COM-101: Oral Communication
Semester: Spring, 2004
Sections: 101.17 – 101.21
Instructor: Mr. Ransaw
Office: FDH Building Room # 417 Telephone: 895-4365
Office Hours: M, W, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and by
appointment
E-mail address: Transaw@cs.com
Course Objective
Wether you are a student looking for information on how to
write the most effective speech you can, or a biology major
stuck in a pre-requirement class, Com 101 will be one of the
most helpful and entertaining classes you could possibly take.
In this class, you will learn how to stand up and give
outstanding oral presentations for future jobs, and current
classes. You will learn how to communicate effectively and
persuasively in any situation. And just as important, you will
learn how to evaluate and dissect any argument presented
before you.
Required Text:
Lucas, S. (2003). The art of public speaking (8th edition).
Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.
2 CD-Rom disc set that accompanies the textbook - study and
resource information.
3. Stop watch or wristwatch with an accurate second hand –
speech assignments. – Optional
Course Objectives:
1. To develop critical thinking and listening skills;
2. To develop your ability to gather and assess evidence
through various research methods;
3. To assess the credibility of sources and the coherence of
arguments;
4. To state a position on an issue and to defend that position
logically and with proper support;
5. To gain practical experience in both oral and written
delivery; and to understand and practice ethical
communication.
Class Expectations
1. Be in class on time.
2.
Respect everyone—the instructor and other students.
Students should be courteous and polite in dealing with
others.
Students will be quiet and attentive during all
classroom presentations.
3. Hand in assignments on time. The course syllabus lists
due dates for all assignments.
4. Be responsible. Students must bring to class all materials
needed for participation. Students must complete assigned
readings before the class in which they will be covered. If a
students is absent from class, it is their responsibility to find
out what they missed. Students are responsible for contacting
the instructors regarding missed or incomplete assignments.
5. Do your own work. Students must be familiar with and
comply with the policy on Academic Dishonesty that appears
in the course syllabus.
6. Participate in class. Discussions and activities play an
important part of COM-101.
7. Be patient. Students should wait for an appropriate time—
usually the next class period or the instructor’s scheduled
office hour—to discuss grades, problems with assignments,
etc.
Course Requirements and Grading:
Examinations: Two examinations will be given throughout the
semester. Written examinations will draw from material
covered in lecture and required readings. The midterm exam
will be administered on October 19, during the regular class
period. The exam will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions.
The final exam will be administered on the Universitydesignated date. It will be a comprehensive exam, consisting
of approximately 75 multiple-choice questions. Approximately
one-third of the questions will cover chapters assigned prior to
midterm. The remaining two-thirds of the items will cover
chapters assigned after midterm.
Written Assignments:
All written assignments, such as speech outlines, will be
graded on content and style. Grammatical errors, spelling
errors, typos, incorrect punctuation, incomplete sentences,
etc., will deducted from the total grade. All assignments must
be typed. Please proofread your papers carefully before
handing them in. A cover page should be included with each
written assignment. It should include your name, your class
section and the title of the assignment (e.g. Informative
Speech).
Attendance:
Because this course emphasizes both cognitive and
experiential learning, it is very important that students attend
all class sessions. A record of absences will be kept for each
student. Attendance will be check at the beginning and end of
each class session. Generally, absences are equal to the
number of times a class meets in one week without penalty.
Absences in excess of that number will lower your final course
grade according to the following formula:
 The first three absences are without penalty.
 The fourth absence will lower the student’s final course
grade by three (3) percentage points, for example from 81%
to 78%.
 Each subsequent absence will lower the student’s final
course grade by an additional three (3) percentage points.
 Students who accumulate excessive absences will be
encouraged to withdraw from the course.
Grading:
The minimum course requirements are completion of assigned
readings, participation in class discussion of those readings,
completion of the midterm and comprehensive final
examinations, and presentation of four speeches. Graded
assignments (the two examinations and the four speeches)
contribute to the following percentages to the final course
grade:
Assignment
Proportion of Final
Grade
Speech of Introduction (2
minutes)
not graded
Informative speech (4 - 6
minutes)
10 percent
Persuasive speech (4 –6
minutes)
15 percent
Commemorative Speech (6 – 8
minutes)
15 percent
Persuasive Speech (8 - 10
minutes)
Midterm Examination
Comprehensive Final
Examination
25 percent
15 percent
20 percent
You should save all course materials and graded
assignments through the end of the semester.
Grading Scale:
100-93%
92-90%
89-87%
86-83%
82-80%
79-77%
=A
= A= B+
=B
= B= C+
76-73%
72-70%
69-67%
66-63%
62-60%
59-00%
=
=
=
=
=
=
C
CD+
D
DF
Policy on Late Work:
All graded work is due on dates specified. Students are
expected to be present in class and prepared on those dates.
Generally, graded work will not be accepted after the due date.
Only under the most extreme circumstances will late work be
accepted, and even under those circumstances a penalty of
10% per class session may be assessed. For example, if an
examination, quiz, a speech, or other student performance is
scheduled for a Monday and due to extreme circumstances a
student is allowed to complete the examination or speech on
the following Wednesday, a penalty of 10% may be assessed.
Please note: poor planning by students does not constitute an
“extreme circumstance.”
If you must miss a due date for a legitimate reason (illness,
family emergency, University sponsored activity), please
contact the instructor BEFORE class and provide adequate
documentation of the mishap. If you know that you must miss
class when a written assignment is due, you should turn in
your assignment prior to the absence.
Speeches cannot be made prior to your assigned presentation
date. If you know you must miss the day you are assigned to
speak, you may switch dates with another class member.
BOTH you and the classmate must talk to the instructor about
the switch prior to the assigned date. If you miss a scheduled
speech, any make-up speech is at the discretion of the
instructor. In other words, there is no automatic right to
make up a speech.
If you miss an exam, speaking assignment, or paper due date
without a legitimate excuse, no recourse is available.
Reading assignments: It is assumed that you have read the
assigned materials prior to coming to class. Please bring your
textbook to each class session.
Information you are given in class: You are responsible for
any and all information or assignments presented in class
whether you are present or not. If you miss class, you should
make an arrangement with a classmate or instructor to get the
notes.
Incompletes: Incompletes are not an option unless extreme
circumstances make it impossible to finish the course. This
will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Policy on Academic Honesty:
All graded work must be the original work of the student
claiming credit for it. Students guilty of knowingly using or
attempting to use another person’s work as though that work
were their own, and students guilty of knowing permitting or
attempting to permit another student to use their work, will
receive a grade of “F” for the course. Students who are
uncertain regarding what actions constitute plagiarism should
consult the instructor. Students should also be familiar with
the official UNLV policy on academic honesty that appears in
the most recent edition of the Undergraduate Catalog.
Policy on Students with Disability:
Learning Enhancement Services (LES) houses Disability
Services, Tutoring Services, and Learning Strategies. If you
have a documented disability that may require assistance, you
will need to contact LES for coordination in your academic
accommodations. LES is located in the Reynolds Student
Services Complex, Suite137. The phone number is 895-0866
(TDD 895-0652). You may also visit the LES website at
http;//www.unlv.edu/studentlife/les.
Exceptions to the Policies on Absence, Late Work,
and Final Examinations:
University policy states that “students who represent UNLV at
any official extracurricular activity shall have the opportunity
to make up any assignments or examinations missed as a
result of the event. It is the responsibility of the student to
provide official written notification to the instructor of the
class (es) at the earliest time possible of his or her intention to
participate in a university sponsored event, but no less than
one week prior to the date of the missed class (es).”
Therefore, no points shall be deducted from a student’s final
course grade for absences due to university-sanctioned events.
However, students covered under this policy are not
automatically entitled to be absent for these events IN
ADDITION TO the number of absences allowed without
penalty by the course attendance policy outlined above.
Exceptions will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
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