Communication Studies
Department of Communication Studies
(Communication)
The College of Arts and Sciences
Chair
Deleasa Randall-Griffiths, Professor of Communication Studies
Faculty
Cory Hillman, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies
Olga Monacell, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies
Jaclyn Marsh, Visiting Assistant Professor of Communication Studies
Yolonda Sanders, Professional Instructor of Organizational Leadership and Development
Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Arts
Mission Statement
The Department of Communication Studies is dedicated to its students by providing innovative and diverse leadership, intellectual rigor, and collaboration in a culture of scholarship.
Experiential Learning
The communication studies programs offer off-campus opportunities in a variety of organizations including industry, non-profit, and government agencies. Practical research opportunities will be available to students desiring to apply their skills to actual organizations (serving as consultants and/or trainers) resulting in the student accumulating valuable professional experience and credentialing.
The sport communication program offers opportunities for students to work in cooperation with the Ashland University sports information office and with its NCAA Division II athletic teams in a wide variety of men's and women's sports. Sport communication students also have the opportunity to work with external amateur and professional sport organizations in the Cleveland, Columbus, and Akron areas.
Student Honor Society
Students who have excelled in communication studies are eligible for membership in Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Association’s Honor Society. This organization recognizes scholarly excellence in the field of Communication Studies. Qualifications for Lambda Pi Eta: 1. Communication Studies Major, 2. Have completed 60 semester credit-hours, 3. Have a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.0, 4. Have completed the equivalent of 12 semester credit-hours in Communication Studies, 5. Have a minimum GPA of 3.25 for all Communication Studies courses, 6. Currently be enrolled as a student in good standing, as determined by the institution's policies.
Description of Major
The Bachelor of Arts in Communication provides skill development on a foundation of social science theory and research. This major focuses on human communication processes in dyadic, small group, organizational, mediated and public settings. Concentration areas include: Public Relations, Sport Communication, and Communication Studies. Students develop strategic communication skills in listening, speaking, writing, critical thinking, research, and relationship building. Communication students will:
Engage in communication inquiry through communication theories, perspectives, principles, and concepts.
Apply ethical communication principles and practices to create and deliver messages appropriate to the audience, purpose, and context.
Engage in active listening to critically analyze mediated and non-mediated messages.
Utilize communication principles and practices to develop cultural awareness and influence public discourse.
Degree Requirements
Assessment - Majors in the department will be expected to participate in programmatic assessment during the process of completing their degree requirements. This process includes, but is not limited to, the submission of writing samples and presentations. Faculty will inform the students projects will be collected for assessment.
COM Courses and Descriptions