COURSE DESCRIPTION: As described in the Discourse Guidebook, DISC 109 "will emphasize the nature and management of public speaking" (Kopperud, 2000, p. 7).  This course will give you practical experience in the preparation and delivery of extemporaneous speeches, as well as an increased understanding of related communication topics such as listening, persuasion, and critical thinking.

TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS:
Hamilton, C. (2003). Essentials of public speaking (2nd ed.).  Wadsworth/Thomson Learning: Belmont, CA.

Also required: Discourse Guidebook by J. Kopperud; portfolio folder with pockets; a good quality blank VHS videotape [you must have this tape on each of your formal speaking days]

WEB-BASED MATERIALS: It's always a good idea to regularly check my web page for class updates.  You will find links to study guides, instructions for completing assignments, and other helpful information on this page. You ARE responsible for assignments and materials posted there.  No changes will be posted that require you to perform additional readings or assignments within 24 hours of the class meeting. Not knowing what the requirements are for an assignment because you have not looked at the class web page is NOT A VALID EXCUSE.

CLASS FORMAT: Class meetings will contain a mix of lecture, discussion, activities, and presentations.  You should come to class prepared to thoughtfully discuss and analyze the assigned readings and concepts presented in the lectures.  Because it will be impossible to cover all of the information in the textbook in class, it is important that you read on your own , and ask questions as they arise.

ATTENDANCE, ACTIVITIES, AND PARTICIPATION: While attendance will not be taken in this course per se, we will be incorporating many hands-on activities during our short time together, some of which will require preparation outside of class. These activities will be worth 15% of your final grade, and will include: (a) ungraded impromptu and extemporaneous speaking opportunities; (b) skill-building activities; (c) peer critiques; (d) on-line chapter quizzes; (e) workshop participation; and (f) use of the Oral Communication Center. While each of these activities is only worth a small number of participation points, they can have a strong positive or negative impact on your final grade when added together. Therefore, your attendance and participation in class is important.

In-class activities cannot normally be made up-if you must miss class for a school-sponsored event, it is your responsibility to inform me beforehand, in writing, and to follow-up after you return in order to make-up any missed assignments.  If you miss class due to illness (especially on speech days), this must be verified by a note from the health center or other health facility saying you wre not able to be in class in order to avoid loss of participation or assignment points.  For absences due to other reasonable excuses (as determined by your professor), you must contact your professor before the start of class on that day to receive consideration for partial (reduced) credit for due assignments.

EXAMINATIONS: There will be two exams in this class covering material from the textbooks as well as from lectures and class activities. Each exam is worth 15% of your grade. You are responsible for all material in the textbooks, whether or not it is covered in class. Exams may contain a mix of multiple choice, matching, true-false, and short answer questions. The on-line quizzes that are required above ("activities") will provide a good start to studying for these exams, and should be completed before the exams to which they pertain.

Exams must be taken during the scheduled time period. Typically, only an instructor-approved excuse (e.g., school-sponsored events), received prior to the examination period, will be considered a valid reason for missing exams. If you come to me after missing a test and you haven't contacted me prior to the scheduled exam, you will not be allowed to make up the exam under any circumstances.

ORAL COMMUNICATION CENTER:  The Oral Communication Center (OCC) is a place where students is Discourse 109 can go to receive assistance from a Concordia student consultant on any part of the public speaking process: anxiety reduction or management, delivery, reviewing a tape from class, finding and citing sources, creating or using visual aids, speech structure, topic selection, outline development, creating or using notecards.
See the OCC website for more information.

You are required to use the OCC at least once during this class.  This makes up 10% of your activities and participation points.  It is strongly recommended that you use the OCC early (i.e., for  your first or second speech) so that you are sure to get this credit before all available appointment slots are full (a common risk if you wait until the third speech).  Not using the OCC before all appointment slots are full is NOT a valid excuse for failing to complete this activity, so be sure to get it done early.  In addition, you can receive extra credit for each additional speech for which you use the OCC.

SPEECHES: You will present three formal, graded speeches in this class, each of which must be accompanied by a typed outline on the day you present. The first two speeches will be informative, while the third will be persuasive. Additionally, informal speeches that will allow you additional time to practice speaking in front of an audience (see "Attendance, activities, and participation" above). Peer critiques will also be utilized during speaking days so that you: (1) as the speaker, can get feedback from your peers; and (2) as an audience member, can give feedback to your classmates. Details about each speech will be discussed more in class, and more information can be found on the class webpage.

If you want to switch one of your speaking days with someone else, you must take care of this yourself (i.e., don't come to me on the day of presentations and ask me to let you go the next day), and then both of you must inform me in writing that this change has occurred. If you come to me after missing a speech and you haven't contacted me prior to class time, except under the most rare of circumstances you will not be allowed to make up the speech for a grade. If I do allow you to make up the speech, you may have to do so outside of class time, with an audience that you provide, and the speech itself will be subject to point deductions for being late. All graded speeches must be completed to pass this course.

SPEECH SELF-CRITIQUES: After each of your first two speeches in this class, you will be required to view the videotape of your performances, and write a 1-2 page detailed self-critique of your performance. In these critiques, you will assess (a) what you did well in your speech, (b) what areas still need improvement, and (c) what you will do, specifically, to improve your performance for your next speech. You will need to turn in each critique before the next assigned speech, and both of these critiques must be completed to pass this course. You will not receive feedback from me on a specific speech until you have turned in your critique. Each of these critiques is worth 5% of your grade.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING:  As you might expect, plagiarism and cheating in any form will NOT be tolerated.  Specifically, the speeches, visual aids, analyses, and any other materials that you prepare for this class must be your own original creation, with properly cited sources as necessary.  Work that is found to be plagiarized may result in a failing grade for that assignment or for the entire class, and will be turned over to the academic responsibility board for further action.  Details about what constitutes plagiarism are found in the Concordia College handbook, "Academic Integrity at Concordia College." You are responsible for following the guidelines contained in the handbook even if they are not specifically discussed in class. If you have any question as to what constitutes plagiarism/cheating, ask me (or any of your instructors).  All assignments should contain the following statement from the Handbook on Academic Integrity:

 "I affirm that I have adhered to the college's expectations for integrity in the completion of this assignment."

 _______________________________________________
 Your Name
 

EVALUATION: Your final course grade will be based on:
 

Speech 1: Informative	10%	Examination #1	15%
Speech 2: Informative	15	Examination #2	15
Speech 3: Persuasive	20	Activities and Participation	15
Speech Critiques (2 @ 5% each)	10
		TOTAL	100%

Standard grading cut-offs will be used for all exams and for the final grade, as follows:
 

	100-93%     A	92-90       A-
89-87       B+	86-83          B	82-80       B-
79-77       C+	76-73          C	72-70       C-
69-67       D+	66-63          D	62-60       D-
	59-              F

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This page is maintained by Aileen Buslig, buslig@cord.edu
Updated 3/2/06