University and Community Service
“There is nothing more important to student learning than a teacher's attachment and connection with the ‘real-world’ and what is happening today.”
–Mary Beal, Digital Media Faculty
Almost without question, the Communication Studies Department
would need to be included in any list of departments providing
significant frequency, quality and importance of service
to the university. The department has a long history of providing
the institution with administrative talent. The department
boasts a former provost (Jolene Koester), a current vice
president (David Wagner), an incoming Associate Dean of Graduate
Studies (Chevelle Newsome) and two faculty members on partial
administrative assignment with the Office of Vice President
for Academic Affairs (Don Taylor and Leah Vande Berg). One
member of the department (Peter Nwosu) is currently on leave
to assume an assignment as the Chair of the Communication
Department at CSU, Northridge. During the past two years
department members have served on or chaired search committees
for the University President and the Vice President for Academic
Affairs.
At the very moment this document is being drafted four members of the department
(Larry Chase, Josh Guilar, David Zuckerman and Virginia Kidd) are conducting
university-wide workshops for university staff in the areas of interpersonal
communication, listening, conflict resolution and small group communication.
One successful department fundraiser has involved the Chair of the Department,
Val Smith, in providing research services such as focus groups and opinion
surveys for over a dozen campus administrative units, including the office
of the University President.
It is difficult to find a college or university committee or subcommittee of
substance that has not benefited from membership or leadership by a member
of the department. The following partial list of college and university committee
assignments held by Communication Studies faculty and staff since the last
program review illustrates the pervasiveness of department influence in the
institution: Facutly Service.
