Presenting an historical overview of the development of speech courses at Millersville University (Pennsylvania), this paper analyzes the past, present, and future status of speech communication within the context of the general education curriculum. The historical perspective treats the origins and definition of speech as a college course…

In order to rate the importance of elements involved in a public relations curriculum, a study analyzed the responses of public relations educators from all academic associations teaching the subject as well as practitioners from all specializations. Questionnaires were sent to 544 people who rated 110 elements as not essential to essential on a…

This paper argues that quality pre-law communication programs must be developed through an organized sustained effort in the speech communication field. The development of a pre-legal communication program is discussed in terms of three interrelated states: (1) the development of a specific academic program within the speech communication…

In explaining the pre-law recruitment campaign and curriculum plans of the Speech Communication Department at Drake University, this paper places emphasis on the department's broader eclectic approach to human behavior and communication theory as it relates to law and other aspects of life. The curriculum for the pre-law communication major is…

One of the most significant activities undertaken by members of small college speech departments has been the development of the Essential Undergraduate Curriculum in Speech Communication at the Small College. This paper reviews six aspects of this curriculum: (1) the "statement of domain"; (2) iterdisciplinary aspects; (3) questions of…

The small college communication curriculum must, by necessity, be more limited than that of the university. However, it can still fulfill the needs of its students while responding to external curriculum requirements, such as those of the institution, accrediting agencies, professional societies, and employers. Two approaches to curriculum…

Oral communication across the curriculum programs initiated at universities and colleges are likely to experience several problems, including high costs and heavy workloads for faculty. An Oral Communication Program (OCP) designed to overcome potential problems was instituted at Radford University, Virginia. Results of the program's first year…

When designing a contemporary curriculum in communication, it is important to adapt the specific set of skills and knowledge to the needs of the marketplace. The change in the transformation from speech to communication to communication/information technology is reflected in the various names of university departments. Schools that have changed…

The Oral Communication Program (OCP) was established at Radford University, Virginia, in 1988 as a comprehensive program of oral communication across the curriculum. The OCP has generated student and faculty involvement using a variety of information outlets such as meetings, retreats, and communication-intensive courses. Faculty from the…

Using the Rhetoric and Communication Department of the University of California at Davis as an example, this paper addresses the problems of small communications departments that face increasing student enrollments by both majors and students seeking to enhance their communications skills, with no additional faculty to handle such a load. After an…

In reorganizing its core curriculum, Duquesne University (Pennsylvania) created a course that combined the required freshman composition and speech communication courses. A two-term pilot course offered eight hours of credit, meeting for one hour three times a week and for a two hour lab once a week. Oral readings were assigned in order to help…