SYLLABUS
SPEECH 231.H81—Communication Fundamentals
Instructor: Mrs. Kathy Burk
Cell Phone: (517) 630-1541 evenings; 437-0990 X227 days
E-mail: kathy.burk@hillsdale-isd.org
Office Hours: By appointment
Class Time: Tuesdays 4:00 to 5:56 in Room 16
Text: Human Communications: The Basic Course, 13th edition, by Joseph A. Devito
ISBN-13: 978-0-205-94486-6
JCC Website: www.jccmi.edu
Login to JCC Accounts: first seven letters of last name, first seven letters of first name, middle
initial. Use no spaces, for example Jennifer Ann Smith would login as: smithjennifea
Password for JCC Accounts: Your password is your first and lasts initials, the two digit date
of your birth, the last two digits of your birth year and the last four digits of your student ID.
Required Course Materials: Spiral notebook, flash drive.
WELCOME TO COMMUNICATION FUNDAMENTALS!
I’m excited to be here, and I am excited about our working together this term! This course is designed
to help you improve your communication skills.
Course Description: Students will learn the basic principles of speech communication including
speech development and delivery, interpersonal messages, non-verbal messages and small group
dynamics. The course is designed to prepare students to be effective communicators in a diverse
global society.
Associate Degree Outcomes:
Jackson Community College’s Board of Trustees has determined that all of our graduates should
develop or enhance a variety of important skills while enrolled in courses. The ADOs for this course
include:
 ADO 2: Speak clearly, concisely and intelligibly (proficient)
 ADO 9: Work productively with others, recognizing individual contributions to
group success (Developing Level)
Attendance:
If you can’t attend class, please contact me in advance. E-mail is the preferred method. Participation
is essential. Missing class will have a serious impact on your final grade. Excessive absences will
result in a lower grade or your withdrawal from the class.
E-mailing the instructor is a courtesy and does not excuse the absence.
**Attendance Bonus: There is a 50 point attendance bonus for students who attend every class
without exception (excused or unexcused). This bonus is to reward students who are committed
to the course and who are working hard to succeed.
Participation:
Students are expected to actively participate in discussions, actively read the selections and put much
thought into their assignments. If you put forth a lot of effort in this class and take each assignment
seriously, this class will give you more confidence in your ability to communicate. Throughout the
term, you will complete various activities in class. These may involve individual or group
assignments. These activities will count towards your final course grade.
Late Policy:
Communication is the key to your success in this class. If you are having trouble completing an
assignment, you are required to contact the instructor in advance.
 Late assignments will receive a 20% reduction in the grade.
 All late work must be submitted within one week of the due date for reduced credit.
 Assignments beyond one week late will not be accepted.
In-class assignments and activities are not subject to make-up and will not be accepted late.
Major Assignments:
NOTE: I WILL NOT ACCEPT HANDWRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES! Please save all of your assignments on a flash drive.
Speeches:
1.) Brown Bag Speech (50 points): You will introduce yourself to the class using three items that
are meaningful to you.
2.) Culture Speech (100 points): You will investigate another culture and present your
information to the class.
3.) Special Occasion Speech (100 points): You will give a wedding toast, eulogy or award
introduction
4.) Persuasive Speech (Group Project--125 points): You will be assigned to a group (chosen by
me). You will choose an issue to research and present to the class. Each portion of this
assignment will be assigned to different group members. A Power Point presentation is
required. Other visual aids can also be included.
Quizzes: You will have weekly take-home quizzes on each chapter. These will include multiple
choice, true/false and short answer questions.
Because this course is a hybrid course, students are expected to complete 15 hours of guided
learning, outside of class. The 5 online forums and 10 journal entries will fulfill the required 15 hours
of guided learning.
Forums: There are five forums that are posted on Jet-Net. You must read the articles and post your
response by the deadline listed on the forum. You must write a response of at least 5 complete
sentences in order to receive full credit. You should cite evidence from one, or both, of the articles to
support your position. During the following week, you will need to respond to two of your classmate's
forum posts. You must write responses of at least 5 complete sentences to two classmates in order to
receive full credit.
Personal Reflection Journal: You will need a spiral notebook for your journal entries, or you can
type your journals on a computer and print them off. Each week you will be given a topic to write
about. These topics will each require a one-page response that clearly reflects your feelings and
demonstrates an understanding of the communication concepts. Journal entries will NOT be shared
with the class. Journals will be collected near the end of the semester.
Academic Honesty:
Honesty is expected of all students. This is the ethical behavior that includes producing your own
work and not representing others’ ideas or work as your own, either by plagiarism, by cheating, or by
helping others to do so. There is a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism. If you plagiarize material, the
penalty can be a failing grade in the course.
Conduct and Classroom Behavior:
It is inappropriate in this course to use obscene language or gestures, tell offensive jokes, or allude to
sexual, racial, cultural or gendered references that may be demeaning or offensive. Please be mindful
of what you say and how you say it.
Anything that distracts from the communication process should be avoided in class. Cell phones,
pagers, MP3 players, laptops and text messaging devices should be turned off, or set on vibrate, when
not being used in class. Please do not play music, Facebook or text during class.
Grades:
Participation (15 classes X 15 points)
Quizzes
(10 quizzes X 20 points)
Journal
(10 entries X 10 points)
Speeches
(3 speeches)
Forums
Group Presentation
TOTAL POINTS
*50 point bonus possible for perfect attendance
225 points
200 points
100 points
250 points
100 points
125 points
1,000 points
Grade Scale:
900-1000 = 4.0
800-899 = 3.0-3.5
700-799 = 2.0-2.5
600-699 = 1.0-1.5
< 600 = 0.0
COM 231.H81
WINTER 2015
Thursdays 4:00-5:56
COMMUNICATION FUNDAMENTALS--CALENDAR OF DUE DATES
DATE
_________________
Jan. 19
Chapter 1
Preliminary to Human Communication
Forum 1--Assisted Suicide
Jan. 26
Chapter 15
Feb. 2
Chapter 17
The Informative Speech
Forum 2--Tattoos
Feb. 9
Chapter 2
Feb. 16
Chapter 3
Self & Perception
Forum 3--America's Wealthy
Feb. 23
DUE: Culture Speech
Supporting & Organizing Your Speech
DUE: Brown Bag Speech
Culture & Communication
Feb. 27- Mar. 6--Spring Break--NO SCHOOL!!
Mar. 8
Chapter 5
Verbal Messages
Forum 4--Distracted Driving
Mar. 15
Chapter 6
Mar. 22
Chapter 7
Interpersonal Communication--Conversation
Forum 5--The Millennials
Mar. 29
Chapter 9
Friends, Lovers & Families
April 5
Chapter 18
Persuasive Speech Chapter
April 12
Work on Group Presentations
April 19
Work on Group Presentations
April 26
DUE: Present Group Presentations
May 3
Last Class
Nonverbal Messages
DUE: Special Occasion Speech