SPEECH 191 -- Fundamentals of Speech*
Fall 2008
As a student at
information to students. This is an addendum to the ATC general
syllabus
and is therefore an official part of the course syllabus.
Professor: Dr. W.A. Kelly Huff e-mail address: khuff@athenstech.edu
Web Page URL: http://www.wakh.net/
Check the web page frequently for
information about course schedules, assignments, exams, etc.
Click on “Information for
Students;” then “SPC 191 – Fundamentals of Speech;”
then
“Announcements/Schedules;”
then click on the section for your class.
Course Goal: The goal of this course is to help
students
become better communicators. We intend to teach
students how to speak effectively
in
public. We intend to help students understand why some people are
more effective and others less
effective
as public speakers. In short, we seek to help students become better
speakers and critics of public
communication.
Course Objectives:
1.
The student will understand the need for effective public
speaking skills
in a variety of contexts.
2. The student
will use
research skills in the preparation of speeches.
3. The student
will
practice listening skills.
4. The student
will
learn the vocabulary of public speech.
5. The student
will
practice various types of public speech.
Grade Scale: 90%=A, 80%=B, 70%=C, 60%=D, Below 60=F. (There is no rounding of grades.)
Grading: Two examinations account for 30% of the
grade. Students are responsible for bringing
their own “number 2” pencils
and Scantron® answer sheets that are
available for
purchase in the college bookstore.
Speeches account for 60% of the
grade on
a scale of 100 possible points. The initial speech of
introduction counts
10%, the speech of instruction
counts
15%, the speech of exposition counts 15%, and the speech to persuade
counts 20%. Each speech
will be
assigned minimum and maximum time limits, with a penalty assessed for
violations. The student
will be
penalized five points for each 15-second period the speech goes under
or
over time, which indicates a true
lack of
preparedness. A speech that goes over is just as ill prepared as
one
that goes under time. For
speeches,
the instructor will use critique sheets for grading. Critique
sheets will
be explained in class and may be
seen on
the course web page. Students will be required to complete a
variety
of
in-class assignments including pop quizzes, assignments, and
participation as
an audience
member. In order for public
speaking to take place, there must be an audience. Students must
attend
class
and complete these
assignments.
|
Examination I |
15 percent |
|
Final Examination |
15 percent |
|
Introduction Speech (2-4 minutes) |
10 percent |
|
Instruction or "How-to" Speech (3-5 minutes) |
15 percent |
|
Exposition Speech |
15 percent |
|
Persuasive Speech (5-7 minutes) |
20 percent |
|
Papers, etc. |
10 percent |
Attendance Policy for this course: You are
allowed to be
absent a total of class meetings equivalent to one week’s
classes. For a class that meets
two times
per week over the 10-week term, two absences are
allowed without penalty. Allowable
absences will not be penalized unless the student misses an in-class
assignment, a
speech, or an exam. Excused or
not, an
absence is still an absence on the attendance record. You are
given a week’s worth of sick
leave.
Use it when you need it and don’t waste it frivolously.
For each absence
beyond the
respective limits described above, your final grade will be reduced by
three
points. For short session
summer,
May, and once per week classes, the penalties are doubled. Each
time a
student is late to class or leaves
class early
will count as one-half an absence. Two of these in any
combination count as one absence.
For
each partial absence over the limit, i.e. a tardy, 1.5 points will be
deducted from the final grade.
You will be assigned speech and
examination times in advance. DO NOT miss an exam or
speech. The
instructor, through a random
assignment
of speaker position numbers, will determine speech times. The
speech times will be posted on
the course
web page. When your time comes, you must complete the
speech and/or exam or forfeit the
grade
with zero (F). If you are absent or tardy, you may under
some
conditions be able to make up an
exam or
speech, but you cannot make up for not being in class and
the absence counts on your
attendance
record – even if the excuse is accepted. If you know in advance
that
you will be taking one of your
allowable
absences for an important reason, then inform the professor right
away
in
person and in writing and arrangements can be made. You
may NOT
exchange speaking times
with other students without the
written
permission of the professor. There is just one exception to the
zero
ruling. Makeup tests or
speeches
are only allowable if the professor is informed in advance that the
student
is missing for a valid
reason. IF
the student provides a valid medical excuse for an illness as outlined
below, the exam may be made
up.
However, the exam will not be multiple choice,
but
will be in written
form using a bluebook. In the case of illness, the student, prior to returning
to class,
will also be required to
present a valid doctor’s excuse
and
a written explanation from the student to the professor.
The
professor is
the final authority on the
validity and
acceptance of an excuse. Excused or not, an absence is still an
absence on the
record.
No studying for other classes
during
this class will be tolerated. Due to the nature of this class,
there will
be many class meetings devoted
not only
to your speeches, but also to the speeches of others. You are
expected to participate as an
audience
member and you cannot do that if you are reading or studying.
Violators will be asked to leave
class
and will be counted absent for the day. As part of your class
participation, you are also
expected to
make comments and ask questions about things you saw or heard
during the speeches of
others.
Written Work: Outlines, Sources and Visual Aids:
All written work must be typed or word-processed on 8.5 by
11 inch white paper using
one-inch
margins on the top, bottom, and sides. Each of the three major
speeches will require a typed
formal
outline due on the day of the speech. Problems with computers
(“it
ate
my outline”) are not acceptable
excuses for failure to turn in an outline. Failure to turn in the
outline
when
it is your turn to speak will
result in
your automatic failure on the speech without exception; no outline
means no speech and a grade of
zero. If the outline is handed in but not typed, a 10-point
penalty will
be
assessed on the speech. The
outline
must follow the example that will be given to you by the
instructor.
The outline will constitute part
of the
grade, so it must be well done.
Each speech will also require
research. At least three sources of credibility will
always be
required –
sometimes more – depending on
your
topic and purpose. You may use as many sources beyond three as
you like, but at least two
must be
old-fashioned library sources and may not be Internet sources.
You must
document the sources in
proper APA
or MLA style. You will find examples of APA documentation on the
web page. A uniform point
penalty
will be assessed for violations. Five points will be taken off
for each
source under the limit, with a
maximum
penalty of 15 points. These sources will be typed and handed in
with the outline. Failure
to type
the sources will result in a five-point penalty. Poorly
documented
sources
are not acceptable and 5 points
will be
deducted for each under three with a maximum of 15 total points.
Some speeches require visual
aids.
Failure to comply will result in a minimum automatic 15-point grade
reduction. A visual aid
must be
well thought out and be integral to the speech. Some examples of
what not
to do: Hastily writing
something on
a piece of paper to show the class; Hanging a picture on the wall while
you speak; Laying an object on
the table;
Visuals that cannot be seen adequately by the instructor, etc.
These examples and similar
instances
would still result in a 15-point penalty. The visual aid must be
pertinent to, and integrated
into, the
speech and must be done effectively. An age-old trick is waiting
to
introduce the visual aids at the
end so
that the student can stall to meet minimum time limits. Under
such
circumstances, the instructor
will end
the timing of the speech at the point of transgression and will deduct
points for failure to integrate
appropriately the visual aids into the body of the speech. Visual
aid
guidelines may be found on the
web page.
To summarize:
|
No outline |
Automatic zero grade for speech |
|
Untyped outline |
10 point penalty |
|
Untyped sources |
5 point penalty |
|
No visual aid |
15 point penalty |
|
Inadequate visual aid |
Penalty depends on extent of inadequacy; 15 point maximum |
|
Inadequate sources and/or poorly documented sources |
5-point penalty for each under three with a 15 point maximum |
|
Overtime/Undertime Speech |
5-point penalty every 15 seconds |
Make-Up Work:
Public speech presentations and examinations are clearly
scheduled on the
web page.
Students must give speeches and
take
examinations on the assigned day. Students who miss a speech or
examination must inform the
instructor by
phone and/or e-mail as soon as possible before the class meets
and upon returning to class must
present
a bona fide written reason to the instructor (i.e. written letter to
the
instructor and valid
medical excuse). This is covered under the same policies
that
govern final exams; for
example, serious illness,* a
college-sponsored event that is documented in writing and in advance,** or
a death in one’s immediate
family.*** For any of these reasons, the student must notify the
instructor in
advance of the absence and then
later
present his/her case to the instructor in person and in written
form.
An unexcused absence results in a
grade
of zero. Remember, students cannot make up in-class
assignments
regardless the reason for the
absence.
* Illness:
The
student must contact the instructor prior to the exam or
assignment. If
the student is unable
to do so, have a friend or family
member
do so. (Note: Under most circumstances the make-up must be
scheduled prior to the next class
period
or within the same week of the exam or assignment. Students may
not take a makeup without an
official
medical excuse presented to validate.) A doctor, physician’s
assistant,
or a nurse practitioner will
write that
note if you ask. If you don’t ask, it is unlikely they
will
do so. The note
does not have to say why you
can’t
attend class, just that you are not fit for attending class.
NOTE: A nurse CANNOT and
WILL NOT
fill out the plan of care /instructions. Thus you must
request seeing someone other than
a
nurse. Without a note from your doctor stating that you were
too
sick to attend the exam, you will
receive
a ZERO for that speech and/or exam. Excused or not, an
absence
is still an absence on the
attendance
record. That is why you are given a week’s worth of sick
leave. Use
it when you need it and don’t
waste
it frivolously.
** College-sponsored event:
The student must submit a written request to the instructor prior to
the
event and must complete
arrangements to
make up the speech or exam in advance.
*** Family death:
Students must contact the instructor prior to the exam or
assignment. The
college
typically verifies that the student
must miss
class because of a family death. At the very least, send an e-
mail message to the instructor as
soon as
possible.
Classroom courtesy:
Students are expected to support this class with
good
attendance, punctuality, attentiveness, and respect for
other students and the professor. Attendance
in class
is mandatory.
No private conversations are allowed during
class.
We will have polite class discussions with no rude arguing.
Violators will be asked to leave, counted absent,
and must
meet with the instructor prior to attending future class
meetings. Upon any other conduct deemed by the
professor as disruptive to the class, the student will be asked
to leave for the day and will receive an unexcused
absence. On the second such occurrence, the student will be
referred to the Vice President for Student
Development
Services and asked to “show cause” as to why he/she
should be allowed to continue with the class.
All phones, beepers,
pagers, radios,
etc. must be turned off before class begins and will remain off and
packed away
throughout
class. No headphones will be allowed during
class. You
will not even be allowed to touch or look at a phone or other
electronic
devices during an exam or quiz. You will put
such
items away so that no one, including yourself, can see the phone or
other
device.
Cheating has never
been
tolerated, but using electronic equipment to do so has taken cheating
to a
whole new level. Anyone
possessing a phone or other electronic device that
goes off
or is used during class will be asked to leave and will be counted as
absent,
regardless of what point the transgression occurs in
the
class meeting -- beginning, middle, or end. If it goes off during
an exam
or quiz, the student will turn in the exam or quiz
at that
point and it will be graded -- finished or not.
If you come in late on the day of an exam, you
have only
until the last person who came on time turns in
his/her exam to finish yours.
Arrive on time and leave on
time.
During a speech in progress, no one will be allowed to enter the
classroom. If you are late, wait outside until
the
speaker is finished. Failure to comply will result in a 10-
point penalty on your own grade for that round of
speeches.
No one will go to anyone else about a problem
with the
class, instructor, or other students without first
meeting with the instructor. Failure to follow
the
first or any other step in the hierarchy will result in
forfeiture of any rights to an appeal.
Special Notes:
You must fill out and sign the last page of this
syllabus, and return it to the professor when you receive it,
or you will be assigned a zero for the final
grade.
Not receiving a syllabus will not be accepted as an
excuse, since the syllabus will be available to all
students
during the first week of class meetings.
Students who have a need for special
accommodations due
to any type of disability should notify the
instructor in writing within (depending on the
session) the
equivalent of the first two weeks of the class.
Academic dishonesty penalties and definitions are adhered to as outlined in the Student Handbook.
Course Schedule/Calendar/Assignments: Posted and
updated
on the course web page at http://www.wakh.net/
.
Click on “Information for Students;” then
“ATC 191 -- Fundamentals of Speech;” then
“Announcements/Schedules;” then click on the
section for your class.