Instructor:                Stephen D. Bruning, Ph. D., 118 Spielman Hall Phone 236-6323 (w)

Office Hours:           10:00-11:00 M, W, F                  2:00 - 3:00 T, TH                    and by appointment

I. 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 enhances and inhibits communication.
• Describe the process of listening.
• Demonstrate the ability to formulate a 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 your text conscientiously so that you may gain insight into the principles of communication.
• 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.
• Read newspapers and magazines. Listen to the radio and television programs dealing with current problems. Broaden your horizons.
• Attend class regularly. You will be permitted two absences for any reason. If you miss more than two class sessions, you will be penalized 10 points for each additional miss (e.g., if you miss a total of three classes, you will be penalized 10 points, if you miss a total of four 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, call beforehand to let me know.
• No cellular phones or pagers are allowed in class.
• 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 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

• Do not enter the classroom when one of your classmates is giving a presentation. It often is very distracting and could adversely affect their grade.

Note: A failing grade on the pass/fail assignments will result in a reduction of one symbol (e.g., a B+ to a B) in your overall grade.

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

IV. THE TEXT
 

            Beebe, S. A., & Beebe, S. J.  (2000).  Public speaking:  An audience-centered approach.  Needham Heights, MA:  Allyn & Bacon.
 

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 from me.

VI. 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.