Abstract
This article argues that community service classes provide small college communication departments with an important means of serving external audiences while simultaneously advancing internal departmental goals. It defines community service classes as credit or noncredit offerings open to campus and community participants, typically organized around practical concerns such as family interaction, workplace communication, or managerial effectiveness. The discussion emphasizes that these classes attract voluntary participants who seek immediate application of communication concepts, creating favorable conditions for engagement and for shaping informed public perceptions of the discipline. The article contends that such offerings can function as laboratories for curriculum development, allowing faculty to explore emerging areas such as health communication, political communication, listening, or aging and to refine objectives, assignments, and resources before proposing new catalog courses. It further suggests that community service classes provide graduate students with rare opportunities to design and deliver complete courses under faculty supervision, thereby strengthening professional preparation. The article concludes that, despite resource constraints, community oriented offerings can enhance departmental visibility, stimulate innovation, and improve the effectiveness of small college communication programs.
Recommended Citation
Ortiz, Joe
(1985)
"The Community Service Class at the Small College: A Medium for Discovery,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 54, Article 23.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol54/iss1/23
