Assisting UNO Faculty & Staff
The UNO Speech Center proudly partners with faculty and staff across campus to enrich communication instruction and foster student success. Whether you're designing a new course, refining a current assignment, or preparing for a professional presentation, we offer tailored support to meet your goals.
Making an Appointment
To make an appointment, please email one of the Speech Center Directors to find a time that works to meet with you or your class. We look forward to working with you.
Pacific Campus Director: Casey Riesberg, clriesberg@unomaha.edu
Dodge Campus Director: William Cooney, wcooney@unomaha.edu
Speech Coaching and Consulting for Faculty
Services for faculty include:
- Writing Presentation/Speech Assignments We assist in designing effective, discipline-specific communication assignments for any course level or academic field.
- Creating Rubrics and Grading Guidelines We collaborate with instructors to develop clear, consistent evaluation tools for speeches and presentations, aligned with course objectives and communication learning outcomes.
- Delivering Presentations and Workshops Our consultants and professional staff lead interactive in-class workshops and skill-based sessions focused on topics such as delivery, organization, and audience engagement.
- In-Classroom Collaboration We attend classroom presentation days to take notes, provide feedback to students and instructors, and assist in evaluating performance.
- Developing Academic & Professional Presentations Faculty and staff can receive personalized coaching and resources for conference talks, department presentations, research communication, and more.
- Communication Apprehension Relief Techniques We offer proven strategies and coaching sessions to help reduce anxiety and build confidence—both for students and for professionals preparing to speak.
- Online & In-Person Presentation Tips We help faculty and students navigate the differences in delivery, engagement, and setup for virtual versus face-to-face presentations.
We also offer one-on-one consultations for faculty and staff looking to integrate communication more effectively into their teaching or seeking coaching for their own professional speaking needs.
Faculty Support for Class Presentations
To foster oral communication excellence at every level, the Speech Center supports instructors who desire to incorporate oral presentations into their course requirements.
Services for faculty and their classes include:
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In-class orientation by a Speech Center consultant. The consultant can visit your class and will provide a fifteen-minute orientation on the services in the Speech Center.
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In-class workshops on creating effective oral presentations, using PowerPoint or other presentational software, and reducing speech anxiety.
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Student coaching and consulting based on the faculty-provided assignment. You can refer students to the Speech Center for assistance with an oral communication class assignment. You can encourage or require students to visit the Consulting Room.
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Faculty consultations and workshops on assessing students’ oral presentations.
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Download a short Introduction to the Speech Center to copy into your syllabus to encourage students to use the Speech Center.
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Speech evaluation forms for faculty.
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Student handouts on effective public speaking criteria.
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Documentation of student consultations.
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Student referrals to Speech Center workshops. These workshops are focused on planning presentations, overcoming speech anxiety, and effective delivery stills, among others.