COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION
Dean: John K. Mayo; Associate Deans: Gary R. Heald (Academic Affairs), Jennifer N. Buchanan (Student Affairs)
American society is enmeshed in an all-encompassing and ever-expanding web of human and technological channels of communication. People encounter the changing terminology and technology of communication on a daily basis. The definition of this complex and ever-changing world of communication, the explanation of its assorted functions, and the understanding of its multitude of effects underlie the teaching, research, and service missions of the College of Communication at The Florida State University.
The roles of the College of Communication are: 1) to study the human communication process in all its ramifications through basic and applied research; 2) to transmit the knowledge thus acquired through undergraduate and graduate teaching; and 3) to serve the University, the state, the nation, and the world by applying its expertise to the solutions of human and institutional communication problems.
The college offers a unique and integrated series of communication degree programs at the undergraduate level. The curriculum covers the whole of human communication (both normal and disordered), speech and interpersonal communication, group and organizational communication, as well as mass-mediated and interactive, computer-based communication.
The College of Communication offers both academically and professionally-oriented courses of study. Each curricular sequence integrates knowledge about human communication from a variety of perspectives: physical; biological; social science; humanities and the arts; as well as business, government, and other related professional orientations.
The interests, perspectives, and activities of the College of Communication are extensive. Faculty members from the college serve as officers in professional and academic societies and associations. A series of journal publications, books, convention papers, and monographs have established a number of faculty as leaders in their respective fields.
Undergraduate Degree Programs
Programs of study leading to the bachelor of arts (BA) and bachelor of science (BS) degrees are offered through the Department of Communication Disorders and the Department of Communication. Each major within the college is part of a limited access program requiring a separate application. Admission to each major is competitive. Interested students should indicate their major preference on their University application and seek advising through the College of Communication. See department entries in this General Bulletin and the college website, http://www.comm.fsu.edu, for specific information regarding departmental application requirements. Candidates for the baccalaureate degrees also must comply with general University regulations governing these degrees and must complete the major and minor requirements of one of the departments identified above. (See departmental entries for specific area concentrations and requirements.) To be awarded the BA degree, the student must complete the special university-wide requirements for that degree.
Requirements for the Second Baccalaureate Degree (Dual Certificate)
A student completing a second bachelor's degree in the College of Communication must complete at least thirty (30) semester hours at The Florida State University, in addition to the required hours for the first degree. The student must complete a new major and a new minor (with no overlap between these and the first major and minor).
Note: to distinguish between second baccalaureates and second majors (also known as double majors), see the appropriate paragraph under "Undergraduate Degree Requirements" in this General Bulletin.
Honors in the Major
Both communication and communication disorders offer an honors program in the major. It is designed to encourage talented juniors and seniors to undertake independent and original research as part of the undergraduate experience. For requirements and other information, see the "University Honors Program and Honor Societies" chapter of this General Bulletin.
Dean's List
Students who in any term carry a full-time course load of twelve (12) or more letter-grade semester hours with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or above earn the distinction of being on the dean's list.
Graduate Degree Programs
Students making application for admission to one of the departmental graduate programs must also apply through the University Office of Admissions (http://admissions.fsu.edu).
Communication Disorders
Programs of study leading to the master of science, master of arts, advanced masters, and doctor of philosophy degrees are available in the Department of Communication Disorders (see the departmental entry in the Graduate Bulletin and the college website, http://www.comm.fsu.edu, for complete descriptions).
Communication
The graduate programs in communication offer several specialized majors leading to the master of arts, master of science, and doctor of philosophy degrees (see the departmental entry in the Graduate Bulletin and the college website, http://www.comm.fsu.edu, for complete descriptions).
Research and Service Facilities
The College of Communication offers students enriched learning experiences through a variety of teaching, research, and/or service laboratories.
The Florida Government Performance Survey Research Center helps Florida government agencies determine how well they are meeting the needs of their customers. It also offers strategies to improve communication and organizational performance of state and local governments. It conducts public opinion polls, work climate and other employee surveys, and web-based surveys, as well as media audience studies, readership surveys, message testing, focus groups, performance evaluation and communication audits.
The communication science laboratories provide facilities for the study of physical and psychological aspects of sound, speech, voice, and language. The Speech Science Laboratory has specialized equipment enabling analyses of duration, intensity, spectral, and fundamental frequency aspects of speech. Instrumentation and procedures for the forensic study of speech enable the detection of signals of noise and speaker identification from recorded speech samples. The Voice Science Laboratory includes computer-interfaced instrumentation for measuring vocal intensity and pitch, aeromechanical aspects of voice and resonance, and physiological functioning of respiration and the vocal apparatus. The Hearing Science Laboratory utilizes computerized instrumentation for basic research on loudness, pitch, binaural hearing, and the temporal aspects of hearing, as well as for the study of hearing sensitivity using a variety of auditory stimuli. The facility includes two sound-attenuated suites and an electronics shop. The Emerging Language Laboratory includes equipment for recording, editing, and analyzing audio and video samples of speech and language discourse and social interactions. On-site recording facilities accommodate small groups of children and children with their parents. Portable equipment is available for field recordings. Software programs for analyzing language samples and summarizing results are available. The Adult Language Laboratory provides facilities for the study of social and communication problems associated with acquired brain injury and illness in adults. These facilities are equipped with evaluation instruments and materials, audio/video equipment, and computers to facilitate data analysis.
The Speech and Swallowing Laboratory includes instrumentation to study the physiology/kinesiology of the speech/swallowing mechanism. Measurement techniques include surface electromyography, acoustic measures, and measures of strength and endurance. Work in this laboratory is designed to develop or refine techniques for the evaluation and treatment of individuals with speech and swallowing impairments.
The Augmentative and Alternative Communication Laboratory provides student clinicians with opportunities to learn about the evaluation and treatment of children and adults with severe communication disorders. The facility includes dedicated electronic communication devices with voice output, switches, keyboards, software programs, and other computer-based systems.
The Florida State Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) was established in 1993 and is one of six similar centers in the state. Over 900 individuals with autism or related disabilities have been identified in the 18 Florida panhandle counties served by The Florida State Center. The center provides services to eligible individuals for communication, social, and behavior problems, and provides information, consultation, and technical assistance to families and professionals. The center also trains professionals and pre-professionals who serve, or are preparing to serve, the client population.
Teaching Facilities
The Production Center is a state-of-the-art media production complex that supports the video and audio production activities of the Department of Communication. The Production Center houses a variety of equipment and facilities: a fully equipped television studio; video-editing suites in several formats; field production cameras and recorders in each of those formats; computerized on and off-line editing, digital video effects, and computer animation capabilities; non-linear editing; and on-site engineering and management support. The facility was designed around the principle that students need maximum exposure to the equipment to develop the competency required in media production fields.
The communication program has two lab facilities that are used for instruction and for the production of multimedia products. The mission of the program is to provide training and real-world experience to students in the Department of Communication. In fulfillment of this mission, the graduate program actively seeks partnerships with corporations, government agencies and other organizations interested in developing products and services that use technology in innovative ways to meet specific information, communication and educational needs. The graduate curriculum provides instruction in the integration of new communication technologies, e-commerce, social, organizational and educational arenas. Building on a solid base of research in communication and interactivity, students learn how to analyze problems and present practical solutions. To this end, the program pursues projects linking people through technology and assisting students with design projects in various areas, including website, CD-ROM and groupware development. Expertise in these areas will be among the most important skills of new communication professionals.
WVFS-FM (V-89) is The Florida State University's student-operated college radio station. Communication students work at V-89 for college credit and are responsible for programming, announcing, news and sports coverage, and all other station operations. V-89 is "the Voice of Florida State," providing campus information and alternative music programming. V-89 has been the recipient of several national programming awards, and is now available on the World Wide Web through streaming video at: http://www.vfs.fsu.edu.
Seminole Productions is the Department of Communication's video production unit. Seminole Productions provides a variety of services to other campus departments. One major client is the athletic department. Seminole Productions also produces the weekly University sports highlight show, Seminole Uprising, which reaches over two million households in Florida via the Sunshine Network. Students have numerous opportunities to become involved with Seminole Productions.
The L. L. Schendel Speech and Hearing Clinic is the primary teaching laboratory for students enrolled in the communication disorders master's degree programs. This 40-room facility is the central focus of learning and service activity. Videotape laboratories, diagnostic audiology instrumentation, sound isolation rooms, electronic communication devices, and a complement of other clinical resources serve the program's needs for clinical management and instruction.
The College of Communication maintains seven fully-equipped computer laboratories. While some labs serve specific program areas, others are available for general instruction and research. The labs are equipped with a full complement of personal computers and laser printers, all of which are connected to the college's network. Connectivity to the network allows faculty and students to share data and collaborate on projects.
The labs' personal computers include a full array of commercial software for word processing, spreadsheet development, database management and academic applications for statistical and content analysis. Some of the labs serving the Department of Communication include hardware and software for fully integrated desktop publishing and video applications. The Department of Communication Disorders offers labs equipped with hardware and software for language sample analysis, instructional material development and desktop publishing. Certain labs also include hardware and software for nonlinear video editing.
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