SPCH 1315- Online Course Syllabus

The North Central Texas College (NCTC) Course Syllabus provides the following as required by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB):

1. a brief description of the course including each major course requirement, assignment and examination;
2. the learning objectives for the course;
3. a general description of the subject matter of each lecture or discussion; and
4. any required or recommended readings. 

Contact information for the instructor is also provided. The Course Syllabus also provides institutional information to indicate how this course supports NCTC’s purpose and mission. Information specific to a particular section of the course will be included in the Class Syllabus and distributed to enrolled students. 

Course Name & Number: SPCH 1315 (Public Speaking)

Semester & Year: Fall 2018

Catalog Description 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. [Rev 8-14-17]

Instructor's Name: Shelley Rover

Office Phone #: 940-498-6413 (Department Assistant)

Instructor's Office #: CORINTH Room 201

Email Address: srover@nctc.edu or via CANVAS

Office Hours:  TTH: 12:30-2:30 in COR rm. 201 or online

Textbooks & Materials: 

• Speaker’s Guidebook (w/Essential Guide to Rhetoric & Launchpad Access), O’Hair, Bedford St. Martin’s, 6^th ed.
• 3x5 WHITE notecards (no 4x6)

COURSE AND COLLEGE INFORMATION

Learning Outcomes. Students who successfully complete this course will meet the following learning outcomes:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the foundational models of communication.
2. Apply elements of audience analysis.
3. Demonstrate ethical speaking and listening skills by analyzing presentations for evidence and logic
4. Research, develop and deliver extemporaneous speeches with effective verbal and nonverbal techniques.
5. Demonstrate effective usage of technology when researching and/or presenting speeches.
6. Identify how culture, ethnicity and gender influence communication.
7. Develop proficiency in presenting a variety of speeches as an individual or group (e.g. narrative, informative or persuasive).

Foundational Component Area: Communication

• 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  

Institutional Learning Goals. A quality general education curriculum in all associate degree programs.

• Quality freshman and sophomore level courses in arts and sciences which parallel the lower division offerings of four-year colleges and universities.
• Quality technical programs leading directly to careers in semi-skilled and skilled occupations, and quality technical education programs up to two years in length leading to certificates and associate degrees.
• Quality programs and services in support of adult literacy and basic skills development as a mean of workforce enhancement and expanding access to higher education.

Grading Policy & Procedures:

• All assignments are due as specified on the weekly schedule.  If it is necessary to change a due date, that information will be given in CANVAS on the weekly updates on Monday of the week. Failure to know of a changed assignment due date announced because of non-login or any other reason will NOT be excused.  KEEP back-up copies of EVERYTHING in the event that your instructor would ask you
  to re-submit a document or submit a document in hard-copy format. TECHNOLOGY DOES FAIL US FROM TIME TO TIME!
  Due dates and times will be clearly articulated by the instructor ahead of time. No late work and/or make-ups are accepted, unless an official university-approved excuse is submitted prior to the due date.  The instructor reserves the right to re-negotiate new due dates, under special circumstances; penalties for negotiated due dates may be incurred.  THE INSTRUCTOR WILL GRADE ASSIGNMENTS AND POST GRADES WITHIN 7  DAYS OF THE DUE DATE.  Please check your grade book on a regular basis and let the instructor know within 2 WEEKS of the due date if a grade has not been posted for you.
  Assignments: All major assignments are designed for you to integrate gained knowledge from this course.  YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL ASSIGNMENTS in order to receive a passing grade for this course.  Failure to complete any major assignment will result in failure of this course (i.e., speeches, major papers).
  
  

Grading Policy:

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

The student’s grade is determined by totaling the number of points accumulated for the semester and dividing by the total number of points possible for the class.

FINAL GRADE

90-100%= A

80-89%  = B

70-79%  = C

60-69%  = D

0-59%    = F

• Pop-quizzes may be administered based on the reading assignment and recent lectures.  Points for these quizzes will be counted as class exercises.
• Speeches are to be delivered extemporaneously from a brief speaking outline on note cards.  If you read your speech (manuscript form) points will be deducted up to 20 points.  If you read plagiarized materials you will receive a “0” on the speech.  See Academic Integrity below.

Attendance Policy:

• This is an online course; attendance will still be taken every week.  You will be required to have signed in at least three times to our CANVAS class in order to receive attendance for the week. 
• Absences are sometimes excused.  All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member.  Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence.  Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work.  Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor.  A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam.  Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives.    Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)
• Drops – The last day to drop class with an automatic assignment of ‘W’ grade for Spring 2018 is November 8, 2018.  No warnings for absences will be given.  It is the student’s responsibility to remember absences.  If you do not plan to continue attending the class and want a ‘W’ for the semester, be sure to drop the class prior to the drop date.  The instructor will not do this for you unless based on excessive absences.

Absences on Speech Day

• Assignments will be posted on Monday evening and due the following Sunday by 11:59 pm.  After that time, all assignments, including speeches will be considered LATE and will receive either a 0 for that speech or will result in points taken away.

Course Requirements        

• Speeches will be recorded in front of an audience you have assembled.  Speeches will be recorded using a device of your choice (webcam, smartphone, digital camera, tablet, etc.) and uploaded using a program in CANVAS called Arc which can be accessed from the Arc Media Library
• Students in this course are responsible for gathering an audience of at least six members. Family, friends, and classmates are good choices.  All speeches must be given in a formal environment - an environment where a speech would normally occur, such as a classroom, auditorium, or work conference room. Living rooms, dorm rooms, bedrooms, garages, and the outdoors, will NOT work for your speech assignments.
• Six adults (age 15 or over) must be present. Students in the course are encouraged to form groups.   Do not email the instructor with reasons why 6 audience members could not be achieved.
• Online instruction requires students who are self-disciplined and can work independently. Students are required to complete the CANVAS orientation before they can access the Speech course.  The instructor has the right to drop any student who does not complete the orientation the first week of class. Therefore, it is critical for students to begin working on the course the first day of class. 
• For NCTC's complete policy  (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.on netiquette, see the NCTC e-learning webpage.

Student Conduct                

• General guidelines that online students should follow include:
  Use proper language in all communications.
  Harassment of any type will not be tolerated.
  No jokes, insults, or threats of a personal, racial, or sexual nature.
• Do not use all CAPITAL letters in your writing.
  This is considered shouting in the online environment.

Recording Speeches          

• The audience should be shown in the video (without pauses or edits) before and after the speech. If you do not show 6 adults at the beginning and end of your taped speech, you will not receive full credit for the speech.  You will lose 10 pts. for each absent audience member.  For example, 5 audience members (-10 pts); 4 audience members (-20) pts, etc. 
• The order for the recording should be: view of speaker, view of each note card (zoomed in where the instructor can see what is written on them), view of audience of 6 adults (include camera operator if counted in the 6), view of speaker giving the speech, view of audience of 6 adults. 
• Audience members must be attentive to the speaker (not texting, working on a computer, or watching television.)
• Speeches are to be delivered extemporaneously from a brief speaking outline on note cards.  If you READ your speech (manuscript form) 20 points will be deducted.  DO NOT write your speech out word-for-word on your note cards.  If you do, you will read it, and you will lose 20 points.  You should use your key word outline when presenting your speech.  You may not use more than 5 note cards.  If you read plagiarized materials you will receive a “0” on the speech. 
  
  
• When recording the speech, the speaker should be STANDING and visible at least from the waist up. Speak loudly enough for the webcam microphone to pick you up.
• If the instructor is unable to see the speaker clearly (the room is too dark), or unable to hear the speaker clearly, the student will not receive credit for the speech.  Students should view the speech video before submitting it to verify they are visible and audible.
• The speaker should be dressed appropriately for a presentation.  Dress as if you were teaching the course for the day. This means: no hats, no shorts, a solid shirt (no writing on shirt), no sunglasses, no ripped jeans.  Eyes should be visible.  Pull hair back if necessary, and wear shoes.
• Do NOT have the camera operator zoom in.  If the audience/viewer is unable to see something, it is too small. 
• Do  NOT use cue cards (posters (or a computer screen, teleprompter app) with the entire speech written on them) when delivering your speech.  This is obvious, and you will NOT receive credit for your speech.  The purpose of this course is for students to learn extemporaneous delivery.  Your speeches are fairly brief, and you should be able to speak from notes on note cards, rather than reading. 
• You may not use more than 3 PowerPoint slides. 
• You may use a chair as an easel for posters.

Late Speeches:

Late speeches will be downgraded for each day it is late.  For example, 1 day, -10 points, 2 days -20 points, 3 days -30 points, etc

Program Purpose Statement. NCTC seeks to implement its goal of providing quality freshman and sophomore level courses in arts and sciences that parallel the lower division offerings of four-year colleges and universities by offering a coherent sequence of courses with appropriate breadth and depth to prepare a student for transfer to a university.

Departmental Purpose Statement. The Department of English, Speech, and Foreign Language provides quality instruction to students pursuing their academic and career goals.

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

College Attendance Policy: Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered. All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor. It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgment by the faculty member. Approved college-sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence. Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work. Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor. A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam. The student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon the recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives.   Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)

The instructor should describe here his/her attendance policy based on the discipline, the course, and the pedagogical techniques. Per NCTC policy, ALL INSTRUCTORS are required to take attendance every class meeting for reporting purposes.

Disability Accommodations: North Central Texas College does not discriminate on the basis of disability for admission or access to its programs. The College is committed to providing equal access to its students with disabilities by providing appropriate accommodations; a variety of services and resources are made available through the ACCESS Department. Students are responsible for notifying the ACCESS Department of their need for assistance. Students with documented disabilities, such as mobility impairment, hearing or visual impairment, learning, and psychological disorders are eligible for services.

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. A disability is anything that can interfere with learning, such as a learning disability, psychological challenge, physical illness, or injury. Accommodations may include extra time on tests, tests in a distraction-reduced environment, volunteer note taker in class, etc.

On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 in the Administration Building (100) or call 940-668-4209.  Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209 to arrange for an intake appointment with OSD.

North Central Texas College is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112). http://www.nctc.edu/student-services/disability-services/index.html 

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.

Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Veterans Services: The Financial Aid Office is responsible for administering a variety of programs for students who need assistance in financing their education.  The first step for financial aid is to complete a FAFSA.  For more information, please visit your nearest Financial Aid Office: http://www.nctc.edu/financial-aid/index.html.

Last day to Withdraw: Last day to drop a class with grade of “W” is November 8, 2018.

Scholastic Integrity – Plagiarism: 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.”

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

1. Turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own;
2. 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;
3. Copying words, ideas, or images from someone without giving credit; Failing to put a quotation in quotations marks;
4. Giving incorrect information about the source of information, quotations, or images;
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 the student's work, whether or not the student gives credit.

Please be aware that I take plagiarism very seriously.  You may not have another person write, type, edit, or revise any parts of your Writing Assignments. You may not use someone else’s Writing Assignment or buy one from a “professional” source. You may not use the material on the internet or in print sources without documenting it. 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 Writing Assignment that has plagiarized materials will receive a zero, and I will recommend to the English Department Head that the student fails the course.

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.

Student Success: The Student Success Center is designed to help all students at NCTC develop tools to achieve their academic goals.  This program also links students to FREE tutoring, including a Writing Center, a Math Lab, and free 24/7 online tutoring and helps new students acclimate to college by providing computer lab services for prospective students.  All students are invited to visit the Student Success Center on the Corinth Campus, rooms 170, 182, or 188; on the Gainesville Campus, rooms 114 or 111; on the Flower Mound Campus, room 111; and on the Bowie Campus, room 124.

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.