Writing in the Discipline
Communication
1. Why or in what ways is writing important to your discipline/field/profession?
The ability to communicate clearly is central to each concentration in the Communication Department. Writing is at the heart of good journalism, broadcasting, documentary film-making, public relations, advertising, and public, professional and academic discourse. Whether you create speeches, films, content for the web, advertisements, brochures, or academic articles, it is important to communicate information clearly and persuasively.
2. Which courses are designated as satisfying the WID requirement by your department? Why these courses?
The courses described below satisfy the WID requirement for the different concentrations within the Communication Department.
- All Concentrations: COMM 251: Research Methods in Communication
- Media: COMM 243: Preproduction for Digital Media and COMM 340: Media Ethics
- Public & Professional Communication: COMM 351: Persuasion
- Public Relations & Advertising (pick one):
COMM 201: Writing for News, COMM 311: Public Relations Strategy, COMM 312: Advanced Writing for Public Relations & Advertising, COMM 339: Creativity for Public Relations & Advertising
- Journalism: COMM 201: Writing for News
- Speech, Language, and Hearing Science: COMM 255: Introduction to Language, COMM 320: Speech and Language Development
3. What forms or genres of writing will students learn and practice in your department’s WID courses? Why these genres?
Students will practice and experiment with many different genres of academic, journalistic, and professional writing in the Communication Department. The genres students produce will depend on their chosen concentration.
4. What kinds of teaching practices will students encounter in your department’s WID courses?
Students will encounter active and experiential teaching practices in the Communication Department’s WID courses. Most writing assignments include written feedback from instructors, some involve several drafts with individual face-to-face feedback, and others involve peer evaluation and feedback. Learning to write well is a life-long process. Instructors in the Communication Department take pride in nurturing students’ creativity and skills as part of that process.
5. When they’ve satisfied your department’s WID requirement, what should students know and be able to do with writing?
Students who have completed the WID requirement should feel confident in their ability to communicate effectively through writing in their field. They will have experiential, portfolio-building writing exercises to demonstrate their proficiency. Specific skills will vary by concentration.
