Abstract
Responding to evidence of weak oral communication competence among college students, this case study chronicles how one university embedded speaking across the curriculum within a new general core. Defining advanced literacy as critical comprehension plus public participation, the reform added a required presentation oriented basic course followed by an upper division oral intensive course in each major. Three emphases emerged: public speaking, small group, and technical presentation, each shaped by shared grading weights, developmental tasks, minimum audience size, and structured feedback. Speech Communication faculty revised the basic courses, delivered faculty workshops, and produced a handbook covering assessment, anxiety reduction, and question and answer skills. Pilot evaluations showed most students rated the oral intensive component good to excellent and viewed the basic course as adequate preparation. Implementation advice highlights coalition building, partnership with writing across the curriculum, incremental rollout, and continuous monitoring of faculty load, resources, institutional support, and student expectations.
Recommended Citation
Strohmaier, Mahia; Stratton, Marcia; Novak, Donald; and Leipzig, John
(1992)
"Implementing Speaking Across the Curriculum: A Case Study,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 81, Article 5.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol81/iss1/5
