COMM1030-02:PublicSpeaking,3Credits
BostonCollegeSummerSession2016
SummerI,May17th–June24th
Tuesday/Thursday,6:00PM–9:15PM
Instructor:Dr.AndrewOwens
Instructore-mail:owensac@bc.edu
PhoneNumber:(617)552-4849
Office:St.Mary’sHallSouth480
OfficeHours:Tuesday/Thursday,5:00PM–6:00PM
BostonCollegeMissionStatement
Strengthenedbymorethanacenturyandahalfofdedicationtoacademicexcellence,BostonCollege
commits itself to the highest standards of teaching and research in undergraduate, graduate and
professionalprogramsandtothepursuitofajustsocietythroughitsownaccomplishments,theworkof
itsfacultyandstaff,andtheachievementsofitsgraduates.Itseeksbothtoadvanceitsplaceamongthe
nation'sfinestuniversitiesandtobringtothecompanyofitsdistinguishedpeersandtocontemporary
society the richness of the Catholic intellectual ideal of a mutually illuminating relationship between
religiousfaithandfreeintellectualinquiry.
BostonCollegedrawsinspirationforitsacademicsocietalmissionfromitsdistinctivereligioustradition.
AsaCatholicandJesuituniversity,itisrootedinaworldviewthatencountersGodinallcreationand
throughallhumanactivity,especiallyinthesearchfortruthineverydiscipline,inthedesiretolearn,
andinthecalltolivejustlytogether.Inthisspirit,theUniversityregardsthecontributionofdifferent
religious traditions and value systems as essential to the fullness of its intellectual life and to the
continuousdevelopmentofitsdistinctiveintellectualheritage.
CourseDescription
Thiscourseisanintroductiontothetheory,composition,delivery,andcriticismofspeeches.Attention
isdevotedtothefourkeyelementsofthespeechsituation:message,speaker,audience,andoccasion.
Emphasisinthecourseisalsogiventodifferentmodesofspeakingandavarietyofspeechtypes,such
aspersuasive,ceremonial,andexpositoryaddresses.Thisisaperformancecourse.
Textbooks&Readings(Required)
Ross,RaymondS.andDianaK.Leonard.IntroductiontotheSpeechmakingProcess,14thed.
ISBN:9781618820099
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Canvas
CanvasistheLearningManagementSystem(LMS)atBostonCollege,designedtohelpfacultyand
studentsshareideas,collaborateonassignments,discusscoursereadingsandmaterials,submit
assignments,andmuchmore-allonline.AsaBostonCollegestudent,youshouldfamiliarizeyourself
withthisimportanttool.FormoreinformationandtrainingresourcesforusingCanvas,clickhere.
CourseObjectives
• Studentswilldevelopadeliverystylethatworkswellforboththespeakerandtheaudience.
Whilestudentsarenotexpectedtomemorizetheirspeeches,theyareexpectedtobeableto
establisheyecontactwiththeaudiencewhilespeakingfromoutlinedmaterial.
• Studentswilldemonstrateknowledgeofthedifferencesbetweenaninformative,persuasive,
andspecialoccasionspeech,aswellasknowledgeofthebestpracticesfordevelopingand
deliveringeachtypeofspeech.
• Studentswilldemonstrateapublicspeakingcompetency.Studentswillpresentspeechesthat
areorganizationallyandlogicallydeveloped.
• Studentswilldemonstrateethicalabilitybothtouseethicalappealsandtoidentifyunethical
usesofargument(e.g.,tobeabletoidentifytheattackofapersonratherthananexplanationof
anissueasanadhominemfallacyofargument).
Grading
InformativeSpeech 100points
PositionSpeech
110points
SpecialOccasionSpeech
125points
ClassParticipation 30points
FinalExam 35points
TheundergraduategradingsystemforSummerSessionisasfollows:
A(4.00),A-(3.67)
B+(3.33),B(3.00),B-(2.67)
C+(2.33),C(2.00),C-(l.67)
D+(l.33),D(l.00),D-(.67)
F(.00)
AllstudentscanaccessfinalgradesthroughAgoraafterthegradingdeadlineeachsemester.Transcripts
areavailablethroughtheOfficeofStudentServices.
DeadlinesandLateWork
Ifaspeechismissedforalegitimatereason(e.g.,work,health,orfamilyemergency),documentationof
thatreasonisrequired.Studentsawareofschedulingconflictsshouldimmediatelyinformtheinstructor
sothatalternativearrangementscanbemade.Ifaspeechismissedforanun-excusedreason,the
followingdeductionswilloccur:10%deductionforthefirstmissedspeech;20%deductionforthe
secondmissedspeech;failureofthecourseforthethirdmissedspeech.
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CourseAssignments
Itisexpectedthatyouwillspend8hoursperweekonout-of-classassignmentsandexercises.Theseare
listedbelow.Pleasenotethatsomeweekswillrequiremoretimeandsomeweekslesstime,butthe
averagewillbeapproximately8hoursperweekoverthecourseoftheterm.
CourseSchedule
Date/Week
Topic
Reading/Assignments
DueDate
Week1 CourseIntroduction
N/A
May17
BasicsofPublic
Chapter1
May19
Speaking
Week2 Howto:Informative
Chapters4-6
May24
Speaking
Chapters8-10
May26
Week3 InformativeSpeech Researchfourexpertsourceson
May31
Due
topic
SpecialSession:
N/A
June2
AwardsShows
Week4 Howto:Persuasive
Chapter11&12
June7
Speaking
PositionSpeech Researchfourexpertsourceson
June9
Due
topic
Week5
Howto:Special
Chapter13
June14
OccasionSpeaking
SpecialSessionw/
N/A
June16
Dr.Sienkiewicz
Week6
SpecialOccasion
Researchfourexpertsourceson
June21
SpeechDue
topic
FINALEXAM
June23
WrittenWork
SummerSessionstudentsareexpectedtoprepareprofessional,polishedwrittenwork.Written
materialsmustbetypedandsubmittedintheformatrequiredbytheinstructor.Striveforathorough
yetconcisestyle.Citeliteratureappropriately,usingAPA,MLA,orCLAstylepertheinstructor’s
requirements.Developyourthoughtsfully,clearly,logically,andspecifically.Proofreadallmaterialsto
ensuretheuseofpropergrammar,punctuation,andspelling.Forwritingsupport,pleasecontactthe
ConnorsFamilyLearningCenter.
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Attendance
Attendingclassisanimportantcomponentoflearning.Studentsareexpectedtoattendallclass
sessions.Whencircumstancespreventastudentfromattendingclass,thestudentisresponsiblefor
contactingtheinstructorbeforetheclassmeets.Studentswhomissclassarestillexpectedtocomplete
allassignmentsandmeetalldeadlines.Ifyoumissclass,youcannotmakeupparticipationpoints
associatedwiththatclass.Makeupworkmaybeassignedatthediscretionoftheinstructor.If
circumstancesnecessitateexcessiveabsencefromclass,thestudentshouldconsiderwithdrawingfrom
theclass.Studentswhomissmorethanthreeclasses,foranyreason,willreceiveafullgradededuction.
Forclassesinwhichstudentsaredeliveringspeeches,studentsareexpectedtobeinattendanceforthe
entireclasssothatallspeakershaveanaudience.
ConsistentwithBC’scommitmenttocreatingalearningenvironmentthatisrespectfulofpersonsof
differingbackgrounds,webelievethateveryreasonableeffortshouldbemadetoallowmembersofthe
universitycommunitytoobservetheirreligiousholidayswithoutjeopardizingtheiracademicstatus.
Studentsareresponsibleforreviewingcoursesyllabiassoonaspossible,andforcommunicatingwith
theinstructorpromptlyregardinganypossibleconflictswithobservedreligiousholidays.Studentsare
responsibleforcompletingallclassrequirementsfordaysmissedduetoconflictswithreligiousholidays.
AccommodationandAccessibility
BostonCollegeiscommittedtoprovidingaccommodationstostudents,faculty,staff,andvisitorswith
disabilities.Specificdocumentationfromtheappropriateofficeisrequiredforstudentsseeking
accommodationinSummerSessioncourses.Advancednoticeandformalregistrationwiththe
appropriateofficeisrequiredtofacilitatethisprocess.TherearetwoseparateofficesatBCthat
coordinateservicesforstudentswithdisabilities:
● TheConnorsFamilyLearningCenter(CFLC)coordinatesservicesforstudentswithLDandADHD.
● TheDisabilitiesServicesOffice(DSO)coordinatesservicesforallotherdisabilities.
FindoutmoreaboutBC’scommitmenttoaccessibilityatwww.bc.edu/sites/accessibility.
ScholarshipandAcademicIntegrity
StudentsinSummerSessioncoursesmustproduceoriginalworkandcitereferencesappropriately.
Failuretocitereferencesisplagiarism.Academicdishonestyincludes,butisnotnecessarilylimitedto,
plagiarism,fabrication,facilitatingacademicdishonesty,cheatingonexamsorassignments,or
submittingthesamematerialorsubstantiallysimilarmaterialtomeettherequirementsofmorethan
onecoursewithoutseekingpermissionofallinstructorsconcerned.Scholasticmisconductmayalso
involve,butisnotnecessarilylimitedto,actsthatviolatetherightsofotherstudents,suchasdepriving
anotherstudentofcoursematerialsorinterferingwithanotherstudent’swork.PleaseseetheBoston
Collegepolicyonacademicintegrityformoreinformation.
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