Basic Communication Course Annual Vol. 28

Basic Communication Course Annual Volume 28 Article 16 2016 Basic Communication Course Annual Vol. 28 Follow this and additional works at: http://ecommons.udayton.edu/bcca Part of the Higher Education Commons, Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons, Mass Communication Commons, Other Communication Commons, and the Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons Recommended Citation (2016) "Basic Communication Course Annual Vol. 28," Basic Communication Course Annual: Vol. 28 , Article 16. Available at: http://ecommons.udayton.edu/bcca/vol28/iss1/16 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Communication at eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Basic Communication Course Annual by an authorized editor of eCommons. For more information, please contact , . et al.: Basic Communication Course Annual Vol. 28 BASIC COMMUNICATION COURSE ANNUAL 28 2016 Joseph M. Valenzano III Editor University of Dayton published by american press Boston, Massachusetts www.americanpresspublishers.com Published by eCommons, 2016 1 Copyright © 2016 by American Press. ISSN 1546-2331 ISBN 978-0-89641-554-6 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Printed in the United States of America. et al.: Basic Communication Course Annual Vol. 28 Editorial Board Joseph M. Valenzano III, Editor University of Dayton Lindsey Anderson University of Maryland Andrew Ledbetter Texas Christian University LeAnn M. Brazeal Missouri State University Luke LeFebvre Iowa State University Melissa Broeckelman-Post George Mason University Jeff Kuznekoff Miami University-Middletown Mark Butland Austin Community College Joseph Mazer Clemson University Katherine J. Denker Ball State University Brad Mello St. Xavier University Deanna Fassett San Jose State University Kevin Meyer Illinois State University Amy Gaffney University of Kentucky Andrea Patterson Winston Salem State University Jonathan Hess University of Dayton Cheri Simonds Illinois State University Tracey Quigley Holden University of Delaware Cynthia Smith Indiana University John F. Hooker Illinois State University Blair C. Thompson Western Kentucky University Angela M. Hosek Emerson College William Upchurch University of Pittsburgh Adam C. Jones Illinois College Beth Wagganspack Virginia Tech University Jeffrey Kuznekoff Miami University, Middletown Samuel P. Wallace University of Dayton iii Published by eCommons, 2016 3 Beth Walter Carnegie Mellon University Tiffany R. Wang University of Montevallo Joshua Westwick South Dakota State University iv et al.: Basic Communication Course Annual Vol. 28 Editor’s Page We are now in the 28th volume of the Basic Communication Course Annual, a testament to the dedication of those concerned with the introductory course in communication. Over the years these pages have been graced with significant work that has influenced the nature of the basic communication course, thereby impacting the lives of thousands of students across the country. That said, I am struck by the fact we have no “motto,” no phrase that captures our feeling about this important educational experience. I would like to muse about what might work as a motto for what we do and teach.1 At the University of Dayton our motto is “Learn, Lead and Serve,” a very Catholic phrase if there ever was one—we are, after all a Marianist institution. I believe that despite their religious ties to this institution, the words need not be religious. They can apply to the way we should treat our roles in the basic course—and so they can be the principles that form how we administer the basic course. We are leaders, learners and we serve numerous constituencies. Let me explain what I mean by learning, leading and serving in the basic course. I want to be clear, though: these words do not tell you how to teach your course, what to teach in your 1 Portions of this preface were part of an address delivered at the Basic Course Conference of the Eastern Communication Association in April 2015. v Published by eCommons, 2016 5 Basic Communication Course Annual, Vol. 28 [2016], Art. 16 course, how many assignments to have or anything so specific. Those are decisions you can and should make. Rather, I am speaking about an approach to determining those things, a way to treat your course, not teach it. The first element of the motto, “learn,” sounds simple enough. Learning, though, is not something our students alone do, it is a requirement for all of us. First, and perhaps most important, is our responsibility to learn about what we teach. Many people suffer from the misconception that the basic course doesn’t change, and that there have been no new advancements in our understanding of communication as it is taught in that course. Nothing could be further from the truth. Second, it is essential for us to learn about how to administer the course. This area is particularly difficult for many people because there are no doctoral programs in communication administration or basic course direction. Learning can be challenging, to be sure. It takes time and effort—the same time and effort we ask of our students. One area where we need to improve our abilities as a whole is in assessment, a third category of learning we undertake as instructors. I haven’t forgotten the importance of learning for students, after all its what we are all about. I think all of us can agree the best thing in the world is seeing a student improve on their presentations as the semester rolls on. That said, we need to stop and consider what it is our students are learning in our course, and what we are trying to teach them. Learning is core to what we do. It is essential, the lifeblood of our purpose. Being knowledgeable, though is not the only central element of strengthening the basic course, we need leaders. First, leadership requires vision. To lead people vi http://ecommons.udayton.edu/bcca/vol28/iss1/16 6 et al.: Basic Communication Course Annual Vol. 28 or a course forward requires that you know where you want to take it. You need to know the goals you have in mind and have a general idea for how you will achieve those goals. In addition to vision, leadership requires collaboration. History is bereft of leaders with no followers. They just don’t exist, and so to lead you don’t just need followers, you need people who want to follow you. Third, leaders must dare to fail. Put another way, they are comfortable with their fallibility—we all make mistakes. The great thing about college teaching is that if we make a mistake, create a poor assignment, or use a reading that doesn’t work we can correct the error the following semester. Ultimately, we lead in the basic course by being out in front (...truncated)