Comm. Skills causing rift among faculty
Kristin Rea
Issue date: 11/19/08 Section: News
The communication skills curriculum has recently caused disagreement among many faculty members at RMU.
"Some changes were made in the School of Business that brought the issue to the forefront," stated the University undergraduate curriculum committee chairman Mark Eschenfelder. "Last semester, the school of business changed its requirements in the area of communication skills. It reduced the number of required communication-intensive courses from four to one within the major."
Every student at RMU is required to take four out of five core communication classes. The classes include Reading and Writing Strategies (COSK 1220), Argument and Research (COSK 1221), Public Speaking and Persuasion (COSK 2220), Intercultural Communications (COSK 2221), and Business and Professional Communications (COSK 2230). Depending on their performace on an entrance exam, students take their four COSK courses in one of two sequences: 1220, 1221, 2220 and 2230 or 1221, 2220, 2221 and 2230.
In addition to these courses, which should be taken in the first two years at RMU, students are also required to take four communication-intensive courses in their major, for a total of eight communication skills courses in four years.
Although no policy change has come down from the provost, the business school is only offering one communication-intensive course this semester.
Some faculty members at RMU feel that the business school's decision to eliminate three communication-intensive classes may be undermining what the communication skills program was put in place to accomplish.
"Some people feel that the change did not go through all the faculty consultations that it should have to be approved," stated Sylvia Pamboukian, assistant professor of English studies. "RMU's communication skills program is the first that is across the entire university. It develops important communication skills that students need to be successful."
The school of business has not expressed a clear reason for decreasing the communication requirement.
"Some changes were made in the School of Business that brought the issue to the forefront," stated the University undergraduate curriculum committee chairman Mark Eschenfelder. "Last semester, the school of business changed its requirements in the area of communication skills. It reduced the number of required communication-intensive courses from four to one within the major."
Every student at RMU is required to take four out of five core communication classes. The classes include Reading and Writing Strategies (COSK 1220), Argument and Research (COSK 1221), Public Speaking and Persuasion (COSK 2220), Intercultural Communications (COSK 2221), and Business and Professional Communications (COSK 2230). Depending on their performace on an entrance exam, students take their four COSK courses in one of two sequences: 1220, 1221, 2220 and 2230 or 1221, 2220, 2221 and 2230.
In addition to these courses, which should be taken in the first two years at RMU, students are also required to take four communication-intensive courses in their major, for a total of eight communication skills courses in four years.
Although no policy change has come down from the provost, the business school is only offering one communication-intensive course this semester.
Some faculty members at RMU feel that the business school's decision to eliminate three communication-intensive classes may be undermining what the communication skills program was put in place to accomplish.
"Some people feel that the change did not go through all the faculty consultations that it should have to be approved," stated Sylvia Pamboukian, assistant professor of English studies. "RMU's communication skills program is the first that is across the entire university. It develops important communication skills that students need to be successful."
The school of business has not expressed a clear reason for decreasing the communication requirement.
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