Courses Taught

CAS 100A – Effective Speech (3)
Principles of communication, implemented through presentation of speeches, with some attention to group discussion and message evaluation. CAS 100A Effective Speech (3) (GWS) This general education course studies the purposeful use of oral communication as a means of addressing practical problems, both professional and civic. It is designed to introduce students to principles of effective public speaking, implemented through the design and presentation of individual speeches and through practice in message analysis and evaluation. Class size is limited and class meetings involve considerable attention to developing public speaking skills through in-class activities, collaborative learning, peer critiques, and analysis of public speeches and other messages. At least three individual, graded speeches are required in this course. Additional presentations (graded or non-graded) may be required by some instructors. Course work may also include instruction and practice in group decision making. Assessment includes evaluation by examination (one or two; no final exam is given in the course) and by occasional quizzes and other activities, all of which emphasize the mastery and application of the conceptual content of the course. Public presentations are evaluated for content, organization, and presentation.

BA 817 – Comm Skills Mgmt (2)
Development of communication skills required for management; audience awareness, style, individual and group presentations.B A 517 provides students with targeted opportunities to demonstrate the value of their experiences so they can clearly, forcefully, and professionally represent ideas, opinions and solutions. Students will develop a sharper understanding of the foundations of effective communication; have the ability to identify characteristics of successful messages; write reader-centered business correspondence; explore basic message structure; and highlight the use of example as a form of proof. The course provides students with an opportunity to develop a personal approach to managing oral presentations and systematic procedures for designing, practicing, and delivering individual and group presentations; develop skills and strategies for presenting technical materials to non-technical, professional business listeners; and apply selected principles of media/graphic design and use to support professional presentation objectives. The course also has a writing component that provides students with hands-on opportunities to sharpen their writing skills and develop personal writing styles that are accurate, interesting, and professional. Projects aim to develop expertise in basic business writing formats to increase accuracy and clarity while decreasing time devoted to writing, and to hone strategies of writing for readers with varying levels of technical expertise.The overall objectives of the course are to illustrate that managerial communication is a complex rhetorical task dependent upon analysis of audience, situation, and communication goals; understand the constraints imposed by the audience and situation and to develop strategies for communicating effectively within these constraints; develop rhetorical skills of exposition, persuasion, and argument for use in oral, written, and graphic communication; develop evaluation and coaching skills; and support team development and team management skills.

CAS 138T – Rcl II (3)
This course builds rehtorical skills in oral, written, visual, and digital contexts and introduces deliberation and advocacy in civic and disciplinary spheres. CAS (ENGL) 138T Rhetoric and Civic Life II (3) (GWS)ENGL/CAS 138T, Rhetoric and Civic Life II, expands knowledge and aptitudes built in ENGL/CAS 137H by asking students to use rhetorical skills and principles to develop strategies for persuasion and advocacy in the context of civic issues. The course continues the multimodal emphasis--the focus on oral, written, visual, and digital communication--used in 137H and adds new components as well. Students will develop a repertoire of communication skills through hands-on practice at composing and delivering speeches and essays, and they will work with digital media to create multimedia texts, podcasts, and websites. Students will reflect on these different modes as themselves rhetorical choices. The course's civic and ethical components take center stage as students learn how to deliberate important public issues thoughtfully and with civility and respect. They will learn the difference between persuasion and advocacy and develop strategies for both in the context of pertinent local, national, and global issues. They will participate in a public deliberation forum on topics they generate and vote on. The forum will be organized to allow small deliberative action groups as well as large forum-style meetings. The course focuses on ethics in many contexts—e.g., community action and public deliberation; ethics of persuasion; ethical controversies in the disciplines. Students will be encouraged to explore percolating disciplinary interests and to share knowledge in online disciplinary communities. Students will work throughout the semester to design and build a final electronic portfolio that represents their academic work with an eye to their imagined professional futures. The portfolio assignment is designed to permit assessment of learning outcomes and encourage students to move toward qualifying for the College of the Liberal Arts Excellence in Communication Certificate (http://laus.la.psu.edu/current-students/paterno-fellows-program/excellence-in-communication-certificate), a mechanism which helps students hone their communication abilities throughout their Penn State careers by creating and perfecting an online portfolio.

CAS 137H – Rcl I (3)
Rhetoric and Civic Life (RCL) is a year-long honors course offering comprehensive training in oral, written, visual, and digital communication. It unites these various modes under the flexible art of rhetoric and uses rhetoric both to strengthen communication skills and to sharpen awareness of the challenges and advantages presented by oral, written, visual, and digital modes. This portion of the course, CAS/ENGL 137 focuses particularly on two critical academic capacities: analyzing and contextualizing. In this semester, students learn to rigorously examine the rhetoric surrounding them, compellingly present their findings in various modes, and thoughtfully contextualize their research. In this course, students will: -Develop a rich understanding of rhetorical concepts -Practice application of concepts and terms in expressing understanding of effectiveness of rhetoric through analysis and contextualization of existing texts -Enhance communication skills by practicing and applying in a variety of communication modes (written, oral, digital)

CAS 496 – Indep Studies (Variable)
Creative projects, including research and design, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses.

CAS 137 – Rcl I (3)
Rhetoric and Civic Life (RCL) is a year-long honors course offering comprehensive training in oral, written, visual, and digital communication. It unites these various modes under the flexible art of rhetoric and uses rhetoric both to strengthen communication skills and to sharpen awareness of the challenges and advantages presented by oral, written, visual, and digital modes. This portion of the course, CAS/ENGL 137 focuses particularly on two critical academic capacities: analyzing and contextualizing. In this semester, students learn to rigorously examine the rhetoric surrounding them, compellingly present their findings in various modes, and thoughtfully contextualize their research. In this course, students will: -Develop a rich understanding of rhetorical concepts -Practice application of concepts and terms in expressing understanding of effectiveness of rhetoric through analysis and contextualization of existing texts -Enhance communication skills by practicing and applying in a variety of communication modes (written, oral, digital)

CAS 100 – Effective Speech (3)
Principles of communication, implemented through presentation of speeches, with some attention to group discussion and message evaluation. CAS 100A Effective Speech (3) (GWS) This general education course studies the purposeful use of oral communication as a means of addressing practical problems, both professional and civic. It is designed to introduce students to principles of effective public speaking, implemented through the design and presentation of individual speeches and through practice in message analysis and evaluation. Class size is limited and class meetings involve considerable attention to developing public speaking skills through in-class activities, collaborative learning, peer critiques, and analysis of public speeches and other messages. At least three individual, graded speeches are required in this course. Additional presentations (graded or non-graded) may be required by some instructors. Course work may also include instruction and practice in group decision making. Assessment includes evaluation by examination (one or two; no final exam is given in the course) and by occasional quizzes and other activities, all of which emphasize the mastery and application of the conceptual content of the course. Public presentations are evaluated for content, organization, and presentation.

CAS 138 – Rcl II (3)
This course builds rhetorical skills in oral, written, visual, and digital contexts and introduces deliberation and advocacy in civic and disciplinary spheres. CAS (ENGL) 138T Rhetoric and Civic Life II (3) (GWS)ENGL/CAS 138T, Rhetoric and Civic Life II, expands knowledge and aptitudes built in ENGL/CAS 137H by asking students to use rhetorical skills and principles to develop strategies for persuasion and advocacy in the context of civic issues. The course continues the multimodal emphasis--the focus on oral, written, visual, and digital communication--used in 137H and adds new components as well. Students will develop a repertoire of communication skills through hands-on practice at composing and delivering speeches and essays, and they will work with digital media to create multimedia texts, podcasts, and websites. Students will reflect on these different modes as themselves rhetorical choices. The course's civic and ethical components take center stage as students learn how to deliberate important public issues thoughtfully and with civility and respect. They will learn the difference between persuasion and advocacy and develop strategies for both in the context of pertinent local, national, and global issues. They will participate in a public deliberation forum on topics they generate and vote on. The forum will be organized to allow small deliberative action groups as well as large forum-style meetings. The course focuses on ethics in many contexts, e.g., community action and public deliberation; ethics of persuasion; ethical controversies in the disciplines. Students will be encouraged to explore percolating disciplinary interests and to share knowledge in online disciplinary communities. Students will work throughout the semester to design and build a final electronic portfolio that represents their academic work with an eye to their imagined professional futures. The portfolio assignment is designed to permit assessment of learning outcomes and encourage students to move toward qualifying for the College of the Liberal Arts Excellence in Communication Certificate (http://laus.la.psu.edu/current-students/paterno-fellows-program/excellence-in-communication-certificate), a mechanism which helps students hone their communication abilities throughout their Penn State careers by creating and perfecting an online portfolio.

CAS 494 – Research Topics (3)
Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small group basis.

L A 101H – Honors Rhetoric and Civic Life (4)
Within a liberal arts framework and with attention to public discourse-- speaking, writing, online communication, and visual presentation--this course instructs students in the arts, practices, and principles of rhetoric.

CAS 100B – Effective Speech (3)
Principles of communication, implemented through group problem solving, with some attention to formal speaking and message evaluation.

CAS 497D – Communication Skills for Relating Difficult Information To/Concerning Students (1)
Motivation can be an illusive quality. In this course we will explore motivation by focusing on communication strategies that can increase motivation and efficiency in the academic setting.

CAS 497E – The Shy Child in the Classroom (1)
CE Williamsport Spring 2007.

Selected Publications