Abstract
This essay offers a university president’s assessment of the speech communication discipline and outlines challenges facing academic programs as higher education enters a period of intensified competition and financial constraint. The author notes substantial scholarly growth over the preceding two decades, marked by increased publication and methodological rigor. The discussion emphasizes that declining enrollments, limited state support, and heightened institutional competition will require departments to articulate clear objectives aligned with institutional missions and to demonstrate measurable value to students and administrators. Recommendations include narrowing curricula to avoid unfocused expansion, establishing rigorous instructional standards, prioritizing individualized communication skills training supported by technology, and maintaining graduate programs only when sustained by active research. The essay also urges departments to document student outcomes, communicate realistic career expectations, and contribute visibly to institutional quality. The author suggests that survival under emerging economic conditions will depend on demonstrable excellence, strategic planning, and a renewed commitment to the centrality of communication in an information-driven society.
Recommended Citation
Zacharias, Donald W.
(1986)
"Speech Communication Profession as Seen by a President,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 55, Article 11.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol55/iss1/11
