Cal State East Bay’s communication department is full of resources to aid in the success of all students. One of those resources is the Speech Lab. Located on the 3rd floor of Meiklejohn Hall, the Speech Lab is open 5 days a week to service students with their public speaking needs. With 12 tutors, MacBook computers, a printer and a dedicated private speech room, students are equipped with all the tools they need to sharpen their speech skills. The Speech Lab prides itself on being a safe, productive space for students grow in their confidence and knowledge when it comes to public speaking.

Although it is somewhat of a hidden gem this resource has become especially vital to freshman here on campus. During freshman year East Bay requires all students to take a public speaking course. In the Fall 2019 semester alone there are 15 public speaking classes with 30 students each. In all classes students are required to give 4 speeches which can be a daunting task. Because of that each and every public speaking professor requires their students to go to the Speech Lab multiple times throughout the semester to help really craft their speeches and sharpen their delivery. Although the lab currently sees mostly freshman on a regular basis, it is available for all students of any major, age, or class on campus. No appointments are necessary, and all students are seen on a first come first serve basis.

The Speech Lab is made up of 2 rooms. The first room houses computer stations, a communal style table, a white board, and tons of helpful and informative posters on every wall. In this room students are able to work on their speeches individually or with an available tutor. The second room is a private speech room. There, students are able to practice their speeches live in front 1 tutor, or multiple depending on availability and the students request. Inside the room there is a podium as well as a projector incase students are practicing a speech that includes a visual aid. This room allows students to get valuable real time feedback on their presentations as well as gain comfortability speaking in front of peers.

The Speech Lab offers an array of services all based on the individual needs of the students who walk in. Some of the services offered in the lab include but are not limited to:

Assistance with choosing a speech topic
Speech feedback
Body language and presentation critique
Help with writing speech note cards
Speech outline crafting and review
Topic research (Google Scholar and CSUEB online library navigation guidance)
Speech organization assistance
Slideshow or visual aid help

Speech Lab tutors are trained extensively to ensure that they are able to properly service all students who walk through the door. Training is thorough and based off of the previous public speaking experience of each tutor. On average each tutor trains for about 5-7 weeks before they are able to begin working with students on an individual basis. Because of this training process students who seek help in the Speech Lab are always guaranteed to receive top quality assistance from qualified tutors.

The success of the Speech Lab can be largely credited to its director, Christeen Kelly. Mrs. Kelly received her bachelor’s degree from East Bay as well as her masters. It was in 2002 while she was completing her masters that she took on her first position in the East Bay Speech Lab as an assistant. Christeen quickly worked her way up from lab assistant to lab director and her hard work did not go unnoticed. In 2006 Ohlonee college located in Fremont reached out and personally requested Chrsiteen’s services to help open a speech lab on their campus. She made the decision to take that position and from 2006-2010 Christeen established and ran the Communication Lab on Ohlonee’s Campus. There she also took on a teaching position which she still holds today.
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Christeens hard work, dedication, and ability to produce results continued to keep her in high demand. In 2015 Cal State East Bay reached out to her and requested that she return and take on the Speech Lab Director position once again. Christeen accepted and has held the director title ever since. Along with being the current director of the Speech Lab, Christeen also teaches 3 public speaking classes and 1 interpersonal communication class at East Bay. For Christine, teaching in the field of communication is not just a job but it is a passion. It is clear in her interactions with her students both in the classroom and in the Speech Lab.

The Cal State East Bay Speech Lab is an essential part of the communications department. Every semester it provides students with the tools they need to not only become better public speakers but more effective communicators overall. Strong communication and public speaking skills are necessary in just about every field of work as well as in everyday life. Whether students need to give a class speech, a work presentation, or a wedding toast the Speech Lab will make sure they are able to do so with confidence and poise.