A Proposal for the Creation of an Oral Communication across the Curriculum/Speaking Center Program Salisbury University April 22, 2008 Prepared by Scott Britten, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Communication and Theatre Arts Jody Morrison, Ph. D. Associate Professor - Communication and Theatre Arts On behalf of the faculty of the Communication and Theatre Arts Department Summary Oral competence is a central general education and program-specific learning outcome at Salisbury University. While valued by the faculty, oral competence as an outcome is unevenly supported across our programs through required coursework, other instruction, and assessment. Students need instruction, time, and practice to develop the skills, knowledge, and dispositions required for competent communication. The faculty of the Communication and Theatre Arts Department is committed to addressing these needs through an academic initiative comprised of two interlocking programs: An Oral Communication Across the Curriculum program, designed to assist and develop faculty in the design, implementation, and evaluation of oral skills assignments and the programmatic assessment of oral competency outcomes, and a Speaking Center, functioning as an ongoing program through which students receive support, practice, feedback and consultation in developing oral communication skills. It is our belief that this initiative, modeled after many successful programs like it around the country, will enhance oral competency learning and assessment across the campus community. Both components of the initiative will be routinely assessed and activities will be guided by the results of assessment. It is important to note that this proposal does not create any new collateral organizational units within the academic organizational structure at Salisbury University; rather, this is a faculty initiative that is originated, directed, and staffed by Communication and Theatre Arts faculty, Department Chair, the Dean of the Fulton School, and the Provost. The initiative is not a part of the planning of the Student Success Center, although partnering with the Success Center at some point might be sensible and desirable. It is not proposed that any statement will be required on syllabi or that any faculty member be required to participate, though we expect many may choose to do so. The two components of the program will exist collegially with the WAC and Writing Center and will not compete for either funding or space with WAC, the Writing Center,
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or any other academic initiative at the University. It is proposed that the funding for this initiative come from Academic Affairs, and not from Student Affairs. We recognize that space is a critical issue on our campus at this time and we fully anticipate the possibility of implementing the program using a combination of unscheduled, existing space as it is available and more permanent space as it becomes available on campus. Rationale Oral competence is an important outcome at Salisbury University both as a general education outcome and a program-level outcome for many programs at the University. Two of the Student Learning Goals (skills) for the General Education program at Salisbury University are: Command of Language – Acquire abilities to communicate effectively-including reading, writing, listening, and speaking. and Interpersonal Communication – Acquire abilities to relate to and work effectively with diverse groups of people (Salisbury University Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog 2007-2008, p. 345). At the program level, the command of language outcome is defined relative to disciplinespecific standards. Some examples of written and oral communication outcomes by individual program are: Art Graduates: Students will be able to express conceptual and current issues visually and through oral and written communication techniques. Athletic Training Graduates: Students will be able to interact with a variety of physically active individuals. Business Graduates: Students will be able to communicate orally and in writing and to enhance their overall interpersonal skills. Chemistry Graduates: Students will be able to write effectively in the style of the discipline; students will be able to use computer technology to make effective oral presentations; students will be able to deliver an effective oral presentation on a modern chemistry topic. History Graduates: Students will discuss effectively in oral and written form the history of specific time periods and geographic areas. Philosophy Graduates: Students will be able to engage in impassioned public debate while respecting other participants. (Salisbury University Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Report, June 2007, p.1)
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Numerous assignments spanning the curriculum identify and evaluate various oral communication competencies including public speaking, communication ethics, interviewing, small group discussion/problem solving, argumentation and debate, and group panel/symposia presentation skills. Additionally, it has been recommended that “…general education outcomes need to be “mapped” and connected to specific learning opportunities. The team notes these examples of lack of “mapping”: It is unclear in the General Education curriculum how students are developing skill in oral communication; oral communication and quantitative reasoning are not included in the Honors “core curriculum.” (March, 2006, Final Report to the Faculty, Administration, Trustees, Students of Salisbury University, An Evaluation Team representing the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, p. 12) The prominence of oral competencies in our student learning goals, programs, and assignments, along with the need to map oral communication skills as a general education outcome, demonstrate our commitment to the oral competence of our students. To develop oral competence, students must understand the role of their communication choices and behaviors within their social context, with diverse individuals, and within and across cultures. In addition, they should understand the factors that influence their decision-making, and the factors that affect the potential success or failure of their communication efforts. They need to learn how to translate their goals as communicators into effective messages. Today, students need to be aware of the potential of new media and emerging information technologies to enhance or impair the quality of communication. Above all, it is imperative that students are introduced to the complex ethical issues that will face communicators in an increasingly multicultural and technologically complex society (National Communication Association, Policy Platform Statement on the Role of Communication Courses in General Education, 1996). Our students need specific instruction, practice, feedback and time to develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of oral competence in its various forms. While well designed coursework in Communication could contribute significantly to meeting our oral competencies goals, the requirement of Communication courses currently varies across the Schools, individual programs, and is absent from the general education course distribution. The Communication Arts faculty supports the creation of an Oral Communication Across the Curriculum Progam (OCXC) to assist faculty in the design, implementation, and evaluation of oral skills assignments and the programmatic assessment of oral competency outcomes. The Communication Arts faculty also supports the creation of a Speaking Center (SC) as a component of the OCXC as a central physical space for students to receive support, practice, feedback and consultation in developing oral communication skills. We believe these programs have the potential to enhance the oral competence of our graduates, assist faculty in the integration of oral communication in their courses and
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programs, assist faculty in assessing oral competence outcomes across their programs by offering development through support, consulting, and practice to all students. It is important to note, however, that a potential OCXC and SC programs constitute an enhancement initiative, and not a substitute for well chosen and designed Communication Arts coursework in the general education, school, or major course distribution.
Program Goals and Activities Oral Communication Across the Curriculum – 1. The OCXC will support faculty in the selection, design, evaluation and assessment of oral communication activities, assignments and outcomes by serving as a focal point for sharing resources, ideas, and offering developmental experiences to faculty in the pursuit of oral competencies outcomes. This will be accomplished through individual/group consultations, web presence, publications, and faculty development workshops
Speaking Center 1.
The Speaking Center will support and enhance the oral competence of students by offering the following services: Assistance available both individually and in group settings Clients can come to the center to practice and receive feedback Clients can bring previously taped presentations for feedback Enrichment workshops on topics in oral communication, e.g., managing anxiety, giving presentations, leading group meetings, interviewing, effective PowerPoint, etc. Communication Consultants offer clients assistance in the following areas: 1. Presentation skills: Delivery, organization, interest, clarity, voice, nervousness, argumentation, incorporating technology, and use of visual aids, civility. 2. Interpersonal skills: Listening, nonverbal behaviors, interviewing, assertiveness, civility, and understanding self. 3. Group skills: Group process, member responsibilities, team presentations, group expectations, conducting meetings, civility, and overall success. The Speaking Center will seek to consult with individual programs to develop discipline-specific oral communication support and/or training for students as desired by faculty. In addition to oversight by the faculty of Communication and Theatre Arts, the Speaking Center will seek to establish a voluntary advisory board comprised of
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members of each of the academic schools to provide guidance in the Center’s activities. Assessment Assessment of the OCXC component of the initiative will be accomplished through several indicators: faculty participation and feedback, website activity, and the documented production of formal and informal oral communication assignments arising in the OCXC’s faculty development activities. Assessment of the Speaking Center will rely on indicators of student usage of center resources, student opinion of the relevance and usefulness of the Center’s resources, and imbedded post-treatment assessment of oral competence either in the center and/or in instructor evaluations of student oral competence. Timeline Spring 2008 Develop and finalize proposal, time line and budget Program Director begins, Develop Operational Handbook for Speaking Center Speaking Center Director begins, Appoint Advisory Committee; Identify and train Communication Consultants; design and populate OCXC website; publicize OCXC and Speaking Center; begin consultations with academic units for possible discipline-specific collaborations Speech Center opens; conclude consultations with academic units for possible discipline-specific collaborations; Begin faculty development seminars; continue publicity Program evaluation, update website information and resources; update Speaking Center resources; train Communication Consultants Speech Center operation continues; Continue faculty development seminars; continue publicity; Offer Workshops
Summer 2008 -
Fall 2008
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Spring 2009
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Summer 2009 -
Fall 2009
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Physical Space Needs The SC will need three –five connected rooms to serve as the physical center: 1-3 rooms for individual and group practice, 1-2 rooms for the work of the Communication Consultants.
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Start-up Equipment Computers, projectors, and furniture for Speaking Center, 1-3 video/sound recording cameras and playback equipment
Budget ½ time release for the Director of the OCXC Summer 2008 support for Director of the OCXC ½ time release for Director of the Speaking Center (begin fall 2008) Consultant Salaries Supplies Resource materials Publications/Publicity Equipment Maintenance Staff Development Publicity Honoraria for Short Courses Stipends for Faculty 10,000 1,000 500 1,500 500 2,500 2,000 2,000 15,000 $39,800
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