CAS 100B: Effective Speech (Small Groups: IST Concentration)

Fall 2006

Jessica Sheffield and Suellen Hopfer, Instructors

Please note: Penn State encourages qualified persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. This syllabus can be made available in alternate formats for students who require this assistance. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please let me know as soon as possible.

Required text

No textbook is required for this course. Online readings will be provided.

Recommended text

Effective Group Discussion: Theory and Practice
John K. Brilhart, Gloria J. Galanes, and Katherine L. Adams

• While we will not be using this textbook in class, if you can pick up a used copy it may be useful to have one copy per group to use as a reference for course concepts, terms, etc. I also have a copy that you may use if you contact me in advance.

Course description

This is a general education course designed to introduce students to principles of effective communication with a specific focus on group problem solving. Class meetings involve considerable attention to group dynamics, teamwork, and effective communication within groups. Through in-class activities, peer critiques, and analysis of both process and product, this course is designed to allow students to actively work in groups and engage in self-analysis of their own group processes. This course enables students to work more effectively in groups, develop teams, and make effective group and individual presentations. Public presentations are evaluated for content, organization, and presentation while group work is evaluated for process effectiveness and outcomes.

Policies

Academic Integrity

As one of the four Penn State Principles, Academic Integrity is a vitally important part of your experience as a student. Policy 49-20 of the Faculty Senate reads, “Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, the University's Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts.” In this or any other class you take at Penn State, academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Offering others’ work as one’s own, whether in the forms of plagiarism, copying from another student’s papers, tests, etc., contracting with another to prepare one’s assignments, or falsifying the reasons for absences from class is counter to university policy, not to mention inconsistent with the objectives of learning. Any such instances or related displays of academic dishonesty, if pertinent, will result in an F on the assignments for which the infractions occurs, could lead to an F for the course, and may result in disciplinary action taken by the university. Please refer to the Teaching and Learning with Technology’s statement at http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/cyberplag/cyberplagstudent.html for more information, and feel free to contact your instructor if you have any questions or require clarification on any point.

Attendance

Practicing social and personal responsibility is another Penn State Principle. Part of this is your responsibility as a member of this class and of your group. Since CAS 100B is a communication-based course, your regular attendance and participation are vital to your success in the course. Attendance is required and will be taken at each class meeting except for group work days as noted in the syllabus. I recognize that sometimes situations arise which may require your absence from class; to that end, you may miss two class sessions without penalty. Use these absences wisely, and remember that your absence may affect your group as well as yourself. Additional absences beyond two will adversely affect your participation grade; excessive absences (more than five) will result in automatic failure of the course. Should a major medical or personal situation arise which may lead to more absences, please contact me as soon as possible so that we can try to make some arrangements. Do not wait until you’ve missed several classes to get in touch with me!

Classroom Environment

A third Penn State Principle reads, “I will respect the dignity of all individuals within the Penn State community.” You are part of a class and a group made up of people who may be different from you in their beliefs, technological skill levels, familiarity with public speaking and/or groupwork, political views, etc. You can appreciate these differences without compromising your own viewpoints. The core value of this course is respect: for each other, for other groups, for the instructor, for the course material, and for the learning process.

A note on my teaching philosophy

The final Penn State principle places responsibility for your academic progress in your own hands. I believe that every student in my class has the ability to succeed in this course. My goal is to create a comfortable environment in which you can explore and improve your ability to think critically and to skillfully present your ideas to an audience. I do not “give” grades; students earn grades. While this may seem like semantic hair splitting, it is an important distinction. No one is entitled to get an “A” in a class unless they earn it. I cannot grade on effort—I must grade what you actually do. My job is to push students to do their best and to then exceed that standard. I recognize that this is futile unless I also provide the support and assistance that each student needs to excel. Therefore, I provide office hours and expect students to use them. I strive to provide the tools and support necessary for each student to succeed. However, you will not excel unless you too are willing to pay the price of excellence. Part of that price is a devotion to your coursework. I assume that attaining a university degree is your first priority. If this is not the case, it is less likely that you will achieve excellence. Bottom line—you do your part to excel and I will be there to help you reach that goal.

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