Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Summer 2026 - FASS 222 D100

Academics in FASS (1)

Speaking for Impact

Class Number: 3611

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 11 – Jun 12, 2026: Tue, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Introduces the basic knowledge and skills required for producing accurate, responsible, and effective academic work in the arts and social sciences. Topics vary with instructor expertise. No prior knowledge of the topic is required. Suitable for students across all disciplines, but designed for students in the arts and social sciences. Students may take this course for credit up to three times if a different topic is taught. Grading will be on a pass/fail basis.

COURSE DETAILS:

Selected Topics: Speaking for Impact: Oral Communication for Students in the Arts and Social Sciences

This course develops oral communication skills for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences students. Through debates, TED-style talks, and podcast production, students will strengthen listening, note-taking, reasoning, and presentation abilities. Emphasis is placed on applying these skills to current debates in fields such as economics, sociology, arts, humanities, and political science. Application of AI and technology in creating presentations is also discussed.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

  • Apply active listening and note-taking in debates.
  • Critically analyze and reflect on theoretical concepts.
  • Use academic reasoning to debate current issues.
  • Research and integrate scholarly sources and statistics.
  • Present academic ideas in clear, accessible ways.
  • Employ verbal and non-verbal strategies for effective communication.
FASS 222 D100 runs for 5 weeks (sessions on May 12, 19, 26, June 2, 9). The first session is 1 hour, the rest of 4 sessions are 3 hours each. This is a 1 unit/credit course.

You can take more than one FASS Forward 1 credit course, as long as the topic is different. See the other courses here. 

Grading

  • Debates (5 × 4%) 20%
  • TED Talk (10 min, individual, recorded) 40%
  • Podcast (10 min, pairs, recorded) 40%

NOTES:

Note: Detailed rubrics will be provided. Assessment (Pass/Fail – minimum 60%)

This FASS Forward course is delivered entirely in-person. It is designed to improve your skills for future success and work in this class is expected to be of high quality. A competency-based grading system will be used to assess your academic performance and active participation in all learning activities. That means only a P (pass) or F (fail) will appear on your transcript. There is no numerical equivalent for the final grade, and it does not affect either your grade point average or cumulative grade point average.

  • P (pass) means that you have demonstrated your competency in relation to the learning objectives, met all the criteria for the course, and demonstrated the skills you have acquired.
  • F (fail) means that you do not receive credit for the course.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Students must have access to the Internet as well as a computer and/other device that permits word processing and the use of other standard computer applications.

REQUIRED READING:

This course uses a Team-Based Learning (TBL) approach. Materials will be tailored to students’ fields of study and professional interests. All resources are available online through the SFU Library.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.