Spring 2026
Public Speaking
Public Speaking SPCH 1315-9M1 INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Tafhimur Rahman Email: trahman@lit.edu Office Phone: (409) 247-4793 Office Location: Technology Center 206 Office Hours: By appointment only CREDIT 3 Credit Hours MODE OF INSTRUCTION Online PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: None COURSE DESCRIPTION Application of communication theory and practice to the public speaking context, with emphasis on audience analysis, speaker delivery, ethics of communication, cultural diversity, and speech organizational techniques to develop students’ speaking abilities, as well as ability to effectively evaluate oral presentations. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the foundational models of communication. 2. Apply elements of audience analysis. 3. Demonstrate ethical speaking and listening skills by analyzing presentations for evidence and logic. 4. Research, develop and deliver extemporaneous speeches with effective verbal and nonverbal techniques. 5. Demonstrate effective usage of technology when researching and/or presenting speeches. 6. Identify how culture, ethnicity and gender influence communication. 7. Develop proficiency in presenting a variety of speeches as an individual or group (e.g. narrative, informative or persuasive). Core Objectives 1. Critical Thinking Skills: To include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information. 2. Communication Skills: To include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication. 3. Teamwork: To include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others. 4. Personal Responsibility: To include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS Our textbook for SPCH 1315 is Exploring Public Speaking, 4th Edition. This is a free e-book available online at https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/communication-textbooks/1/ in Word, PDF and EPUB (earlier editions) formats. You can also view and download the PDF attachment on Blackboard. PARTICIPATION POLICY There is an expected participation in your part to be on this online course. In practical terms, that means: • Logging in regularly (daily or several times a week). • Understanding course instructions • Reading course materials • Reading ALL announcements. It is how the instructor communicates with you. • Submitting assignments and quizzes on time. Blackboard can log things like: • Time spent in the course. • Number of clicks or page views. • Assignment submissions. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process by the specified drop date as listed on the Academic Calendar. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. Email Policy · Email is checked in the afternoon. Allow 24 hours for a response. Weekend emails will be answered on Monday. · Please include your class time and an accurate subject. · Assignments should only be emailed if Blackboard is having technical issues. STUDENT EXPECTED TIME REQUIREMENT For every hour in class (or unit of credit), students should expect to spend at least two to three hours per week studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit-hour class, students should prepare to allocate approximately six to nine hours per week outside of class in a 16- week session OR approximately twelve to eighteen hours in an 8-week session. Online/Hybrid students should expect to spend at least as much time on this course as in the traditional, face-to-face class. COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: SPEECHES 40% • Name Speech • Introduction Speech • Informative Speech • Problem Solution Speech PERSUASIVE SPEECH 20% TESTS 20% • Chapter Tests HOMEWORK/PARTICIPATION 20% • Library Assignment • Listening Report • Self & Peer Critique GRADE SCALE • 90-100 A • 80-89 B • 70-79 C • 60-69 D • 0-59 F LIT does not use +/- grading scales Grade Sheet (This is for you to use to keep up with your grade in the class) Assignment Weight Name Speech 5% Introduction to Informative Speech 10% Informative Speech 15% Library Assignment 10% Self/Peer Evaluation 5% Listening Report 5% Problem/Solution Speech 10% Tests (10) 20% Persuasive Speech 20% TOTAL/Final Grade 100% ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Students found to be committing academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, or collusion) may receive disciplinary action. Students need to familiarize themselves with the institution’s Academic Dishonesty Policy available in the Student Catalog & Handbook at http://catalog.lit.edu/content.php?catoid=3&navoid=80#academic-dishonesty. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc. can be online at https://lit.edu/online-learning/online-learning-minimum-computer-requirements. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or Wi-Fi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is located in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IN THE COURSE Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI). The use of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, is permitted in this course only in a limited capacity. Students may not use AI to create speeches, assignments, or any original content that is required for grading. The development of ideas, research, arguments, and speech drafts must be the student’s own work. AI may only be used as a supplemental tool to refine material that has already been written by the student. Acceptable uses include checking grammar and spelling, ensuring clarity and cohesion, and assisting with the organization of outlines. For example, it is not acceptable to ask an AI tool to “create a 5–7-minute informative speech on World War II.” However, it is acceptable to paste a draft the student has written into an AI tool and request a review of grammar or flow. Whenever an AI tool is used, students are required to disclose this use within their assignment by including the following statement: “For this assignment’s preparation, the author(s) utilized [Generative AI Tool Name], a language model created by [Generative AI Tool Provider]. Within this assignment, the tool was used only for [e.g., grammar correction, minor phrasing adjustments, or organizational support].” Failure to properly acknowledge the use of AI tools or relying on them beyond the limits described above will be considered a violation of academic integrity and may result in penalties in accordance with the LIT policy. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION 1. Academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.) will not be tolerated. The first offense will result in failure of the assignment. A second offense will result in failure of the course. 2. All assignments must be submitted through Blackboard. Work submitted by email or in person will not be accepted. It is the student’s responsibility to learn and use Blackboard correctly. 3. Blackboard training is available to students at no cost. 4. Late work will not be accepted under any circumstances. 5. Emails sent during the week will receive a response within 24 hours. Emails sent over the weekend will be answered on Monday. 6. Speech requirements are outlined below. Failure to meet all requirements will result in a grade of zero for the speech. a. Students must submit: i. Full-sentence preparation outline ii. Works Cited page iii. Visual aid iv. Speech video b. Each speech must be delivered to a live audience of at least three audience members. Failure to meet the audience requirement will result in a zero. c. Videos must clearly show the student from the front as well as all three audience members throughout the entire speech. Failure to do so will result in a zero. d. Videos must be unedited. Edited videos will result in a zero. e. Videos must be uploaded to YouTube with the privacy setting on “unlisted” or “public.” Videos set to “private” cannot be viewed and will be treated as not submitted. f. Videos must be clear and well-lit, with no distractions such as background noise (babies, children, pets, TVs, phones, etc.). Poor lighting will result in a letter grade penalty. g. Students must dress in business casual attire for speeches. Inappropriate attire (jeans, joggers, ball caps, gum chewing, lack of shoes, etc.) will result in a letter grade penalty. This is a college course, and students are expected to deliver professional presentations. h. Students are expected to review their videos before submission. Ask yourself, “Is this my best work?” Multiple recordings may be necessary. Practice thoroughly before recording with your audience. i. Reading directly from a script is not acceptable and will result in a penalty of up to two letter grades. Speeches must be delivered extemporaneously, well-researched, well-rehearsed, using note cards effectively. j. Speeches must meet the assigned time limit. A penalty of one point will be deducted for every five seconds over or under the time requirement. Note: Our syllabus schedule is not a contract in stone; I will attempt to maintain our schedule but there may be times when it is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. It is your responsibility to keep up with any such changes. Please check our Blackboard for the course schedule. All out of class assignments should be typed in the following format: ▪ Times New Romans ▪ 12 Font ▪ Double Space Standard Speech Deductions Students are provided with detailed instructions for all speeches, and expectations are discussed in class and practiced before completing for a grade. For fairness, there is a list below of the standard deductions for common errors on speeches. Error Penalty No Outline and/or Works Cited Zero on the speech Over/under time -1 point per 5 seconds Missing source(s) on Works Cited -10 per source Sources not verbally cited -5 per source Incorrect attire (Jeans, athletic wear, pajamas, joggers, etc.) -20 Cell phone ringing during a classmate’s speech -20 Interrupting a speech by walking in or out -20 Syllabus Agreement I have received the SPCH 1315 syllabus. I have read and agree to the policies set forth in the syllabus and syllabus addendum. My signature below also affirms that, by enrolling as a student in SPCH 1315 at Lamar Institute of Technology, I agree to and will abide by the course policies set forth in this syllabus. Printed Name: _________________________________________ Date: ____________ Signature: _______________________________________________________________ All out of class assignments should have a title page. The title page should look like the following below. NO EXCEPTIONS!! You may copy, paste the document and edit the information. Title of Paper Submitted by: (Your NAME) Submitted to: Mr. Rahman SPCH 1315 Public Speaking Section _____ Lamar Institute of Technology Submission Date: NOTE: All class assignments must be typed and have a title page. Note: Our syllabus schedule is not a contract in stone; I will attempt to maintain our schedule but there may be times when it is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. It is your responsibility to keep up with any such changes. Week 1 Jan. 20- 25 Orientation to the course-Read Syllabus & Addendum Note: Many documents and tasks must be read /completed thoroughly. Week 2 Jan. 26-Feb.01 Module 1, 2 and Complete Test 1 & 2 Go over Introduction Speech Go over Delivery & Pointers NAME SPEECH DUE Week 3 Feb. 2-8 Complete Chapter 3, 4 Tests (3) Ethics in Public Speaking, (4) Developing Topics for your Speech Week 4 Feb. 9-15 Chapter 5 Test (5) Researching Your Speeches INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATIVE SPEECH DUE Week 5 Feb. 16- 22 LIBRARY ASSIGNMENT DUE Week 6 Feb. 23- Mar. 01 Chapter 6, 7 (6) Organizing & Outlining Your Speech, (7) Supporting Your Speech Ideas. Go over Informative Speech Week 7 Mar. 02-08 INFORMATIVE SPEECH AND OUTLINES DUE Week 8 Mar. 09-15 Chapter 13, 9 Test (9) Presentation Aids in Speaking (13) Persuasive Speaking Work on Problem/Solution Speech Week 9 Mar. 16-22 PROBLEM/SOLUTION SPEECH DUE Week 10 Mar. 23-29 GO OVER PERSUASIVE SPEECH Week 11 Mar. 30-Apr. 05 WORK ON PERSUASIVE SPEECH Week 12 Apr. 06-12 Chapter 15 Test (15) Special Occasion Speaking Week 13 Apr. 13-19 PERSUASIVE SPEECH DUE Week 14 Apr. 20- 26 Listening Report Due Week 15 Apr. 27- May 03 Make sure all Chapter Tests are completed Week 16 May 04-10 Final Exam Week