will be addressed immediately and will correspond with NCTC policy and procedures. Respect for me and your classmates are of high importance and can be demonstrated with promptness, professionalism, and attentiveness. A description of classroom disruption and consequences can be found in the NCTC student handbook.

Laptops/Cell Phones

Please do not have your laptops or cell phone on in class unless you clear it with me first. Texting or surfing the Internet is not part of our class activities. Understand that I will ask for your phone or laptop if you cannot abide by this policy. I do not allow anyone in my classroom to take photographs of any kind of our classroom, lectures, notes, or any person including me. Please do ask me before hand if you need to take photographs in class.

Disability Services

Any student with a documented disability needing academic accommodations is required to contact the Office for Students with Disabilities located on each campus to schedule an appointment with the OSD Coordinator. All discussions are confidential. Because OSD accommodations may require early planning and are not provided retroactively, students are encouraged to contact OSD as early in the semester as possible. OSD is responsible for approving and coordinating all disability-related services NCTC professors will honor requests for accommodation when they are issued by OSD.

Please be advised that testing accommodations must be made no later that 72 hours prior to assigned test date or will otherwise result in forfeit of half the points the test is worth. All tests should be scheduled before or during ICR scheduled test time, unless cleared by the instructor in advance.

Emergency Closure

In the unlikely event that campus is closed and the class cannot meet as scheduled, the instructor will post updated instructions on Canvas. The student is responsible for checking Canvas and following the instructions as given. The campus is considered open and students are expected to come to class until an official announcement from NCTC is given. Please allow some time for the instructor to coordinate a workable solution when NCTC announces it is closed.

Classroom Guests

Children are not allowed in class. No un-registered guests will be permitted in class during regular class hours.

Scholastic Dishonesty

Students are responsible for adhering to the NCTC policy on scholastic dishonesty as stated in the online student handbook at www.NCTC.edu.

Writing Guidelines

• You are responsible for checking your written work for proper spelling, grammar, usage and syntax prior to submitting it to Canvas. Your written work must be in MLA format, typed, double-spaced, and printed on 8 ½ x 11 paper with 12-point font and 1-inch margins. If you need help with your written work, I urge you to use the services of the smarthinking page on the my NCTC portal available 24/7.
• Please use the MLA Style Guide when documenting source materials in written work. See the Purdue Owl website for MLA formatting and style guidelines at: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ If you consult this website and follow the guidelines, your sources will be cited completely and correctly. Failure to do this will result in the loss of valuable assignment points.

Schedule Changes

I will work to minimize schedule changes and will announce such changes as far in advance as possible. By the same token, it is your responsibility to keep informed of these changes and to notify me if complications arise.

Resources

For additional information regarding the student handbook, academic calendar, course evaluations, attendance policy, Core Competencies, etc., see www.NCTC.edu.