New emphasis for communication majors

A new emphasis in the communication area, interpersonal and public communication, has been approved to start next academic year.
 

Dr. Bruce Montgomery, associate professor of communications and business, proposed the new track at the Academic Committee meeting on Oct. 3. Academic Dean Mark Matson said he and Montgomery have been discussing this addition for years and are excited to have it approved.
 

“The emphasis, like a major, requires approval by the Academic Committee and support by the faculty,” said Matson. “That means a case has to be made for it, both in terms of academic coherence and financial capability. In this case some of the courses were already there so the cost is minor.”
 

Dick Major, chair of the area of performing, visual and communicative arts and professor of theatre, officially moved to approve the proposal for interpersonal and public communication emphasis. Along with required communications courses and four other mandatory courses, the emphasis requires 14 hours of electives and research methods, with six of those outside the communications major.
 

As Matson mentioned, most courses required were already part of the academic life at Milligan, including courses such as theories in personality, fundamentals of voice and stage movement and homiletics. Montgomery believes that oral communication is a vastly integrated practice that will incorporate many different job possibilities.
 

Unsure of the number of interested students, Matson has confidence this was a good decision for the future of the communications area. Over the years, students have asked Montgomery about such a program, and he felt it a necessary part of the department.
 

“Milligan offers several outlets for communications, which is the study of mass communication,” Montgomery said. “What we hope to do with this emphasis is to better track the interest of the students.”
 

Montgomery believes this program will help equip students who want to be preachers, lobbyists, consultants or professional speakers. He also agrees with Matson in that at a liberal arts college, it is fitting to incorporate classical communication, which is interpersonal rhetoric, in the curriculum. The program will encourage students to feel more comfortable in small group communication settings.
 

“It really adds a dimension that is closely aligned with the liberal arts emphasis on basic communication and rhetorical theory, very basic concepts relative to language,” Matson said.