Communications Studies (COMS) 361 - Lecture 01
Spoken and Written Discourse
Fall 2008
MW 13:00 - 14:50 (ST061)

Instructor:	Lisa Stowe
Office Location:	SS 254
Office Phone:	220 4840
E-Mail:	lstowe@ucalgary.ca
Office Hours:	TBA

Additional Information

The lab and lecture are combined in a single class from 13:00 - 14:50 with a ten minute break. "Lab" activities may take place at any time during class hours.

Course Description

This course will focus on making students better communicators through writing and speaking. We will explore the principles of persuasive communication as seen in a variety of sources; classical rhetoric, essays, newspaper editorials, songs, speeches and debates. The emphasis in this course will be on how persuasion works and what makes certain speakers and writers better persuasive communicators than others. There will also be a thorough study of the rhetorical tool ethos or how to establish and identify solid credible character through writing and speaking. The key to this class is to identify and isolate successful aspects of persuasion and duplicate them in our own lives.

Students will hone their skills as successful rhetoricians, and put this theory into practice, through essay writing and public speaking. Because of the emphasis on public presentations, students will not only be graded on the quality of their writing, but also on the quality of expression and presentation.

Objectives of the Course

Students will become familiar with ancient and contemporary rhetoric and will extensively use the three tools of rhetoric, ethos, pathos and logos.

Students will understand the importance of rhetoric to Western culture.

Students will analyze written and spoken examples of rhetoric to see how effective use of these three tools creates sound arguments.

Students will become effective communicators and will learn how to frame a message to a specific audience through extensive practice of speaking and writing.

Students will practice creating strong and credible ethos through theoretical and practice exercises.

Students will learn in a collaborative and safe environment.

Textbooks and Readings:

Campbell, Karlyn Kohrs and Susan Schultz Huxman. (2002/2003). The Rhetorical Act: Thinking, Speaking, and Writing Critically. 3rd Edition. Thomson / Cengage ISBN: 9780534560973

Additional readings to be provided in class.

A good dictionary and grammar handbook.

Assignments and Evaluation

Speech to Inform Sept 29 and Oct 1 10%

Annotated Bibliography November 3 15%

Persuasive Essay November 12 20%

Speech to Persuade Nov 17, 19, 24 15%

Rhetorical Analysis Dec 10 25%

Participation Ongoing 15%

 

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.
Note: Please hand in your essays directly to your tutor or instructor if possible. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination: NO

Please note: If your class is held in the evening, the Registrar's Office will make every attempt to schedule the final exam during the evening; however, there is NO guarantee that the exam will NOT be scheduled during the day.

Policy for Late Assignments

Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre. Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

(Revised, effective September 2008)

 

	Grading Scale
A+	96-100
A	90-95.99
A -	85-89.99
B+	80-84.99
B	75-79.99
B-	70-74.99
C+	65-69.99
C	60-64.99
C-	55-59.99
D+	53-54.99
D	50-52.99
F	0-49

 

Where a grade on a particular assignment is expressed as a letter grade, it will normally be converted to a number using the midpoint of the scale.  That is, A- would be converted to 87.5 for calculation purposes.  F will be converted to zero.

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/su

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Ethics

Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines. Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and supervise your research. For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see

The Faculty of Communication and Culture Research Ethics site: http://www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/ethics

or the University of Calgary Research Ethics site: http://www.ucalgary.ca/research/compliance/ethics/info/undergrad/

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

Tentative Class Schedule and Reading List

(Detailed assignment guides will follow and be posted on Blackboard.)

(Readings and schedule are subject to change but students will be given plenty of notice)

 

Sept 8 M Intro to course

Participation Policy

 

Sept 10 W Chapter 1 Campbell & Huxman

 

Sept 15 M Chapter 2 Campbell & Huxman

 

Sept 17 W Chapter 3 Campbell & Huxman

 

Sept 22 M Chapter 4 Campbell & Huxman

 

Sept 24 W Informative Strategies (Sign up for speeches to Inform)

 

Sept 29 M Speech to Inform (Pass in Participation Policy)

 

Oct 1 W Speech to Inform

 

Oct 6 M Chapter 5 & 6 Campbell & Huxman

 

Oct 8 W Chapter 7 Campbell & Huxman

 

Oct 13 M Thanksgiving Holiday No class

 

Oct 15 W Rhetorical Analysis

Martin Luther King (Handout)

 

Oct 20 M Martin Luther King Cont'd.

 

Oct 22 W Chapter 8 Campbell & Huxman

 

Oct 27 M Library Visit (Research and Bibliography Prep for Persuasive Essay)

 

Oct 29 W Chapters 9 & 10 Campbell & Huxman (Pass in Participation Policy)

 

Nov 3 M Chapters 11 & 12 Campbell & Huxman (Annotated Bibliography Due)

 

Nov 5 W Chapters 13 & 14 Campbell & Huxman

 

Nov 10 M Reading Day No class

 

Nov 12 W Persuasive Strategies (Sign up for Speeches to Persuade) (Research Essay Due)

 

Nov 17 M Speeches to Persuade

Nov 19 W Speeches to Persuade

 

Nov 24 M Speeches to Persuade

Nov 26 W Final Essay Prep (Pass in Participation Policy)

 

Dec 1 M Final Essay Prep (Take Home Rhetorical Analysis due Dec 10)