Frequently Asked Questions

Staff Procedures and Policies FAQ

How do I make an appointment at the University Speaking Center?

First you call our number (336.256.1346) and ask to make an appointment. Then let us know what times you are available for, and we will set you up with a 30 minute session. When it is time for your appointment, go to room 3211 in the MHRA building, and we will help you from there!

 

Face to Face Appointments

We offer sessions that actually last 20 or 50 minutes. All 50 minute sessions start on the hour. When we take appointments we listen to needs identified by the client and schedule a 20 or 50 minute session as we see fit. If you are planning to require your students to come to the center for a consultation, please be sure your students know what you expect of them before they call to make an appointment.

Location

Our consultation services take place in 3211 MHRA. Our original home in the McIver Building Underground operates only as a place for us to develop and facilitate workshops.

Two Day Policy

The latest that we can help a speaker in the form of one-on-one tutoring is two days before their final presentation. We schedule all appointments according to this two day policy. If you would like to learn more about our two day policy please refer to our services page.

Online Appointments

The Online Speaking Center offers support for the organization stage in the process of creating a presentation. We can schedule an online session for 30 minutes. During online sessions we work to help speakers looking to get their thoughts into a well organized speech.

Web Page

We’ve added a FAQ section, on-line request forms for workshops and orientations, Meebo, and some informative videos. We hope you find that our web site, which can be accessed at speakingcenter.uncg.edu, is of use.

Procedures in the Center

We follow the guides set by UNCG’s academic integrity policy. We do not write speeches for speakers, we support the development of speeches. Each speaker will leave the center with a copy of their report form to aid them in incorporating our feedback. To aid us in offering the best help possible, we continue to ask each speaker to complete a short electronic opinion survey (at the close of their session). We abide by FERPA guides and follow our own Code of Ethics.

Tip Sheets

Our oral communication tip sheets have become very popular with staff. The tip sheets are available on our Web page under “resources”. We hope you find these useful.

Center Orientation

Gone are the days when we stood in front of a group and told them how wonderful our services are. We now let audiences know that speechmaking is a 5 step process. When we are done the group understands what the process is and they know how we can support them in each step.

While we still offer to come to your location to offer a speaking center orientation, we are scheduling as many as we can in MHRA. We are doing this because we want to get potential and future speakers into the center in an effort to lower the anxiety and uncertainty some associate with a trip to our facility.

Workshops

Complete our online request form early if you wish for us to facilitate a workshop for your group. We fill up fast during busy weeks. We are not able to offer more than one workshop per group. We continue to offer group-specific workshops upon request. Please keep in mind that we need two weeks notice before the scheduled workshop is to be presented. The Speaking Center staff is larger this year, but management/leadership remains small, and our budget is the same. We can facilitate only 3 instructional workshops a week. A list of workshops that we have offered at the request of UNCG faculty in the past can be obtained via our Web page under workshops.

Center vs. Lab

Our facility is not designed to operate as a lab. We are a center, we offer support and helpful feedback to speakers who wish to improve upon their oral communication skills. All of our consultations are run as “students-helping-students” sessions. Each session is designed according to the specific needs of the individual speaker (or group of speakers). Those looking to have a group meeting are referred to the library to take advantage of the first-come-first-serve meeting rooms on the second floor or library.uncg.edu/spaces/collaboratories.aspx to reserve collaboratories.

Call to make an Appointment

Please call or stop by to schedule your center appointments early. This will ensure an appointment that works best around your busy schedules.

E-Reserve

In the resources section of our Web page, you will find chapters from oral communication texts that might serve your class well. Please let us know if you need us to add any additional chapters.