In 1989, President George Bush met with the nation's governors and the foundation was laid for the "Goals 2000: Educate America Act" (signed into law March 1994). The act provides funds to underwrite states' development and implementation of content and performance standards and associated assessment methodologies directed toward helping…

As the century draws to a close, basic communication instruction at America's universities and colleges is experiencing a barrage of externally determined assaults. Departments are increasing enrollments-per-section while facing a decrease in the number of sections being offered. The agenda of many 1990s state legislatures and the federal…

Uses a hypothetical example of an institutional review board's concerns about a speech communication faculty member's research project to illustrate current issues that speech communication administrators, departmental faculty, and graduate students need to consider as their human-subjects based research becomes increasingly overseen by external…

Outlines the national charges of "Goals 2000" and the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills regarding the expansion of communication instruction requirements. Sees speech communication professionals well positioned to meet these externally generated broad-based goals. (SR)

Addresses some of the questions professors face in evaluating faculty members from other campuses who are up for tenure, for example: confidentiality of remarks about the person being evaluated; whether what is being evaluated has relevance; and how many outside evaluators are needed. (PA)

Discusses, from the point of view of communication educators, the nature of interactions with disabled students and the sensitivity of educators to the broad nature of what constitutes a disability that warrants a reasonable accommodation. Outlines faculty rights and responsibilities to guide academic departments in their deliberations concerning…

Presents a consideration of sexual harassment laws that are intended to underscore the variety of heuristic possibilities offered by inquiry into communication-based laws, for both communication administrators and educators. Concludes that communication administration, communication education, and evolving communication-based legal standards and…

This paper examines departmental introductory communication course (ICC) textbook publishing practices. Two methodologies for the creation of campus-specific texts are examined--the use of a national publishing house and the use of a local commercial printer. Both options deliver unique advantages and liabilities for speech communication…

A study examined the impact of self-confrontation (self-viewing of videotaped speeches) on student public speaking apprehension. Subjects, 112 undergraduate students enrolled in introductory public speaking classes who were confronted with their videotaped speeches (as post-performance feedback), did not experience a reduction in their public…

Awareness of the corporate cultural phenomenon of fast-tracking, a process whereby executives are advanced within and among organizations, should assist communication students and practicing professionals to become more effective corporate communicators. A critical distinction between self-directed fast-trackers and their corporately-sanctioned…

A study examined the effect of successful and unsuccessful video models on pre-performance public speaking anxiety of students enrolled in basic communication courses. Two hundred twenty-five students enrolled in the basic communication courses served as participants. Subjects were divided into four conditions according to how the instructions for…

Questions whether communication departments should attempt to author their own textbooks for local introductory communication courses. Presents the pros and cons of departments undertaking such an activity. ( HB)