Fundamentals of Speech Communication

You will study of basic concepts of speech communication as applied to public speaking. You will develop skills in research, preparation, delivery, and critique of oral speeches. Skills will be demonstrated through classroom work.

After successfully completing this course, you should be able to:

• Demonstrate and explain the communication process.
• Construct effective presentations based on astute audience analysis.
• Select appropriate and effective topics for assigned presentations.
• Organize presentations in a unified an effective manner.
• Utilize supporting materials for effective presentations.
• Present solid evidence and arguments in order to produce effective presentations.
• Select and integrate appropriate visual aides into presentations for impact.
• Effectively manage communication apprehension.

Final grades will be based on the following:

A:    900-1000 points

B:    800-899 points

C:    700-799 points

D:    600-699 points

F:    less than 600 points

§  In the professional world, if you can’t show up on time and make your deadlines, you won’t keep your job. Assignments must be completed on time in the format specified.

§  Reading assignments are to be completed by the day they are assigned.

§  Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date.

§  Each page of each assignment must be clearly labeled with your name, the assignment, the date, the page number and the total number of pages.

§  Spelling and grammar count. Grades will be reduced for spelling and grammar errors.

§  Lectures and class activities are intended to complement (not duplicate) text information.

§  Course quizzes and exams rely heavily on the text.

§  You are responsible for keeping all handouts and graded assignments.

§  If my recorded grade differs from yours, the only way to get your grade changed is to show the grade marked (or the grade sheet I completed) on the assignment.

§  You must complete all assigned speeches in order to pass the course.

In the professional world, if you can’t show up on time and make your deadlines, you won’t keep your job. Assignments must be completed on time in the format specified. The only accepted excuses for late work or missed presentations or exams are noted in the attendance policy. No exceptions. Plan ahead.

Because abundant lecturing tends to be counterproductive for both the students and the instructor, I try to include activities that are more interesting than straight lecture, such as discussions, critiques, hand-on application of what we are learning, etc. The success of this format depends on your willingness to actively participate in class discussions and other activities.

Attendance and participation are critical to your success. Another way to describe this is professionalism. Professionalism means that you’re here, ready to engage in new opportunities. You are expected to arrive on time, be prepared, actively participate, and stay for the full class period. If you miss class, you miss the chance to participate in your education and the education of others in class. If you miss class without an acceptable excuse you get a zero for that day’s participation and class work and any work that is due.

The acceptable excuses are: the death of a family member, personal illness, required attendance at an official school function, and verifiable emergency. You must notify me before you miss a class, except when an emergency happens on the way to class. If an emergency happens on the way to class, you must notify me on the same day. If I cannot be reached, leave a voice mail. My phone number is (940) 397-4375.

If you fail to notify me before missing a class you will receive a zero for work due and/or performed during that class unless it is a verifiable emergency.

Your illness must be serious to be excused. Thus, you must see a medical practitioner and get a signed note on official stationary from your doctor or the student health clinic.

For an official school function, you must present a signed note before missing class. The note must be on official school stationary, and it must be signed by the appropriate university official. If you do not have a signed note on official school stationary, you will receive a zero for the work due or that you missed.

For a death in the family, you must notify the instructor before missing class. When you return, you must give the instructor a copy of the program for the funeral. If you do not have a copy of the program, you will receive a zero for the work due or that you missed.

If you have an emergency, you must provide documentation to me, such as an accident report or towing bill. If you do not have documentation, you will receive a zero for the work due or that you missed.

When you have an acceptable excuse, you are responsible for finding out what you missed and arranging to make it up with the instructor. Missed work must be made up within one week of when your return to class, or you will receive a zero.

If you miss more than two classes, or if you are habitually late or leave early, your final grade may be lowered by 1/3 letter grade for each instance beyond two absences. Three tardies = one absence.  Five minutes or more late = one tardy. Twenty minutes or more late = one absence. Leaving before class is dismissed = one absence. If you have difficulty with the attendance and participation (professionalism) requirement, you may be dropped from the class.

I reserve the right to determine what, exactly, constitutes an excused absence or when a late arrival is excusable.

Some additional guidelines:

• You are responsible for all material presented in every class period, whether present or not.
• If you miss a class period you should obtain the material presented from another classmate. (I will not repeat lecture material that was missed. Handouts are available from my office.)

• No cell phones, headphones, music, computer games, nor texting/IMing/e-mail/camera devices of any description are to be used during class: ZERO TOLERANCE. This means all aforementioned devices (and presently unknown versions of such) are to be turned off and out of your sight and mine.  This policy is based on my view that these things are distracting, hence counterproductive to the learning goals in this course.  Violation of this policy will be considered a conduct issue and an extremely bad plan. If your phone rings during class I reserve the right to answer it. If you feel compelled to send a text during class, I reserve the right to complete the text before sending it.
• Students are expected to adhere to the Standards of Conduct as published in the Student Handbook. Students should refer to the current MSU student handbook and activities calendar for University policies and Student Honor Creed on academic dishonesty, class attendance, student’s rights, and activities.

a.     The main statement from the MSU Student Honor Creed should be a guiding principal for you: “As an MSU student, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal, or help anyone else to do so.”

b.     I reserve the right to drop any student with an F if he/she engages in any form of academic dishonesty.  I further reserve the right to recommend other sanctions as may be appropriate.  Students are also encouraged to consult the following sources for additional discussion of students’ rights and responsibilities regarding cheating, attendance and general conduct:

                                                        i.     The MSU Student Honor Creed

                                                      ii.     2010-2012 MSU Undergraduate Catalog

                                                     iii.     2011-2012 MSU Student Handbook

c.     In addition, the university requires faculty to provide this statement to all students: “By enrolling in this course, the student expressly grants MSU a “limited right” in all intellectual property created by the student for the purpose of this course.  The “limited right” shall include but shall not be limited to the right to reproduce the student’s work product in order to verify originality and authenticity, and educational purposes.”

• On the Internet, plagiarism is especially easy. DO NOT give in to the temptation to copy-and-paste other people’s work! YOUR WORK MUST BE YOUR OWN. If you plagiarize as a professional and get found out, you will damage if not destroy your own reputation and do great harm to the reputation of any organization you work for. In this class, plagiarism will have dire consequences.