Speaking Out for Change: Advocacy Communication Across Contexts

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• Demonstrate appropriate and ethical oral communication messages for given contexts and communicators to increase knowledge, foster understanding, and/or promote change.

• Analyze and evaluate messages according to context, audience, intent, and other principles of oral communication, to contribute to the ongoing development of knowledge and relationship.

• Explore various genres of digital content through analysis and creation

• Understand exigence as it relates to advocacy work and the application of rhetorical appeals

• Foster a community of curiosity and learning through trial and experimentation in writing and speaking.

• Demonstrate an understanding of advocacy as it relates to civic duty and engagement.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Participation and Attendance	10%
Advocacy Journal	15%
Advocacy Artifact Analysis	20%
Context Shift	25%
Final Campaign Proposal and Presentation	30%

This course uses an ungraded approach to assessment through a minimalist points-based system designed to emphasize effort, engagement, and growth over perfection or ideological alignment. The grading system for course assignments is as follows: 0-Incomplete: The assignment was not submitted or does not meet the basic expectations. 1-Partial Credit: The work is on the right track but missing key components, underdeveloped, or not fully engaged. 2-Full Credit: The assignment meets expectations with thoughtful effort, care, and completion.

Grading Scale

Percentage	Letter Grade
93.0 and above	A
90.0 – 92.9	A-
87.0 – 89.9	B+
83.0 – 86.9	B
80.0 – 82.9	B-
77.0 – 79.9	C+
73.0 – 76.9	C
70.0 – 72.9	C-
67.0 – 69.9	D+
63.0 – 66.9	D
60.0 – 62.9	D-
Below 60.0	F

Attendance/Participation:

Students are allowed a maximum of 4 absences without penalty. Each absence over 4 results in a deduction from your participation grade. After a student’s 7th absence, the instructor will hold a mandatory attendance meeting with the student to establish an intervention plan. Students who do not attend the meeting or who do not follow the intervention plan risk failing the course. A student with 7 absences will receive a grade of F for the course.

Students must attend every class, arrive on time with the necessary assignments and course materials, and stay for the duration of the class. This attendance policy does not differentiate between “excused” and “unexcused” absences; it is your responsibility to reserve your absences for unavoidable occurrences, such as illness, work-related events, advising sessions, childcare concerns, car trouble, minor emergencies, etc.

State law requires that students be allowed two absences due to religious holidays; please notify me at least 48 hours prior to your anticipated absence. Intercollegiate athletes should provide official documentation of anticipated absences early in the semester. Absences for religious holidays and documented athletic events will not count toward the maximums described above.

If you have extenuating circumstances such as serious illness, chronic illness, an injury requiring prolonged medical treatment, prolonged psychological issues, etc., you should make your instructor aware of these circumstances as soon as possible and keep your instructor informed until you are able to return to class. You should also contact the Dean of Students Office, which can review documentation and notify multiple instructors on your behalf, especially if hospitalization or distress prevent you from doing so yourself. You should be aware, however, that the Dean of Students Office will not override any individual instructor’s attendance policy and that decisions about whether and how to accommodate students in distress are made by individual instructors. The Dean of Students office is located at 210 Elliott University Center and can be reached at 336-334-5514 or deanofstudentsoffice@uncg.edu.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

Students must have reliable access to the internet and Microsoft Suite programs (available for free through the university). Students will be asked to keep a semester-long journal. This is recommended to be done digitally, but if a student chooses, it can also be done in a physical form. 

All reading and viewing materials will be provided on our Canvas page by the instructor and through University Resources. You do not need to purchase materials for this course.