COURSE OBJECTIVES
The course objectives are deceptively simple: By the end of this quarter, you should be able to compose and deliver a clear, convincing, and compelling speech on a public issue using solid evidence. In service of this goal, we will study the principles of argumentation and arrangement, critically examine our own speeches and the speeches of others, and practice, practice, practice. This course thus advances the mission of the Department of Communication to nurture socially responsible, literate citizens who can interpret and evaluate the images and messages they create and receive.

 

SPEAKING CENTER
The Speaking Center is open to all COM 220 students. You should consider the Center to be an extension of the class. The center is a space to refine your skills, address questions, and practice your speeches. The Center’s tutors are there to help you with your speeches. Each one of these tutors has completed COM 220 (and did quite well). Students who make regular use of this resource become better speakers and do better on their assignments. To make an appointment, visit the course website here.

 

ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW
This course takes the public in “public speaking” very seriously. All speech assignments will be about issues that spark disagreement in the public. These issues can range from the local to the regional to the national and international. But all speeches will address issues that affect the public as a collective and are debated publicly by at least two sides. We will discuss the course assignments in greater detail in the lecture and in later parts of this packet; this is a brief overview of the course work.

SPEECHES

HOMEWORKS

All homeworks will be graded on a √/- system with each assignment worth 3 points. The distribution system is as follows:

 

QUIZZES
There will be five quizzes this quarter. These quizzes will generally be announced ahead of time, but they also may be pop quizzes. You should always come to class prepared to take a quiz on the lecture material and recent course readings and online videos. THERE ARE NO MAKE-UP QUIZZES. IF YOU MISS CLASS ON A DAY OF A QUIZ, YOU RECEIVE A 0 FOR THAT QUIZ. For this reason, your two lowest quiz grades will be dropped from the calculation of your final grade. Do not email ahead of time asking if there will be a quiz in class on a particular day.

 

GRADING SYSTEM

There are 300 total possible points in this course.

Assignment Point Value Percentage of the final grade

Impromptu Speech

55

18%

Persuasive Speech

80

27%

Advocacy Speech

90

30%

Homeworks

39

13%

Quizzes

36

12%

Total:
300 points
100%

Grades will be assigned based on your final number of accumulated points. For a discussion of the grade ranges, please see your student handbook or visit: http://www.washington.edu/students/gencat/front/Grading_Sys.html

A Range

(90-100%)

100% = 4.0

99% = 4.0

98% = 4.0

97% = 4.0

96% = 4.0

95% = 4.0

94% = 3.9

93% = 3.8

92% = 3.7

91% = 3.6

90% = 3.5

B Range

(80-89%)

 

89% = 3.4

88% = 3.3

87% = 3.2

86% = 3.1

85% = 3.0

84% = 2.9

83% = 2.8

82% = 2.7

81% = 2.6

80% = 2.5

C Range

(70-79%)

 

79% = 2.4

78% = 2.3

77% = 2.2

76% = 2.1

75% = 2.0

74% = 1.9

73% = 1.8

72% = 1.7

71% = 1.6

70% = 1.5

 

D Range

(62-69%)

 

69% = 1.4

68% = 1.3

67% = 1.2

66% = 1.1

65% = 1.0

64% =.9

63% =.8

62% =.7

61%=.7

60%=.7

Below .6 is a failing grade

 

POLICIES

Adding the Course: There are no add-codes for this course. All adds and drops will be taken care of automatically by the University registration system.

Late Assignments: An assignment is on time when it is turned in at the beginning of the class session on the day it is due (this includes dropbox submissions). In the event that you do not turn in your homework and/or are present for the performance of a homework by the start of class on the day it is due, you will not receive credit for that homework. In other words, you cannot come late to section simply to deliver your speech or homework, unless prior arrangements have been made with the TA. If you miss a homework (either by not turning it in on-time or not being present for a performance homework), you will receive a zero. There are no homework make-ups.

Missed Speeches: This class runs on a very tight schedule since all speeches are performed in sections; there simply is not time in the schedule to allow for make-up speeches. Given this practical concern, I’ve listed actions to take to avoid missing your speeches and penalties that will occur if you do. 

Special Needs: To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact the Disability Resources for Students Office (DRS), 448 Schmitz, 543-8924 (V), 543-8925 (TTY), or uwdss@u.washington.edu . Please present your letter from DRS indicating that you have a disability that requires academic accommodations to your instructor or the course coordinator so we can discuss the accommodations you might need for the class.

Grade Appeals: If you wish to challenge a grade you received on an assignment, you should wait 24 hours after receiving the grade. Refer back to the assignment description in order to identify areas where you and the grader apparently differed. As a side note, “I tried really hard” is not an argument for a grade change. We can only grade product, not effort.

After 24 hours, make an appointment with your TA to discuss the grade. If the issue is still not resolved following that meeting, make an appointment with me. If you are still not satisfied with the response that you receive, you may contact the chair of the Department of Communication, David Domke, at 543-2662. You have two weeks after receiving a grade to challenge it. After two weeks, grade challenges will not be considered.

Academic Integrity: The University's definitions of academic and personal misconduct are outlined in the Student Conduct Code (available online at http://www.washington.edu/students/handbook/conduct.html). It is your responsibility to read and understand the University's expectations. Until you have read the Code, do not assume that you know what this University defines as academic misconduct.

Plagiarism is a significant violation of the Student Conduct Code and will be dealt with severely in this class. Plagiarism is any representation of another person's words or ideas (in either oral or written form) in a manner that makes it seem as if they were your own. This means that you may not copy another person's paper or speech. But it also means that you should not use another person's unique phrases or organizational schemes without making it clear to your audience where those words or ideas originated. If it becomes evident that you have collaborated with another student and/or plagiarized work, the matter will be immediately turned over to the University's Committee on Academic Conduct (more information on this process here: http://depts.washington.edu/grading/pdf/StudentInfo.pdf).

Finally, the same speech may not be given for credit in more than one class. If you are taking another course with speech assignments, you may not recycle a speech by giving it in both classes.