Speech Communication Department

Mankato State University

Annual Report

Covering the Academic Year July 1, 1997 to June 30, 1998

 

The Department of Speech Communication experienced an eventful year this past academic year, coping with semester conversion, general education revision, and two position searches, to name at least a few of the challenges faced by the department. Following is a narrative record of the work undertaken by the Department.

 

I.    Teaching and other assigned duties

The Department engaged in a number of activities related to teaching and other classroom duties.

·         Assessment: The Department created an assessment tool for the BS/BA program, the BST program, and the MA/MS program. The assessment tool was submitted to and approved by the Program Review and Assessment Submeet and Confer Group. The assessment tool will allow the department to better measure the actual educational outcomes of students in the Speech Communication program

·         Assessment and Curricular Development: As part of the work of the Assessment and Long-Range Planning Committee and Curriculum Committee, the Department proposed and carried out an extensive overhaul of course offerings. Highlights of these changes included the creation of a new 200 level special topics designation, requiring all majors to complete a basic level communication theory course and a required senior seminar/senior thesis course, returning Gender and Communication to a bridge course, and returning Effective Listening and Interviewing to regular course status.

·         Curricular Development and General Education: The department held a retreat on May 1, 1998, for the purpose of discussing a major revision in the way in which the department meets its general education obligations. The department will be developing a revised course offering under the title of SPEE 100 Fundamentals of Communication. The new course will adhere to the new general education guidelines adopted by Mankato State University. It will be hybrid basic course, focusing on public speaking, group communication and interpersonal communication. The course will utilize a combined lecture/performance organization, and will be able to serve over 1400 students per academic year. The department hopes to have a formal proposal ready for the General Education subcommittee and UCAP prior to the end of this academic year, and to be able to begin offering this new course by Fall of 1999. The department will also then revise the manner in which it teaches its two other current general education courses, Interpersonal Communication and Public Speaking. Current plans call for reworking these courses so as to better meet the needs of speech majors and minors.

 

II.   Scholarly or Creative Achievement or Research

Speech Communication faculty engaged in a number of scholarly activities during the past academic year.

 

  • Department members had nine scholarly projects published. The projects included journal articles, co-authored articles, book reviews, published conference proceedings and published reports.
  • In addition to those articles published, department members also have submitted for consideration for publication five additional articles. Three journal articles were not accepted for publication; two book chapters are still under consideration.
  • Department members were involved with 16 conference presentations at a variety of state, regional and national communication conventions, and one national interdisciplinary conference.
  • A Departmental member created two new computer programs. One is designed to record and report individual student records as they attempt to qualify for National competition in forensics, and the second is designed to electronically tabulate, schedule, and report results for individual event speech tournaments.

 

III.  Continuing Preparation

The Speech Communication Department was actively engaged in continuing preparation activities this past year.

 

  • Four faculty members attended the annual convention of the Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota, held in September in Winona.
  • The Department was very amply represented at the National Communication Association Annual Convention in Chicago in November. All six faculty members attended the convention.
  • Two faculty members attended Faculty Development Conferences during this past year.
  • Two faculty members attended the annual American Forensics Association-National Individual Events Tournament.
  • One faculty member participated in the Valley Writing Workshop preceding the start of fall quarter.

 

IV.   Contribution to Student Growth and Development

The Department remained very active in this area, continuing its efforts to help students in both academic and extracurricular activities.

  • Over 25 students took part in professional internship programs, supervised on-campus by faculty members in the Department.
  • Twenty students took part in a teaching internship program on campus, supervised by departmental faculty.
  • Over 20 students engaged in individual study projects, supervised and directed by Departmental faculty.
  • Eighteen students took part in clinical experiences in teaching speech communication in the secondary school, supervised by Departmental faculty.
  • Faculty continued to direct and serve on graduate student thesis committees. 10 graduate students have completed or will complete their thesis work this year and will receive or have received their master’s degree.
  • By a very rough estimate, department faculty prepared well over 100 letters of recommendation for students preparing for employment, graduate study, continuing education, and internships.
  • With only four tenured or tenure track faculty this past year, each faculty member was assigned in excess of an average of 40 advisees for regular advising.

 

V.    Contribution to University and Community

As was noted above, this was a very productive year for the Department, and as was also noted above, the Department was operating with only four tenure or tenure track faculty. It follows that all of the faculty, and the two fixed term faculty, were very active in contributing to the university and the community.

 

  • All departmental faculty regularly attended departmental meetings.
  • All departmental faculty, including fixed term faculty, served on at least one standing committee within the department.
  • Three faculty members served on college or university wide committees.
  • One faculty member served as an ex officio officer of a system wide committee.
  • Two faculty members fulfilled a variety of roles within the discipline. One faculty member serves as editor of a national publication, editor of a newsletter for a state communication association; web page editor of a state communication association; vice-chair and planner of a division within the

National Communication Association, reviewer for two national journals, tab room staff at the National Individual Events Tournament, the Board of Governors for the Communication and Theatre Association of Minnesota, and on the American Forensics Association District IV committee. Another faculty member serves as editor of a state communication journal, editorial board member of two national communication journals, reviewer for two other national journals, reviewer for a business communication journal, manuscript reviewer for two publishers, vice-chair and planner of a division within the National Communication Association, and member of the Board of Governors for the Communication and Theatre Association of Minnesota.

  • Two faculty members serve on Mankato area boards of directors for volunteer or service organizations.
  • One faculty members serves as an officer of a local chapter of a national professional women’s organization.

 

The preceding report provides an overview of the activities engaged in by the Department of Speech Communication at Mankato State University. The report also indicates the department’s effort at meeting the goals laid out in the Departmental Mission Statement. The Mission Statement points out that the department’s primary duty is to serve the needs of the students, that teaching and service to students comes first. This is demonstrated in the work that the department has put forth in teaching and other assigned duties, as well as the work demonstrated in contributions to student growth and development. The Mission Statement also points out that as academics, we have a mission to our discipline, to stay active in the creation, synthesis, and dissemination of scholarship. The Department has met this goal in its efforts at continuing preparation, scholarly activity, and service to the university, the community, and the discipline.

Appendix to Annual Report: Raw Data

1. Number of Published articles: 9

2. Number of Books: 0

3. Number of conference presentations: 16

4. Recitals: 0

5. Exhibitions: 0

6. Productions: 1

7. External Grants: $5,000

8. Awards: 1

9. Campus Leadership positions: 2

10. Off-campus leadership positions: 9

11. Conference participation: 15

 

Students:

1. Student Presentations: 8

2. Student publications: 0