Communications

SYLLABUS
Tulsa Community College, Summer 2009

Course: SPE 1113, Speech Communication I, Section 304, Call #51619
Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00 – 11:50 am

TO CONTACT YOUR INSTRUCTOR: TO CONTACT THE DIVISION OFC.
Dr. Jane Varmecky Judy Leads, Associate Dean
Office SE 7118 Division Name: Communications
Phone: 595-7633 Office: SE 1202
e-mail: jvarmecky@tulsacc.edu Phone: 595-7694

OFFICE HOURS

I can meet with students individually before and after class and by appointment.

PREREQUISITES FOR THIS COURSE
None

COURSE DESCRIPTION
SPE 1113, Speech Communication I, is an introductory course in oral communication; emphasis is on improving applied communication skills. Special attention is given to critical thinking skills and the anatomy of the communication process: audience analysis, research, organization, logic, ethical use of evidence, delivery, and listening. Required for B.A. and B.S. degrees in most professional majors; i.e. Business, Law, Education, Medicine, and English. Lecture – 3 hours. No Laboratory.

NEXT COURSE IN SEQUENCE
SPE 2213, Speech Communication II

TEXTBOOK
Lucas, Stephen E. The Art of Public Speaking. 9th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Textbook and supplies may be purchased at the TCC Bookstore.

GENERAL EDUCATION GOAL STATEMENT
The General Education Goals are designed to ensure that graduates of
Tulsa Community College have skills, knowledge, and attitudes to carry
them successfully through their work and their personal lives.
General Education Goals relevant to this class include critical thinking
and effective communication.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
Speech Communication I is designed to give students an opportunity to participate in public speaking situations while fulfilling a general education requirement of most Professional majors. The goal is not perfection; it is improvement in oral communication at a comfort level leading to success. The course study includes several expected learner outcomes.
• To demonstrate communication effectiveness in interpersonal interaction, small group interaction, public speaking presentations, and persuasive situations
• To demonstrate the basic skills and the concepts of effective organization, preparation, and delivery of informative speeches, persuasive speeches, and
group discussion assignments
• To demonstrate effectiveness in interpersonal communication through small
group interaction and dyadic relationships
• To recognize anxiety as a given in any speaking situation, to learn to control
it, and to use it to your advantage.
• To practice the skill of effectively analyzing a specific audience before communicating to it
• To understand the circular dynamics of any communication situation
• To improve active listening skills
• To apply the ethical responsibilities of a speaker when doing research and giving credit to sources used
• To sharpen critical thinking skills
• To explore non-verbal communication’s place and value in effective communication
• To evaluate constructively speeches of self and classmates
• To apply various visual aids
• To learn to talk to an audience, rather than read to them or present memorized material
• To increase awareness concerning the vital role effective communication
plays in our social, business, and personal relationships

TEACHING METHODS
Lecture, individual instruction, class discussion, group activities, recorded examples, and film clips will be utilized as teaching methods in this course.

EVALUATION TECHNIQUES
Grades will be determined according to the following scale: 100%-90% = A,
89%-80% = B, 79% – 70% = C, 69%-60% = D, 59%-0% = F. All work to receive a
grade will be assigned points. Accumulated points will be converted to percentages. Percentages are not rounded up.

Speeches will be evaluated in writing on a detailed speech evaluation form that
will be explained to you before your first speaking assignment that is to receive
a grade.

Every Thursday, exercises utilizing Blackboard will be assigned. They will be due on the Tuesday following the Thursday they were assigned. You must attend class the Tuesday the assignment is due or you will not receive credit for the assignment.

There will be a mid-term examination on Blackboard and one final written exam on Blackboard during finals week. Students will have more than one day to complete their mid-term and final examination in the event they need to schedule time to use the computers in the TCC computer lab to take their tests.

ATTENDANCE
Attendance is extremely important in this class since it is primarily a performance class. Please plan to attend every session. Three hours or the equivalent of one two hour and fifty minute class is the maximum acceptable allowance. Additional missed time will result in a grade penalty. Whenever a student misses class, the student is responsible for ALL material covered, handouts, and assignments given for the day. Do not ask me to provide you with the information covered in class or handouts provided in class if you are absent. Identify one or two fellow students that you can contact in the event you do miss class, so you can receive your materials and stay up-to-date.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS AND MAKE-UP POLICY
No make-up time for speaking assignments will be guaranteed. If a make-up should be allowed for speeches, the speech grade will receive a penalty of one grade level and only a verifiable emergency will constitute a legitimate reason for a student missing their assigned speech. This policy is for students who are scheduled to present a speech and do not attend class that day. This does not apply to situations in which a student knows ahead of time that an alternative date needs to be arranged for a speech presentation and follows through with this with the instructor. There is no need for make-up tests because the test will be completed on Blackboard and there will be several days to complete each of them. All work including your outline must be turned in the day of your scheduled speech.

Verifiable Emergency
Absences over and above the one allowed will be excused only under the following circumstances:
• Absence while ill and under a doctor’s care (written documentation required).
• Absence due to participation in an authorized college activity (written documentation required).
• Absence due to attendance at legal proceedings requiring your presence (advance
notification and written documentation required).
• Absence due to the death or serious illness of an immediate family member (written
documentation required).
An excused absence is one in which the absence is beyond your control. For example, the time of a checkup or a dental appointment CAN BE controlled. Absences will not be excused in which you have to take somebody else to the doctor, hospital, dentist, court, etc. All written documentation of absences is due the day you return to class.

WITHDRAWAL AND INCOMPLETES
If you stop attending and do not withdraw from class, you will receive an “F” as your
final grade for the course. Friday, July 10, 2009 is the last day that you can withdraw and still receive a “W” or change your grade from Credit to Audit.

An AW or ”I” will only be assigned when a genuine, documented emergency prevents a student from completing a class and/or withdrawing before the deadline, at least 70% of the and only when the student is earning a satisfactory C or better grade.

COMMUNICATIONS
Email: All TCC students receive a designated “MyTCC” email address (ex: jane_doe@mail.tulsacc.edu). All communications about TCC are sent to your MyTCC email address; and you must use YTCC email to send e0mail to, and receive e-mail from, the instructor regarding this course. Please e-mail me when you need to get in touch with me at: jvarmecky@tulsacc.edu Please check your MyTCC e-mail often so that you don’t miss out on information you need. Some students forward their MyTCC e-mail to their private e-mail which works very well for staying informed.

Inclement Weather: TCC rarely closes. If extreme weather conditions or emergency situations arise, TCC always gives cancellation n notices and television stations. This information is also posted in the TCC website (www.tulsacc.edu).

If I determine that I cannot travel to TCC due to weather or emergency conditions, I will post a notice on the Blackboard site for this site by 8:00 p.m. the night before class meets. Be sure to check Blackboard Announcements for this class if you are wondering if I am going to cancel class for emergency or serious weather reasons. If I do cancel class, you will receive an assignment to be completed online using Blackboard and it will be due the next time the class meets.

GENERAL EDUCAITON GOALS: General Education courses at TCC ensure that our graduates gain skills, knowledge, and abilities that comprise a common foundation for their higher education and a backdrop for their work and personal lives. TCC’s General Education goals are: Critical /Thinking, Effective Communication, Engaged Learning, and Technological Proficiency.

CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE: Open and mutually respectful communication of varied opinions, beliefs, and perspectives during classroom or online discussion encourages the free exchange of ideas that is essential to higher learning and to the ability to learn from each other. Part of your grade will be based on listening attentively to your fellow students’ speeches. You are also expected to pay attention during class discussions and lectures. All electronic devices such as cell phones and pagers must be turned off before entering the classroom. No text messaging during class is allowed.

SYLLABUS CHANGES: Occasionally, changes to the syllabus may be necessary. Students will be notified of any changes to the syllabus in writing.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: Students with documented disabilities are provided academic accommodations through the disabled Student Resource Center (918.595-7115) or Resource Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (918.595.7428/TDD-TTY 918.595-7434). If any student is in need of academic accommodations from either office, it is the student’s responsibility to advise the instructor so an appropriate referral can be made no later than the first week of class. Students may also contact the disABLED Student Services Offices directly at the telephone numbers indicated. ACADEMIC ACCOMODATIONS WILL NOT BE PROVIDED UNLESS
APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED TO THE DISABLED STUDENT
SERVICES OFFICES TO SUPPORT THE NEED.

COMPUTER SERVICES ACCEPTABLE USE
Access to computing resources is a privilege granted to all TCC faculty, staff,
and students. Use of TCC computing resources is limited to purposes related
to the College’s mission of education, research, and community service. Student
use of technology is governed by the Computer Services Acceptable Use
Statements/Standards found in the TCC Student Code of Conduct Policy Handbook.
These handbooks may be obtained by contacting any Student Activities or Dean
of Student Services office. These guidelines cover your use of any TCC computers
in any computer labs, language centers, communications/ writing centers, and
computer-equipped classrooms.

FORMAT FOR COURSE WORK
All speech assignments must be typed, using a word processing program. Handwritten work will not be accepted. This includes the outline you turn in when you present your major speeches.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Academic dishonesty (cheating) is defined as the deception of others about one’s own work or about the work of another. Academic dishonesty or misconduct is not condoned or tolerated at campuses with in the Tulsa Community College system. Tulsa Community College adopts a policy delegating certain forms of authority for disciplinary action to the faculty. Such disciplinary actions delegated to the faculty include, but are not limited to, the dismissal of disrespectful or disorderly students from classes. In the case of academic dishonesty a faculty member may:

• Require the student to redo an assignment or test, or require the student to complete a substitute assignment or test;
• Record a ”zero” for the assignment or test in question;
• Recommend to the student that the student withdraw from the class, or administratively
• Withdraw the student from the class;
• Record a grade of “F” for the student at the end of the semester. Faculty may request that disciplinary action be taken against a student at the administrative level by submitting such a request to the Dean of Student Services.

INSTITUTIONAL STATEMENT
Each student is responsible for being aware of the information contained in the TCC
Catalog, TCC Student Handbook, TCC Student Code of Conduct Policy Handbook, and semester information listed in the Class Schedule. All information may be viewed on the TCC website: http://www.tulsacc.edu

CLASS PROCEDURES
No chewing gum while giving a speech.
No hat on while giving a speech.
Be attentive and courteous while others are giving speeches. Being a respectful,
active listener is as important to your grade as giving quality speeches. Speech class
should become a family in which each member gives positive support to others.
Being attentive and courteous as a member of the audience will have a positive
impact on your grade for the class.
Being late to class is inexcusable but if you are running late, do come to class
but be courteous. Look in the classroom and if a classmate is giving a
speech, wait to enter until he or she is finished.
Do not talk or text when the professor is talking or when fellow students are presenting. You will be dismissed from class if you violate this rule.

VISUAL AIDS POLICY
Do not bring firearms, weapons, alcoholic beverages, live animals, drugs,
reptiles or birds as visual aids. If you have any question as to the
appropriateness of a visual aid, consult me prior to your presentation for
clarification.

SPEECH TOPICS
We will discuss speech topics in class. I will approve all speech topics. Exercise judgment in selecting topics for speeches. Remember that audience analysis is required of each speech assignment.