Abstract
This article examines the place of theatre within combined speech and theatre departments, using the Department of Speech and Dramatic Art at the University of Missouri, Columbia as a central example. It outlines the department’s historical development from rhetoric and public speaking, the addition of theatre and radio-television-film, and the effects of housing related areas within one administrative unit. The article describes both the practical advantages of consolidation, including political influence, enrollment strength, service courses, and graduate assistantships, and the challenges of shared governance, budget priorities, facilities, area identity, and administrative responsibility. It also considers whether theatre programs are better served by independent departmental status, inclusion in a school of fine and performing arts, or continued affiliation with speech communication and media programs. The article frames departmental structure as a question shaped by institutional mission, curriculum, faculty specialization, resource allocation, and long-range planning.
Recommended Citation
Waal, Carla
(1984)
"Theatre Within a Speech-Theatre Department,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 50, Article 6.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol50/iss1/6
