Course Syllabus

Fayetteville State University

College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Performing and Fine Arts

I. LOCATOR INFORMATION

Semester: Spring 2005

Course No.: SPEE310

Course Name: Public Speaking Hrs: 3

Instructor: Dr. Todd S. Frobish

Office Location: BU267 Phone: 672-1206

Office Hours: M-R 12-2 Email:

II. COURSE DESCRIPTION:

A study of the principles of effective public communication, focusing on speech preparation and design, audience analysis, and speech presentation in a variety of public situations.
Prerequisite: Speech 200 or consent of instructor.

III. TEXTBOOK:

Carpenter, R. (1990). Choosing Powerful Words: Eloquence that Works. 3ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Perlman, A. (1998). Writing Great Speeches: Professional Techniques You Can Use. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

IV. SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the course, students should have

1. Gained a more encompassing appreciation for communication as an academic study.

2. Gained the skills, experience, and self-confidence for speaking in public settings, including a thorough technological competence for multimedia presentations.

3. Learned and be able to apply class concepts to real-world situations

4.  Learned the influence they wield in society through their communication behaviors and the factors that influence them in return.

Having taken SPEE200, you will be expected to apply the knowledge and skills already gained from that class and move beyond that training to develop your own unique speaking style. You will be challenged to dive into the world of public speaking and practice your skills in a new set of situations. Furthermore, you will be expected to learn how to become more critical as you listen to yourself and other public speakers.

V. COURSE COMPETENCIES:

INTASC #1 (Knowledge ) The teacher understands the major concepts, assumptions, debates, processes of inquiry and ways of knowing that are central to the discipline he or she teaches.

INTASC #9.4 (Reflection) The teacher is committed to reflection, assessment, and learning as an ongoing process.

INTASC #6.13 NCDPI #6.4 (Technology) The teacher knows how to use a variety of media communication tools, including audiovisual aids and computers, to enrich learning opportunities.

INTASC #3 ( Diversity) The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.

INTASC #10.12, NCDPI #10 (Collaboration) The teacher establishes respectful and productive relationships with diverse home and community situations, and seeks to develop cooperative partnerships in support of learning and well being.

VI. EVALUATION CRITERIA:

Student will be evaluated based upon their performance and effort on all class presentations, essays, quizzes, and examinations. Speeches will be graded according to criteria in class and in writing.

Grading Scale:

92 -100 =A

83 - 91 =B

73 - 82 =C

64 - 72 =D

0 - 63 =F

WN =Withdrawal for NonAttendence

I =Incomplete

Assignments:

Speech Evaluation 1 5%

Speech Evaluation 2 5%

Persuasive Speech 15%

Epideictic Speech 15%

Extemporaneous Speech 15%

Impromptu Speeches (5) 10%

Weekly Quizzes (5) 10%

Personal Report on Oratory 10%

Final Exam 15%

Total 100%

VII. COURSE OUTLINE:

Course Outline:

•  The following schedule may be altered to accommodate class size changes, inclement weather, and so forth. Descriptions of assignments will be forthcoming during class in due time for you to properly prepare.

•  To save trees, keeping this syllabus, assignments, handouts, and notes together in a suitable folder or binder will eliminate the need for extra copies.

Week One / Introduction to SPEE310
- Introductory Speeches
Week Two / Impromptus
New Eloquence
(Perlman 1; Carpenter 1; handout)
Week Three / Impromptus
Style
(Perlman 1, 8)
Week Four / Impromptus
Language Use
(Perlman 9, Carpenter 2, 4)
Speech Evaluation Due
Week Five / Impromptus
Language Use
(Carpenter 5, 6; Perlman 3)
Week Six / Impromptus
Delivery
(Perlman 10; Carpenter Appendix)
Speech Evaluation Due
Week Seven / Speech Workshop
Week Eight /

Persuasive Speeches

Week Nine / Epideictic Oratory
(Perlman 6)
Week Ten / Epideictic Speeches
Week Eleven / Extemporaneous Speaking (Competition Style)
Vertical File Maintenance
Week Twelve / Extemporaneous Speaking (Competition Style)
Vertical File Maintenance
Week Thirteen /

Extemporaneous Speeches

Week Fourteen / Personal Report on Oratory
Week Fifteen / Personal Report on Oratory
Final Exam / TBA

VIII. COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Student Responsibilities: To earn a passing grade in this course, a student must minimally attend 80% of all class meetings, deliver all major speeches and take the final exam. A student who wishes to achieve better than a passing grade should strive to actively participate in class discussions and activities, and show effort, thoughtfulness, and creativity in course assignments. Plagiarism, or using someone else’s intellectual work as one’s own, WILL NOT be tolerated. Plagiarizing will result in the failure for that assignment and may lead to one’s failure of the course!

Etiquette: My personal philosophy as a teacher is that the classroom is not just a place to gain information, but also character. I expect a collegial atmosphere. I will treat you as adults and expect you to act as such. I will not tolerate distractions in the classroom. I reserve the right to excuse any student that I feel is disrupting the class and will, ultimately, drop a student who I feel continually disrupts the class and/or is not showing respect for myself and other students. Among these general concerns, here are some specific items that I expect to be honored:

•  turn off all cell-phones, beepers, or other electronic devices that may interrupt class

•  limit exits only to necessary bathroom visits

•  raise your hand when asking a question or to respond to another

•  use the door when entering the classroom, and shut it quietly

•  stay awake and attentive

•  come to class prepared (having read the material, completed assignments, etc.)

•  talk only on those issues that are relevant to the class and only those that will not be offensive those in the classroom

•  do not smoke or otherwise pretend to smoke anything in class

•  enter quietly and appropriately when coming to class late; if a student is speaking, wait outside until he or she is finished

•  act professionally when speaking in front of the class, meaning:

•  remove all hats and sunglasses when giving speeches

•  take off all jackets

•  do not wear distracting shirts, those with inappropriate logos, colors, or comments

•  do not wear sneakers

•  do not chew gum

•  avoid slang, unless employed strategically

•  do not interrupt others who are speaking

•  do not laugh at students, yawn, make faces, or do anything else that may make other students uncomfortable while they are speaking

•  speech topics and visual aids should be ethical, legal, non-harassing, and appropriate

•  do not waste the teacher’s and the other students’ time by “winging” a speech just to get a grade

•  do not complain about assignments, exercises, or grades, especially during class – make an appropriate attempt to speak with the teacher after class or during office hours

•  do not miss class and assume an oral excuse will suffice.

•  do not miss class and wait a week or longer before speaking to the teacher

•  do communicate with your teacher if you know beforehand that you will miss a class

•  do not assume that assignments will be graded immediately, especially if you hand them in late yourself

•  do keep your own record of absences and grades

•  do not wait until the day before or the day of your speech to tell the teacher you need equipment (tv/vcr/computer/cd/radio)

•  do have a backup plan whenever you plan on using visual/audio aids

•  do take everything in class seriously.

Absences and Make-up Policy:

•  This course is considered a lab. Your attendance is MANDATORY. By not attending class, you are not only hurting yourself, but ALSO putting your peers at a disadvantage since class discussion will suffer and activities will not be as interactive.

•  Being in class means being prepared.

•  Three absences with explanation will be allowed. For each absence after two, this will, upon the discretion of the instructor, result in an administrative withdrawal of the student from the class and a mark of “WN” on that student’s transcript. NOTE: Cutting classes for reasons other than illness or emergency limits your allowed absences for real problems. In other words, don’t cut.

•  Attendance is mandatory on those days when you have signed up to present a speech. Failure to show up on your speech day will result in a reduced grade for that assignment by one full letter grade. Failure to make-up that speech in the next class will result in a grade of zero for that speech. Failure to show up for a test or quiz will require you to make up that test or quiz during my office hours within two school days of the absence. Failure to make up that test or quiz within two school days will result in a grade of zero for that speech. Make-ups for speeches and exams are always as the discretion of the instructor when the absence is unexcused. If you miss a weekly reading quiz, you will not be allowed to make up that quiz.

Tardiness:

Tardiness is annoying and frustrating for both your peers and the instructor. If a student is presenting when you get to class, wait until you hear clapping before you open the door. Otherwise, you may hinder the student’s performance and grade. If you must leave for some reason (bathroom, water, etc.), please do so in a suitable manner. There is no need to ask permission, but keep exits to a minimum. Three tardies will equal one absence.

IX. TEACHING STRATEGIES:

The Public Speaking class is designed to offer the advanced speech student a variety of new information and skills, while reinforcing the knowledge and skills learned in SPEE200. This class embraces multiple approaches to reach that goal, including interpersonal interaction, group activities, student-to-class presentations, discussion, lecture, essay, and examination. Students will have the chance to learn through both theory and practice the importance of public speaking in society and qualities needed to succeed in that endeavor.

X. BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Printed Materials:

Aristotle. (1991). On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse. (G. Kennedy, Trans.). NY: Oxford University Press.

Cicero. (1959). De Oratore. (E. Sutton, & H. Rackham, Trans.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Frobish, T. (2003). Unpublished Manuscript. Crises in American Oratory: A History of Rhetorical Inadequacy.

Frobish, T. (2000). Jamieson Meets Lucas: Pedagogical Models in The Art of Public Speaking. Communication Education, 49, 239-252.

Littlejohn, S. (1996). Theories of Human Communication. 5th Ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

O’Hair, D., Stewart, R., and Rubenstein, H. (2001). A Speaker’s Guidebook: Text and Reference. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.