Welcome to R110, Fundamentals of Speech Communication!

"The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops working until you stand up in public to speak" - George Jessel

Dear Comm R110 students,

My name is Lakshmi and I am an Adjunct Faculty member with the Department of Communication Studies. I will serve as your instructor for this course. I understand that some of you may have some trouble pronouncing my name - and that is totally fine - just ask me and I will teach you :). I am extremely excited to teach the basic public speaking class this fall.

In this course, we will learn more about human communication in the form of rhetoric (persuasion) and public address. Essentially, this course helps you understand - and strengthen - your communication skills via public speaking and critical thinking. After completing this course, you should be able to have more experience creating speeches and presenting in front of groups.The quote by George Jessel symbolizes the fears you may have towards public speaking. However, in this class we can work together to manage that fear. This course will also give you an opportunity to write several speech outlines and practice delivering the speeches. Practice, Practice and more Practice.

Look over the syllabus and the Canvas before your first day of class, and identify questions and concerns. This class requires the commitment of daily to near-daily work, so manage your calendar carefully. I look forward to working with you this semester. Should you have any questions, please contact me through Canvas Messages as your first point of contact. To get started, please click on the syllabus tab on the left hand side of the screen and familiarize yourself with WEEK #1 agendas and reading assignments.

I expect you to have a copy of the textbook by the second week of this semester, please let me know as soon as possible if you have any financial issues. Remember, communication is the key to success. Therefore, make sure you communicate with me instantaneously if you face any sort of difficulties. I am always happy to help!

Look forward to seeing you soon!