Welcome

I am really glad you are here. My best guess is that fewer of you are happy about being here than not, and many of you are apprehensive (at best) with the idea of spending a semester speaking in front of other students . . . and me. However, (he said convincingly) this can really be a fun experience if we frame it so. Keep in mind that as adults participating in and headed toward higher education, you will be leaders in your chosen career fields and will subsequently be expected to make presentations. Some of the ways this course can help you include the following:

  1. Increasing your overall self-confidence as well as confidence in your ability to speak in public.
  2. Increasing your ability to have a better understanding of persuasive messages which will in turn allow you to process them critically and subsequently make objective decisions related to such messages.
  3. Satisfying the G.E. requirement for public speaking.

One of my personal objectives while facilitating this course is to help create a positive, cooperative, safe, collaborative, and friendly communication environment. It is much easier to perform in front of an audience that you have established a degree of trust for, through experiential learning. I want you to succeed. As long as you are doing more work than I am,I will assist you in any way I can to do so.

Scott Kirchner, AKA Cap’n bob

Name: / Scott Kirchner
Email: /
Office Hours: / To be Announced

Course Outcomes:

This course will give you the opportunity to develop the skills needed to convey meaning effectively in a public setting. Through your participation in lecture, class discussion, activities, and speeches, you will be able to:

  • organize and deliver informative speeches.
  • organize and deliver persuasive discourse designed to convince or actuate an audience.
  • research and critically evaluate information to create informed responses to issues and problems.
  • defend claims with appropriate evidence.
  • manage personal communication apprehension in public speaking situations.
  • analyze and identify factors that contribute to effective design, development, and delivery of speeches.
  • design messages that adapt to target audiences in order to maximize communication effectiveness.
  • produce messages extemporaneously.

Course Requirements and Responsibilities

Required Text:Sprague, Jo, and Douglas Stuart, David Bodary. The Speaker’s Handbook. 10th ed. Belmont: Thomson-Wadsworth. 2013.

Other Required Materials:E-mail account, the ability to access it, and the means to print required materials from my website for class. One 2 gig SD card and the ability to read the card and play it back on MPEG-2 format. (Depending on the deal you can find, a 2 gig SD memory card w/ USB reader can cost between $10 and $25). Five (5) Scantron 882 forms for quizzes. In addition, you may need to supply materials for visual aids.

Cap’n Bob’s Website

One of your first tasks of the semester is to visit my website, here is the web address: On the site, locate the link to the page for this specific course (Binder Content for Introduction to Public Speaking). On this page, you will find a number of assignments to print out, including a checklist of the assignments. Print all of the assignments out, and place them in a 3 ring binder with the checklist in front. The checklist will effectively act as a table of contents. This task needs to be accomplished prior to the second week of class. There are 100 points associated with bringing the completed binder to class to the second class session. It is your responsibility to have a complete set of these assignments, and bring them to class every class session. If you do not bring the needed assignments to class, you will not get credit for the assignment/activity performed during the corresponding class period. I recommend that you accomplish this task as soon as possible to avoid the inevitable catastrophe that ensues at the 11th hour (last minute) when your computer crashes. For those students who do not have personal computers with printers, there are resources on campus at your disposal as registered students.

Presentations (200 pts.):

Note: If you don’t bring your memory card and/or full sentence outlines on speech day, you can not give your speech on that day.The primary outcome of this course is to develop your public speaking skills and since practice is the key to success, we will take advantage of every opportunity to engage in public address. We will create and deliver six speeches over the course of the semester (source requirements and time limits are approximations). The first is a quick speech of introduction (1-2 minutes). The second speech is the demonstration speech in which you show us how to complete a process (5 minutes, you can use a copy of your outline when you speak, no visual aids or citations required). The third is the informative speech to impart knowledge to the audience (3 sources, 2 visual aids using at least two mediums,no more than 3 – 3” X 5” cards, 5 minutes). Fourth, the persuasive speech provides an opportunity to influence the thoughts, emotions, or behavior of the audience (4 sources, 3 visual aids using at least two mediums, no more than 3- 3” X 5” cards, 7 minutes). The fifth speech is an impromptu speech (1 - 2 minutes). Finally, on the last day of class we will have an intercultural potluck where you will have the opportunity to provide food for us from a culture that you identify with and tell us why you identify with that culture (1-2 minutes). I will provide detailed information on each of these speeches we move through the semester. In regards to time limits, be aware that your grade will be reduced 5% every 30 seconds, or a portion thereof, for violating time limits(Tough Love Policy). In addition, not meeting or exceeding the time limits will affect the overall quality of your speech, which inevitably reflects in the final grade. The only way to make sure that you do not violate time limits is through practice, practice, practice, so please factor this into your preparation time.

SPEECH TOPICS

To encourage creativity, and so I won’t lose my mind by listening to the same topics every semester the following topics are off limits: anti-smoking, drunk driving, recycling (go green), exercise (healthy lifestyle), organic food, safe sex, and legalize pot; oh yeah . . . and the Titanic.

General Criteria for Grading Presentations:

The average speech (grade C) will meet the following criteria:

1. Conform to the assignment requirements.

2. Prepare the presentation for the assigned date.

3. Deliver the speech within the specified time limit.

4. Construct a clear central idea, and an identifiable introduction, body and conclusion.

5. Show evidence of practice through reasonable competence in delivery.

6. Use and cite the minimum amount of sources required.

The above average speech (grade B) will meet the above criteria plus:

1. Interest the audience in the topic.

2. Fulfill all major functions of a speech introduction, body and conclusion.

3. Display clear organization, and support main points with adequate evidence.

4. Use transitions and signposts to assist flow and organization.

5. Deliver with relative freedom from notes and achieve good audience contact.

  1. Incorporate additional research (more than the minimum amount of sources required).

The superior speech (grade A) will meet the above criteria plus:

1. Make a genuine contribution to the knowledge, beliefs, and entertainment of the audience.

2. Develop high degrees of ethos, pathos, and logos to create sincere interest and feeling among the audience members.

3. Employ a solid organizational structure.

4. Use vivid language and delivered in a polished manner.

Reference: NCA Assessment Guidelines with minor revisions.

Speech Dates:

Prior to each round of speeches, I will assign speech dates. You may switch your date with another member of the class as long as you provide written documentation of the change signed by both parties at least one week prior to your assigned speech date. If you are ill or have an emergency on your speech date, please contact me before class begins.It is your responsibility to contact me if you miss your speech date. We will reschedule your presentation only if you can provide a legitimate, supportable, written excuse. Without a legitimate excuse, I will add your name to the “makeup list.” If we have time at some point during the remainder of the semester, I will ask you to give your speech and you must have your preparation outline, presentation aids, and be ready to deliver the speech at that moment. If you are not prepared, you will not receive credit for the assignment. Be aware that as we get closer to the end of the semester, there will be less time available to make up speeches and there will be no opportunity to complete a missed speech assignment once we have finished persuasive speeches. There is a 50% deduction for makeup speeches without a legitimate, supportable, written excuse. If we get to the end of the semester and you need to make up two or more speeches, you will be allowed to make up only one of the speeches, and only if the above conditions are met.The three major speeches: Demonstration, Informative, & Persuasive must be performed to pass this course.

Outlines (130 pts):

The demonstration, informative, and persuasive speeches each require a full sentence preparation outline, not printed back to back. On a date scheduled on the course calendar and prior to beginning the round of speeches (please check your course calendar) a typewritten first draft of your preparation outline is due. I will accept late first draft outlines, but only to provide any requested feedback. Late first draft outlines will not receive any points for the assignment. On the day of your speech, the typewritten, full sentence preparation outline, with sources listed in APA format, is due prior to giving your speech. Your first draft outline cannot serve as your final draft outline. Please attach your first draft (with my comments), as well as any supporting documents, to this final outline. If you do not provide your first draft outline, you will not be able to give your speech and will have to perform at a later date, if time allows. Additionally, the informative and persuasive speeches must be delivered extemporaneously from speaking notes or cards with key words and phrases (I allow for three 3 X 5 cards for notes). Failure to turn in your speaking notes upon the completion of your presentation, or turning in speaking notes that mirrorthe preparation outline, will result in a 10% deductionof your speech grade. In the event that you do not have your preparation outline on the day of your scheduled speech for me to review while evaluating your speech, you will not give your speech and I will add your name to the makeup list.

Readings & Quizzes (100 pts.):

I will assign chapters for homework throughout the semester. Please complete the reading by the assigned dates and come prepared to use what you have read. Quizzes consist of information covered in the textbook and in classroom instruction. There are fivescheduledquizzes during the course of the semester, each worth25 points. You will need a Scantron 882 for each of the 5 quizzes. I will drop your lowest grade of the five quizzes from your total points.Please record your grade for each quiz in the space provided on this syllabus. It is your job to keep track of your running grade throughout the semester. There are no make-ups for missed quizzes without a doctor’s note and an arrangement made with me in advance. .Note: I reserve the right to give “pop” quizzes.

Performance Feedback (150 pts.):

Since the ultimate measure of your success in any presentation depends on how well the target audience receives your message, feedback from audience members is vital if you are to obtain a comprehensive view of your speaking ability. Additionally, while providing constructive criticism to the speaker, you gain a complimentary perspective of the criteria involved in making an effective presentation. Offering a critique of a performance also gives you the opportunity to hone your critical thinking and impromptu speaking skills. For all of these reasons, you are responsible for completing 12 classmate evaluations (5 points each) and 3 self-evaluations (30 points each). I will provide the evaluation forms for you to use while evaluating a speech. To receive credit for each evaluation your written comments must be significant, specific, objective, constructive, supportive, and use complete sentences. If you miss one of the two days reserved for each of the major speeches, you will only be allowed to evaluate two of your peers, thus missing 10 points (2 X 5). Your self-evaluation is a two page, typed essay in which you delineate and discuss your strengths in preparing and performing your speech, areas you need improve for your next speech assignment, and strategies you will employ to achieve your objectives. Your ability to evaluate your performance will be supported by a review of the video of the speech by yourself and one of your colleagues at the same time. Your colleague must sign off on the evaluation that she/he watched and discussed the performance with you. In- class peer evaluations are due on the second speech day of each major speech type. Self-evaluations are due the class period following your speech. You will not receive your speech grade until you turn in your self-evaluation essay. NOTE: As a rule, I do not give extensive written feedback on your performance evaluations. For those students who are interested, I am willing to give as much feedback as you want if you want to meet with me during my office hours.

Attendance:

Since this is a performance course, regular attendance is important and expected. As consistent with the college catalog, you may be dropped from the course for excessive absences at my discretion. I see excessive absences as any more than 6% of the total class hours for the semester. This includes missing any class sessions during the first two weeks of class. As resources are reduced in the academic community, competition for classroom seats will increase. Please see my add/drop policy. Students who exceed the allowable absences after the drop date will receive an “F” for the semester grade. Excused absence are defined as “those for personal illness, illness or death in the family, pregnancy related occurrences, field trips, athletic events, co-curricular activities or other school business.” If your absence meets one of these criteria, you must provide written verification to me on the day you return to class. Please note that “excused” or not, at a certain point, absences result in the student not being in class enough to effectively reach the objectives defined in the course catalog. Subsequently, if I choose to not drop you after the 6% absence mark, missing 10% absence will result in reduction of 1 semester letter grade, and 15% will result in a “fail” for the course.In addition, the catalog also states that “[t]he student is responsible for notifying the professor in advance of such absences when possible and is always responsible for any work missed.” Tardiness is disruptive, so please be on time. I generally take attendance at the beginning of class. If you come in late, it is your responsibility to inform me that you are present. Though it is the student’s responsibility to keep track of their attendance along the way, upon request, I will compare my records with yours. Note: I consider 3 tardies to equal one absence. Tardy is indicated by not being in the classroom, in your seat at the exact time class begins. In addition, I have purposefully built activities that have point value into the course on days where the syllabus does not specifically indicate quizzes, speeches, etc. This is to encourage students to attend class regularly. Note: I will as a matter of course implement the above policy unless students provide for me what I consider to be a good reason not to do so. Please keep me informed if there are extenuating circumstances that may affect your attendance.

Participation Activities(70 pts.):

You may demonstrate your commitment to the class through specific behaviors that include arriving to class on time and remaining for the entire period, participating in discussion, and completing in-class activities. The in-class activities are assigned points included in your participation grade. Generally, it is impossible to makeup any missed activities since the completion of an activity depends upon my lecture and your cooperation with other students in the class. Participation in the course also includes respecting class members by listening to what they have to say. While a person is speaking, please do not interrupt, hold side conversations with your neighbor, catch up on your sleep, shuffle papers, put books or supplies away, or do work for another class.On the days of scheduled presentations, we will close the door promptly at the beginning of class. Please wait for the end of the speech, indicated by applause, to enter the classroom.