Course Name & Number: SPCH 1315 0322 (Public Speaking)

Semester & Year: Summer 2, 2020

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: Candace Eldridge

Office Phone #: text using Remind- enter 81010  and text this message: @nsu22   or our link is https://www.remind.com/join/Nsu22  (This is the BEST and FASTEST way to get a hold of me. )

Instructor's Office #: Remind (above)

Email Address: celdridge@nctc.edu 

Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday from 1-2 pm and 5-6 pm online through WebEx (in Canvas.)

Textbooks & Materials: A Speaker’s Guidebook, O’Hair, Bedford St. Martin’s, 7^th ed. ISBN: 978-1-319-05941-5 (if you want a picture of the cover, text me on Remind.) You can purchase this through the NCTC Bookstore and they can mail it to you. You do not need the launchpad feature. I will provide everything else you need; you do, however, need the book. 

Professional Attire:  All speeches must be presented in business attire.  Here is a great link from the Harvard Business School regarding Business Professional Attire. https://ocs.fas.harvard.edu/dress-success Make sure you pay attention to the separation between professional, casual, and that shorts, jeans, tennis shoes, and sandals are not on either list.  Also, please pay attention to the quantity and size of your accessories. The departmental deduction for having unprofessional attire is a deduction of 10% (one letter grade) for the speech.  

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

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 [Rev. 5-2014 THECB]

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 means of workforce enhancement and expanding access to higher education.

Course Type: Academic General Education Course (from Academic Course Guide Manual but not in NCTC Core). Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course. WECM Course

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. For an online class, you are expected to check in throughout the week and complete weekly assignments. Missing check-ins and weekly assignments are considered absences in an online class. If you need help, be sure to get it during my online office hours posted above. Those meetings are on Webex. Due to the pace of this course, each week is filled with content that covers 2-3 weeks' worth of information. Please do not miss a week. 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's 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 as long as you provide documentation ahead of time. 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. A 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 adequate cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)

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 a 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 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

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 a grade of “W” is August 6th.

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.

Grading Policy & Procedures. The course is not weighted. Points are accumulated and are of equal weight to one another. See the course modules tab for a list of assignments and their values. 

Grading is on a standard scale, noted below. I do not round up grades but offer adequate time and extra credit for students to “round up” their own grades through applicable academic work. (Extra Credit is found in the Files folder.)

900-1000 points / 90-100% =  A
800-899   points / 80-89.9% = B
700-799   points / 70-79.9% = C
600-699   points / 60-69.9% = D
0-599       points / Below 60 =  F

Students are provided wide latitude in self-managing their deadlines. However, weekly Friday deadlines are hard deadlines. Students are expected to communicate issues early to avoid issues. 

OTHER AREAS OF CONSIDERATION

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 for support. Furthermore, please notify me if you are comfortable doing so. This will enable me to direct you to additional resources for support.

Class 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. 

Email Correspondence: I reserve 72 hours to respond to students’ emails.  Emails sent to me become my personal property, and I may disclose them to third parties if I determine it’s necessary.  Emails constitute correspondence between instructor and student; therefore, remember your audience when sending me emails.  Email correspondence may contribute positively or negatively to your professionalism grade.  Please note: the best and fastest way to communicate is through Remind. It is an app for your phone so you can text me. The class code is listed as my phone number near the top of the syllabus. 

Gender Identity: This course affirms people of all gender expressions and identities. If you prefer to be called a different name than is what 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 and pronoun. 

Professionalism: Your college courses are also 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 suggestions:

• • Prepare and participate meaningfully in online discussion boards.
  • Be assertive. (An assertive student exhausts all available resources of information before contacting me. In other words, read the assignment sheet carefully before e-mailing me to ask how many sources are required in your paper, and 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.

Assignments:  To find your assignments, always go to the Modules. Do not look at the Course Summary or the ToDo list as those will NOT provide you with an accurate list of all that is due for this course. You MUST follow the Modules by clicking next. Also, be sure you read all chapter material and the links provided in the Unit Lessons and Agendas. They will provide you with key information to complete the assignments. While most assignments are due on Fridays, there will be some due earlier in the week. The Modules will ensure you know the correct dates.

DO NOT GO THERE CLAUSE:  Because we are a “captive audience,” meaning that we are not here purely by choice, but rather required to be here for a specific reason, some subjects are inappropriate for a class presentation. Topics which are off-limits for this class are gun control (or any gun-related discussion), abortion, legalization of drugs, texting, and driving, drinking and driving, smoking, lowering the legal drinking age, the death penalty (pro or con), and religious conversions (attempts to or sharing of own experience), as well as topics where you would need to bring paint products/ chemicals or anything with noxious fumes to class. My personal taboo subject deals with meat and where it comes from.  Again, don’t go there.  Sources that are off-limits consist of religious texts; (Bible, Torah, Quran, etc.)  Dictionaries and encyclopedias may be used as secondary sources but do not count as one of your required source citations in any presentation. Additionally, Wikipedia and Google (or Google Scholar) may not be used as a credible, scholarly, research source as they are not college level but can be used as a starting point. A GREAT research location can come from the NCTC Databases.

Speeches – I will put a folder in CANVAS under FILES for you that will have TONS of help for the speeches. These are to evaluate your understanding of the principles of each type of speech, presentation skills, and topic information. You will receive a grading rubric to understand exactly what the grading policy is for this class. Each speech will require scholarly research –the minimum number of sources is 5 and goes up from there. Use the library for help (The librarians are a great source of help!) You must cite your sources verbally when giving your speech. You will have visual aids as well. One of your visual aids for your persuasive speeches must be a Prezi presentation to go along with your speech and must be shown during your speech. Your topic must be submitted and approved PRIOR to your speech. If your topic is NOT approved or you did not turn in (in writing) a topic for approval, you will NOT be allowed to present your speech and you will receive a grade of zero (0).  A missed speech can only be made up upon documented proof of an emergency. Also, each speech requires a completed outline prior to your speech. If you do not present them prior to the speeches, you will receive a grade of zero (0) for the speech and will not be allowed to present your speech. The amount of time given for each speech is firm. You are given a fifteen (15) second leeway on each side of your time limit. After that, a penalty of five (5) points will be deducted for every fifteen (15) seconds over/ under time will be assessed for a maximum deduction of up to 30 points for over/under time. Speeches presented in this class are listed below but are not limited to: Artifact Speech, Demonstration Speech, Informative Speech, Persuasive Speech, Impromptu Speech, and Special Occasion Speech.