Public Speaking
Comm 1110-B (CRN 383)
Spring 2022 TTh 2-3:15
p.m., Room: Academic 214
Professor: Peter Boltz, Ph.D.
E-mail: pboltz@gordonstate.edu
Website: faculty.gordonstate.edu/pboltz/
Office: Academic 103-C.
Office Phone: 678-359-5257
Office Hours: MW
8 a.m. to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., 1-2 p.m.; T 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Course Description: This course will provide an introduction to the basics of effective
speaking. This includes the basics of writing and outlining a speech and the
basics of speech delivery.
Course Objectives: By the end of the semester
you will
-- be able to gather
supporting material from legitimate sources such as the virtual library GALILEO
or a physical
library like the one on Gordon’s campus;
-- be able to structure
informative and persuasive speeches into an introduction, body and conclusion
form;
-- be able to write an outline
and all its different elements like a specific purpose and central idea;
-- and be able to recognize
and avoid academic dishonesty.
Textbook:
The Art of Public Speaking,
Stephen Lucas, 13th ed.
GRADED ASSIGNMENTS:
Exams:
A midterm exam and a final exam will be given, testing your knowledge of
the concepts and information in the text and from the lectures.
Speeches:
You will be required to give three (3) speeches during the course of this
semester. Your performance will be
rated according to criteria learned in lecture and exercises.
Speeches will be timed and must be 4 to 6 minutes long.
Speech Outlines:
These are required twice: first draft and the final outline that accompanies a
video of your speech delivery.
Quizzes:
You can expect to be quizzed on every assigned chapter.
Attendance:
Your attendance grade is based on the
following formula: (number of absences + half of tardies)/total number of class
meetings.
REGULATIONS
1. Outlines:
All outlines will be graded against professional and collegiate standards
and will be submitted in paper form by end of class on the due date.
2. Late Work: I do not accept late work.
3.
Academic Dishonesty:
This includes but is not exclusively plagiarism and cheating. The penalty
for this offense is failure of the assignment, of the course and/or further
prosecution by the college. Ignorance is not a defense.
4. Emailing:
I encourage students to write me and send me questions or concerns or, at times,
assignments. You should use Gordon’s email system, and not the D2L email system.
I check my email on a regular basis, but this does not guarantee immediate or a
timely response.
5.
Consultations: Grades are private and protected by the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act. I will discuss your grades only with you and
in private.
6.
Keeping Track of Your Grade: I do not
keep a running average of your semester grade. All of your graded assignments
are returned to you, so you can calculate your own average at any time.
7.
I reserve the right to adjust this syllabus any time during the
session. Students will be consulted and informed of changes during class
periods.
8. If you need academic accommodations for a
disability, you need to make an appointment with student counseling. The
number for that office is 678-359-5585.
9. Cell phones and other
electronic devices must be silenced and put out of sight during quizzes and
exams. Failure to do so may lead to a zero on the quiz or exam. You may be
asked to put your phone away if it interrupts class work other than quizzes and
exams. You may lose attendance points for cell phone distractions.
10.
Scantrons. You are required
to purchase two packets of 12 Scantrons from the campus bookstore for use in
this class for quizzes and exams.
GRADE WEIGHTS
Informative Speech outline (draft for review)
1.5 percent
Informative Speech final outline and delivery
13.5 percent
Persuasive Speech outline (draft for review)
1.5 percent
Persuasive Speech final outline and delivery
13.5 percent
Impromptu Speech delivery
5 percent
Attendance
10 percent
Quizzes (average of all quizzes)
15 percent
Midterm exam
20 percent
Final Exam
20 percent
POINT/GRADE
DISTRIBUTION
90-100
A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
<60
F
GRADING FOR TIME
<1:30 or > 8:30 = 0 pts.
<2 or > 8 = 1 pt.
2 or 8 = 2 pts.
2:15 or 7:45 = 3 pts.
2:30 or 7:30 = 4 pts.
2:45 or 7:15 = 5 pts.
3 or 7 = 6 pts.
3:15 or 6:45 = 7 pts.
3:30 or 6:30 = 8 pts.
3:45 or 6:15 = 9 pts.
4 or 6 = 10 pts.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Week 1
Jan. 11
Overview of Course: not about you, your family or friends.
Jan. 13
Plagiarism. Sources. Outlining. Delivery. Structure. Writing. Deadlines.
Length of speeches. Exercises. See Chapter 2 Ethics, pp. 34-38 on plagiarism.
Gordon Academic Catalog pp. 71-72, 325-326.
Week 2
Jan. 18
Chapter 15, Speaking to Inform.
Jan. 20
More on informative speeches.
Week 3
Jan. 25
Chapter 5, Selecting a Topic and Purpose.
Jan. 27
Chapter 7, Gathering Materials.
Week 4
Feb. 1
Chapter 8, Supporting Your Ideas.
Feb. 3
Chapter 14, Using Visual Aids.
Plagiarism and other academic dishonesties.
Week 5
Feb. 8
Chapter 9, Organizing the Body of the Speech.
Chapter 10, Beginning and Ending the Speech.
Feb. 10
Writing the bibliography and the outline. More on academic dishonesty.
Week 6
Feb. 15
Chapter 11, Outlining the Speech.
Feb. 17
Informative Speech outline due. Speaking exercise.
Week 7
Feb. 22, 24
Review Informative Speech outlines.
Week 8
Mar. 1
Midterm Exam. (Mar. 3 is the last
day to drop without failing.)
Mar. 3
Go over midterm.
Week 9
Mar. 8, 10
Delivery of
Informative Speech.
Week 10
Mar. 14-18
Spring Break.
Week 11
Mar. 22, 24 Chapter
16, Speaking to Persuade.
Week 12
Mar. 29, 31
Chapter 17, Methods of Persuasion.
Week 13
Apr. 5 More on persuasive speaking.
Apr. 7
Persuasive Speech outline due. Speaking exercise.
Expectations for the Persuasive Speech.
Week 14
Apr. 12, 14
Review Persuasive Speech Outlines.
Week 15
Apr. 19, 21
Delivery of Persuasive speeches.
Week 16
Apr. 26, 28
Impromptu speeches.
Final exam
May 3, 3:00 p.m.
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