WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
HAWAII CAMPUS
DIVISION OF COMMUNICATION
MISSION: Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically challenging,
learning-focused, and distinctively Christian environment for professional success and service to God
and humankind.
Course:
Term:
Instructor:
Communications:
Office Hours:
Class Meeting Time:
COMS 1301 Speech Communication
WINTER III 2015
Mr. Modesto R. Cordero
Telephone: 294-0232(cell) / E-mail:
modesto.cordero@wayland.wbu.edu and/or mcordero@rcchawaii.org
The professor will be available immediately before and after class or by
appointment.
5:30 – 9:30 p.m., Monday; Marine Base, Kaneohe Bay
Catalog Description: Survey of basic processes, theories, and skills focused on developing
competence in various levels of human interaction. Emphasis on research, organization, presentation,
and evaluation of oral messages and presentations. May be taken to meet the general education
communication studies.
Prerequisites: None. May be taken to meet the core requirement.
Required Textbook: Adler, Ronald, George Rodman & Athena du Pre. (2014) Understanding Human
Communication (12th ed.). NY: Oxford University Press, Inc.
Additional Materials: The professor may provide additional articles and handouts for you to read
throughout the course of the term.
Course outcome competencies: At the end of the course the students should be able to:
 Overcome their fear of public speaking.
 Understand the communication process and the importance of verbal and nonverbal
communication.
 Identify, discuss, and apply major intrapersonal and interpersonal communication concepts and
principles.
 Introduce students to effective group discussion techniques.
 Become an effective listener and learn effective public speaking skills.
Attendance requirements: Students are required to attend class regularly and promptly. Being
in class means that you arrived on time and stayed until class is over. More than one unexcused
absence will hurt your performance in this class and is automatic -2 points from the total point
system. If you are not present in class, you are still responsible for the material covered. Homework
must be completed on the specified due date. You may make up a test or a speech with verification that
circumstances were beyond your control. If you know that you will be absent, please notify me before
class with a phone call so arrangements for missed assignment may be made. All late or missed
assignments must be submitted the day you return to class. Late assignments will not receive full
credit and will usually receive a minimum 5 point reduction. WBU policy states that students must
attend 70% of classes to successfully pass.
1
All Wayland students are expected to attend every class meeting; the minimum percentage of
class participation required to avoid receiving a grade of “F” in the class is 75%. Students who
miss the first two class meetings without providing a written explanation to the instructor will
be automatically dropped from the roster as a “no-show.” Students who know in advance that
they will be absent the first two class meetings and who wish to remain in the class must inform
the instructor in order to discuss possible arrangements for making up absences.
Disability statement: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the
policy of Wayland Baptist University that no otherwise qualified person with a disability be excluded
from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any education
program or activity in the university. The Coordinator of Counseling Services serves as the coordinator
of students with a disability and should be contacted concerning accommodation requests at (806) 2913765. Documentation of a disability must accompany any request for accommodations.
Course requirements and grading criteria: This course is a combination of an interactive,
cooperative experience between the students and the instructor. The format is designed to integrate
lectures, small group work, discussions, and student presentations. Student active participation is
encouraged. Chapter readings of the textbook and homework will be assigned in advance. It is
important that all students read the assigned chapters prior to class and come well prepared to participate
in the discussion of the material. For all written homework, proper grammar and correct spelling are
essential. All written assignment and speech outlines must be typed double-spaced. Only hard copy
will be accepted. Homework and outlines are not accepted via e-mail or fax. University students
are expected to conduct themselves according to the highest standards of academic honesty.
Academic misconduct for which a student is subject to penalty includes all forms of cheating,
such as illicit possession of examinations or examination materials, forgery, or plagiarism.
Plagiarism is the presentation of the work of another as one’s own work. It is the student’s
responsibility to be familiar with penalties associated with plagiarism stated in the catalog.
GRADING: The grading will be based on:
Exams
Mid Term Test 5%
Final Test
5%
Class Attendance
Class Participation & Practice Speeches
Speeches Outlines
Informative
5%
Persuasive
5%
Speeches
Tribute
10%
Informative
15%
Persuasive
15%
10%
5%
15%
10%
40%
Group Presentations
20%
_______________________________________________
Total Possible:
100%
A= 100-90, B= 89-80, C= 79-70, D= 69-60, F= 59-Below
2
** A grade of incomplete is changed if
the work required is completed prior to
the last day of the next long (10-15
weeks) term, unless the instructor
designates an earlier date for
completion. If the work is not
completed by the appropriate date, the
I is converted to a grade of F. An
incomplete notation cannot remain on
the student’s permanent record and
must be replaced by the qualitative
grade (A-F) by the date specified in the
official University calendar of the next
regular term. An incomplete turned to
a qualitative grade will be indicated by
the notation I/grade on the student
transcript.
Grading Criteria Statement:
Students shall have protection through orderly procedures against prejudices or capricious
academic evaluation. A student who believes that he or she has not been held to realistic
academic standards, just evaluation procedures, or appropriate grading, may appeal the final
grade given in the course by using the student grade appeal process described in the Academic
Catalog. Appeals may not be made for advanced placement examinations or course
bypass examinations. Appeals are limited to the final course grade, which may be upheld, raised,
or lowered at any stage of the appeal process. Any recommendation to lower a course grade
must be submitted through the Executive Vice President/Provost to the Faculty Assembly
Grade Appeals Committee for review and approval. The Faculty Assembly Grade Appeals
Committee may instruct that the course grade be upheld, raised, or lowered to a more proper
evaluation.
COURSE/READING SCHEDULE:
Subject to change!
WEEK
DATE
1
11/9/2015
2
11/16/2015
3
11/23/2015
4
11/30/2015
5
12/7/2015
6
12/14/2015
7
1/4/2016
ACTIVITY
READING
ASSIGNMENT
Course Overview
Getting Acquaintance Exercise
Communication: What & Why?
Introductory Speech Presentation
The Self, Perception, and Communication
My Hometown Speech Presentation
Communication and Culture
My Job/Career Speech Presentation
Language
Listening
Heritage Speech Presentation
Nonverbal Communication
Preparing and Presenting Your Speech
Midterm Test (Chapters 1-6, 11)
Informative Speaking
Organization and Support
**Select Team/Groups for groups work
Christmas Break Dec 21 – Jan 3
Speech of Tribute
3
Chapter 1
2 minutes
Chapter 2
3 minutes
Chapter 3
3 minutes
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
4 minutes
Chapter 6
Chapter 11
Chapter 13
Chapter 12
4-5 minutes
Persuasive Speaking
Informative Speech Presentations
Communicating in Groups and Teams
**Teams/Groups to pick up subjects
Martin Luther King Day Holiday
Chapter 14
6-8 minutes
Chapter 9
Chapter 7 & 8
6-8 minutes
Chapter 10
8
1/11/2015
9
1/25/2015
10
2/1/2015
Persuasive Speech Presentations
Solving Problems in Groups and Teams
Team/Group Presentations
11
2/8/2015
Final Test (Chapters 9-10, 12-14)
A Two-Minute Speech of Self-Introduction
1. The speech should be delivered extemporaneously from brief notes that occupy no more than one side
of a single 4 X 6 index card. You are not to read the speech and need to use as much eye contact as
possible. This is a 2 minutes speech.
2. In the speech you will share with the audience the following information:
a. Your name
b. Home town
c. Year in school & Academic Major
3. Go to the library or internet and read through a newspaper from the day you was born or a magazine
such as Time or Newsweek from the week you was born then select an item – article, advertisement,
photograph, editorial, etc – from the newspaper or magazine that relates to your life in some meaningful
way.
4. You may focus the remainder of the speech however you wish – on describing an unusual or
significant personal experience, on expressing a pet peeve, on explaining a favorite hobby or interest,
explain a significant aspect of your cultural background and how it has made a difference in your life
(i.e., social customs, family traditions, holidays, clothing, food, religious traditions, sporting activities,
etc). Be creative in preparing your speech and in finding ways to illustrate how the aspect of your
culture you choose to explain relates to your personal life.
5. The purpose of the speech is not to persuade the audience to share the speaker’s views, but to give the
audience insight into the speaker’s background, personality, attitudes, or aspirations.
6. This speech is designed to give you a brief, initial exposure to speaking in front of an audience in a
situation of minimal risk.
Informative Speech: Each student will deliver an informative speech of 6-8 minutes. The purpose is to
inform the audience and not to persuade them. The presentation will consist of gathering at least 4-5
credible outside sources for your presentation, such as journal articles or credible books to be cited
during your presentation. Your presentation should expand beyond what is covered in class. Each
student will turn in an outline and a reference page of sources. Points will be deducted for not abiding
to the time limit.
4
Persuasive Speech: Each student will deliver a persuasive speech of 6-8 minutes. The purpose is to
persuade the audience to accept the speaker’s ideas about a particular issue, enterprise, product, or
service. It is imperative for the speaker to demonstrate why his or her proposition is superior. The
presentation will consist of gathering at least 5-8 credible outside sources for your presentation, such
as journal articles or credible books to be cited during your presentation. Your presentation should
expand beyond what is covered in class. Each student will turn in an outline and a reference page of
sources. Points will be deducted for not abiding to the time limit.
Group Presentation: This presentation entails groups of 3-4 students working together. In your group,
decide on a topic that is related to professional communication. Then each person will conduct library
research and interview one person regarding one aspect of the topic. Your interview will be used as one
source. Please integrate it into your main points. Each member of the group will then present one aspect
of the project in a 5-minute presentation and cite at least 3 credible sources. Points will be deducted if
it is not between 4-5 minutes long. Hence, if you have 4 group members your group speech length
should be about 20 minutes. Along with an introduction and conclusion to the entire presentation, each
speaker should provide a mini-introduction and conclusion to his or her segment. Like the introduction,
transitions are an especially important way to help listeners follow the structure of a group presentation.
Work as a group to plan the introduction, conclusion, and transitions of your group presentation. The
key is to synthesize the material together as a group presentation! Each student will receive a grade
based upon their individual presentation. Each student will turn in an outline of their part of the
speech and a reference page of their sources. In addition, each student will attach their interview
questions and answers in a separate document.
5