Instructor:                         Stephen D. Bruning, Ph. D.  118 Spielman Hall, sbruning@capital.edu
                                        Phone: 236-6323 (w),        338-1715 (h)

I.  COURSE DESCRIPTION

UC 120 is a course that focuses specifically on the development of speaking and listening skills.  Students will be able to speak and listen effectively in a variety of contexts.  Students will be able to analyze and evaluate the principles, processes, and functions and modes of oral communication in a variety of contexts.  Students will demonstrate the ability to formulate speech purpose, utilize evidence, and assemble and effectively present an oral message.  Students will describe, analyze and develop critical listening skills.  Students will develop strategies for communication in interpersonal, small group and public communication settings.  

II. COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course is based upon three overriding principles:

• We live and function in a world based on communication.
• Communication is the process of sharing ideas, feelings, and information.
• Improvement in communication results from conscious study and the motivation to improve.

Following the successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the principles of communication.
• Identify the basic components of communication and their functions.
• Explain the speaker's and listener's ethical responsibilities.
• Describe intrapersonal and interpersonal insights and skills utilized in communication.
• Compare factual and expressive means of communication as they relate to speaking and listening activities.
• Explain how nonverbal communication enhance and inhibit communication.
• Describe the process of listening.
• Demonstrate the ability to formulate speech purpose, utilize evidence, and assemble ideas into logical design.
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively present a message vocally, visually, and verbally.
• Demonstrate the ability to listen and respond to the social and informational messages of others.

• Read the readings conscientiously so that you may gain insight into the principles of communication.
• Attend class regularly and take copious notes.  
  
• I do have an attendance policy in this course.  Thus, attendance will be taken daily. You can miss three class sessions without penalty.  IF YOU MISS MORE THAN THREE CLASS SESSIONS, YOU WILL BE PENALIZED 10 POINTS FOR EACH ADDITIONAL CLASS YOU MISS (e.g., if you miss a total of four classes, you will be penalized 10 points, if you miss a total of five classes, you will be penalized 20 points, etc.).  Special exceptions may be made for students with prolonged illness or extenuating circumstances. If you are going to miss a class at any time during the semester, call beforehand to let me know.
• Do all assignments at the time scheduled. It is a good policy to always be prompt and prepared. The size of the class and the schedule make it virtually impossible to do specific activities at times other than those assigned. If you do not complete an assignment on the day that it was due, your grade will be lowered by two letters (e.g. an A presentation given one class period late would receive a grade of C).
• Reserve time for practice. Reserve time for practice. This is so important I decided to say it twice.
• Read newspapers and magazines. Listen to the radio and television programs dealing with current problems. Broaden your horizons.
• No cellular phones are allowed in class. Pagers are allowed, but I ask that you set them to the "silent" mode.  If you have a cell phone or pager that goes off during a classmate's speech, you will be penalized 20 points.
• Speech assignments will have a time requirement and you will be timed. Speeches that are too short or too long will be penalized.
• All work submitted (oral presentations, written work, examinations, etc.) must be the student's own. Cheating in any form (see below) will not be tolerated and will result in disciplinary action.

"Academic Integrity" is the expectation that all Capital students are to be honest in their academic endeavors, and that the work one submits for academic evaluation must be his/her own, unless an instructor expressly permits certain types of collaboration. Instructors are expected to make this Academic Integrity Policy known, in writing, at the beginning of a course.

A non-exhaustive list of behaviors which constitute academic misconduct and subject one to sanction(s) includes:

Cheating -- deceiving/misrepresenting information submitted on a paper/test/project

e.g., -- using materials/notes not permitted by the instructor during an examination

-- collaborating on a test/project when not authorized to do so by the instructor

-- receiving, giving or stealing parts of, or an entire test which has not yet been administered

-- substitution of one student for another during an examination

Plagiarism -- submitting work that is not expressly one's own as one's own

e.g., -- quoting verbatim or paraphrasing excessively another person's words (published or unpublished) without acknowledgment of the source

-- including facts, statistics, or other illustrative materials that are not common knowledge without acknowledgment of the source

-- submitting another's term paper, essay test answer, computer program, or project as one's own

Fabrication -- using "invented" information or falsifying research, data, or other findings with the intent to deceive

e.g., -- citing information not taken from the source indicated; failure to document a secondary source material

-- listing sources in a bibliography not directly used in the academic exercise

-- submitting lab reports or clinical data which contain fictitious/falsified information; concealing/distorting the true nature, origin, or function of such data

IV. EVALUATION OF STUDENT PROGRESS

• Each assigned activity will be graded on the basis of your ability to demonstrate insight and skills as they relate to the activity.
• Two written mid-term examinations and a comprehensive written final examination will be administered to measure your comprehension of the principles of communication. DO NOT BE ABSENT DURING EXAMS.
• You will be required to conduct a critique of one of your speeches.  The specifics of the assignment will be detailed later.
• Daily participation in the discussion of text materials will be noted, and classroom activities, oral presentations, and written analyses will be rated.

Self Introduction	50 points
Oral Reading	100 points
Informative Speech	180 points
Self Analysis	20 points
Exam I	100 points
Exam II	100 points
Persuasive Speech	200 points
Final Exam	100 points

	782-850 ..... A	765-781 ..... A-
748-764 ..... B+	697-747 ..... B	680-698 ..... B-
663-679 ..... C+	612-662 ..... C	595-611 ..... C-
578-594 ..... D+	510-577 ..... D	000-509 .... F

Note: Those who have an A or an A- overall will be excused from the final.

V. THE TEXT

 The text for this class can be found on Capital University's Blackboard system.

VI. PERSONAL NOTE TO EACH STUDENT

UC 120 offers an outstanding opportunity for personal development. Take advantage of this opportunity to develop the potential that you possess. Develop confidence in your ability to communicate orally. Do not hesitate to seek help, attention, or guidance.  Also, I post all of the overheads that we will be using in class this semester.  You can find that information at my home page.  Click on Course Information.  Then click on UC 120 Notes.

VII. SCHEDULE OF WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS

The following pages contain the semester schedule. The activities represent a variety of experiences that will enable you to adjust to representative oral communication situations. There will be ample time for class discussion of communication principles. You are urged to follow the syllabus regularly and to note in particular the specific dates upon which activities and reports are due.

1-5	Orientation to the course
1-7	Lecture: Define communication Activity:  Introduce a classmate	http://speech-anxiety.healthyplace2.com/ Read Chapter 1
1-9	Lecture: Speech Anxiety Activity:  Introduce a classmate
1-12	Lecture: Perception
1-14	Self Introduction Workshop, points of evaluation	Read Chapter 3
1-16	Self Introduction
1-21	Self Introduction
1-23	Lecture:  The self, relationships, listening	Read Chapter 9
1-26	Lecture:  Listening
1-28	Lecture: Interviewing
1-30	Interviews	Read Chapter 2
2-2	Lecture: Vocal Delivery
2-4	Lecture: Nonverbal Delivery
2-6	Lecture: Prepare for Oral Readings
2-9	Oral Readings	Read Chapter 6
2-11	Oral Readings
2-13	Oral Readings
2-16	Mid-Term Examination
2-18	Lecture: Introduction and Conclusion	Read Chapter 5
2-20	Lecture: Questions and Gathering Evidence
3-1	Lecture: Modes of Delivery, Patterns of Organization
3-3	Lecture: Using Visual Aids, Outlining	Read Chapter 8
3-5	Informative Speech Workshop
3-8	Informative Speech Workshop
3-10	Informative Speech	Videotaped (Report due 3/24)
3-12	Informative Speech	Videotaped (Report due 3/26)
3-15	Informative Speech	Videotaped (Report due 3/29)
3-17	Informative Speech	Videotaped (Report due 3/31)
3-19	Informative Speech	Videotaped (Report due 4/2)
3-22	Lecture:  Group Communication	Read Chapter 7
3-24	Lecture:  Group Communication Activity:  Problem solve current issue
3-26	Lecture: Ethos, Pathos, Logos, and Speaker Credibility
3-30	Lecture: Using Reasoning to Persuade	http://www.powerfulpresentations.net/
4-2	Mid-Term Examination
4-5	Modern Means of Persuasion, Using presentation software	Read Chapter 4
4-7	Persuasive Speech Workshop	http://www.powerpointanswers.com/
4-14	Persuasive Speech
4-16	Persuasive Speech
4-19	Persuasive Speech
4-21	Persuasive Speech
4-23	Persuasive Speech
4-26	Catch-up day, prepare for the final