Abstract
This article examines the administrative and pedagogical challenges of directing a combined basic speech and composition course, emphasizing the structural and interpersonal obstacles that shape program coordination. It argues that successful collaboration between speech and composition instructors depends heavily on institutional organization. Programs housed within the same division or school benefit from clearer lines of authority, shared goals, and greater ease in establishing common objectives. By contrast, when instructors are drawn from multiple departments or schools, coordination becomes more difficult, particularly when the course director lacks formal authority over participating faculty. The article also stresses the importance of voluntary participation, contending that mandated involvement undermines commitment and weakens instructional integration. Effective coordination requires instructors to understand shared course objectives and to adapt their materials and assignments to support a coherent merged curriculum. The article cautions directors to avoid becoming intermediaries for interpersonal conflicts between paired instructors and encourages direct communication to preserve morale and program stability. While acknowledging the complexity of coordinating across disciplinary and administrative boundaries, the article offers pragmatic guidance for sustaining cooperative teaching relationships and maintaining the viability of a cross departmental basic course.
Recommended Citation
Tapia, Raylene
(1985)
"Directing the Combined Speech and Composition Course: A Practical Perspective,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 54, Article 18.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol54/iss1/18
