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About

Our Mission

Rooted in the social science perspective, the Department of Communication Studies is committed to preparing students to be competent communicators. Our faculty is dedicated to developing students’ critical and practical, problem-solving and decision-making, and presentation skills with the intent of empowering students to construct and deliver context-specific messages across their personal, social, and professional relationships. To do so, we work diligently to create a communication climate that facilitates respect between and among faculty and students; cultivates a diverse and inclusive culture that allows for the expression of differing thoughts, beliefs, and opinions; and develops student appreciation for lifelong learning.

Our History

“Histories of academic departments generally have three things in common: they are written by an amateur historian who is likely to be a senior member of the department in terms of service; they do not enjoy a wide readership beyond those who were directly involved with the evolution of the department; and they are almost always dull. There are not many examples of department histories. To be sure, there are a few, some exceptionally well done. But departmental histories aren’t exactly dropping from the trees.” 
These words are drawn from the introduction of an exemplar A History of the Study of Oral Communication at West Virginia University that was drafted and published by former Professor Leonard M. Davis in 1998.

Our Leadership: