Jason Zaransky
COM 345
Dr. Rohler
Dec. 7th 2008
Communication Day Address
Good
afternoon everyone, I’m pleased to see so many people with the same interests
and objectives gathered in the same room. This is truly my honor and pleasure
to speak at this occasion as I welcome you to the
When I think about the Communication Studies program, I realize just how important this department is to its students, and how important this major is to the university. The success of this department is related strongly to the fact that it is an arts and humanities discipline. In addition to those promising aspects, the department assembles history, philosophy, literary studies, and performance studies as well. Historically, this area of discipline was predominantly Public Speaking, however with the technological aspect increasing daily; the discipline is moving forward with media related material including Web pages and broadcasting. Communication Studies as a major is hardly a new concept in university teaching, in fact it has been a strong focus in the College curriculum for centuries. Classical education placed Communication Studies, which was then referred to as rhetoric, in the forefront of education. Today, with 350 undergraduate classes in the discipline, it’s obvious that the importance of effective and proper communication continues to sharpen future minds everywhere. Regardless of where you’re from, where you live, or what you do, the need to connect and be understood on a personal level continues to dominate our daily lives.
I hope I’ve sparked your interests concerning Communication Studies, because I have hardly scratched the surface regarding what it has to offer. If you are still wondering why so many students choose Communication Studies as their major, I would like you to think about what this discipline can provide for its students. I’d like you to ask yourself what separates this program from many of the other, well though of programs are offered at this university. The Communication Studies department offers classes that allow students to think for themselves, to come to their own conclusions. Many departments have their classes mapped out with little room for a student to think on their own. For instance, the math department offers equations that have already been solved; the science department offers formulas that have already been explained, and many other majors offered to students have answers laid out for them, but not ours. Communication Studies courses offer more than just answers, they offer questions that have yet to be answered. Our department is valuable to the student body because of gives them an opportunity to put their own formulas and equations together and attempt to solve them.
So far I’ve given you insight into the Communication Studies department and touched on its importance in our lives. At this moment I will take time to speak about various job fields that are open to our future graduates. Communication Studies does not limit an individual to what they can search for regarding a career, but can actually increase their chances of landing a job in their career of interest. This is largely due to the fact that many companies are looking for individuals who can effectively communicate and think critically. Many students who pursue to major in Communication Studies do so because they like to think outside the box. These students enjoy working in a group environment just as much as they do in an individual setting.
I believe what
sets a Communication Studies major apart from another student in a different
discipline is their ability to be creative and use their imagination to put
together and create a finished product. Because many of our students fit into
the categories I’ve just mentioned, great opportunities exist in many
corporations and professional businesses in and outside of the
I’ve been on this campus for a while now, and many of the students who I teach or come in contact with all seem to have the same belief that the Communication Studies program is just for students who couldn’t make it in all the other programs. I don’t know where this belief comes from because every student who enters one of our courses has worked very hard to be there. In fact, more students are deciding each semester they want to major in Communication Studies, but unfortunately not everyone who wants to, gets that opportunity. I wish every student who wanted to major in Communication Studies could do so, but like many competing businesses, we seek hard working, focused young minds that are willing to go that extra step and put in the extra time. It’s because of this, that all students who enter our program are originally placed in PCOM, or Pre-Communication courses. It doesn’t matter if the student transferred as a junior or just entered as a freshman, anyone who wants to major in Communication Studies has to prove themselves before doing so. I can assure you; this is not an easy task to accomplish.
Each student who wishes to enter into the Communications program is required to take two core PCOM classes that encompass the main focus and concepts that communication can provide. These classes, because they determine who can become a Communication Studies major, are known as gateway courses. Passing both of the courses with a letter grade of ‘B’ or higher will allow the student to major in our program. The first gateway course that students must take is COM 105, Introduction to Communication Studies. Professor Dave Bollinger runs this course which is designed to welcome students to the Communications department and also starts them on the path toward thinking critically and liberally as well. It is this course when students are first introduced to the ways people think, act, and adjust to the various ways people can communicate.
How someone responds to a comment or situation is generally not an instinct, but a trained reaction learned over time. This course provides students the chance to understand why that is, and how that process takes place. After the course is completed with a letter grade of ‘B’ or higher, PCOM students are required to take one more gateway course that gives them the hands on experience that will benefit them in more ways than one. The course is COM 200 Research Methods, and as I mentioned earlier, is taught by myself. This course brings students together in small groups. The students are asked to remain in those groups throughout the semester in order to establish strong group communication as well as identify specific roles each group member will be responsible for. The course asks students to analyze situations critically and to think more freely than what they may be used to. The course is designed for students to learn the different methods of research that historians once used and that companies still use today. Topics researched include survey, polling, and statistical methods that companies use to generate information from their consumers.
Throughout the course, groups will be assigned two probes they will need to complete. The probes or research investigates, are the backbone of this course and shape together the material discussed throughout the semester. Both COM 105 and COM 200 require a solid effort from students, as well as an understanding of the material. After completing Research Methods with a letter grade of ‘B’ or higher, the student will be declared a Communication Studies major, but it’s not all down hill from there.
Once a student is officially a major in this department, the courses offered will expand a student’s way of thinking and open their minds to new ideas and feelings. Naturally the professors are teaching students how to make it in the field they chose to pursue, but at the same time, they offer students a new outlook on ways of thinking and evaluating meaning of communication in general. If knowledge is power, then our students will graduate with very powerful minds. I like to believe that the Communication Studies program reflects a great amount on the liberal arts curriculum. Barbara White once said ‘the basic purpose of a liberal arts education is to liberate the human being to exercise his or her potential to the fullest.’ This program believes the greatest skill of all is the ability to think for yourself, and the Communication Studies department offers students just that.
Courses that are included in this liberal arts curriculum include two required courses all Communication Studies majors will take prior to graduation, and these are Communication Theory and Rhetorical Theory. We have placed a strong emphasis on the study of theory in this program because this major encourages its students to study and understand the ways human communication is vital to the success in their career and in the situations they face in their daily lives. Communication Theory assesses the many different theories that suggest why people believe certain things and why they act specific ways toward others. Because a theory is something that is considered to be true but cannot be factually supported, the course offers many ideas on human interaction, yet still leaves the door open for people to criticize and offer their own feedback and input as well.
Rhetorical Theory takes a different approach
to communication and highlights the history of speech, or rhetoric, as it
relates to human involvement and interaction. The course discusses the history
of communication as an early art form and shows the progressions of speech
through the many centuries that communication has been used. In addition, the
course touches on the impact that civilizations had on communication from
ancient
This course is the culmination of everything the student has gathered being a Communication Studies major. If they will take anything with them from this course, it will be that success is only achieved through the effort they put forth. Students will give multiple presentations to shake any last fears of public speaking from their minds. Another excellent benefit this course offers is preparing resumes and cover letters which leads up to a portfolio presentation during a mock interview. When the course is completed, students will know how to handle a job interview, how to dress professionally, and have the confidence they need to be successful outside the rooms of this university. It’s a great department, a strong academic major, and provides students with a new way of thinking that will guide them down the path of success.
Well I think I’ve said all there is to say about this excellent department and the many great students who study under our established professors. With that said, lets move along to what we have planned for you. Today is Communication Studies day and this is a very special occasion for our visiting guests as well as current and former Communication Studies majors and their faculty. The events will be under way shortly and will begin with an alumni presentation that will then be followed with Q&A from our guests and the alumni. What better way to explore the available careers with a degree in Communication Studies than by personal accounts from former graduates themselves. Following the panel, the Communication Studies department will host their sixth annual “Dress for Success” fashion show.
This portion of the day will consist of present Communication Studies majors who will be dressed in business profession and business casual attire. You have to look your best during a job interview and knowing how to dress plays a huge role. The show will feature both male and female students each dressed differently yet appropriately for the corporate world. The last portion of the day will consist of a dinner get together later tonight. This will give everyone a chance to interact and meet new people who all share common interests.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is my belief that communication is more important today than it ever has been. New technology continues to emerge and as it does, ways of communicating are constantly changing with it. The courses being taught today are shaping the world of tomorrow. What began as drawings on a wall has now transformed to video feeds through a cellular phone. It’s because of the Communication Studies programs being taught globally that we understand how humans live and survive.
Communication is the greatest tool we have ever used. Verbal and nonverbal messages help explain who we are, our feelings, our emotions, and our needs to survive. Those same messages can be constructively effective in our personal and professional lives. As I bring this speech to a conclusion I just want to say one final thing: let us never forget that we as humans are always communicating. Thank you all so very much for being here today, it’s going to be an exciting afternoon and I look forward to seeing you all at the events.