Communication and Digital Media
Department Overview
Communication is a degree for the 21st century. Studies indicate that, in the future, students will be hired for jobs that currently do not exist. How, then, should students prepare for their future? The communication major and minor prepares students for a complex and dynamic future by teaching them how to question, problem-solve, collaborate, and communicate effectively with a diversity of people in multiple situations.
Communication affects our lives in multiple ways. It can be thought of as the way we construct knowledge and meaning through human interaction – whether face-to-face or mediated. At another level, it is the process through which we continually negotiate the meaning and purpose of our lives. At no level is this process transparent or innocent. Rather, it is influenced by the various ways in which we identify ourselves as individuals or as part of a group. The communication department believes that:
- a theoretical understanding of these processes as well as the ability to apply that understanding to real-life, unscripted situations are critical,
- effective communication skills – speaking, writing, listening, resolving conflicts, and interacting across and within different cultures – are critical in any situation where at least two people are engaged in a relationship, and
- in an increasingly global society with dynamic and emerging technologies, the ability to communicate with digital and social media is equally important.
The 21st century needs competent communicators.
Program Objectives
The Communication Department’s goal is to cultivate ethical communicators who are competent in the following areas:
Identity – performing excellent written, oral, and nonverbal communication interpersonally and professionally, in order to strengthen their ability to understand self and others.
Diversity – integrating race, class, gender, sexuality and other forms of difference in his/her personal and professional communication.
Messages – creating, critiquing, and interpreting messages in oral, written, digital, and visual formats.
Roles – adapting and performing his/her oral, written, and/or nonverbal behavior in consideration of multiple contexts.
Knowledge – analyzing beliefs, values, and assumptions in personal and professional life.
Research – asking and answering meaningful questions using multiple methods and rigorous criteria.
These learning goals are integrated throughout the communication curriculum. Each class focuses on one or more of these areas. The general communication major (48 credits) can be tailored to each student’s personal and professional interests. Faculty advisors work individually with students to map out course schedules through graduation, and also provide career and graduate school advising. The department offers four communication minors available for majors and non-majors: digital media and production (21-24 credits), health communication (20-26 credits), organizational communication (18 credits), and public relations (18 credits). Non-majors also have the option of enrolling in the communication minor (18 credits). There are also four certificate programs that are open to all students, including communication majors and minors: the conflict analysis & resolution certificate (12 credits), the digital media and production certification (16 credits), digital and media literacy certificate (15 credits), and the health communication certificate (15-20 credits).
Internships
Communication majors and minors are encouraged to enroll in a paid or unpaid internship to gain experience in a professional setting. Internships are valuable for resume building, application of theoretical knowledge to hands-on experience, exploring possible career opportunities, establishing professional contacts, and networking outside and within the university. A maximum of 3 internship credits earned through enrollment in COMM 494 Communication Internship may be counted toward the major. An internship may be repeated for a maximum of 9 credits. For advising on how to obtain an internship, students should meet with the department internship advisor.
Student Honor Society
Lambda Pi Eta (LPH) is the national communication honor society for undergraduates. Students who are declared majors with at least 60 credits, a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher, have completed at least 12 credits in the major, and have a major GPA of 3.25 or higher are eligible. LPH members receive a gold cord to wear at graduation.
Campus Organizations
Communication students are encouraged to gain leadership and professional experience through UW-Parkside campus organizations, including Ranger News (newspaper) and WIPZ (FM & Internet Radio). In the past, communication majors and minors have filled leadership positions in Parkside Student Government and other student organizations.
Department Policy on Collaboration and Academic Honesty
The communication department strongly encourages our students to engage in conversation and collaboration with our faculty, each other, and other members of the academic community. These kinds of exchanges are at the heart of teaching and learning. As part of this process, it is essential that students fully disclose and credit the sources used in their work. All work that is not originally created by the author should be credited, including (but not limited to) others’ ideas, language, images, art, digital recordings, and projects. The intentional or unintentional use of another’s work, or one’s own previous work, without the accurate and full citation of the source, constitutes plagiarism. Penalties for documented cases of plagiarism may include a grade reduction, or failing a course. All documented cases of plagiarism in the communication department will be filed with the department chair or her designee. A student who commits two or more acts of plagiarism in one or more communication courses will have their case reviewed by the department’s executive committee. If a case is confirmed as constituting serious breaches of academic honesty, the committee may decide to formally drop the student from the communication major.