Abstract
This article reexamines the conditions under which small college communication programs establish and maintain disciplinary integrity and credibility, focusing on the tension between teaching and research expectations. It argues that integrity depends on curricular fidelity, defined as the alignment between a program’s scope, content, and goals and broader disciplinary developments. Because small colleges often face limited personnel, financial constraints, and restricted access to professional networks, they are at increased risk of drifting from disciplinary trends or relying on outdated knowledge. The article identifies traditional mechanisms for staying current, including scholarly reading, conference participation, and engagement with colleagues, but notes that rapid disciplinary change and diminished institutional support have made these practices increasingly difficult to sustain. It analyzes structural obstacles to research productivity, such as the absence of graduate student support, competing teaching demands, and limited release time, while outlining alternative strategies including grant seeking, creative course scheduling, regional collaboration, and the use of emerging computer based communication networks to share research. The article concludes that although small colleges cannot replicate the resources of research institutions, innovative use of available tools and cooperative regional efforts can help faculty maintain disciplinary credibility and ensure that curricula reflect contemporary developments in the field.
Recommended Citation
Settle, Peter L.
(1985)
"Disciplinary Integrity, Credibility, and Scholarly Activity: Small College Revisited,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 54, Article 30.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol54/iss1/30
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