Abstract
This address examines the national educational reform movement initiated by A Nation at Risk and argues that the discipline of speech communication faces significant marginalization if it does not proactively engage in reform efforts. The discussion analyzes the rhetoric and substance of reform discourse, emphasizing its powerful economic and political justification for renewed academic standards and accountability. A case study from Illinois demonstrates how statewide admission requirements, structured around a traditional academic core, threaten to displace oral communication from secondary curricula by leaving minimal room for electives. The essay contends that higher education is entering a similar phase of reform that may further erode disciplinary autonomy, as state boards increasingly override faculty judgment in determining standards and requirements. The argument concludes that communication educators must articulate a compelling rationale for oral communication as an essential component of liberal education and participate forcefully in policy conversations. Failure to do so, the author warns, risks consigning the field to curricular insignificance despite its importance to democratic participation and civic life.
Recommended Citation
Rives, Stanley G.
(1986)
"A Discipline at Risk,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 56, Article 2.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol56/iss1/2
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