Draws and extends from earlier papers and articles the author has presented and conversations he has had with colleagues over a 30-year period of time. Explores factors that have contributed to the decline in speech and theater education. (SG)

A survey was conducted to update previous rankings of speech communication doctoral programs. Subjects were a random selection of every sixth name on the Speech Communication Association (SCA) membership list, and members of the SCA who have been the first authors of journal articles in the SCA journals in the past 10 years. In addition to…

Describes the speech communication curriculum of Methodist Ladies' College at Kew, where speech education and drama are treated within a comprehensive notion of communication skills. (RL)

Discusses the value of a nonperformance speech communication organization for both students and departments. Suggests criteria for discipline-centered student organizations. Offers a case study of one such club at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, and evaluates the effectiveness of this program. (HB)

A panel of instructors in the Speech Communication program at the University of South Dakota presented five papers containing the findings from an extensive analysis of their introductory course, the Fundamentals of Speech. The purpose of the analysis was to determine the result of adapting the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) to specific…

Recurring questions on the discipline of speech communication include whether it is in fact a discipline, whether it justifies its own department, and what job prospects await speech communication graduates. These questions are not unique, but are taken very seriously by most administrators when evaluating speech programs. Reasons underlying most…

Student assessments and program evaluations conducted for the initial year of Brooklyn College's developmental education program are described. Four evaluative studies in 1979 focused on the reading component, the speech course, student and faculty perceptions of the program, and instructional effectiveness of the entire program. Descriptive data…

Calls for carefully executed research that explores the impact of instructional practices on learning outcomes. Discusses considerations relevant to selecting the outcome measures (including types of outcomes, longitudinal effects, and "real world" impact). Urges caution in designing such research to ensure its internal validity and external…

Addresses important considerations for the implementation of speaking across the curriculum. Highlights important distinctions between speech courses and speaking-across-the-curriculum courses taught by faculty in other disciplines. Argues that the benefits of speaking across the curriculum outweigh the potential harm to the field if concerns are…

To bridge the gap between broad philosophical claims about the value of forensics and actual current practices and experiences, the concept of the "total" forensic program offers critical components that are educationally valid with numerous advantages for participants and sponsoring departments. The total approach is defined as the most…

This comprehensive set of standards is for the purpose of assessing the training of preschool through grade 12 communication teachers by accredited institutions of higher education. The standards were developed in alignment with several relevant professional organizations. Adoption of the standards by the National Communication Association…

Noting that one model for providing programs and individualized support to at-risk students is the oral communication laboratory, this paper describes the research and development of pilot programs within the laboratory setting for students at-risk at a four-year academic institution. The paper begins with a brief review of literature, a…

Drawn from a l985 conference focusing on curriculum for small college speech communication programs, the articles in this journal issue deal with issues related to curriculum development and enrichment in small colleges. Articles in the first section discuss chairing the small department. Specific topics addressed include speech communication…

Acknowledging that one of the most difficult challenges postsecondary educators must face is the maintenance of adequate student enrollment, this paper describes the creation of a speech communication laboratory as one component of a university-wide effort to maximize student retention. The paper first discusses several suggestions researchers…

A study was undertaken to evaluate the benefits derived by speech and language pathology students who used video tape recordings to learn diagnosis of communication disorders, to observe professional therapists and therapy programs, and to improve their own clinical techniques through self-observation. The use of video tapes to teach clinical…