Public Speaking: SPCH 2300-001

East Tennessee State University

Spring 2016
Be the change that you wish to see in the world. ~ Mahatma Gandhi
INSTRUCTOR: Adriane Flanary
OFFICE: Campus Center Building; Room 107
EMAIL: flanarya@etsu.edu (Preferred)
TELEPHONE: (423) 439-6516
OFFICE HOURS: MWF 10:15-11:30 and 12:55-1:40
HANDBOOK: Beebe, S.A. & Beebe, S. J. (2015). A Concise Public Speaking Handbook (4th Ed.). Boston,
MA: Pearson. ISBN 13: 978-0-205-89721-6
OTHER MATERIALS: One Presentation Folder and Index Cards (white, standard size)

COURSE PURPOSE & OVERVIEW:

SPCH 2300, Public Speaking, is an introductory course designed to teach students the skills and fundamentals
needed to perform oral communication effectively. This course emphasizes the study and practice of preparing,
delivering, and analyzing public speeches. Students will improve their skills in research, composition, and
delivery of well-organized speeches. Additionally, students will understand how effective public speaking skills
can enhance various areas of your life.
This is an oral intensive course, which means you must be prepared for class, participate with your classmates
on assignments, and deliver individual presentations.
This course is designed to enable you:
To give students a skills- and knowledge-based understanding of the basic principles of effective public
speaking
To bring awareness to and teach skills that will help reduce communication apprehension
To provide students with a set of guidelines that will enable students to be ethical public speakers
To helps students learn and appreciate the potential for employment and promotion that effective public
speaking skills may provide them
Learning Outcomes:
Analyze an audience and incorporate that information into a speech to maximize the usefulness of the
speech to the audience.
Conduct research for speeches, evaluate the quality of sources of information for bias and credibility,
and incorporate that research into a speech with complete and correct citations.
Write a speech that reflects sound ethical principles.
Present a speech in a polished professional style that maximizes the speakers credibility in a tone that is
appropriate for the topic and type of speech being given.
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Critically evaluate the content in another persons speech with focus on the logical quality, research
support, and delivery presented by the speaker.

COURSE POLICIES (please read these carefully):

D2L AND EMAIL: We will use D2L for this class. Therefore, ALL students must have regular Internet access
to retrieve vital online course material and information. There are computer labs around campus for your
use. Students need to keep up with all announcements and assignments posted to D2L (this is your
responsibility). Ill post ALL grades to D2L so you can keep up with your class grade.
Students are also required to use their ETSU email account for the class. All correspondences will be sent to
this address.
ATTENDANCE AND LATE WORK: Your attendance and participation in this course is crucial! You must
attend class and arrive on time to fully grasp the concepts of each class discussion, class meetings, and
group work. You will not be able to keep up unless you read ALL assignments prior to class. In-class
participation is essential to better understanding the communication arena; therefore, you are expected to
participate in all in-class assignments and activities.
Attendance will be recorded daily at the beginning of class. It is your responsibility to ensure your name is
added to the attendance roster. Please note: Students arriving to class 5 minutes late or more will receive
half an absence; therefore, two tardies equals one absence. You have a total of three absences (excused and
unexcused combined). After that you will receive a 5-point deduction for each absence.
I do NOT accept late work! Foreseeable absences should be arranged with me in advance. Please
submit assignments via D2Ls Dropbox by the end of class on the due date if you are unable to attend. You
will only be allowed to make up a missed presentation or assignment if the absence was unforeseeable,
unpreventable, urgent in nature, necessitated missing class, and for which documentation proving its
occurrence can be provided by a professional relevant to the emergency (e.g. emergency room
physician). You will be given 24 hours to notify me via email following your unforeseeable absence. After
the 24 hour grace period no make ups will be permitted forfeiting all points relevant to that assignment. If
your absence was deemed unforeseeable (this is left up to my discretion), you will be given five school days
to make up presentations or assignments.
SEEKING HELP: Do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or want help to reach your goals for
this course. Im here to help! It is your responsibility to make sure you understand each of the assignments. I
will check my email account multiple times a day. Please allow at least 24-hours for a response. Do not
assume that I received your email. I will always send you a response verifying I received your email. Also,
make sure to sign your name and include the course id (2300-001) to all emails sent. Do not assume I know
who sent the emailI will NOT respond to emails that lack a name and course ID.

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PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism is one of the most frequently encountered forms of academic misconduct on
college and university campuses. ETSU document No. 3.13, dated October 1, 1979, states the University's
official policy on academic misconduct:
"All students in attendance at East Tennessee State University are expected to be honorable. Academic
misconduct will be subject to disciplinary action. Any act of dishonesty in academic work constitutes
academic misconduct. This includes plagiarism, the changing or falsifying of any academic documents
or materials, cheating, and the giving or receiving of unauthorized aid in tests, examinations, or other
assigned school work.
ETSU policy goes on to say:
"Penalties for academic misconduct will vary with the seriousness of the offense and may include, but
are not limited to: a grade of 'F' on the work in question, a grade of 'F' for the course, reprimand,
probation, suspension, and expulsion. For a second academic offense, the penalty is permanent
expulsion."
The ETSU policy explains that plagiarism is frequently the unintentional result of a student's ignorance of what
plagiarism is and how it can be avoided.
You will fail this class if you:
Present the exact words of a source or using large segments of a source without attribution;
Present information, ideas, or facts summarized from a source without giving credit (either orally during
a speech or in writing); or
Submit an assignment obtained from a commercial company or from another student(s)
PROFESSIONALISM: All submitted work MUST contain your name, section number (2300-001), and
needs to be proof read for proper grammar and spelling. If errors in your work override the content of your
message, you will not receive any points for the assignment. Therefore, it is crucial to proof read your work.
CELL PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES: Make sure all cell phones and electronic devices are
turned off before entering the classroom. If you need your cell phone for an emergency, let me know at the
beginning of class and excuse yourself if you must answer it. (This will not be permitted on speech/
presentation days). If your cell phone or electronic device interrupts class (e.g. rings, beeps, or vibrates)
during a speech/presentation, you will lose 2-points from your presentation grade for each offense.
ARRIVING LATE: You will not be permitted to enter the classroom while your fellow classmate is
presenting. If you enter the room during a presentation, you will lose 2-points from your presentation
grade for each offense.

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ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: It is the policy of ETSU to accommodate

students with disabilities, pursuant to federal law, state law and the Universitys commitment to equal
educational access. Any student with a disability who needs accommodations, for example arrangement for
examinations or seating placement, should inform the instructor at the beginning of the course. Faculty
accommodation forms are provided to students through Disability Services in the D.P.Culp center, telephone
439-8346. You must register your disability with ETSUs disability services and request a notice be sent to
me so I can meet your needs for this course. Any grades given before notification will not be changed.

ASSIGNMENTS:
Each assignment must be submitted by the due date regardless of whether or not you attend that class.
Please submit your work via D2Ls Dropbox by the end of class on the due date if you are unable to attend. You
will find a description of each assignment attached. All papers must follow either MLA/APA style, be typed, use
12-point Times News Roman, and stapled. Handwritten assignments will not be accepted!
ASSIGNMENT BREAKDOWN:
Assignment:
Possible Points 750:
Test 1
100
Test 2
100
Speech 1
25
Speech 2
25
Informative Speech
100
Informative Outline
50
Informative Peer Evaluation (2 x 25) 50
Persuasive Speech
100
Persuasive Outline
50
Peer Evaluations (2 x 25)
50
Participation/Attendance
100
GRADING SCALE:
A = 100-93 (750-694)
A- = 92-90
(693-672)
B+ = 89-88 (671-657)
B = 87-83
(656-619)
B- = 82-80
(618-597)
C+ = 79-78 (596-582)
C = 77-73
(581-544)
C- = 72-70
(543-522)
D+ = 69-68 (521-507)
D = 67-60
(506-447)
F = 59-0
(446-0)

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You can verify your current

grade in the course on D2L:
Grades link: Final.

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENTS:
VERBAL CITATION EXTRA CREDIT QUIZ (DUE ON OR BEFORE FRIDAY, MARCH 4 BY 11:59 P.M.
EST): Review PowerPoints located on D2L: Content Verbal Citations Tab then take a bonus quiz on D2L:
Assessment Link. You have unlimited attempts until the deadline to achieve a 10/12 score. 10/12 scores
will be viewed as mastery of content and will be award 10 bonus points. If you do not receive a
minimum of 10/12, you will not receive bonus points (0-points). Scores will be automatically exported to
the gradebook for review and will be updated on Saturday, March 5 to reflect this policy. (Verbal Citation
Quiz Worth 0-10 bonus points)
TEST 1 (FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12): Covers chapters 1-14. (Worth 0-100 points)
SPEECH 1 (WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10; MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17):
Students will be given a topic at the beginning of class with 10-minutes preparation time. This impromptu
speech should be 2-4 minutes in length and does not require an outline or source requirement. Impromptu
speech must contain an introduction, body with transition statements, and conclusion. (Worth 0-25 points)
Classmate Interviews: Wednesday, February 10
Speeches: Monday, February 15 & Wednesday, February 17
SPEECH 2 (MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29 FRIDAY, MARCH 4): Students will be given a topic and preparation
time Monday, February 29. This speech should be 2-4 minutes in length and does not require an outline
or source requirement. This speech must contain an introduction, body with transition statements, and
conclusion. (Worth 0-25 points)
Topic and Preparation: Monday, February 29
Speeches: Wednesday, March 2 - Friday, March 4
INFORMATIVE SPEECH, OUTLINE, & PEER REVIEW (WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 WEDNESDAY, MARCH
30): A researched speech designed to inform the audience about a subject, topic, place, or person (topic
approval required).
TOPIC APPROVAL (WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16): Students will seek approval, sign-up for speech, and
select speech date during class.
INFORMATIVE SPEECH (WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23 - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30): (Worth 0-100 points)
REQUIREMENTS:
o Time Limit: A 4-6 minutes informative speech with a 1-minute question and answer session.
Please note: You will receive a 1-point deduction for every 5 seconds you are under the time
limit. Furthermore, I will stop your presentation after the 30 second grace period (6:30).
o Sources: You are required to cite 3 sources in your outline and verbally during your speech.
Please make sure your sources are from a credible source. Check your notes and book for more
detail on what is considered a credible source. Failure to meet source requirements will result
in a 5-point grade deduction for each missing/non-credible source used.
o Organization: Your speech must be delivered in a clear and concise manner. Your speech must
contain an introduction, body with transition statements, and conclusion.
o PowerPoint Presentation: Your speech must be accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation to
enhance speech content and aid in audience understanding.
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INFORMATIVE OUTLINE (WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23 - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30): You will submit a
typed outline in a presentation folder on the day you give your speech. We will cover how to format
an outline in class and I have provided an example on D2L. The outline must include an introduction,
body (main points, 3 sources highlighted using verbal citations, and transition statements),
conclusion, and a works cited page. The works cited page must follow either APA/MLA style. You
will not be permitted to use the outline during your speech. However, you may use up to 10 index cards
to aid your presentation. (Worth 0-50-points)
PEER EVALUATIONS (WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23 - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30): You must attend all
presentation days (whether or not you are presenting)! Please print off two copies of the peer evaluation
form (located on D2L) and bring it to class on the days you are not presenting. You will be assigned two
in-class peer evaluations. Peer Evaluations are due at the end of that class. Your peer evaluation score
will be based on your knowledge of required speech criteria and extent to which you provided useful,
constructive feedback. (Worth 0-50 points)

TEST 2 (FRIDAY, APRIL 8): Covers chapters 15-24. (Worth 0-100 points)
PERSUASIVE SPEECH, OUTLINE, & PEER REVIEW (WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 MONDAY, APRIL 25): A
researched speech designed to persuade your audience on a controversial issue (topic approval required).
(Worth 0-100 points)
TOPIC APPROVAL (WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6): Students will seek approval, sign-up for speech, and select
speech date during class.
PERSUASIVE SPEECH (MONDAY, APRIL 18 - MONDAY, APRIL 25): (Worth 0-100 points)
REQUIREMENTS:
o Time Limit: A 5-7 minutes persuasive speech with a 1-minute question and answer session.
Please note: You will receive a 1-point deduction for every 5 seconds you are under the time
limit. Furthermore, I will stop your presentation after the 30 second grace period (7:30).
o Sources: You are required to cite 4 sources in your outline and verbally during your speech.
Please make sure your sources are from a credible source. Check your notes and book for more
detail on what is considered a credible source. Failure to meet source requirements will result
in a 5-point grade deduction for each missing/non-credible source used.
o Organization: Your speech must be delivered in a clear and concise manner. Your speech must
contain an introduction, body with transition statements, and conclusion.
PERSUASIVE OUTLINE (MONDAY, APRIL 18 - MONDAY, APRIL 25): You will submit a typed outline in
a presentation folder on the day you give your speech. We will cover how to format an outline in class
and I have provided an example on D2L. The outline must include an introduction, body (main
points, 4 sources highlighted using verbal citations, and transition statements), conclusion, and a
works cited page. The works cited page must follow either APA/MLA style. You will not be permitted
to use the outline during your speech. However, you may use up to 10 speaking cards to aid your
presentation. (Worth 0-50-points)
Peer Evaluations (MONDAY, APRIL 18 - MONDAY, APRIL 25): You must attend all presentation days
(whether or not you are presenting)! Please print off two copies of the peer evaluation form (located on
D2L) and bring it to class on the days you are not presenting. You will be assigned two in-class peer
evaluations. Peer Evaluations are due at the end of that class. Your peer evaluation score will be based
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on your knowledge of required speech criteria and extent to which you provided useful, constructive
feedback. (Worth 0-50 points)
PARTICIPATION & ATTENDANCE: The participation & attendance grade is derived from your involvement
and input during in-class activities (50 points) and attendance (50 points). (Participation & Attendance
Worth 0-100 points)

CLASS SCHEDULE:
This is a tentative outline and I reserve the right to change it to meet the needs of this class.
Week & Date
Week 1:
W, 1/20
F, 1/22
Week 2:
M, 1/25
W, 1/27
F, 1/29
Week 3:
M, 2/1
W, 2/3

Topic/Assignment
Syllabus, Course, and D2L Overview
In-Class Activity

Chapter 1: Speaking in Public

Chapter 2: Improving Your Confidence; Chapter 3: Presenting Your First Speech
Chapter 4: Ethics, Free Speech, and Verbal Citations

F, 2/5

Chapter 5: Listening
Chapter 6: Analyzing Your Audience; Chapters 7 & 19: Adapting to Your Audience as
You Speak
Chapters 8-10: Preparing Your Speech

Week 4:
M, 2/8
W, 2/10
F, 2/12

Chapters 11-13: Crafting a Speech

Chapter 14: Outline Expectations; Classmate Interviews
Test 1

Week 5:
M, 2/15
W, 2/17
F, 2/19

Speech 1
Speech 1
Chapter 16: Methods of Delivery

Week 6:
M, 2/22
W, 2/24
F, 2/26

Chapter 17: Nonverbal Communication

Chapters 15 & 18: Verbal & Vocal Communication
Chapters 20-21: Presentational Aids

Week 7:
M, 2/29
W, 3/2

Speech 2 Preparation Day

Speech 2
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F, 3/4

Speech 2; Verbal Citation Extra Credit Quiz Deadline

Week 8:
M, 3/7-F, 3/11

No Class, Spring Break

Week 9:
M, 3/14
W, 3/16
F, 3/18

Chapter 22: Informative Speaking

Introduce Informative Speech Assignment; Informative Topic & Speaking Date Approval
Informative Research Day

Week 10:
M, 3/21
W, 3/23
F, 3/25

Informative Work Day; Individual Help (Schedule Appointment Time by Friday, 3/18)
Informative Speeches; Informative Outlines; Peer Evaluations
Informative Speeches; Informative Outlines; Peer Evaluations

Week 11:
M, 3/28
W, 3/30
F, 4/1

Informative Speeches; Informative Outlines; Peer Evaluations

Informative Speeches; Informative Outlines; Peer Evaluations; Department of
Communication & Performance Advisement Day
Flex Day

Week 12:
M, 4/4
W, 4/6
F, 4/8

Chapters 23 & 24: Persuasive Speaking

Introduce Persuasive Speech Assignment; Persuasive Topic & Speaking Date Approval
Test 2

Week 13:
M, 4/11
W, 4/13
F, 4/15

Persuasive Research Day

Persuasive Work Day
Persuasive Work Day; Individual Help (Schedule Appointment Time by Wednesday, 4/13

Week 14:
M, 4/18
W, 4/20
F, 4/22

Persuasive Speeches; Persuasive Outlines, Peer Evaluations

Persuasive Speeches; Persuasive Outlines, Peer Evaluations
Persuasive Speeches; Persuasive Outlines, Peer Evaluations

Week 15:
M, 4/25
W, 4/27
F, 4/29

Persuasive Speeches; Persuasive Outlines, Peer Evaluations

Wrap-up Class
No Class; University Finals Study Day

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