The University of Findlay - Speech Competency Requirements

Fall 2009
Written portion: Sept. 14-25, 2009; Videotaped speeches due: 3:30 p.m. Oct. 27, 2009.

Spring 2010
Written portion: Jan. 25-Feb. 5, 2010; Videotaped speeches due: 3:30 p.m. Feb. 23, 2010.

    In order to graduate from The University of Findlay, every student must meet the Speech Competency requirement. Meeting this requirement should be done very early in the student's academic career (i.e., freshman or sophomore year). This can done by successfully passing this exam OR earning a grade of “C” or better in either COMM 110: Principles of Speech or COMM 211: Argumentation and Debate. Advisers are encouraged to enroll students into COMM 110 or COMM 211 as early as possible.
    The speech competency exam is designed for those who have done significant public speaking and would benefit little from taking a public speaking or debate course. The speech competency exam is offered on scheduled dates each semester and consists of two parts--an online written test over the basic knowledge that is taught in Principles of Speech and an oral presentation to show that the student has mastered the skills of good public speaking. The student must earn a score of 75% or higher on the written portion of the exam before being allowed to attempt the oral portion.
    •    The written and the oral portions of the Speech Competency Exam must be passed during the same semester.
    •    The Speech Competency Exam may not be repeated.
    •    The Speech Competency Exam must be taken during a student’s first three years of college.
    •    Students classified as seniors may take the exam only if they transferred to UF with senior status and it is their first semester at UF.
    Forms to register for the Speech Competency Exam can be obtained from Communication Department administrative assistant Regina George, 300 Frazer St.
    There will be a $30 charge for students taking the Speech Competency Exam.
    •    The written portion of the FA 2009 Speech Competency Exam will be offered online Sept. 14-25, 2009. Students passing the written portion with a 75 percent will then submit by 3:30 p.m. Oct. 27, 2009 videotaped speeches for the oral portion of the exam.
    •    The written portion of the SP 2010 Speech Competency Exam will be offered online Jan. 25-Feb. 5, 2010. Students passing the written portion with 75 percent will then submit by 3:30 p.m. Feb. 23, 2010 videotaped speeches for the oral portion of the exam.

    Passing the speech competency exam does not give the students any credit hours toward graduation, but it does mean that the student has met the speech competency requirement at The University of Findlay, and, thus, does not have to take COMM 110 or COMM 211 to meet the requirement.

Written/Computerized Portion of the Exam
    The written portion of the Speech Competency Exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions. This portion of the exam will be administered online. The questions will test basic knowledge that is provided in most basic public speaking textbooks and that instructors in our Communication 110 classes have agreed is important to know. The text "Public Speaking," by Osborne and Osborne, is on reserve in Shafer Library for those who wish to use it as a study guide. The communication faculty strongly encourages students who wish to take the Speech Competency Exam to use this book as study material for the test.
Oral Portion of the Exam
    For the oral component of the exam, a student will submit by deadline a videotape of three different speeches s/he has given in public. (Please note: Submission of recorded speeches replaces the former requirement of giving a live, extemporaneous persuasive speech in front of UF communication faculty members. The change, approved by Senate during the 2008-2009 academic year, was made to benefit our students' diverse needs and experiences.)
    UPDATED GUIDELINES For up-to-the-minute guidelines regarding the required three videotaped public speeches, contact Regina George, Department of Communication, 419-434-4774 or rgeorge@findlay.edu.
     The following are general guidelines that must be followed in the videotaped speeches for the oral portion:
    GENERAL OVERVIEW Each of the three speeches should demonstrate the student’s ability to organize, support and deliver an ethical, informative or persuasive speech to a specific audience.
    LENGTH Eight to 10 minutes each.
Note: faculty will penalize students who are under or over the time limit.
    TOPIC The general purpose of each speech is to inform or persuade. The topic is the speaker’s choice, but it is to be built around a clear point-of-view on some human or national issue which the speaker can convince your audience to begin accepting. The organizational pattern(s) chosen to present main ideas should challenge the selected audience to question their own views and thus begin adopting the speaker's position. The main ideas should exercise strong reasoning and evidence that work to motivate the audience toward the speaker's point-of-view. The speech should use both logical and emotional appeals that are clearly presented. In order to be considered suitable, the topic should have been of concern to the general public sometime during the last five years. The speech will be graded both on quality of content and quality of delivery. Students must demonstrate proficiency in both of these areas to receive a passing grade on the speech.
    FACTUAL You must use a minimum of 7 oral citations. All sources that you quote, paraphrase and/or reference during your speech must receive a verbal citing. At minimum the oral citing should include the title of the article or document, the website or publication in which it is found, the author(s) and the date that it was posted or published. In addition the speaker should be prepared to provide any other bibliographic information that would be needed to verify the existence or accuracy of the supporting materials upon request of the faculty judges.
    SUPPORT Since every speech topic and approach demands something different, there is no maximum number of oral citations that are required during the speech. However, since the speaker is trying to inform or persuade the audience on his/her topic, not having enough supporting material to be informative or persuasive on that topic would be sufficient grounds the speaker receiving a low grade.
    VISUAL AIDS Whether to use visual aids is the choice of the speaker. Visual aids are often very helpful in assisting an audience in quickly understanding and/or remembering a point that is made in a speech. Some topics lend themselves more to the use of visual aids than do others. However, from a grading standpoint, on most topics the faculty would expect some type of visual aid to be utilized during the speech.
    NOTE CARDS The speaker may use as many note cards as he/she needs provided that they are filled out as speaker’s notes rather than any form of a manuscript. The speaker must deliver the speech extemporaneously. Failure to do so will prohibit the speaker from passing the oral portion of the exam.
    GRADING The speech will be graded by two members of the Communication faculty. In case of disagreement on whether a student passes or fails, a third member of the faculty will be consulted and s/he will make the final decision. Students will be informed by way of a letter from the Chair of the Communication Department as to their passing or failing of the examination as soon as possible after the grades on the exam have been tabulated. A letter will also be sent to the Registrar’s office and to the student’s Advisor informing both on whether the student has satisfactorily passed the exam.
    NO RETAKES A student who has failed either portion of the Speech Competency Exam may not retake it and must enroll in either COMM 110 or COMM 211 to fulfill the speech competency at The University of Findlay. There are absolutely no retakes of the Speech Competency exam.

For further information, please contact Regina George at rgeorge@findlay.edu 419-434-4774, or Dr. Jeanette Drake, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, Chair and Associate Professor of Communication at drake@findlay.edu 419-434-6982.

Evaluation criteria in oral presentation
Content: 50 percent
    •    Quality of speech content/supporting material
    •    Clarity of argument
    •    Organization
    •    Proper source citations
    •    Topic relevance
    •    Outline and reference page

Delivery: 50 percent
    •    Extemporaneous mode of delivery
    •    Vocal delivery
    •    Eye contact
    •    Body language
    •    Visual aids
    •    Time limit