COM 205 Syllabus
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        COM 205 Syllabus

        Textbook

        Hybels, Saundra, & Richard L. Weaver. Communicating effectively. 5th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998.



        Course Description and Objectives

        This course will provide a broad overview of oral communication with specific applications in the contexts of personal relationships, group communication and public speaking. This class will serve to combine both theoretical and practical applications of communication. By the end of this class you should be able to:

          1. define basic concepts from the field of oral communication.
          2. be a contributing member of a problem-solving group.
          3. research and logically arrange information in the form of a speaking outline.
          4. recognize and deliver informative and persuasive speeches.
          5. apply interpersonal communication theory in a personal relationship.
          6. be better consumers of the messages that you hear every day.



        Course Policies:

        1. Attendance: Attendance is required at each class meeting. Since we have so few opportunities to meet, your attendance and participation are crucial each week. Since the class meets only eight times, you will receive 10 points for each class session you are present. An additional 20 points will be given for in-class participation. Thus your grade for attendance and participation will be 100 points.

        2. Late work: No late assignments will be accepted unless you either notify me in advance of an absence or make arrangements with me for make-up work before the next class session. The only exception will be for the assignments delayed if your textbook is late in arriving, in which case your assignments are due ASAP at no penalty. One day of the module will be devoted to delivering speeches. If you must be absent on that day, your speech will be penalized 10 points. If you do not notify me of your absence in advance, it will be viewed as an irreparable loss and you will forfeit all points for the assignment. View your speaking date as an unbreakable commitment.

        3. Academic dishonesty: All scholastic dishonesty is unacceptable. Scholastic dishonesty includes cheating on exams, turning in reports and term papers as one’s own when they are not, lying, stealing exams and other work, allowing other students to copy one’s work in order to meet a grade requirement for a course, and plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined as passing off another’s ideas as your own. Copying or summarizing another’s ideas in written or oral report must be correctly attributed to the source. Any of these aforementioned offenses warrant academic discipline, including the revocation of a grade or the most severe penalty allowed by the college for a repeat offense. In other words, just do your own work!



        Grading Procedure:

        Your final grade will be composed of the following assignments:


                  Attendance & Participation-100
                  Introductory speech-25
                  Informative speech-100
                  Group persuasive presentation-100
                  One minute speeches-100
                  Speaking outlines-25
                  Chapter outlines-100
                  Interpersonal Journal-50
                  Final Examination-50
                  Self critique paper-50
                  Total possible points-700

                  A = 630 to 700 points
                  B = 560 to 629 points
                  C = 490 to 559 points
                  D = 420 to 489 points
                  F = 0 to 419 points



        Assignment Descriptions:

        1. Introductory speech: During our first meeting, you will be asked to speak briefly and tell us a little about yourself. You will receive twenty five points just for having the courage to give it a shot!

        2. Informative speech: This speech will be your only major solo speaking effort. This speech will serve to inform the audience about a topic by either defining an idea for the purpose of understanding or demonstrating a concept or process for the purpose of duplication. This speech is worth 100 points and should be 3 to 5 minutes in length.

        3. Group persuasive presentation: The group presentation will also double as your introduction to persuasive speaking. The focus of this speech will be to change the attitudes and actions of your audience on a particular topic. This will primarily be accomplished through advancing and supporting a policy claim. The model on page 246 will be used as an exemplar for organizing your group effort. This group exercise is worth 100 points and should be 5 to 15 minutes long.

        4. One minute speeches: These speeches are modeled after the one minute speeches that take place during morning business on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Congress uses these speeches to speak on any subject they wish. Your one minute speeches will provide a similar opportunity . . . to speak on any subject you desire for approximately one minute. These speeches will take place on any class day when a major speech is not scheduled and will be announced in advance. These mini-speeches are an opportunity for you to feel more comfortable speaking before the class and are worth a total of 100 points.

        5. Speaking outlines: After the two major speeches, you will be required to turn in an outline of your speech as well as a pertinent bibliographic reference page. These will be worth ten points each with an additional five point agenda requirement for the group presentation.

        6Chapter outlines: To assure that you have prepared for each class session by reading the assigned textbook material, you will be responsible for outlining the chapters before the class period in which we cover them. The outline should not be a re-recording of what is in the book, but should be a synthesis of material that you create both during and after your reading. Each outline is worth 20 points.

        7. Interpersonal “journal”: During the week after the lecture and class discussion on interpersonal communication, you will be keeping a journal for one week that describes your interpersonal contacts from the week in light of the principles and ideas presented in class. This is worth 50 points.

        8. Self critique paper: Part of the goal of this course is to assist you in analyzing your own abilities to communicate. To help facilitate this goal, you will write a one to two page paper highlighting what you perceive to be strengths and weaknesses of your informative speech, after viewing a taped version thereof. A guideline for this paper will be provided in class. This assignment must be typed and is worth 50 points. You will need to provide a VHS video tape.



        Tentative Course Schedule:

        8/26

          Introduction to class; Communication basics (ch. 1, 2)

        9/2
          Verbal and nonverbal communication (ch. 4, 5)

        9/9
          Interpersonal communication; Listening (ch. 3, 6, 7)

        9/16
          Communicating in small groups (ch. 8, 9)

        9/23
          Introduction to public speaking (ch. 10, 11)

        9/30
          Delivery; Informative speaking (ch. 12, 13, 14)

        10/7
          Deliver informative speeches; Persuasion (ch. 15)

        10/14
          Deliver group persuasive presentations; Final




        References for Further Study


        Although this list is in no way inclusive, these texts are worth a closer look to enhance and broaden your understanding of the study of speech communication.


        Arnold, Elizabeth, and Kathleen Boggs. Interpersonal Relationships: Professional Communication Skills for Nurses. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1989.

        Bormann, Ernest G., and Nancy C. Bormann. Effective Small Group Communication. 5th ed. Edina: Burgess Publishing, 1992.

        Devito, Joseph A. The Interpersonal Communication Book. 8th ed. New York: Longman, 1998.

        Freeley, Austin J. Argumentation and Debate: Critical Thinking for Reasoned Decision Making. 9th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1996.

        Griffin, Em. A First Look at Communication Theory. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.

        Gronbeck, Bruce E., Raymie E. McKerrow, Douglas Ehninger, and Alan H. Monroe. Principles and Types of Speech Communication. 13th ed. New York: Longman, 1997.

        Herrick, James A. The History and Theory of Rhetoric. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1998.

        McCroskey, James C. An Introduction to Rhetorical Communication. 7th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1997.

        Miller, Calvin. The Empowered Communicator. Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1994.

        Noonan, Peggy. Simply Speaking. New York: Regan Books, 1998.

        Powers, John H. Public Speaking: The Lively Art. New York: Harper Collins, 1994.

        Scott, Michael D., and Steven R. Brydon. Dimensions of Communication: An Introduction. Mountain View: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1997.

        Trenholm, Sarah. Thinking Through Communication. 2nd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999.