Abstract
This essay examines three persistent problem areas faced by speech communication faculty at small colleges that result from limited institutional resources. The analysis focuses first on the staffing of the basic communication course, noting that small institutions lack graduate teaching assistants and therefore must consider alternative instructional formats, technological delivery systems, undergraduate facilitators, part time instructors, communication across the curriculum initiatives, or the retraining of faculty from other disciplines. The essay then evaluates the challenges of offering upper level communication courses with low enrollments, particularly courses that require a minimum number of participants for effective skill development. It outlines strategies for sustaining these courses through external group participation, performance placements, and revised assessment approaches. Finally, it analyzes the difficulties of administering forensics programs in environments constrained by limited fiscal and human resources. The discussion highlights the need for active recruitment, creative budgeting, and community based support to sustain competitive teams. Across these areas, the essay argues that faculty must adopt flexible, innovative strategies and broaden their conception of academic community in order to address structural constraints inherent to small institutions.
Recommended Citation
Manheimer, Sandra
(1985)
"An Exploration of Some Problems Confronting Speech Communication Faculty,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 54, Article 7.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol54/iss1/7
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