Public Speaking
SPC 2608
Reference: 18087
Spring 2015
Section: U16
Tuesday, Thursday
9.30 - 10.45 am
CP 111
Florida International University
College of Architecture + The Arts
Communication Arts Department
Professor Elena V. Nuciforo
Phone: 305/348-1984 (Department)
Fax: 305/348-6272
Email: elena.nuciforo@fiu.edu
Office Hours: Monday 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Wednesday 10.00 am – 12:30 pm
Office: GL 487
University Drop Date: March 23, 2015
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK
Public Speaking SPC 2608
ISBN #: 9781323021972
Instructions for Students:
The access code for this class will have a sticker (of some sort) on it. If
the bookstore gives you a code without a sticker, please inform them
that they have given you an incorrect code and have them double check
the ISBN number that is on the syllabus for your access code.
How do I purchase access to and register for my professor’s Pearson
MyCommLab section?
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E-BOOK
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1.
Email address – one you access often
2.
Course ID – code that links you to Mylab page: commarts97727
3.
Access Code – gives access to MyLab program itself – purchased online during
registration or at the University Bookstore.
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course access without payment may be available).
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Student Technical Support Website
http:// 247pearsoned.custhelp.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is an introduction to public speaking, so you are not expected to have any previous
pubic speaking experience. The main focus of the course is for you to discover, explore, and
master the art of public speaking. By the end of this semester you should be able to (1) organize
your thoughts and ideas into coherent and effective speeches, (2) make your speeches
appropriate to the occasion and the audience you are addressing, (3) publicly deliver your
speeches, and (4) critically examine your own and other people’s speeches.
This course is designed and will be taught on the basis of cooperative learning and participation.
In order to develop your public speaking skills you need a public and you need to speak, so this
class offers you a unique opportunity to speak publicly, discuss your ideas with your peers,
participate in debates, get useful feedback and provide constructive criticism. It requires every
student’s active involvement and attendance. Your being absent, not ready for class, preparing
your speech or speech analysis at the last minute will impact not only your grade, but
everybody’s learning experience.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the conclusion of this course the students will be able to:
•
•
•
•
Carry out and use audience analysis for developing effective speeches.
Understand and develop speech structure: introduction, main points, transitions,
conclusions, etc.
Understand and analyze different types of public speaking.
Develop and deliver an informative speech, a persuasive speech, and a ceremonial
speech.
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•
•
•
Prepare and use a speech outline.
Develop and effectively use handouts in an informative speech.
Develop and use visual aids appropriate for the audience and occasion.
INSTRUCTOR EXPECTATIONS AND POLICIES
Attendance: Regular attendance is mandatory and is a part of your grade. An excused absence is
defined as one that can be documented in writing and is due to a medical problem with the
student or immediate family, death in the student’s immediate family, or formal involvement in
an officially recognized university sponsored event. Please notify me at the beginning of the
semester of any religious holidays that you will observe during the time of this class, and I will
excuse the absences connected to those holidays. I allow two unexcused absences without any
penalty. Starting with the third absence, every time you miss a class two points will be deducted
from the highest possible 100 points that you can get for this class. If you fail to attend when you
are scheduled to deliver a speech, you will receive no grade for that speech. However, if you
know you cannot avoid the absence, you can make arrangements with a classmate to switch
speaking positions as soon as possible. Please let me know about any of such switches in
advance.
Tardiness: You will be expected to arrive at class on time. Tardiness in not acceptable and will
result in a reduction of your grade. Two “lates” are equivalent to 1 absence. Leaving class early is
counted the same as a tardy. If you are tardy, notify the professor at the break or after class so
the absence can be changed to a tardy.
Cell phones/laptop computers/tablets: You are not allowed to use any of these electronic
devices during the class unless specifically requested by the instructor. Make sure your phone is
on “silent” as soon as the class starts.
Assignments: All assignments must be your original work not presented in any other previous
classes or events. Plagiarism and cheating are serious violations of your responsibilities and I will
have to report any of those to the FIU administration. Please see your Student Handbook for
more on cheating and plagiarism. All the written assignments (speech analysis, persuasive
speech outline, and ceremonial speech outline) need to be submitted through turnitin.com by
the posted deadline.
E-mail: I very often send out e-mails about the class, assignments, my feedback, and possible
changes in the schedule. You are expected to check your FIU e-mail account on a regular basis
not to miss important information.
Pearson My Lab & Mastering: It is each student’s responsibility to make sure that they have
access to the Pearson online system. You need to register with your course ID commarts97727
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as soon as possible and use the etext for this course on a regular basis. Please contact Pearson
tech and support if you have any issues or questions about using the system.
Blackboard: All the assignments, class presentations, discussions, speech links, your assignment
evaluations will be posted on your FIU Blackboard. Make sure you check it regularly.
The Communication Arts Studio offers students on both campuses instruction and coaching on:

delivering presentations

developing and giving the all-important one-minute "elevator speech"

practicing and perfecting job interview skills.
The studio is open five days a week at MMC and BBC with both day and evening hours. Our
experienced speech communications staff are eager to assist students with organizing ideas,
speaking more confidently, improving body language, reducing anxiety, improving eye contact,
and incorporating visual aids to create dynamic and focused presentations or prepare for any
kind of public speaking. The contact information for the studio – located on both campuses – is
below.
Communication Arts Studio
Communication Arts Department
Modesto Maidique Campus: VH 230
Biscayne Bay Campus: HL 155
Phone: 305-348-0069/ 305-919-4140
Email: communicate@fiu.edu
Website and Appointment Link: communicate.fiu.edu
You are required to attend the Communication Arts Studio for your Informative Speech
(lecture) assignment. I get reports from the Studio about your attendance, but make sure you
keep the feedback paper and show it to me. If you fail to attend the Studio, your grade for the
assignment will be lowered. Make an appointment with the Studio well in advance, it gets
booked fast.
SPEAK-OFF COMPETITION
“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel,” Ralph Waldo Emerson. Each
semester at Florida International University, the Communication Arts Department Speak-Off
competition gives students the opportunity to compel, and even inspire others through the
power of words and oratorical skills. Provided with a basic topic regarding communication,
budding speechmakers composed exciting rhetoric in the form of a 4-6 minute speech. Finalists
were then chosen from an array of submissions to deliver their prose to a large audience of their
professors and peers.
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The spring Speak-Off will be held in the MARC Pavilion on Wednesday February 11 from 3-4pm.
You are required to attend this event, so make sure you plan accordingly.
CODE OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The Code of Academic Integrity was adopted by the Student Government Association. All
students are expected to adhere to a standard of academic conduct, which demonstrates
respect for themselves, their fellow students, and the educational mission of the University. All
students are deemed by the University to understand that if they are found responsible for
academic misconduct, they will be subject to the Academic Misconduct procedures and
sanctions, as outlined in the Student Handbook.
TURNITIN.COM and Grademark
All three written assignments (speech analysis, ceremonial speech outline, and persuasive
speech outline) must be submitted to Turnitin.com by the posted deadline. Assignments
submitted by any other means or after the deadline will not be evaluated.
Turnitin.com drop boxes will be available in the Ecampus Blackboard learning management
system.
Once your assignment has been uploaded successfully to Turnitin.com, you will receive a
confirmation receipt. Please keep this confirmation number for future reference. Within a few
hours, your assignment will also be assigned an originality/similarity percentage. For further
information as to how the similarity/originality percentage is calculated and why it is important,
please go to http://turnitin.com/en_us/training/student-training
Within thee weeks after the assignment’s deadline has passed, you will receive written feedback
on your assignment. The written comments on your assignment are accessible using the
GradeMark function within Turnitin.com. If you do not know how to access the written
comments using the GradeMark function, please go to
http://turnitin.com/en_us/training/student-training
Documents submitted to a Turnitin.com drop box in this course cannot be retracted or revised
once submitted.
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POLICY FOR ASSIGNING AN INCOMPLETE “I” GRADE
An incomplete grade is a temporary symbol given for work not completed because of serious
interruption not caused by the student's own negligence. An incomplete must be made up as
quickly as possible, but no later than two consecutive semesters after the initial taking of the
course or it will automatically default to an "F" or the grade that the student earned in the
course.
There is no extension of the two-semester deadline. The student must not register again for the
course to make up the incomplete. Students who have incomplete grades on their records must
remove the incomplete by the end of the fourth week of the term in which they plan to
graduate. Failure to do so will result in a cancellation of graduation.
Incompletes are awarded only if the student has completed most of the course work. If a
student misses a significant portion of the course work, he/she should drop the course. If the
drop period has ended, the student may petition for a withdrawal—this requires the student to
un-enroll in all of their courses for that semester.
Incompletes are not to be used because a student took on too many credits and they cannot
complete everything that is now required of them.
In such cases where the course instructor determines that it appropriate to award a student a
grade of "I" (incomplete) the following steps must be followed.
Using an Official University Form the course instructor will report the following:







The grade earned by the student to date;
The missing work and the percentage of the final grade it represents (this requires the
details of the specific missing assignment);
The date the instructor expects the missing work to be submitted or in the case of an
examination made up;
The justification for awarding the grade of "I";
Have the student sign the form;
Submit this form to the Department Chair and Dean and maintain a copy for instructor
records and provide a copy for the student;
Upon satisfying the requirements for a grade the instructor will sign off on the form and
attach it to the change of grade form she or he will submit.
DISABILITY CLAUSE
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Students with disabilities, as defined by law, have the right to receive needed accommodations if
their disabilities make it difficult to perform academic tasks in the usual way or in the allotted
time frame. In order to receive accommodation, however, students with must register with
Disability Resource Center:
University Park Campus, GC 190
Voice: (305) 348-3532
TTY: (305) 348-3852
Fax: (305) 348-3850
Email: drcupgl@fiu.edu
SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY
Please refer to the Florida International University Policy on Sexual Harassment at
http://hr.fiu.edu/index.php?name=sexual_harassment
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY POLICY
The University's policy on religious holydays as stated in the University Catalog and Student
Handbook will be followed in this class. Any student may request to be excused from class to
observe a religious holyday of his or her faith.
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
Please read the weekly calendar carefully. You are fully responsible for completing the
assignments by the posted deadline. This requires that you read ahead as some assignments
may take you more time and research than others. The course will consist of the following
assignments (more detailed instructions for each assignment will be provided on you FIU
Blackboard):

Introduction speech (3-5 min): This is a speech where you introduce yourself through an
object which symbolizes some success of yours or a meaningful event in your life.

Informative speech (20-25 min – not less than 15 min): This is a speech you should
prepare and deliver in collaboration with a partner. Two of you will develop this speech
on one of the class topics, prepare a handout, and deliver the speech in class when the
topic is scheduled during the semester. You are required to meet with me during my
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office hours at least a week before you deliver your speech and share your plan for your
speech. This is a co-teaching project and I need to know what you will be speaking about
in order to plan my own lecture and activities.

Handout for the informative speech (one page): You should develop a one-page handout
that will reflect the content of your informative speech. You are responsible for making
enough copies for the whole class.

Persuasive (deliberative) speech (6-8 min): This is a speech where you present on an
issue of public significance and persuade your classmates to act upon it. You should
carefully develop your arguments, research the topic, and apply necessary persuasive
strategies in order to prepare and deliver a speech. Your speech should make the
listeners understand your point and convince them to take your side.

Ceremonial (epideictic) speech (3-5 min): In this speech you should address the audience
as if present at a special community event such as a wedding, award ceremony, or
funeral. Your speech should recognize and celebrate the accomplishments and create a
feeling of identity between the speaker and the audience.

Outlines: Outlining your speech gives you an opportunity to develop your argument,
make appropriate language choices and “map” the flow of your public speaking activity
to make it most effective and successful.

Peer critiques: For each speech, every student will be required to provide peer feedback
to two speakers. All the comments should be given to the speaker at the end of the class.

Self-critiques: This is a short summary of the peer critique you received and a reflection
on your performance. The self-critique assignment should be typed, printed out, and
handed in at the class period following your speech delivery. Your peers’ critique should
be stapled to your self-critique.

Written analysis of a public speaking event: You should attend or watch a public speaking
event and provide a critical analysis of the speech.

Discussion questions: Throughout the semester, I will ask you to listen to various
speeches at home and submit your reaction or responses to discussion questions on your
FIU Blackboard account.
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GRADING
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
WEIGHTS
Introduction Speech
10%
Speech analysis
15%
Lecture (informative speech)
15%
Lecture handout
5%
Persuasive speech
15%
Persuasive speech outline
5%
Ceremonial speech
15%
Ceremonial speech outline
5%
Participation and homework
15%
TOTAL
100%
EVALUATION
A
AB+
B
94 - 100%
90 - 93%
87 - 89%
84 - 86%
BC+
C
C-
80 - 83%
77 - 79%
74 - 76%
70 - 73%
D+
D
DF
67 - 69%
64 - 66%
60 - 63%
<60%
COURSE CALENDAR (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
DUE DATES
WEEK 1
January 13
(Tuesday)
MODULES
ASSIGNMENTS
Course
introduction
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January 15
(Thursday)
WEEK 2
January 20
(Tuesday)
January 22
(Thursday)
WEEK 3
January 27
(Tuesday)
January 29
(Thursday)
WEEK 4
February 3
(Tuesday)
February 5
(Thursday)
WEEK 5
Feb 10
(Tuesday)
Feb 12
(Thursday)
WEEK 6
Feb 17
(Tuesday)
Feb 19
(Thursday)
WEEK 7
Feb 24
(Tuesday)
What is
communication?
Overcoming
anxiety and stage
fright.
Activity:
Introduction of
your classmate to
the class.


Read Module 1: Honing Your Presentation Skills: Why
Presentation Skills are Important (pp. 1-12).
Select a topic for your informative speech (lecture)
with a partner.

Read about anxiety in the textbook (pp. 29-33).

Watch assigned speech on YouTube (posted on the
Blackboard).
Elevator Speeches.
 Read Module 3. Elevator Speeches: What are they and
Why are they Important (pp. 62-68).
 Be prepared to do exercise at page 67 in class.
Audience Analysis.
 Read “Audience Analysis” (pp. 14-22).
 Be prepared to discuss exercise at pp. 18-21.
Ethics in Public
Speaking.
 Read a handout for this class.
Effective Listening.

Read a handout for this class.
Selecting a Topic
for Your Speech.

Read “Topic Selection” (pp. 23 – 28).
Researching your
Speech and Using

Read a handout on the topic.
Introduction
Speeches.
Introduction
Speeches.
Introduction
Speeches.
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Supporting
Materials.
Feb 26
(Thursday)
WEEK 8
March 3
(Tuesday)
March 5
(Thursday)
March 9-14
WEEK 9
March 17
(Tuesday)
Visual Aids in
Public Speaking.
Modern Tools for
Making Effecting
Presentations.

Read “Visuals” (pp. 50 – 61).
Creating Effective
Introductions and
Conclusions.
Organizing and
Outlining your
Speech.

Read “Step Six: Introductions” (pp. 86-92) and “Step
Seven: Conclusions” (pp. 92-94).

Read “Step Eight: Outlining” (pp. 95-97)
SPRING BREAK
Language and Style
in Public Speaking.

Read a handout on the topic.
March 19
(Thursday)
WEEK 10
March 24
(Tuesday)
Delivering Your
Speech.

Read “Delivery Methods” pp. 34 – 49)
Informative
Speaking.

March 26
(Thursday)
Informative
Speaking.

Read Module 4. Speaking to Inform: When Making
Terminology and Concepts Clear is the Key (pp. 69113)
Read Module 5: The Three Types of Informative
Speeches (pp. 114-123)
WEEK 11
March 31
(Tuesday)
Ceremonial
Speaking.

Read Module 10. Speaking on Special Occasions: How
to Inspire Your Audience (pp. 182-183).
Persuasion.

Read Module 5. Understanding Persuasion: Why is it
Process Rather than a Single Event (pp. 124-133).
April 2
(Thursday)
WEEK 12
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April 7
(Tuesday)
Speaking
Persuasively.

Read about persuasive speeches in the textbook (pp.
134-162).
April 9
(Thursday)
Speaking in
groups.

Read Module 7. Sometimes You are not the Only One
Speaking (pp. 163-169).
APRIL 12 (by midnight) DUE: CEREMONIAL SPEECH VIDEO AND OUTLINE. Submit both your
outline and a link to your speech through turnitin (in the SAME document).
WEEK 13
April 14
Interviewing.
 Read Module 8. Interviewing: How to Present
(Tuesday)
Yourself (pp. 170-175)
April 16
(Thursday)
Impromptu
speaking.
Q & A for
persuasive
speeches (final
assignment)


Read Module 9. The Impromptu Speech: How to
Think on Your Feet (pp. 176-181).
Come prepared with questions for persuasive
speeches.
APRIL 19 (by midnight) DUE: WRITTEN ANALYSIS OF A SPEECH
WEEK 14
April 21
Persuasive
 Present your persuasive speech.
(Tuesday) speeches
April 23
(Thursday)
Persuasive
speeches
WEEK 15
April 28
(Tuesday)
Persuasive
speeches.

Present your persuasive speech.
April 30
(Thursday)
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