Abstract
This article explores the challenges communication departments face in adapting to institutional and societal changes. It highlights the need for competent departmental leadership and shared governance, emphasizing faculty participation in decision making and integration with broader institutional goals. Key concerns include resource limitations, enrollment management, evolving student demographics, and increasing external pressures such as assessment mandates and public accountability. The discussion underscores the importance of aligning departmental strategies with institutional history and context while remaining responsive to ethical and policy issues in communication. It calls for departments to balance research, teaching, and service while fostering interdisciplinary connections and maintaining political and philosophical relevance. The piece concludes that a competent communication department is essential to navigating rapid technological and social change and ensuring the discipline’s continued contribution to higher education and society.
Recommended Citation
Andersen, Kenneth E.
(1989)
"Commentary: The Competent Communication Department of the 1990s,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 68, Article 8.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol68/iss1/8
