Abstract
This study explores the communication process used to generate and express communication program mission “names.” It argues that the process that underlies the creating, maintaining, and changing of names, ranging from the specific to the ideological, also generates academic unit “mission.” Viewing mission texts through the lens of the rhetoric of social intervention model reveals how the texts reason rhetorically as they propose and provide evidence for the “appropriateness” of a unit’s constituted mission name. Awareness of the rhetorical-reasoning pattern can help unit members make sense of mission-building or -revising work and provide a practical way for them to organize and critique their efforts. Furthermore, examining mission statements from an RSI approach highlights attention to the “incompleteness” of an academic unit’s naming choices, which has practical implications for constructing mission statements and defining program “uniqueness.”
Recommended Citation
Opt, S. K. (2016). Mission statements as naming proposals: An RSI approach. Journal of the Association for Communication Administration, 35(2), 65-79.
Included in
Higher Education Administration Commons, Other Communication Commons, Rural Sociology Commons
Accessibility Statement
This item was created or digitized prior to April 24, 2027, or is a reproduction of legacy media created before that date. It is preserved in its original, unmodified state specifically for research, reference, or historical recordkeeping. In accordance with the ADA Title II Final Rule, the University Libraries provides accessible versions of archival materials upon request. To request an accommodation for this item, please submit an accessibility request form.
This journal supports Open Science Badges
