Oral Communication Center

The mission of the Oral Communication Center is to help students learn how to ethically and effectively communicate their ideas in a manner appropriate to context and with consideration for diverse listeners.

Location: Thomas Library 206

Please view our online calendar for appointment times. 

The OCC is a place where you can go to receive one-to-one assistance with any stage of preparation (from brainstorming, to organizing your ideas, to polishing your delivery) for any kind of speaking assignment (from presentations to debates to leading a class session) or any speaking-related skill (from speech anxiety to effective listening to developing a PowerPoint presentation). A trained student consultant will work with you, provide suggestions and feedback, and help guide your preparation in the right direction. If you want to practice your speaking, you can choose to be videotaped, and the consultant will watch the video with you and provide helpful suggestions. The OCC also features a projector so you can work on and practice with your PowerPoint presentation.

"Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

For questions on the OCC, please contact the director, Mike Mattison, Ph.D., via email at mmattison@uupt.net. To learn how to register and make an appointment, click here.

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Why Use the OCC?

The Oral Communication Center (OCC) provides one-to-one assistance for students with a presentation, discussion, debate, leading a class session, or any other kind of speaking requirement. Trained student consultants can work with you on any stage of the preparation process, from brainstorming about topics, to helping you decide how to organize your ideas, to offering feedback on a practice run-through. The consultation is designed to help foster effective preparation and speaking skills, which students can then apply to future speaking assignments. Come see how we can help you!

Make an OCC consultation appointment. Appointments are strongly recommended to ensure you receive first priority when you visit.

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