Abstract
Introducing a symposium on departmental survival, this piece frames speech communication as both increasingly important to American business and industry and vulnerable within higher education retrenchment. It summarizes evidence that workplace communication depends heavily on listening, speaking, interpersonal interaction, interviewing, writing, persuasion, and small group problem solving, while noting that some universities have considered eliminating speech communication departments despite strong enrollments. The introduction connects these pressures to ACA’s survival strategies work and previews case studies from departments facing institutional threat. It emphasizes faculty cohesion, departmental quality, campus political support, and professional resources as important factors in defending speech communication programs.
Recommended Citation
Wolvin, Andrew D.
(1983)
"Saving the Speech Communication Department: A Symposium,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 46, Article 15.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol46/iss1/15
