Perspectives
a quarterly newsletter published by the Department of Communication Studies and V.O.I.C.E.
San José State University, Early Spring 1995, Vol. 3, No. 1
A Threat to Our Department, A Threat to Our Field
Tasha Souza
During the first month that I attended the U. of Washington, I came to one general conclusion--the university is financially secure. The architecture is aesthetically pleasing, new science buildings are under construction and the computer centers are on the cutting edge. Innovative instructional technology is available in many classrooms and hundreds of first-year students were given free laptops as an experiment. Yet, speech communication, and other entire departments, are now threatened for elimination due to budgetary constraints.
On November 30, 1994, the university's president announced that eight units were targeted for possible elimination, six from the College of Arts and Sciences. Less state funding for higher education was given as the reason for the decision. Preserving educational quality was the rationale for vertical as opposed to horizontal cuts. Three criteria--centrality to the university's mission, quality of instruction, and instructional value--were presented as the basis for identifying units to eliminate.
The selection of the Speech Communication Dept. is puzzling in that our graduate and undergraduate programs are ranked nationally, student demand for our courses is strong (about 3500 students take our courses every year), our faculty and TAs have won more University Distinguished Teaching Awards than any other department on campus, and our faculty research productivity is high. It appears that we meet the three criteria.
We are working hard to do everything in our power to: (1) expose this inequity and (2) promote our preservation. A review committee has been appointed to examine our department and make a recommendation to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences within 60 days. A final decision will be made in April as to whether the department will continue to exist in its present form, be merged with another department, or eliminated entirely.
The more support we have for our "campaign," the better our chances. Please write letters, make phone calls, contact influential people, and inform others about how they can help. In particular, we ask that you write letters of support for the department as soon as possible, urging that it be maintained at the U. of Washington. Please send an original and two copies of your letter to the following individuals at the U. of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195:
Original: Prof. Mark McDermott, Chair, Commit-tee to Review the Dept. of Speech Communication, Physics Dept. FM-15
Copies: John B. Simpson, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences DS-65; Prof. Thomas M. Scheidel, Chair, Dept. of Speech Communication DL-15
Whatever the reasons behind the threat to the Speech Com. Dept. here at Washington, the university administration's action sends a message about our field's perceived usefulness and legitimacy. The campaign to promote speech communication should not end in April. And it has become obvious that it should have begun long before last November.
Thank you for your support and assistance. I will keep you informed as decisions are made.
Tasha Souza is a doctoral student and teaching assistant in the Speech Communication Dept. at the U. of Washington. She completed her MA in Communication Studies at SJSU in 1994. Tasha was a TA for our public speaking course and earned our department's ICA Graduate Associate Teaching Award for her excellence as an instructor.
Tasha can be reached at 206/543-4860. In addition, you can contact Jody Nyquist, a senior lecturer at Washington, at 206/543-6066. Also, Prof. Jo Sprague (408/924-5380) has placed a set of sample letters in our department's mailroom.
Author of CMM Theory to Speak at SJSU
W. Barnett Pearce, Professor and Chair at the U. of Loyola in Chicago, will present the first dept. colloquium of the Spring term Friday, Feb. 24, 3:30 p.m. in the Almaden Room, SJSU Student Union. All students, faculty, and alumni are invited to attend. Refreshments will be served.
Prof. Pearce is one of the top communication theorists in the nation. He has written a number of books, has published numerous articles in major journals, and is a dynamic public speaker. Prof. Pearce is probably best known for the Coordinated Management of Meaning theory he developed with colleague Vernon Cronen.
The CMM theory seeks to explore the ways in which communication processes shape our social worlds: relationships, self-identities, and the like. Since it was first developed in the late 1970s, CMM has generated much interest. It has also served as a kind of lightening rod for controversy and debate.
For his presentation, Prof. Pearce will talk about how CMM has evolved and changed over the last 10 years. This is sure to be an exciting event. Don't miss it!
Alumna Profile:
Phyllis Perez-Sorensen
Phyllis Perez-Sorensen graduated summa cum laude with departmental honors in Speech Communication in 1990. She was the first president of the Communication Forum, a group of alumni and others who support the department in various ways.
In 1993, Phyllis was promoted to Clerk of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Ron Gonzales explained Phyllis's job metaphorically: "It's like directing five . . . [airline] pilots into the air traffic patterns that she governs." She supervisors a 26-person staff that is responsible for the Board agenda and for keeping supervisors, county employees, and citizens informed about the details of county regulations. This requires acute political and interpersonal sensitivity.
Phyllis credits her Communication Studies classes with helping her to increase self confidence and build research, analytical, communication, and debate skills which she applies directly to her work.
Past president of the California Clerks of the Board Association, Phyllis has also chaired the Board of Directors of Next Door: Solutions to Domestic Violence, which helps victims of abuse improve their situations. She is a member of the County Hispanic Roundtable, the South Bay Public Relations Roundtable, the Commonwealth Club, and the Almaden Valley Women's Club.
Department to Hold 1995 Commencement Ceremony
On May 26, 1995, 7:00 p.m. in the SJSU Theatre, the Communication Studies Dept. will recognize the 1995 graduating class by holding our annual commencement ceremony. This is an opportunity for students to share their success with faculty, family, and friends. During the ceremony, we will also present student awards and honors, feature special guest speakers, and continue the tradition of honoring the Outstanding Communication Studies Professor (chosen by graduating student ballot).
Faculty and all graduating seniors from Dec. 1994 and May 1995 receiving their B.A. or M.A. are invited to participate. Invitations will be mailed later in the semester.
Questions? Willing to help out? Contact Tanya Hunter, 408/379-1805. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 1995!
CSCA Convention April 29-30
The California Speech Communication Association Convention will be held April 29-30 on the San Francisco State U. campus with sessions in the Speech and Communication Studies conference room. Guest rooms are available nearby at the Seven Hills Conference Center for $64, single or double. Panel topics are Multicultural Assessment, Teacher Credentialing (Sat.), and CSU Oral Communication GE Requirement (Sun.). Sat. night will include a theatre opportunity. CSCA membership is $20 regular, $25 with a Speech Teacher subscription, $5 for students. Contact Rob Dewis, CSCA Exec. Dir., 408/864-8579.
COMM Lab Open
Hours this semester for the COMM Lab, located in HGH 231, are: Mon., 8-4; Tues., 9-4; Wed., 9-4; Thurs., 9-5; closed on Fri.
NEW COURSE OFFERED FALL '95
COMM 196-Communication and Gender, Prof. Judith Barnes. Recent writers on gender and communication have suggested that women and men not only talk a different language, but essentially come from different planets. We will examine various theoretical and practical perspectives on female-male and same-sex interaction in a variety of situations and cultures. Topics include origins of gender and ethnic identities, communication styles, language and gender, rhetorical movements of women and men, and nonverbal communication and gender. We will conclude with a look at reconstruction of gender and approaches for facilitating effective communication.
HOLIDAY PARTY A SUCCESS!
The Communication Studies Dept. held its annual Holiday Party on December 16 at the Tied House in San José. Over 45 students, faculty, staff, spouses, and significant others attended, making this our largest holiday gathering yet!
The evening began with a social hour that included soft drinks, appetizers, wine, and the tasty Tied House beer. The conversation and good cheer were so stimulating that the social "hour" was closer to two hours--no surprise for us talkative communication folks. The conversation continued through dinner, which included an assortment of delicious and affordable entrees.
After dinner, the traditional gift-giving proceedings were called to order. These gifts are meant to be inexpensive and tongue-in-cheek with this year's gifts no exception. They ranged from the curious (a sink stopper), to the musical (a toy piano), to the seasonal (a Santa doll), to the sinful (chocolate-covered Oreo cookies).
All in all, the evening was a smashing success. We will continue the Holiday Party tradition next December, so mark your calendars now!
News & Notes
WSCA, Feb. 11-14, Portland, OR
Judith Barnes, "Speaking and Listening, the Disappearing Language Arts: The 'Integration' Approach and the Status of Speech Communication Instruction in California High Schools."
Claire Calcagno, "Negotiation of Feminine Identity Through Self-Defense."
Mindi Golden, "The Citadel and Mills College: Cultural Deviance in Arguments for Single-Gender Education."
Janet M. Hoffman and Jo Sprague, "Students' Perspectives on Communicating Teacher Fairness: A Call for Dialogic Engagement."
Dennis Jaehne, "Critical Questions and the Ecology of Criticism," "Taking Place, Marking Time: Rhetoric in the University," and "Piety and Pollution: A Burkean Foundation for Ecological Criticism."
Shawn Spano, "Cognitive Explanations of Interpersonal Communication: Review, Critique, and an Alternative Perspective."
Federico Varona, "Relationship Between Communication Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Three Guatemalan Organizations."
Stephanie Zimmermann and Shawn Spano, "Do Faculty Weave Students' Diverse Abilities into the Classroom?: Disabled Students Speak Out."
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION
During the winter break, James Lull taught a week-long seminar for professors throughout the 24-campus system at the Monterey Technological Institute (State of Mexico campus, Mexico City) on "Social Theory and the Media: Toward an Electronic Global Culture." Prof. Lull also presented a paper, "There is No Public Sphere in Mexico," at the Advanced Center of Communications, Mexico City.
In February, Federico Varona, along with his co-authors, presented, "A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Relationships between Organizational Commitment and Organizational Communication," at the Twelfth Annual Intercultural/International Communication Conference in Miami.
PUBLICATIONS
Varona, Federico, & Downs, Cal W. (1994). Un estudio camparativo de la satisfacción con la comunicación y la satisfacción con el trabajo en dos compañias guatemaltecas [A comparative study of communication satisfaction and job satisfaction in two Guatemalan companies]. Revista de Ciencias de la Información, 10, 125-144.
STUDENTS COMPLETE THESES
Laurel Joakimides, "A Critical Analysis of Relational Communication in Interpersonal Communication Literature: The Theory of Logical Types" and Vanessa Greenwood, "Communication, Education, and Technology: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Channel One Controversy," successfully defended their theses in the Fall 1994 semester.
STUDENT HONORS
Four Communication Studies majors were awarded Honors at graduation in December 1994: Bernette LaDuca, Tanya Hunter, Annabel Forbes, and Patricia Sanden.
Work on Five-Year Plan Begins
The department will be developing its required Five-Year Plan during the spring term. Alumni may be asked to participate in a follow-up evaluation survey. Alumni are invited to contact our chair, Prof. Tim Hegstrom (924-5360) or Prof. Shawn Spano (924-5379) with their feedback and comments on the Communication Studies program.
SECONDARY ED CREDENTIAL PROGRAM UPDATE
All majors in the secondary education credential program should contact Judith Barnes (HGH 112, 924-5511) for advising immediately. There are changes in progress about which candidates should know. Anyone else interested in high school teaching should also make an appointment to learn about recent changes in the program.
One important change is that the English coursework required for the credential has been reduced. Also, there are alternatives now to help those communication majors who have completed their BA or MA to speed up the credentialing process. We have several teachers now employed who have gone through the program who would be happy to consult with interested majors and graduates.
THE FORENSICS REPORT
The SJSU novice debate teams finished the fall semester third in N. Calif. and 35th in the country.
Communication majors Jose Jimenez and Tenia Worick competed at Solano in Dec. Jose took first in persuasion and Tenia took first in drama interp.
Great news for the first tournament of 1995! An Nguyen and Becki Bell moved from novice to junior divisions to compete at the Modesto Tournament Jan. 27-29. They were 5-1 in prelims and finished second. Amy Dilorio competed in the one-size-fits-all division of Parliamentary debate. This was Amy's first excursion into competition. She was 5-1 in prelims and finished third.
More good news! Elisa Cooper joins our program as a Forensics assistant.
We need judges for the CSU Hayward tournament March 3 and 4. We also need debate judges for the Santa Clara U. tournament March 17-19. Please contact Tina (924-5381), Elisa (924-5388), or Genelle (924-5382) if you can help.
Calendar Notes
Feb. 24, 3:30 p.m., Colloquium, with W. Barnett Pearce, Almaden Room, Student Union.
April 29-30, CSCA Convention, SFSU campus. Contact Rob Dewis, 408/864-8579.
May 26, 7 p.m., Dept. Graduation, SJSU Theater. Contact Tanya Hunter, 408/379-1805.
California Speech Communication Association
Publishes First Issue of Journal
Fall 1994 marked the first issue of the California Speech Communication Journal. Edited by Prof. Marquita Byrd, the issue focuses on oral communication instruction at all educational levels. Prof. Byrd states in the preface of Vol. 1, No. 1, "The executive board and membership of CSCA hope that this journal will be of use to speech educators, school administrators, and practitioners across the state and throughout the region."
The articles in this first issue include several from members of our department. Marquita Byrd and Patricia Sanden discuss the status of California's speech communication education credential program in their article, "K-12 Educators in California: An Interview with Judith Barnes." In a related article, "A Survey of High School English Teachers in California: An Examination of the Effects of the Integration of Language Arts on Instruction of Oral English," Judith Barnes, Joan Bodeman, and Kay Helms-Nelson (U. of Georgia) report on a survey which suggests that speaking and listening receive inadequate attention in integrated language arts programs.
Myron Lustig (San Diego State), Christy Teranishi (UC-Santa Cruz), and Timothy Hegstrom, focus on college students in their article, "Predictors of Success in the Basic Oral Communication Course." These authors found that current G.P.A. and level of communication apprehension were significant predictors of final grades in the basic course.
In his essay, "Assessment of Communication Outcomes: A Preliminary Report," Shawn Spano, discusses our department's model for assessing its program, providing an important link between communication theory and practice.
Laura Gadke and Kenneth Salter look outside the educational system for useful information in their article, "A Survey of Communication Courses Recommended by California Attorneys." Their findings suggest guidelines for advising students as well as developing curricula, particularly in the areas of persuasive speaking and writing.
The lead article by Larry Smith (Hoover High School, Fresno), "What Happened to the Other Half of Communication Instruction?" originally appeared in California English. Consistent with the findings of Barnes et al., Smith observes that speaking and writing are virtually ignored in high school English language arts classes. Finally, James Chesebro (Indiana State U.) provides the last article, "Unity and Division within the Discipline of Communication." Prof. Chesebro argues persuasively for abandoning the dichotomies between (1) teaching and research and (2) K-12 and college instructors.
The California Speech Communication Journal is published by the California Speech Communication Association. For individual issues send a money order or check for $7 to: Rob Dewis, Executive Director, CSCA, De Anza College, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, CA 95014, 408/864-8579. Contact Prof. Marquita Byrd, Dept. of Communication Studies, San José State University, San José, CA 95192-0112, 408/924-5385, to submit manuscripts for publication consideration.
MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS COUNT
Your contributions allow us to recognize our outstanding students, as with the Emeritus Faculty Award, and purchase special equipment for our COMM Lab. You can help the Communication Studies Dept. by designating your University gift to the program of your choice. We need your support to continue to build a strong program. Your gifts can help provide new program features and opportunities. Please contact Prof. Timothy Hegstrom, 408/924-5360, with any questions you have.
Perspectives
Perspectives is published quarterly by the Dept. of Communication Studies and V.O.I.C.E., San José State University, San José, CA 95192-0112.
Dept. Chair: Dr. Timothy Hegstrom
Editor: Dr. Stephanie Zimmermann
Contributors: Genelle Austin-Lett, Dr. Timothy Hegstrom, Dr. Dennis Jaehne, Tasha Souza, Dr. Shawn Spano
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