Objectives and Outcomes

Objectives

Educate students to be problem solvers who are especially strong in oral and written communication.
Encourage students' analytical and creative skills so that they will be prepared to address a wide variety of challenges in their professional lives.
Prepare students for lifelong productive careers, which may include graduate studies, communication professions, or corporate leadership.

Students should become adept in their use of the spoken word in interpersonal communication, small group interactions, and public speaking.
Students should become adept in their use of the written word for informational, persuasive, and creative purposes.
Students should have conducted original research involving literature review, research design and implementation, including appropriate application of data analysis tools.
Students should develop confidence and skills related to the creation of media productions such as film and video.
Students should develop a logical framework for the critical analysis of spoken, written, visual, and mediated messages in a diverse marketplace.
Students should demonstrate the ability to apply rhetorical principles in various creative, cinematic, organizational, professional, and journalistic venues.
Students should have determined the communication sub-field of greatest personal interest and have constructed a curriculum allowing the development of critical awareness and application skills specifically related to that sub-field.
Students should develop a global awareness of political, social, and corporate issues influenced by communication sensitivity and skills.

Direct Assessment of Student Work. Each year faculty members in the program assess graded examinations, research papers, and projects to determine the level of achievement of program objectives.
Internship Employer Surveys. Every academically eligible senior is expected to complete a full semester internship in business or industry under the supervision of a communication professional. Supervisors are asked to evaluate how well the intern performed in relation to program objectives and how well the program performed in preparing students for the internship.
Alumni Surveys. At regular intervals, all alumni who can be located are surveyed regarding their current work and their perspective on how well the program met its objectives in preparing them for their current work. Survey results are available upon request.