Speech and Communication Studies Department
The National Association of Colleges and Employers ranks as number one the "Ability to verbally communicate with persons inside and outside the organization." One the five Core Learning Outcomes at Lane Community College is to communicate effectively. At various times sources as diverse as the U.S. Department of Labor, Fortune 500, the Wall Street Journal, and human resource surveys have asserted that oral communication skills help students secure employment and successful job performance. Faculty across disciplines have identified communicating as the first basic competency for every college graduate.
We offer the following links to assist you in enhancing your academic or career goals with studies in Speech and Communication.
Completing your Speech and Communication Studies outside of Oregon
The National Communication Association (NCA) allows you to develop a login and explore its resources. In its discipline data, you can find a list of other community colleges and undergraduate programs in the field of communication
More about Speech and Communication Studies
Classical works in Speech and Communication fall under the heading of rhetoric, the art of persuasion. The most influential ancient writing was Aristotle's (4th century BC) Ars Rhetorica or The Art of Rhetoric. Many terms used today can be traced to ancient rhetorical classifications of, for instance, figures of speech. Since the ancients, philosophers and educators have carried forward the study of oral communication, as seen in Dr. Gideon Burden's Sylva Rhetoricae.
Today we can access more than two hundred audio and video links to great moments in the history of oratory thanks to Michael Eidenmuller's (University of Texas/Tyler) American Rhetoric website, a fascinating link for the enthusiastic fan of historical speeches (presented both as they actually occurred and as Hollywood interpretations) and for the avid student of speech communication.
Hundreds of colleges and universities support instruction in the field of Speech and Communication and educators remain committed to the importance of Speech and Communication to the education of the whole person and to the health of our democratic and culturally diverse society.