Professor:    Dr. Michele Ramsey

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

Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:00 PM -4:30 PM and by appointment and/or serendipity

Text: Gamble and Gamble, The Gender Communication Connection, Required

 Letteri, Richard, A Handbook of Public Speaking, Required

Other Readings as Assigned

Course Web site:  www.bk.psu.edu/faculty/ramsey/

The Nature of this Course: Courses about gender and communication offer us a unique opportunity to investigate one of the most fundamental parts of ourselves—our gender identities. Moreover, courses about gender and communication allow us to learn about how these gender identities influence our personal and public communication with others. Thus, for many of us, this class may be a formidable task. We will seek to challenge our understandings about the “naturalness” of gender identities and will offer rhetorical theories about why and how such gender constructions have occurred and their implications for our personal lives and the public as a whole.

Another primary goal of this class is 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 also learn 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.

Course Objectives: At the end of the course, the student should:
-Understand various perspectives of communication as they relate to the social construction of gender identity;
-Understand the rhetorical nature of the social construction of gender;
-Be aware of the research in the area of gender and communication as it relates to personal and work relationships, media representation, identity formation, and public social and political issues.
-Have developed and/or polished his/her classroom discussion skills;
-Have improved his/her public presentation skills.

The Requirement of Civility: Some of the theories we will discuss are subject to debate and controversy and that’s okay.  Many of our most fundamental beliefs may be subject to challenge this semester and that is useful. Furthermore, there may be times when some or all of us do not agree with either the material presented or an opinion of a classmate and that is okay too. What is not okay, however is a lack of civility in the classroom.  While we are destined to disagree as classmates, we should also respect both our classmates and their opinions. This course is an excellent opportunity for students to sharpen their communication abilities in terms of dealing with and debating sensitive issues in a manner that is respectful. None of us should feel as though we are muted in this classroom and such an environment can only occur if we understand from the beginning that a lack of civility will not be tolerated. I reserve the right to remove anyone from the classroom who does not respect the rights of his or her classmates—personal attacks or aggressive argumentation will not be permitted.

Grades: Your final grade will be determined by a mixture of speeches, exams, and participation points. The grade distribution is as follows:

Exam #1:   20%
Exam #2:   20%
Informative Speech:  25%
Persuasive Speech:  25%
Participation:   10%

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 (well-written, solid research, and clear organization) in order to earn an above average grade.  For more specific guidelines regarding grades, please see our course web site at www.bklv.psu.edu/ramsey/grades.html. 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.

Note to students with disabilities: Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. If you have a disability related need for modifications or reasonable accommodations in this course, please inform the instructor or contact Disability Services, 610-396-6410, 153 Franco Building, as early in the semester as possible.

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. With regard to speeches, 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. 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 explained below. If you are not familiar with issues such as plagiarism please check out the links on our course web site at www.bklv.psu.edu/ramsey/academics.html.  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.

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?

-It means that you attend class regularly and arrive on time.
-It means that you complete all assignments on time.
-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.
-It means that you participate actively in class.
-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.
-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.
-It means that you continuously assess your progress in each class and immediately take steps to address any deficiencies or weaknesses.
-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

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

Assignments:

THERE ARE NO MAKE-UP GRADES IN THIS COURSE.  UNLESS YOU PROVIDE ME WITH A DOCUMENTED REASON FOR YOUR ABSENCE YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO COMPLETE OR TURN IN AN ASSIGNMENT/SPEECH AND WILL THEREFORE 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 NAKE UP MISSED WORK.

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

Participation: Occasionally, we will do in-class work that I will ask you to turn in either that day or the next class day, you will earn full credit (a check mark) 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). When the work is not acceptable, you will earn partial credit (a check-minus). One check minus is acceptable and will not affect your final grade, however, two check minuses will mean that one participation grade is reassigned the grade of zero. Consistent poor work will result in very few, if any, participation points. Consistent good work will result in full participation points. 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.

Please see ANGEL for the course schedule. The course schedule is tentative and subject to change.