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Florida State University Graduate Bulletin 2007-2009

College of Communication

Dean: John K. Mayo; Associate Dean: Gary R. Heald (Academic Affairs); Assistant Dean for Student Affairs: Barbara C. Robinson

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 Florida State University.

The roles of the College of Communication are: 1) to study human communication 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 an 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 members as leaders in their respective fields.

Graduate Degree Programs

Students making application for admission to one of the departmental graduate programs must also apply through the Office of Admissions.

Communication Disorders

Programs of study leading to the master of science, master of arts, advanced master's, and doctor of philosophy degrees are available in the Department of Communication Disorders (see http://comm.fsu.edu/commdis/ and the departmental entry of this Graduate Bulletin 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 http://comm.fsu.edu/commdisdept/ and the departmental entry of this Graduate Bulletin for complete descriptions).

Research and Service Facilities

The College of Communication offers the graduate student the opportunity for enriched learning experiences through participation in a variety of research and service facilities.

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 and Voice 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. Computer-interfaced instrumentation is available for measuring vocal intensity and pitch, aeromechanical aspects of voice and resonance, and physiological functioning of respiration and the vocal apparatus. 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 University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities was established in 1993 and is one of six similar centers in the state. 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.

The Language and Literacy Lab has tests and materials available for assessing language and literacy development. Audio-video equipment, computers, and software are available for the development and evaluation of curriculum materials in the lab and in the field. Wireless headphone systems allow multiple instructional lessons to be delivered simultaneously in classrooms in investigations of vocabulary, phonological awareness, and phonics instruction.

 The Neurolinguistic-Neurocognitive Research Center is an interdisciplinary laboratory located in the Rehabilitation Center of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. A wide array of equipment and software is available to measure cognition and language. A GaitRite system assesses 30 parameters of gait in studies of the effects of cognitive load on posture, gait, and balance. A Biopac system is used to measure a variety of physiological parameters including EEG, EMG, EKG, respiratory, and cardiac function.

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 with field production cameras and recorders in each of those formats; computerized on and offline editing, digital video effects, and computer animation capabilities; nonlinear 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 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 Web site, 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 Florida State University's student-operated college radio station. Communication students may 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 is now available on the World Wide Web through streaming video at http://www.vfs.fsu.edu. V-89 has been the recipient of several national programming awards.

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 multiple 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.

Assistantships/ Scholarships

The departments of the college offer research and teaching assistantships to both master's and doctoral students. Such assistantships vary in amount and are competitive. Assistantships typically provide assistance with matriculation fees.

In addition to University fellowships, the college administers various awards. For example, the Edney Fund and the Joanne and James Lynagh Fellowship offer tuition and travel support for graduate students in the Department of Communication. The Schendel, Anderson, and Backus Scholarships are available for majors in communication disorders. The college also awards a teaching fellowship annually.