Abstract
This response essay addresses the ongoing evolution of the communication discipline, emphasizing the need for adaptive academic and administrative structures capable of responding to institutional and societal change. Using a metaphor from Mark Twain to illustrate the challenges of coexistence among diverse academic actors, the author critiques the fragmentation and duplication of programs that have emerged from disciplinary divisions since the mid-twentieth century. The argument supports efforts to integrate communication subfields under unified departmental or school structures, which can strengthen shared curricular foundations and administrative efficiency. While acknowledging the limitations of large-scale reorganizations, particularly for smaller institutions, the essay calls for collaboration among faculty to define common goals, curricula, and evaluative standards. It situates communication within national debates on liberal education reform, referencing policy reports that advocate for communication literacy as a core educational competency. Ultimately, the essay frames change as a defining condition of the discipline and argues that cooperative, integrative approaches to teaching, research, and administration are essential to sustaining communication’s relevance in higher education.
Recommended Citation
Applbaum, Ronald L.
(1986)
"Change, the Only Constant in the Communication Discipline: From Administrative Structures to Curricular Requirements: A Response,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 57, Article 5.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol57/iss1/5
