CMM 207 SYLLABUS

Fall 2007

Monday & Wednesday, 2 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Smith Hall, Room 227

Instructor:      Jennifer L. Ball

Email:             jlball86@verizon.net

Phone: 304-654-2462

Office hours:  By appointment only

Required texts:

·         Business and Professional Communication (DiSanza & Legge)

·         Business and Professional Communication Workbook (Brammer & Greenwood)

Course Overview:

Business and Professional Communication, CMM 207, is a 3-hr. course designed to enhance your skills in preparing, constructing and presenting speeches (public presentations) and is a requirement of the College of Business. (CMM 207 substitutes for the University course requirement, CMM 103.) This course will help you learn to be more confident, more articulate, and better prepared to enter the business and professional communication environment. You will also advance your understanding of the communication process in business, and professional settings, as well as your practical skills in interpersonal communicating.

Grading:

Assignments must be turned in on time and examinations taken as scheduled. Students are not entitled to make-up assignments or to grades of incomplete unless the instructor has approved such arrangements in advance. Such arrangements require well-documented and supported arguments from the students and are by no means a guarantee that such arrangements will be made. Since CMM 207 is a participatory course, attendance on the days class is scheduled is expected and required for successful completion.

            Speeches:  All students are required to give six speeches, including an introductory speech, an informative speech, a sales presentation using a visual aid, a persuasive speech, an employment interview and a crisis briefing presentation.

            Exams/Homework:  Exams, written assignments and presentations outlines will be assigned and/or administered during class with the completion of each contributing to the final course grade.

Plagiarism/Cheating:

Any plagiarism or cheating will result in a failure for the particular assignment, possible failure for the course, or expulsion from the university. You are responsible for following policies governing all students at Marshall University.

Professional Conduct:

Students are responsible for abiding by the “Standards of Conduct” listed in the MU Catalog. Students with cell phones or pages should turn them off during class, set them to vibrate only or leave them at home. Eating, sleeping, social discussions and doing homework for other classes are distracting behaviors and communicate indifference and disrespect for the learning environment and the subject matter. Children should not be brought to class. Getting up and coming in and out during class (unless sick, obviously) is distracting to the entire class.

            These behaviors are unacceptable in academic environments and certainly qualify as examples of inappropriate class conduct. Such behaviors also suggest a student is indifferent to and uncaring toward other students and their learning; not to mention the instructor.

Mandatory Speeches

• Introductory Speech:  2- to 3-minute introduction of yourself or a classmate in front of the rest of the class.
• Informative Speech:  4- to 5-minute presentation informing the audience about some idea, skill, technique, process, creation, invention, model, piece of equipment, system, principle or goal that involves your career choice, current job or future profession.
• Sales Presentation using a Visual Aid:  6- to 8-minute presentation designed to convince potential customers that your product or service meets their needs by creating logical, credible and emotional appeals.
• Persuasive Speech:  7- to 9-minute presentation designed to convince the audience, through motivation or persuasion, about a position you want them to adopt or a call to action you want them to take.
• Crisis Briefing:  6- to 10-minute presentation that explains, calms fears, apologizes and repairs an organization’s reputation.

Class Schedule and Assignments

Week One

August 20/22

• Course overview
• What is communication?
• Interactive communication model
• Types of speech styles
• Speech anxiety
• Shared meaning
• Introductory Impromptu Speech
• Homework: Read Chapters 1 & 3

Week Two

August 27/29

• Feedback & Listening
• Organization Power & Politics
• Networking
• In-class 2’ speaking participation exercises
• Homework: Chapters 4 & 6

Week Three

September 5

• Audience analysis
• Researching a speech
• Outlining a speech
• Choosing language for technical presentations

• In-class 2’ speaking participation exercises
• Homework: Chapters  7, 8 & 9

Week Four

September 10/12

• Organizing main & supportive points
• Informative speaking
• Visual Aids
• Information/Technical Presentations
• Homework: Chapter 7, 8, 9 (continued)

Week Five

September 17/19

·         Significance of sales presentations

·         Audience analysis

·         Delivery & structure

·         In-class 2’ speaking participation exercises

·         Homework: Chapter 11

Week Six

September 24/26

• Sales Presentations using visual aid

Week Seven

October 1/3

·         Review for Midterm

·         Make-up assignments, etc.

·         In-class 2’ speaking participation exercises

Week Eight

October 8/10

·         Midterm (Chapters 1,3,4,6,7,8,9)

·         Employment Interview

·         Resumes, Cover Letters, Thank You notes

·         In-class 2’ speaking participation exercises

·         Homework: Chapter 2

Week Nine

October 15/17

·         Taped Employment Interviews

Week Ten

October 22/24

·         Communicating in Organizational Groups & Teams

·         Leadership

·         Decisions Making

·         Conflict in Groups and Teams

·         In-class 2’ speaking participation exercises

·         Homework: Chapter 5

Week Eleven

October 29/31

• Proposal Presentations
• Audience Analysis
• Structures
• Credibility Appeals
• Emotional Appeals
• In-class 2’ speaking participation exercises
• Homework: Chapter 10

Week Twelve

November 5/7

·         Persuasive Presentations

Week Thirteen

November 12/14

·         Crisis Communication

·         In-class 2’ speaking participation exercises

·         Homework: Chapters 12 & 13

Week Fourteen

November 19/21

• No Class… Happy Thanksgiving!

Week Fifteen

November 26/28

• Crisis Briefing Presentations
• Review for FINAL EXAM
• Class Evaluations

Week Sixteen

December 3/5

• Review for FINAL EXAM
• FINAL EXAM (Comprehensive)

Requirements

Written Assignments:

            Informative Outline                                                       40

            Sales Presentation w/visual aid Outline              40

            Persuasive Outline                                                        40

            Crisis Briefing Outline                                       40

            Resume                                                                        60

            Cover Letter                                                                 20

            Thank You Letter                                                         20

            TOTAL                                                                       260

Speeches

            Introduction                                                                  37

            Informative                                                                   72

            Sales Presentation w/a visual aid                                   72

            Employment Interview                                      75

            Persuasive                                                                    72

            Crisis Briefing                                                               72

            TOTAL                                                                       400

Exams

            Midterm                                                                         60

            FINAL (Comprehensive)                                             120

            TOTAL                                                                       180

TOTAL POINTS AVAILABLE                                            840

            90% or 756 points                  A

            80% or 672 points                  B

            70% or 588 points                  C

            60% or 504 points                  D