Communication and Journalism 130: Public Speaking
General Syllabus
Welcome to C&J 130ÑPublic Speaking! We are excited to help you learn to become a more confident and competent speaker. The following syllabus has been designed to acquaint you with the minimum requirements of this course as well as explain university and departmental policies. Your individual instructor will provide you with a detailed syllabus, which will further expand upon the text, presentations, and assignments you will be expected to complete.
Location of C & J
The Department of Communication and Journalism is located on the corner of Yale and Central. The building can be accessed through two main entrances located on the North side of the building off of Redondo. Please consult your campus map for further directions.
Course Description
A performance course that deals with the analysis, preparation, and presentation of speeches. The purpose of this course is (1) to develop skills in presentational speaking appropriate to a variety of communication contexts; (2) to become more comfortable communicating in all kinds of life situations; and (3) to develop the capacity to analyze and evaluate the presentations of others as well as to evaluate your own.
General Course Objectives
Public Speaking Core Requirements (minimum):
Instructor Requirements
Requirements and content will vary with each individual instructor. Please consult the detailed syllabus provided by your instructor. The detailed syllabus will explain which text you will be required to purchase; the types and content of the presentations you will be expected to give; how your presentations and skills will be evaluated; the class policies such as attendance, late work, and tardiness that you will be expected to follow; and a schedule for readings, assignments, and presentations.
University and Department Policies
Academic Dishonesty
According to UNM policy, academic dishonesty is defined as but not limited to "dishonesty in quizzes, tests or assignments; claiming credit for work not done or done by others; hindering the academic work of other students; misrepresenting academic or professional qualifications within or without the University; and nondisclosure or misrepresentation in filling out applications or other University records." You must do original work and properly cite all sources. Original work does NOT include reusing a speech someone else has written for another section or during a previous semester nor does it allow for Internet-generated speeches. If you are suspected or found to be in violation of this policy, severe sanctions may be imposed. These sanctions may include being assigned an F for the assignment or for the entire course, filing a formal complaint with the university, and being expelled from the university. Please consult your UNM Pathfinder for more information.
Ethics
The course emphasizes ethical practices and perspectives. Above all, students and instructors should strive to communicate and act, both in class interactions and in assigned coursework, in a manner directed by personal integrity, honesty, and respect for self and others. Included in this focus is the need for academic honesty by students as stated by the UNM Pathfinder. Students need to do original work and properly cite sources. For example, be aware of plagiarismÑdirectly copying more than 3 or 4 words from another author without quoting (not just citing) the author is plagiarism. Further, course content will encourage the ethical practices and analysis of presentational speaking.
Diversity
This course encourages different perspectives related to such factors as gender, race, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and other relevant cultural identities. This course seeks to foster understanding and inclusiveness related to such diverse perspectives and ways of communicating.
Withdrawal
Please consult your course catalog for withdrawal and refund deadlines. Students may withdraw from a course during the first six weeks of the semester without Dean approval and the withdrawal (W) will not be noted on your academic record. However, withdrawals initiated after the sixth week of class will be subject to grades of W/P (passing grade at time of withdrawal) or W/F (failing grade at time of withdrawal). The grade of W/F will be calculated as a failing grade in the student's grade point average. When students leave the University during a semester and do not complete the withdrawal process, they become liable for grades of "F" in their courses, even though they may have been passing at the time of leaving.
Students should also be aware that their instructors may drop them from a course for various reasons. You may be dropped as early as the first day of class if there are many students waiting to get into the sectionÑso if you need to be absent in the first week, be sure to notify your instructor that you want to remain in the class.
Incompletes
A grade of Incomplete is given only when circumstances beyond the studentÕs control have prevented completion of the work of a course within the official dates of a semester or session. Students are responsible for making arrangements with the instructor for resolving an incomplete grade. If you receive an incomplete, you must complete the work by the published ending date of the next semester or the grade will automatically turn to an F.
ADA Accessibility: Qualified students with disabilities needing appropriate academic adjustments should contact me as soon as possible to ensure your needs are met in a timely manner. Handouts are available in alternative accessible formats upon request.
Special Needs
Your instructor cannot help you, however, unless he or she is aware of any disability and you are working with SSS or LSS. All disclosures will be kept confidential. However, if you choose not to disclose your disability and you do poorly on an assignment, the instructor cannot go back and adjust your grade or make accommodations for you. Thus, it is in your best interest to establish an open dialogue with your instructor as soon as the semester begins.
Core Requirement
Public Speaking is a core university requirement, and in order to receive credit a student must pass the course with a grade of C or higher. Earning a C- or lower will necessitate repeating the course.
Academic Disputes
If you find you have a disagreement or dispute with your instructor over grades or other matters, you should first try to resolve the grievance informally by discussing the grievance with the instructor as soon as reasonably possible. If you and the instructor cannot reach an agreement, you should then contact the course supervisor for C&J 130. The detailed syllabus your instructor will provide should identify the name and contact information for the Public Speaking course supervisor. If, after talking to your instructor and the course supervisor, the situation is still unresolved, please contact the chairperson of the Department of Communication and Journalism. The department chair will meet with you (in most cases) only after you have met with your instructor and the course supervisor prior to contacting him or her. If the matter still persists, you will be referred to the Dean of Arts and Sciences.
Grading Scale
Individual instructors may adjust this grading scale; however pluses and minuses will be assigned for all letter grades, excluding failures. Remember, you must earn a C in order to receive credit for this course.
100-98 % A+ 89-88 % B+ 79-78 % C+ 69-68 % D+ 59 ↓ F
97-94 % A 87-84 % B 77-74 % C 67-64 % D
93-90 % A- 83-80 % B- 73-70 % C- 63-60 % D-
Grading Standards
An ÔAÕ presentation
² Responds fully to the assignment
-follows all directions
-fulfills all of the objectives & often goes beyond the objectives
² Expresses the assignments purpose clearly & persuasively
-information provided is always connected to the purpose of the presentation/relevance is shown
² Attends to the structure & style of the presentation
-extreme attention is paid to organization, content, delivery, style etcÉ
-each method is the best or the most effective one
² Indicates synthesis of material & directs attention to the depth of analysis
-presentation goes beyond the mere recitation of facts, ideas etc.
-comparisons are made, relationships are analyzed, material is evaluated
-analysis goes beyond the superficial level
² Contains a concise & coherent thesis, commitment statement or theme
-presentation is focused around central ideas or themes
² Provides ample support, sources, examples, & details
-all ideas are supported by evidence, examples, personal experiences etc.
-the support is credible & accessible
² Is well planned & unified
-flow of presentation is smooth
-presentation is focused & hangs together well
² Attends to delivery elements
-all aspects of the delivery are considered, evaluated & the best strategies are used
-visual aids are appropriate, purposeful, & aesthetic
² Is free of grammatical, word choice, & format errors
² Maintains a level of excellence throughout the presentation & shows originality & creativity in all aspects of the presentation
The ÔBÕ Presentation
Includes & accomplishes all of the guidelines set forth in the A presentation, but shows less originality and creativity. The B presentation includes a few relatively minor errors or flaws. Less thought is put into each aspect of the speech. An evaluator can determine a better way to have accomplished a particular objective. However, the presentation still satisfies all of the conditions in a solid & competent way.
The ÔCÕ Presentation
Includes all or most of the conditions set forth in the A presentation and accomplishes them in a satisfactory or minimum way. The C speech contains either many minor flaws or one or two serious errors. A C presentation can be really creative, but those qualities do not make up for poor or careless presentation and/or organization. A C presentation resembles a semi-prepared presentation.
The ÔDÕ Presentation
Fails to include some of the elements needed for an A presentation. The presentation is incomplete. It contains many serious & minor errors/flaws. A D presentation shows little or no originality and or creativity. This type of presentation is unprepared & inadequate.
The ÔFÕ Presentation
Fails to include most of the guidelines set forth in the A presentation or else is not completed at all (earns a score of 0). This presentation is appallingly incomplete & inadequate. The F presentation lacks everything- content, creativity, organization, etc. & it contains numerous major & minor flaws/errors.
Reminders
² Grades cannot be based on effort. Teachers cannot measure time or energy expended; only outcomes can be gauged. If you work hard at something & do not achieve the desired outcomes, a teacher cannot give you the grade you want or the higher grade because of your effort.
² Grades cannot be assigned because a student needs/wants a particular grade. If you desire the A, you will need to fulfill the conditions needed to earn an A.
² Grades are based on announced standards. Therefore, consideration of grade fairness must center on the application of those standards to student work, instead of comparisons to other studentÕs work.
² Generally, teachers are more experienced at assessing student work than the students themselves.
² Teachers, on average, are objective and are not out to ÒnailÓ their students. Most teachers want to give their students the highest grade possible & the benefit of the doubt.
² Students are entitled to emotional reactions to assessment of their work; however these expressions should occur in private, NOT public.
² Any discussion of grades should be impartial, unemotional, and characterized by mutual respect, courtesy, & professionalism.
Student/Instructor Bill of Rights
As a student you are entitled É
To have a Instructor who is prepared, knowledgeable and organized
To have access to your Instructor
To be given clear directions and assignments
To have your work evaluated and returned to you in a timely manner
To be treated with respect
To be listened to
To feel safe
As an instructor, I am entitled toÉ
To be treated with respect
To have students who are prepared, attentive, and participate
To have students who listen and follow directions
To have students who put effort into each assignment
To have students who respect one another
Resources
Please consult your instructor about the citation of sources and other matters of formatting. The following You may find the following Internet sources helpful.
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Web address |
Good For |
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Helps you create common types of APA citations |
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Has frequently asked questions and helps you formulate a reference list |
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http://beadsland.com/weapas or http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite6.html
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Create references for ONLINE data |
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