Course Name: COM 1010: Speech Communication
Instructor: Pamela Thielman
Instructor Email: [email protected]
Course Description:
This course provides training and practice in the preparation and delivery of original speeches, encourages the use of clear language, develops students’ awareness of intellectual and ethical aspects of communication, and promotes critical thinking and academic research.
Learning Objectives:
This course is designed to acquaint students with the theory and practice of basic speech communication skills. The focus of the course is on extemporaneous public speaking, with particular emphasis on the speaking situations and genres that students are likely to encounter. Along with formal speeches, the course incorporates other forms of oral and written communication throughout the semester.
In this course, students will:
- Understand and use communication theories related to public speaking
- Appreciate the various ethical concerns involved when one develops and presents a public speech
- Research topics for speeches using traditional and new media methods and sources
- Determine situational and audience needs and constraints when developing and delivering speeches
- Organize and deliver speech presentations on informative and persuasive topics through preparation outlines and speaking outlines
- Understand how to design and use presentation aids
- Understand and produce constructive criticism of public speeches, including their classmates’ speeches
Required Readings:
This is a ZTC (Zero Textbook Cost) course. We will use the following as our textbook: Exploring Public Speaking. GALILEO Open Learning Materials.
All materials will be provided via the course website.
Attendance Policy:
Given the focus of this course on live oral communication, class attendance is critical. However, in recognition that circumstances may not always work in favor of perfect attendance, the policy for this course is intended to be flexible (within reason).
During the semester, you may have an excused absence. Reasons for excused absence include, but are not limited to illness, bereavement, and legal obligation. The final decision on whether an absence is excused rests with me.
If you know in advance you’ll have an excused absence, you must inform me as soon as you can so we can plan around it. If your excused absence was not foreseeable, you should inform me as soon as you are able. Any work missed during an excused absence may be made up for full credit, although more than two absences may impact your ability to get an ‘A’ in the course.
Unexcused absences, though strongly discouraged, are sometimes unavoidable. Any student with more than one excused absence will be required to meet with me in order to determine if they will be allowed to make up any missed work. Excessive absence will impact your ability to pass the course.
If you are absent on a speech day, it is up to you to contact me to request a make-up. Provided your absence is excused, I will try to help you find a way to deliver one such speech. After that, you may not be allowed to deliver speeches outside of the assigned day/time. Speeches not delivered in class when scheduled because of unexcused absence will receive a grade of 0.
If you test positive for Covid, do not email me your test results—excuses will only be arranged through the office of the Dean of Students. You must follow Baruch’s testing and reporting protocols as outlined here: https://forward.baruch.cuny.edu/reporting-and-managing-covid-19-cases/
Grading Policy:
- 15% Introduction Speech
- 15% Informative Speech
- 20% Persuasive Speech
- 15% Group Presentation
- 10% Homework
- 10% Quizzes
- 15% Participation
You will receive feedback on all major assignments, sometimes in person and sometimes in the Brightspace grade center. That feedback will explain the evaluation and highlight steps for future improvement. All speeches will be evaluated using a rubric. If, after reading your feedback and consulting the rubric, you have questions about the grade, please wait 24 hours to review and consider the feedback before asking me to discuss it.
Any concerns, disagreements, or complaints about a grade must first be addressed with me. Complaints or concerns that are brought to the Department of Communication Studies will be returned without further action if you have not first made a genuine attempt to resolve the issue with me and been unable to do so in a satisfactory manner.
Academic Honesty:
Learning involves the pursuit of truth, which cannot happen if you present someone else’s work as your own. For further information, see this online plagiarism tutorial prepared by the Newman Library faculty. Or ask me! Ignorance is not an acceptable excuse for unacceptable practices. If you violate the precepts of academic integrity, you may receive a zero for the assignment and your name will be forwarded to the Office of the Dean of Students, which may assess sanctions up to and including suspension or expulsion.
Regarding Peer-Sharing Websites: It is a violation of Baruch’s academic integrity policy to upload to peer-sharing websites (such as Course Hero). This is true for work that you complete (assignments, speech outlines, etc) because it is collusion in an act that undermines the college’s educational mission and your own intellectual growth. It also applies to the materials that I share with you (assignment guidelines, rubrics, and even this syllabus), because these are my intellectual property. If your work for this class, or my materials uploaded by you, is identified on such sites, it may be treated as a violation of academic integrity policy and sanctioned accordingly.
Regarding AI: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is strictly prohibited for all coursework and assignments unless I give you permission in writing. This includes, but is not limited to, the use of AI-generated text, speech, or images, as well as the use of AI tools or software to complete any portion of a project or assignment. Violations of this policy will result in disciplinary action, up to and including a failing grade for the assignment or course. Our goal is to learn effective communication, and to practice sharing meaning with other humans. The use of AI detracts from this objective. Students are expected to use their own knowledge, research and analysis to complete coursework.
Classroom Expectations:
I ask that when you enter the classroom or meet with me or your classmates, you observe the following rules:
- Arrive on time. We will need all the time available to us to prepare and present speeches. If you are unavoidably delayed (for example, on the subway), please enter quietly and jump right into the work we’re doing. On speech days, you may be required to stay outside the door until there is a break in the speeches.
- Arrive ready to work. Completing the homework is essential to having productive class sessions. Class meetings are working sessions; if you don’t keep up with the readings and assignments you won’t be able to do the class work. You should also make sure to have pen and paper on hand.
- Bring the necessary materials. You may be asked to bring in a printed assignment for classroom activities. If you do not have access to a printer at home, you can find a list of campus resources for printing on the BCTC website.
- No food in class. Please eat before you arrive. Since classes are devoted to skill building and speech development, food will only get in the way. You may have drinks in class.
- Put your phone away. Having a phone within reach is just too tempting for most of us, so please keep your phone inside your bag during class time unless I invite you to use it. And don’t forget to put it on silent!
Please note: This class is designed and scheduled to be fully in-person. Nonetheless, we know that unexpected circumstances can arise and we should be prepared to be flexible. To that end, I ask that you have or plan to get access (within 24 hours) to a desktop or laptop computer (tablets or phones are not sufficient), a web camera (internal or external to your computer), and a reliable internet connection that supports live video and audio.