Faculty are an important part of the Speaking Center because we need your support in order to survive. Students generally recognize the value of speaking skills, but are often hesitant to pursue the study of rhetoric unless they have an immediate need.  We hope that this section of the web site gives you some ideas for designing and grading oral assignments and using the Speaking Center more effectively.

Handouts for faculty (in PDF)

Assessment of Oral Communication (rubric; in PDF)
Assessment of Oral Communication (rubric; in Word, so you can edit)
Design and Grade Oral Assignments (CTL Presentation)
Speech Critique (PDF)
Speech Critique (Word, so you can edit)
Group Presentation Critique (PDF)
Group Presentation Critique (Word, so you can edit)
Incorporating Oral Assignments Into Your Classes
Grading Oral Presentations
Using Debate Assignments

Schedule a class visit.  We can come in for 10-15 minutes and just talk about the Speaking Center or we can come for an entire class and give a more general talk about effective presentation skills.  To schedule a class visit, contact the Speaking Center Coordinator, Wendy Atkins-Sayre, at ext. 6370 or watkinssayre@agnesscott.edu.

Require (or strongly encourage) your students to come to the Center as part of the assignment.  We would love to work with your students one-on-one.  If you would like to require a visit, we ask that you share your assignment write-up with us and give us any additional information that you think would be useful so that we can give your students the most useful advice.

Consider encouraging students to pick up a copy of A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking, by O’Hair, Rubenstein, and Stewart.  This is a recommended textbook for the Public Speaking course and has great tips for presentations.  It also has a section at the end that discusses particular types of presentations (Science and Math presentations, Arts and Humanities courses, group presentations, etc.).  There are reference copies available in the Speaking Center and students can purchase their own copies in the Agnes Scott bookstore.

Use the Center for your own purposes.  Feel free to set up your own appointment to work on on-campus presentations, conference presentations, or lectures.  We have a camera in the Center that can capture your presentation and the Coordinator can meet with you to give advice.

Have any other ideas?  Please send them to Wendy Atkins-Sayre at watkinssayre@agnesscott.edu.