Professor:    Dr. Michele Ramsey

Contact Information:
    Office: 132 Franco Building
    Phone: 610-396-6148
    Email: emr10@psu.edu

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:30 PM -3:00 PM and by appointment

Text: Hamilton, Gregory.  Public Speaking for College and Career.  Available at the College bookstore. Required

Course Website: www.bk.psu.edu/faculty/ramsey/

Other tools required: 1 VHS videotape

The Nature of this Course: The primary goal of this class is, of course, to develop your public speaking skills.  For most folks, this is a frightening thought and that's normal. Most of us enter college without any training in public speaking, so the fear you're probably feeling is perfectly logical.  But for most folks, this is simply a fear of the unknown.  It's tough to stand up in front of a group to present information if no one has taught you about the basic rules and strategies of public speaking.  So, in this class you'll constantly learn new rules and strategies for speaking and each speech will build on information you've studied up until that point.

If you keep up with the reading and participate in class regularly, you should be prepared to put together a good speech.  However, one thing I cannot make you do is practice at home.  If you don't practice, it is not likely that you'll do well on your speeches.  Therefore, it is up to you to make sure that you work on your speech ahead of time so that you have plenty of time to practice your presentation.  What this means is that you should be constantly working on a speech throughout the semester—either working on research, organization, or presentation.  Most students find that if they prepare as they should their fear is minimized.  In other words, if your fear is based on the unknown then being familiar with your topic and your presentation should take a good deal of your fear away.
I will gladly help you in any way that I can and work with you as much as you need me to as long as I know that you are putting forth a fair amount of effort yourself.
Please see me personally regarding any special learning accommodations you might need.

Grades:  Your speeches will be graded using a plus/minus system with an A+ equaling
98, an A equaling a 95, an A- equaling a 92, a B+ equaling an 88, a B equaling an 85, and
so on.

Grade distribution:
 Ceremonial Speech = 20%
 Informative Speech = 25%
 Persuasive Speech = 30%
 Participation    = 25%

Please note that a grade of “C” will be assigned to average college work.  Grades in the “B” range signify work that stands above the average, and grades in the “A” range are reserved only for those students who do exceptional work.  So, for example, if you only do the minimum that is required in an assignment and you do those things well, you will probably receive a “C” on that assignment.  Only if you go beyond average expectations for assignments will you be awarded a grade in the “B” or “A” range.  This is not to say, however, that adding additional work to your assignments will guarantee you a grade of “B” or “A.”  You must present your work well (a good delivery, solid research, and clear organization) in order to earn an above average grade.  For more specific guidelines regarding grades, please see our course website.  You must wait 24 hours before discussing any grade with me and while I am always willing to discuss any grade with you, will not consider any grade change after a time period of one week after receipt of the grade.

Attendance Policy: The College expects you to attend class regularly and so do I.  You are adults, however, and so I leave decisions about class attendance to your discretion, except on days when we are giving speeches—those days are mandatory.  Failure to attend class while others are giving their speeches will result in points deducted from your speech grade.  I can almost guarantee you that failure to attend class regularly will result in a poor grade in this course.  Your book is useful, but much of what I expect from your speeches will be discussed in class and is not covered in the book.  Different speech teachers have different expectations and preferences for the preparation and presentation of speeches.  My individual preferences will be communicated during class time and all students will be expected to adhere to those preferences.

Because there is no attendance policy in this class, I am unwilling to give students who miss class any information regarding what was covered during a missed session unless I am provided with documentation proving an unavoidable absence.  You are encouraged to find someone in class who can give you information if you should you have to miss a day—switch phone numbers and keep each other informed.  You are also encouraged to look over the course web site for any “news” you might miss, including assigned speaking times.  I am serious about this rule.  The flip side of enjoying the freedom to make your own attendance decisions is the responsibility of finding out what you missed when you are absent—when you miss class keeping up is solely your responsibility.

Academic Integrity: I follow the College's academic integrity policy, which is as follows:  If you are not familiar with issues such as plagiarism please check out the links on our course website.  I have a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of academic dishonesty.

Definition and expectations: Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, the University's Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts.

Academic integrity includes a commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others.
To protect the rights and maintain the trust of honest students and support appropriate behavior, faculty and administrators should regularly communicate high standards of integrity and reinforce them by taking reasonable steps to anticipate and deter acts of dishonesty in all assignments (Senate Policy 44-40: Proctoring of Examinations). At the beginning of each course, it is the responsibility of the instructor to provide students with a statement clarifying the application of University and College academic integrity policies to that course.

Please see the College website regarding academic integrity, for important information regarding your rights and responsibilities.

Student Responsibility for Learning:
The faculty, administration, and staff of Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley College believe that learning is a team effort, and we work diligently to fulfill our obligations, inside and outside the classroom. Students, however, are the most vital part of this effort. Since you have made the decision to come to college, you have made the simultaneous choice to be responsible for your academic success. What does taking responsibility for learning mean?

1. It means that you attend class regularly and arrive on time.
2. It means that you complete all assignments on time.
3. It means that you understand that each instructor has different requirements and expectations, that you read each syllabus carefully to discern each instructor's requirements and expectations, and that you abide by the instructor's requirements and expectations.
4. It means that you participate actively in class.
5. It means that you put forth considerable time and effort in your academic work and that you turn in work that reflects your time and effort.
6. It means that you take advantage of the College's resources (such as the Learning Center, Writing Center, Library workshops, Technology workshops) to ensure that your skills are at the levels they need to be for college work.
7. It means that you continuously assess your progress in each class and immediately take steps to address any deficiencies or weaknesses.
8. It means that you accept the consequences when you do not meet your responsibilities as a student.

Penn State Principles: Responsibilities of a University Citizen

1. I will respect the dignity of all individuals within the Penn State Community.
2.  I will practice academic integrity.
3.  I will demonstrate social and personal responsibility.
4.  I will be responsible for my own academic progress and agree to comply with all University policies
 

Assignments: You will receive more information about speech assignments in class.

THERE ARE NO MAKE-UP SPEECHES IN THIS COURSE. UNLESS YOU PROVIDE ME WITH A DOCUMENTED REASON FOR YOUR ABSENCE YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PERFORM YOUR SPEECH AND WILL RECEIVE A ZERO FOR THE ASSIGNMENT.  THIS MEANS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT TRIPS OUT OF TOWN, JOB REQUIREMENTS, AND BASIC ILLNESS (ILLNESS THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A VISIT TO THE DOCTOR) ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE REASONS TO MISS A SPEECH.

YOU NEED TO BE IN CLASS AND READY TO GIVE YOUR SPEECH UNLESS DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED.  THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS POLICY.  NOTIFY ME AS SOON AS YOU REALIZE YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE IN CLASS FOR A SPEECH EITHER BY PHONE OR EMAIL.  FAILURE TO NOTIFY ME OF YOUR ABSENCE/REASON FOR THAT ABSENCE WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE TIME YOU ARE SCHEDULED TO SPEAK WILL RESULT IN A ZERO ON THE ASSIGNMENT REGARDLESS OF THE REASON FOR THE ABSENCE.

Ceremonial Speech: (2-4 minutes)
For this assignment you will speak at an occasion which will dictate what type of speech, as well as the audience to whom you will be speaking.  The purpose of this assignment is to allow you to gain skill in the type of speeches we are often called on to make in everyday life, as well as skill in formulating a speech in terms of the audience that will be listening.  When thinking about your audience, remember to consider demographics and audience disposition as discussed in your textbook.

You will be graded on:
1. appropriateness of the speech to the assignment (event)      and to the audience
2. ability to limit your topic effectively
3. clarity of organization
4. quality of presentation
 

Informative Speech: (5-7 minutes)
For this assignment you are asked to construct a speech that informs the audience about another something out of the ordinary.  You must focus on either another culture or sub-culture (for example, “dead heads” or “goths,”), a holiday tradition and its history, a superstition/tradition, or the history behind some event or product.  Make your topic interesting and educational.  In completing this assignment you should become exposed and expose others to new ideas, cultures, customs, etc.  You may use a visual aid if you choose.

You will be graded generally on the following:
1. Appropriateness of the topic and the speech to the assignment and the audience (did you tell us something we probably didn't already know?  Did you use language and examples that made something new, and perhaps difficult to grasp, easier to understand?)
2. Ability to limit your topic effectively
3. Amount and quality of supporting material
4. Clarity of organization
5. Quality of presentation, including adhering to time limit
6. Development, use, and presentation of a visual aid
 

Persuasive Speech (6-8 minutes)
In this assignment you will continue to sharpen your persuasive abilities.  Unlike the reaction speech, however, you entire speech should focus on you educated opinion with regard to some issue.  The most important aspects of this speech are taking a clear and specific stand on an issue and then supporting that stand with appropriate supporting materials and arguments.  Try to incorporate different types of reasoning and arguments into your speech.  Be wary of using only one type of argument and stay away from "popular arguments" that are not supported by evidence.   Once we get closer to this speech, I will give you specific information about possible topics/the way we will organize who discusses what.  You may use a visual aid if you choose.

Your speech will be graded on the following:
1) Appropriateness of the speech to the assignment and audience.
2) Logic, organization, and argumentation ability
3) Amount and quality of supporting materials (must cite 3 sources in your speech)
4) Quality of presentation, including delivery and adhering to the time limit
5) Ethicality of your arguments in relation to your opinion on a topic.
 

See the course website for the actual evaluation forms I will use when grading your speeches.  You must use a visual aid on either your informative or your persuasive speech. Failure to do so will cause a subtraction of 10 points from your persuasive speech grade.
 

Participation: Occasionally, we will do in-class work that I will ask you to turn in either that day or the next class day.  I will give you feedback on this work when appropriate, but you will receive full credit if the work is turned in on time and done with integrity (meaning you made a sincere effort to complete the assignment to the best of your ability).  Participation points depend on you being in class.  Regardless of the reason why you are absent, you will not be allowed to make up participation points if you miss them.

Another half of your participation grade will come from quizzes.  Quizzes will not be announced and cannot be made up under any circumstances.  I will drop approximately 2 quizzes at the end of the term, so missing one because of illness will not negatively affect your grade.  Missing more than two for any reason, however, will negatively impact your participation grade.

Workshops: Workshops are days that I come into the classroom and work with students one-on-one.  I set these days aside since oftentimes people cannot make daytime office hours due to other courses or jobs.  Students who take advantage of this time do tend to do better on their speeches.  Please come to the workshop with an outline in hand for me to look over and comment on.  Remember, it's better to get my feedback before you get a grade rather than after you've spoken.

Our tentative class schedule is available on ANGEL.