Department of Communication

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Chair: James E. Miller, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor:

Michael L. James, Ph.D.

Professors:

Patrick Garner, Ph.D.
Dutch Hoggatt, Ph.D.
Jack R. Shock, Ed.D.

Associate Professors:

M. Laurie Norton Diles, Ph.D.
Director of Communication Studies Program

Assistant Professors:

Kelly Elander, M.A.
James E. Miller, Ph.D.
Sharon Pitt, M.Ed.
Steve Shaner, M.S.

Instructors:

*Ginger Blackstone, M.A.
Katherine Ramirez, B.A.
Bob Ritchie, M.Ed.

Assisting from other departments:

Dottie Frye, M.A.
Steven M. Frye, Ed.D.
C. Robin Miller, M.F.A.

*On Academic Leave

Mission Statement: The mission of the Department of Communication is to provide students with a foundation in communication theory and practice that prepares them with effective communication skills to enhance their academic, persona, professional and spiritual lives.

Vision Statement: The Department of Communication will be a recognized leader in innovative teaching that emphasizes hands-on learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, academic and professional excellence, and Christian ethics.

Goals: The Department of Communication will achieve its vision by pursuing four goals:

Curriculum. Provide a dynamic, student-centered curriculum that promotes experiential learning and reflects academic and professional best practices.
Connection. Provide opportunities for students to collaborate with peers, faculty, alumni and other communication professionals around the world to broaden their worldviews and increase their professional networks.
Facilities and Technology. Enhance facilities, upgrade equipment and create new learning spaces to meet the evolving educational needs of students and to prepare them for communication-related professions.
Faculty. Recruit, support and develop faculty who are faithful Christians devoted to effective teaching, student engagement, scholarly and/or creative endeavors, collegiality, service to the University, and overall professionalism.

Academic Programs: The Department of Communication offers majors in two program areas: mass communication and communication studies.

Mass Communication
Six majors are available for students in mass communication: advertising; broadcast journalism; electronic media production; Web design and interactive media; journalism; and public relations.

Students in mass communication are encouraged to maximize practical training along with academic instruction. The following award-winning student media outlets provide hands-on learning opportunities: the University’s cable television station, TV 16; the University’s commercial FM radio station, KVHU 95.3; the campus noncommercial AM radio station, AM 1660; the student newspaper, The Bison; the yearbook, The Petit Jean; and the multimedia news Website, The Link.

Students majoring in the mass communication program must complete an internship, working 240 hours in a professional setting corresponding to their majors and future plans. Students must pass ENG 111 before enrolling in any COMM course numbered COMM 230 and above. MATH 200 is recommended to satisfy the Liberal Arts requirement for mathematics.

Communication Studies
The communication studies major provides students with an overview of the cognitive and performance content of the field of human communication. This entails a thorough knowledge of the major levels and formats of communication, including the nature of the human voice, the nature of speech pathology, the nature of human linguistic communication, a knowledge of group processes, a developed skill in public address, a knowledge of the effects of nonverbal behavior on the communication process, and an introduction to the effects of mass communication on society.

In addition, students who are preparing to teach speech communication on the secondary level will also be familiar with needed elements of theatre and will proceed through the certification process in the Cannon-Clary College of Education .

Assessment criteria also state that all majors in oral communication will demonstrate research, written as well as oral communication competence in their senior seminar and through their performance on the Praxis II exam.