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Communication Education in U.S. Community Colleges

2008; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 57; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/03634520701858230

1479-5795

Isa N. Engleberg, Richard Emanuel, Tasha Van Horn, David L. Bodary,

Communication in Education and Healthcare

Abstract A comprehensive research project conducted by the Community College Section of the National Communication Association (NCA) investigated the status of communication education in U.S. community colleges. Contacts from 290 public community colleges in the U.S. responded to a survey targeting five areas of inquiry: (a) institutional, (b) departmental, and (c) faculty characteristics as well as (d) instructional resources and (e) professional support. The NCA Community College Section study and this article report findings concerning community college program characteristics as well as issues related to basic course offerings and general education requirements; faculty qualifications; the ratio of full- to part-time faculty; teaching loads and class size averages; professional development support; the use of instructional technology; and significant challenges facing communication programs in community colleges. Keywords: Communication EducationCommunity CollegeCommunication ProgramsGeneral EducationInstructional Technology Notes 1. Dianna Wynn (Nash Community College, North Carolina) served as chair of the national committee from 2002 through 2004. David Bodary (Sinclair Community College, Ohio) Deborah Hefferin and Richard Quianthy (Broward Community College, Florida) were national committee members charged with developing the survey and coordinating the project. In 2005, Tasha Van Horn (Citrus College, California) assumed leadership of the national committee. Survey data were organized and analyzed by Richard Emanuel (Alabama State University, Alabama) and Isa Engleberg (Prince George's Community College, Maryland). 2. Tasha Van Horn (Citrus College, California) [0]served as the Western Regional Coordinator. State coordinators included: Alaska; Arizona; California, Kay Harrison and A. Todd Jones; Colorado, Tom Sabetta; Hawaii, Alan Ragains; Idaho, Beth Hewes; Montana, Kathy Fritsch; Nevada, Eric Moreau; New Mexico, Frank Renz, Kimberly Batty-Herbert; Oregon, Karen Krumrey-Fulks; Utah, Beth Hewes, Nina Edgmand; Washington, Roxane Sutherland; and Wyoming, Robert Becker. Catherine Gragg (San Jacinto College, Texas) was the Southern Regional Coordinator. State coordinators included: Alabama, Richard Emanuel; Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Catherine Gragg, Patricia Nelson, Shelia Hughes, Keith Perry; Kentucky, Tom Sabetta, Donna Elkins; Louisiana, Mississippi, Lori Polacheck; North Carolina, South Carolina, Gretchen Weber; Tennessee, David Warner; Texas, Catherine Gragg; and Virginia, D. Kirkland. Catherine Blackburn (Brookdale Community College, New Jersey) was the Eastern Regional Coordinator. State coordinators included Connecticut, Amy Lenoce; Delaware, Jessica Farley; Maine, Chris Bates; Maryland, Shirlee Levin; New Hampshire, New Jersey, Catherine Blackburn; New York, Alberta Arnold, Dina Dahbany-Miraglia, Steve Epstein, Yingfan Zhang; Massachusetts, Nancy Willets; Pennsylvania, Tobi Mackler, Sujanet Mason; Rhode Island; Vermont; and West Virginia, Barbara Harris. The Central Regional Coordinators were Ed Schwarz (Prairie State College, Illinois) and David Bodary (Sinclair Community College, Ohio). State coordinators included: Illinois, Lauren Morgan; Indiana; Iowa, Mari Burns; Kansas, Reeze Hanson; Michigan, Jenny Ott; Minnesota, Terri Wichman; Missouri, Mary Hurley; Nebraska, Mary Umberger; North Dakota; Ohio, Nancy Kelley; Oklahoma, Reeze Hanson; South Dakota, David Bodary; and Wisconsin. 3. Analysis of general education courses in California community colleges provided by A. Todd Jones (Bakersfield College, California) and Helen Acosta (Bakersfield College, California) based on data from California's Higher Education database. 4. Most national and regional communication associations now provide access to journal and association publication online. In some cases, a college library subscribes to the services. In other cases, faculty holding association memberships have access to specific journals and publications in online form. It is likely that many of the survey respondents did not know that these services are available. 5. The National Communication Association (NCA) provides several documents focusing on communication as a general education requirement. The following publications are available from the NCA: Communication in the General Education Curriculum: A Critical Necessity for the 21st Century is an NCA publication developed by the NCA Educational Policies Board Task Force Committee on Communication in the General Education Curriculum. This document contains a rationale for and resources for communication instruction in general education and two statements prepared by notable communication chairs and administrators. This publication can be ordered from the NCA website http://www.natcom.org Integrating Communication into the General Education Curriculum is a pamphlet that serves as a guide to overcoming the most common challenges to integrating a communication course into a college's general education curriculum. This pamphlet is designed for communication faculty as a guide for answering objections to including communication as a general education requirement. Contact NCA at 202-464-4622 for copies of the pamphlet. The Importance of Communication in General Education is a two-sided handout that summarizes major arguments for requiring communication as a general education course. This handout is designed for distribution to administrators and faculty in other disciplines. Contact NCA at 202-464-4622 for copies of the handout. Additional informationNotes on contributorsIsa N. Engleberg Isa N. Engleberg (EdD, Boston University, 2003) is a professor emerita in the Department of Communication and Theatre at Prince George's Community College Richard C. Emanuel Richard Emanuel (Ph.D., Florida State University, 1989) is an associate professor in the Communication Department at Alabama State University Tasha Van Horn Tasha Van Horn (M.A., California State University, Fullerton, 1998) is a professor of speech and communication in the Department of Language Arts at Citrus College David L. Bodary David Bodary (Ph.D., Wayne State University, 1999) is a professor in the Communication Arts Department at Sinclair Community College