Communication

First day of classes is Monday, August 21, 2023.

Mission Statement and Values

Department of Communication

Mission Statement and Strategic Plan

Adopted August 15, 2012

Reaffirmed August 15, 2017

Most of our Department Mission Statement and Strategic Plan concerns issue of little concern to external audiences. It deals with lots of internal issues like assigning teaching, research, and service responsibilities in an equitable manner among faculty, hiring goals, budgets, and a host of other issues.

Here are a few select parts of our mission statement that indicate our values to our faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as our community:

Our Mission

Our mission is the creation, application, and dissemination of a systematic body of knowledge about human communication. The department’s instructional program and research activities emphasize a well-rounded study of communication with the dual goals of understanding the structure, patterns, and effects of communication and of facilitating high quality, ethical communication for individuals in an increasingly diverse society. As one of the oldest disciplines in the academy and one connected to the latest communication technology, the department is central to the mission of the university. We are committed to maintaining our position as one of the communication discipline’s most prestigious programs.

Our Values

We value an inclusive and supportive departmental climate for our colleagues in all department activities. We seek understanding, professionalism, respect, and collaboration for and with our departmental colleagues and students in order to promote a positive sense of community.

We endorse free expression and open dialogue of information and ideas, by nurturing an atmosphere of tolerance, diversity, and intellectual rigor.

We accept and respect the diversity of personal background, research areas, research methodologies, and work patterns of individuals.

We respect and support appropriate work-life balance.