Abstract
This article outlines two central challenges confronting communication administrators in financially constrained, state supported institutions. The first problem is the impact of budget reductions on staffing, curriculum, and faculty development. Shrinking appropriations and limited external resources have led to hiring freezes, increased class sizes, teaching overloads, and reliance on part time instructors. These conditions weaken faculty morale, complicate promotion and tenure processes, reduce opportunities for research and travel, and curtail scholarships, cultural programming, and curricular innovation. Fiscal pressures further force departments to rely on FTE driven decisions that may jeopardize upper level instruction and student retention. The second problem concerns program survival amid declining interest in the arts and humanities. The article describes the vulnerability of programs housed in historically black colleges and universities, where state mandated productivity formulas intensify enrollment related pressures. Recruitment and retention efforts are complicated by public misconceptions about career prospects for majors in English, speech, drama, and foreign languages. In response, departments pursue interdisciplinary curricular models, internships, high school partnerships, and expanded advising. The article concludes that administrators must balance limited resources with the imperative to sustain quality, morale, and institutional relevance.
Recommended Citation
Curl, Thelma D.
(1985)
"Practical Problems Facing Communication Administrators,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 52, Article 15.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol52/iss1/15
