Course Syllabus

COMM 110:  Effective Speaking

Stacey Bennett, Associate Professor of Communication Studies

BCCC Communication Studies Area Head

Office:  Hicks Art Center 204        

Email:  stacey.bennett@bucks.edu

Phone:  215-968-8141

 Office Hours:   Mon 10:00-12:00 & Tues/Thurs 1:30-3:00

We begin each week on a Wednesday and end the following Tuesday by midnight.

If you find any broken links, please let me know as soon as possible to fix them.

Classroom Resources

• Your textbook is a free Open Educational Resource.  Each chapter is available at the following URL or as a link in your weekly modules:  http://www.publicspeakingproject.org/psvirtualtext.html (Links to an external site.)
• Canvas is your Learning Management Systems that will provide you with all the information for the course. 

Course Description

• This course helps students build confidence in preparing and delivering informative and persuasive speeches.
• Topics include subject selection, audience analysis, research, organization, and use of voice and body in speech delivery.
• This is a performance based course, with the primary emphasis on the ability to deliver an effective speech. 
• Students are required to deliver a minimum of three speeches in a public setting to fulfill course requirements. These speech exercises will serve to demonstrate a student's understanding of theory and the communication learning outcomes. 
• All speeches must be completed in sequence to fulfill the requirements of the course. 

• All speeches MUST have an audience of 6-8 adults and at least two MUST be recorded in a professional location (Informative Speech #2 & Persuasive Speech will have the professional location)
  

Course Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 

• Apply models of the communication process to public speaking;
• Demonstrate an understanding of the speaker and listener ethical responsibilities;
• Practice and prepare various patterns of informative and persuasive speech organization;
• Prepare and deliver various types of speeches;
• Research speech topics and develop and support their ideas; and
• Evaluate the effectiveness of self and peer’s speeches.

 College Syllabus

http://www.bucks.edu/academics/courses/syllabus/?lookup=COMM110 (Links to an external site.)

Evaluation

Your grade in this class will come from the following items.  Below is a brief explanation of major assignments:  Canvas contains detailed requirements and grading rubrics for each assignment with some examples to assist you throughout the course.  

Assignment	Points	Explanation
Informative Speech #1	15%	Four to six minute audience centered speech. You must demonstrate physically how something works or how to do something.  At least two expert sources must be used along with utilizing props. Some topics will not work for this type of speech, such as exercise or sports.  You MUST have an adult audience of 6 to 8. This speech has a 5 pm deadline on the due date indicated.
Informative Speech #2	20%	Five to seven minute speech on a communication topic.  You must choose from a list that will be provided.  At least five expert sources must be used along with utilizing a visual aid.  You must record this speech with at least 6 to 8 audience members in a professional setting.   This speech has a 5 pm deadline on the due date indicated.
Persuasive Speech	25%	Six to eight minute persuasive speech.  At least six expert sources must be used along with a visual aid and extra credit will be received if a PowerPoint is used.  You must record this speech with at least 6 to 8 audience members in a professional setting.  This speech has a 5 pm deadline on the due date indicated.
Information Literacy Assignment	5%	Information literacy is the set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information, those competencies that enable an individual to: Recognize when information is required Determine the extent of information needed Access the needed information effectively and efficiently Evaluate information and its sources critically Incorporate selected information into one's knowledge base Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
Attendance/Participation	35%	Students will participate in a weekly Discussion Forum OR Quiz.  20% for Quizzes and 15% Discussions.    Quizzes are not timed. Below you will be able to review the guidelines and requirements for the discussion boards.

Grading Scale

The following provides students with a breakdown of grades:

A	90-100	Excellent, students demonstrate mastery of the material by going above and beyond the minimum requirements of the course or assignment.
B+	87-89	Very Good.
B	80-86	Good, students demonstrate highly satisfactory achievement of the objectives stated in the course or assignment.
C+	77-79	Above Average.
C	70-76	Average, students demonstrate adequate achievement of the objectives stated in the course or assignment.
D+	67-69	Poor.
D	60-66	Students demonstrate marginal achievement of the objectives stated in the course or assignment.
F	Below 60	Failure, unsatisfactory achievement of the objectives staged in the course or assignment.
I	Incomplete	Students that have been performing acceptable in the course, but a unforeseen circumstance prohibited them from completing all the requirements.  You MUST contact the professor before you are given an incomplete.
W	Withdraw	Withdrawal from course by student within withdrawal period.
AU	Audit	Auditor status, does not earn credit.

Turn Around Times:

• Work is usually graded within 7 to 10 days from the due date.  I do not grade work submitted early until after the due date as stated on the schedule.

Course Rules and Expectations

• Students are expected to read the textbook chapters before they complete weekly assignments as outlined on the course schedule. 
• Students are expected to review all YouTube clips provided in the weekly lectures. 
• Discussion in the weekly forums is required as stated in the evaluation section. 
• Participation must be respectful.  This is non-negotiable. 
• We can have active agreement or disagreement in our course conversations; however, your comments must be directed at the arguments and the analysis that people make, not at individuals.  If you do not adhere to this requirement, points will be deducted from the student’s grade. 
• All communication with the professor and classmates should be professional and appropriate English.  No text speak, proper spelling and grammar is a must.
• Most importantly, be positive.  Your attitude will influence your performance in this class and also your fellow classmates. 
• All assignments must be typed using times new roman, 12pt font, and double spaced and are due at the indicated times. 
• No late assignments will be accepted.
• You should upload all assignments in the appropriate locations.  I will not accept work via email. 
• Check all your speech uploads to make sure everything opens and works properly. 
• Review directions in Canvas to ensure the YouTube speech links are marked as unlisted, but are still view-able by the receiver.
• All documents should be uploaded as one single Word document.  You should check these documents to make sure that these open for the receiver

 Speech Preparation

• Directions for creating and uploading a video of a speech presentation is located in the ‘Recording & Uploading’ link in the Start Module.
• Review all directions for recording and uploading speeches for the course.
• If you have difficulties with recording and uploading speeches, PLEASE go to the Media Lab in the library for assistance.

 Weekly Quiz or Discussion Board Requirements

• Students are expected to complete either a quiz or a discussion board posting on a weekly basis. 
• Each week will differ based on the learning outcomes of the course objectives.
  • Quizzes are not timed, but you need to complete these in one session. 
  • Grading for your Discussion Boards is provided in the Start Here module (review the rubric carefully)

Homework/Course Assignments

• All assignments must be typed using times new roman, 12pt font, and double spaced and are due at the indicated times.  No late assignments will be accepted.  If you have an extreme circumstance that arises when an assignment is due, you must contact me via email concerning the problem and provide me with appropriate documentation to make up an assignment.  This is for circumstances that are not under your control (such as a car accident, a broken limb, a death in the family).  There is no make-up work in this class. 

Communication

The student needs to communicate with the professor in the following manner:

• Email correspondence
• Use your Bucks email account. 
• Put your class in the subject line. 
• Make sure you provide the professor with your first and last name.
• Be professional.  Don’t use text speak.  This means that you MUST use proper English to communicate.  DO NOT begin your email with “Hey.” 
• If you send me an email during regular “business hours” (Monday-Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm), you should anticipate a response within 24-48 hours.  I DO NOT check email on Saturday and twice on Sunday.  Plan accordingly.  
• Phone correspondence
• Leave your first and last name.
• Tell the professor which class you are in. 

 Student’s Responsibility to Retain Course Materials

• Students are always responsible for retaining copies of their own work and /or correspondence, including that posted to a web course page.  Student access to a Bucks County Community College web course space is available only during the stated semester/session as indicated by the College’s academic calendar.  All web course sites, including content, are routinely from the server at the conclusion of each semester/session. 

 Academic Honesty

• Plagiarism and other forms of academic cheating are unacceptable and are considered as MAJOR infractions of the Student Code of Conduct and College Policy and will be dealt with as published in the College Catalog.  The expectation at Bucks County Community College is that the principles of truth and honesty will be rigorously followed in all academic endeavors. This assumes that all work will be done by the person who purports to do the work without unauthorized aids. In addition, when making use of language and some idea not his or her own, whether quoting them directly or paraphrasing them into his or her own words, the student must attribute the source of the material in some standard form, such as naming the source in the text or offering a footnote. (Source: BCCC Catalog, College Policy Regarding Cheating and Plagiarism).

Accessibility Accommodations

• In compliance with the Bucks County Community College policy and equal access laws, appropriate academic accommodations can be made for students eligible for such support.  Students are encouraged to register with the Accessibility Office (215-968-8463) to verify their eligibility for appropriate accommodations. Please speak to your instructor about any requests for academic accommodations or other concerns as early in the semester as possible.