Department of Speech Communication

Minnesota State University Mankato

Annual Report

Covering the Academic Year July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2002

The Department of Speech Communication experienced a good year this past academic year, planning for growth and progress in the Department, developing new courses for majors and students outside the major, continuing assessment, and continuing to serve a significant role in the general education of all university students.

Department of Speech Communication Goals

In order to realize its Vision & Mission Statement, the Department of Speech Communication has set the following goals:

1. To offer quality undergraduate and graduate programs that require students to master the basic concepts and practices of the field, to begin to explore the many areas of study within the field, and to master a specialized area of study. (Academic Affairs Objectives 3A1, 6A1, 7D2)

Activities Undertaken:

The department continued to offer educational opportunities for undergraduate speech communication majors and minors, and graduate students. This year saw continuation in our relatively new SPEE 485 Senior Seminar course. This course, part of a sequence with SPEE 190 Introduction to Communication Studies, offers a capstone experience for non-teaching speech communication majors. This course requires students to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have developed through their course of study in Speech Communication. Additionally, tied to the 190/385/485 sequence, as well as interwoven throughout the curriculum, the Department continued to require speech communication majors to compile and maintain a portfolio of student work. This portfolio is at the same time an assessment tool, a learning experience for the students, and a means by which students can see the "big picture" of their speech communication education, realizing how the concepts and skills from separate courses really do fit together.

This year saw the first implementation of the redesigned SPEE 190 course, with its new emphasis on professional writing, disciplinary identity and introduction to the history of the field. We also offered for the first time this year our new SPEE 385 Communication Theory and Research course. This required course provides students with a better foundation in fundamental theories and research methodologies in speech communication. The department also acted to reintroduce SPEE 4/510, Group Performance of Literature. This course had been taught the last two years as a special topics course, after being dropped from the regular course rotation during semester conversion. The course will be offered on a regular basis starting Spring 2003.

Dr. Warren Sandmann has continued to work on the development of an online offering in the BST program. By fall of 2002, Dr. Sandmann hopes to have available an online version of SPEE 404 (Teaching Speech Communication) and by Spring 2003, an online version of SPEE 430 (Directing Forensic Activities). Nan Johnson-Curiskis is also working on the possibility of developing an online course as well.

At the graduate level, the department approved the development of a redesign of our graduate program. The redesigned program will now offer an MFA in Forensics (pending university and MnSCU approval). The redesign has been approved at the college level. The department also saw another increase in graduate student enrollment for the 2001-2002 year, and has already awarded six new assistantships for the 2002-2003 academic year. With the pending approval of the MFA program, we anticipate continued growth in our graduate program.

2. To offer general education courses that provide students with the knowledge and skills to be critical thinkers and effective communicators in both professional careers and advanced study. (Academic Affairs Objective 7D3)

Activities Undertaken:

Serving the needs of General Education students continued to be a priority with the Speech Communication Department. The redesigned SPEE 100 Fundamentals of Communication course was offered for the third time this year. Utilizing a combination of large lecture and smaller recitation sections, this course served approximately 1500 students this year. The course requires students to demonstrate communication skills through public speaking, group presentation, and interpersonal activities. In addition to this course, the department also offered 17 sections of SPEE 102 Public Speaking, 10 sections of SPEE 101 Interpersonal Communication (a general education course under the old general education program, and a service course for many programs), all of which filled to capacity (approximately 750 students), 2 sections of SPEE 203 Intercultural Communication (a Category 7 and 8 general education course--approximately 80 students), 1 section of SPEE 310 Performance of Literature (a category 6 and 11 general education course--approximately 30 students), and SPEE 220 Forensics (a Category 11 general education course, approximately 15 students), and SPEE 233 (Public Speaking to Technical Professionals) a general education course (Category 1b) for a total of approximately 2405 general education students. Additionally, the department offered a number of extended campus general education courses, serving approximately 220 students, and 7 summer 1999 general education courses, serving approximately 250 students. Total general education students served in 2001-2002 approximately equaled 2665 students. The department has already noted that a backlog is developing in general education category 1b courses. For fall 2002, the department will offer 720 seats in SPEE 100, and 350 seats in SPEE 102. With pre-registration completed (5/7/02), the department notes that there are less than 70 seats left in SPEE 102, and approximately 300 seats in SPEE 100, all to meet a demand of 2100 new students. The department is exploring additional ways to meet the demands for the general education courses. The department also took part in the assessment of Category 1b courses in the 2001-2002 academic year.

3. To promote the performance of communication in both creative and scholarly venues.

Activities Undertaken:

The Department continued to promote communication performance in the 2001-2002 school year. Four speech communication students took part in the fourth annual undergraduate research conference at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Additionally, the department continued to both financially and personally support the Maverick Forensic Program. This program allows and encourages students to engage in communication performance of both scholarly and creative varieties. Over 30 students took part in some forensic-related activity this past year, cumulatively totaling over 2400 student presentations, and culminating in another trip by the team to the National Individual Events Tournament. One team member also represented MSU, M and the state of Minnesota at the Interstate Oratory Association national championship. The Maverick Forensics program staged a Forensic Showcase March 28, preceding the National Individual Events Tournament. Competitors who were scheduled to compete at the national tournament took part in a public performance attended by over 200. The department helped to sponsor two undergraduate students to attend and present at the annual convention of the International Listening Association. The department also had three faculty members and three undergraduate students present at the spring 2002 Iteach conference, sponsored by MnSCU. The Department, under the leadership of Dr. Martine Harvey, co-sponsored (with Cultural Diversity) a workshop featuring a nationally-recognized speaker on immigration law. The department also encouraged graduate students to take part in scholarly communication, with six students presenting research results at the National Communication Association convention, November 2001 in Atlanta. The department also maintained a regularly scheduled Departmental Colloquium, with faculty and graduate students presenting research and scholarship. Graduate and undergraduate students were also kept informed about and encouraged to submit material to other professional communication outlets.

4. To encourage students to explore and take part in the vocational and scholarly practice of communication.

Activities Undertaken:

As noted above, the department continued to encourage students to take part in a variety of communication activities. In addition to those noted above, more than 40 students took part in communication-related internships during the 2001-2002 school year, ranging from off-campus internships to on-campus teaching internships. Qualified students were also encouraged to become a member of Lambda Pi Eta, the national communication honor society, of which the MSU, M speech communication department is an affiliated member. This organization continued its growth this year under the faculty sponsorship of Nan Johnson-Curiskis. Students also began the process of developing a speech communication club to complement the offerings of the honor society. The members of both organizations have done some fundraising and will hold a reception this spring for graduating speech communication majors.

5. To encourage students, graduate students, and faculty to take part in scholarship, research, and creative activity that will contribute to the personal and professional development of all involved. (Academic Affairs Objective 6A3)

Activities Undertaken:

As noted above, a number of speech communication undergraduate and graduate students were encouraged to take part in research activities, and took advantage of that encouragement to engage in and present scholarship. Two speech communication undergraduates and members of the Maverick Forensic program had articles accepted for publication in the inaugural edition of the Journal of Undergraduate Research. Speech Communication faculty were also active in scholarly and professional activity. Five faculty members attended the National Communication Association annual convention in Atlanta in November of 2001. Four faculty members attended the 2001 Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota convention, and two faculty members attended the International Listening Association convention. Faculty also took part in faculty development activities both on- and off-campus, with faculty members taking part in workshops offered by the Secondary Education Coalition, the Center for Faculty Development, Computer Training through the Electronic Academy and the Academic Computer Center. Faculty members also remained engaged in other professional activities, as the department remained home to a national (Speaker and Gavel) communication journal. Faculty members also submitted material for publication, presented at national and regional conferences, and submitted proposals for future conference presentations.

6. To work with speech communication majors, minors and other interested students in developing an academic program that will lead to vocational and academic success.

Activities Undertaken:

Faculty members continued their work advising speech communication majors and minors, and other students interested in speech courses. Students worked with faculty to develop programs of study that will prepare the students for work or additional study. Much work was undertaken to help students understand the new semester system and the new general education program, with a great deal of time devoted to individual and group meetings concerning semester conversion and graduation requirements. Students were also informed concerning the new required courses in the Speech Communication major.

7. To encourage students to view education as a lifelong process and to remain aware of the relationship between communication, technology and society.

Activities Undertaken:

The department continued its efforts to remind students that education is not solely a vocational endeavor, and that much of their education will take place after they graduate from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Students were made aware of the many resources, both electronic and other, that are available both during and after an MSU, M education. The introduction of the electronic portfolio requirement for both teaching and non-teaching majors made it essential that students begin to comprehend the technological element of communication. The continuing development of assessment practices, especially the introduction of the Senior Seminar capstone course, requires that students demonstrate their knowledge and ability to use communication in the larger society as well as the academic society. And as always, students in all communication courses are either introduced or reminded of the principle that people understand and make sense of the world through the symbols that they use, and that symbol-making and symbol-interpretation is at the heart of the communication process.

Challenges for the 2002-2003 academic year:

The general education program will continue to be a major challenge for the 2002-2003 academic year. The department will continue to face difficulties staffing all the sections needed for general education courses and still serving majors, minors, and other MSU, M students requiring specific speech communication programs. The department will be concluding an internal review as it prepares for a scheduled program review in the 2002-2003 academic year. This review process, while needed, will certainly take much time and effort. The department will also continue to struggle with ongoing changes to the teacher licensure component of our course offerings. MnSCU has approved a redesigned licensure program, and approval from the Minnesota Board of Teaching has also been granted, but continuing uncertainty with the legislature and the Profiles of Learning means that the BST program will require much additional supervision and refinement. An additional continuing challenge for the next academic year will be the need to institute and utilize a more comprehensive assessment program for all students. The new course arrangements, both for major and general education, should allow the department to continue to develop a better assessment plan.

A happy challenge for the 2002-2003 academic year involves the integration and welcoming of two new faculty members, David Engen and Kristin Treinen. David will be attempting to fill the very large shoes left by the retirement of Dr. Patty Palm (coming to grips with trying to replace Dr. Palm will be a challenge itself). Kristin Treinen will be filling a new position, basic course director, in a new tenure-track line which was desperately needed.