No images? Click here April 2021 A Message from the Dean of the School of CommunicationDear SoC Community, Now more than ever, our society needs people who appreciate, champion, and perpetuate the importance of considerate, thoughtful, and comprehensive learning, analytical, inspirational, and imaginative thinking in pursuit of truth, and the free expression and exchange of ideas anchored by respect for the dignity of all people and cultures. These are the qualities of mind and character that we must rely upon, and indeed have turned to, when confronted with new and unprecedented challenges. These traits do not always lead us all to agreement on issues and problems, but without these qualities, we lack a shared meaning with which to navigate or derive the blessings of our interconnected and often interdependent lives. As we prepare for and engage in the vaccination process, battle the persistence of racial inequalities and ethnic and gender disparities throughout our society, and assume responsibility for the health of our democracy, higher education and every field of inquiry within the liberal arts (especially communication) will always play a critical role. For these reasons, among many others, I believe the School of Communication and our successful academic programs to train future generations with intention are as vital to the future of Orange County, the State of California, the surrounding regions and to our shared world as it was when it first launched in 2016. The dedicated faculty and staff of the school have been busy over these past few weeks preparing for returning to campus by taking new and unprecedented steps to help keep you safe and healthy while advancing our School’s core commitment to excellence in undergraduate and graduate education across all of our programs in the School of Communication. For the latest updates and information about how we are working to help keep students and our campus community healthy during the pandemic, be sure to visit the CU Safely Back website. Here are some important announcements as we begin wrapping up the Spring semester:
I look forward to continuing our work together and seeing what the ingenuity and creativity of the people of SoC will make possible in 2021 and beyond. Sincerely, Lisa Sparks, Ph.D. Dean, School of Communication McGaw Endowed Professor in Behavioral Sciences Spring 2021 AdvisingWant to talk course scheduling? We are here to help! You are welcome to meet with ANY SoC Program Advisor to discuss your schedule or any questions you have about registration and beyond! Program advising is online and conducted through Microsoft Teams. You can schedule an appointment with an advisor on Bookings or reach out to them via email if you need to schedule an appointment outside of their advising hours. Mr. Travis Bartosh | Doti Hall 201 Dr. Arleen Bejerano | Doti Hall 211 Dr. Andrea Weber | Doti Hall 203 Positive Communication in the ClassroomDr. Sara LaBelle and Dr. Zac Johnson (California State University, Fullerton) explore the relationship of teacher and student-to-student confirmation in the collegiate classroom in a new study published in Communication Research Reports. The authors surveyed 332 college students to examine how student perceptions of receiving messages of validation and support from their teachers relates to their own use of these messages in communication with one another. In the study, students who found their instructors to have a more interactive teaching style also reported messages of individual attention, acknowledgement, and assistance from peers in their classes. As Drs. Johnson and LaBelle note, these findings shed light on the interactive nature of positive communication in the college classroom. Dr. Sara LaBelle (School of Communication, Chapman University) and Dr. Zac Johnson (California State University, Fullerton) Mental Health and First RespondersErin Craw Ph.D. HCOM '22 Graduate Teaching Associate Erin Craw was recently interviewed on the Your Oxygen Mask First podcast. This podcast explores Erin's research on communication and messaging and how it can affect first responders' mental health. Drawing on her personal experiences, Erin explains the struggles that first responders go through. She hopes that her research can provide evidence-based practices to improve resources and support for first responders. Submit a Senior Spotlight FormSeniors! Did you land that first job? Are you off to graduate school? Are you taking a year off to travel the world or focus on a creative endeavor? Or, is there another senior in the SoC that you think deserves celebrating and would like to nominate him/her for a "Senior Spotlight"? Submit a senior spotlight form! Check out details to Senior Week below in our upcoming events section! Undergraduate Student SpotlightInterested in sports? This past Spring, Taisei Kitahara '21 had the opportunity to intern with Franken Enterprises. Franken Enterprises is a sports and entertainment public relations firm where Taisei was able to work closely with his supervisor and boss to plan events and develop marketing materials for different companies. Check out his blog to learn more about his experience! SoC Student Advisory Board SpotlightDanny Gaitan '22 is a Strategic and Corporate Communication Studies major from Lake Forest, CA. Danny hopes to continue to work with non-profits, philanthropy, and government relations. A fun fact about Danny is that he went sky diving off the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. We are so excited to welcome him to the advisory board! A big congratulations to Danny for also being elected as the SGA '21-'22 Vice President! Check back next month to meet another new member! One Secret is All You Need to SucceedWhat if you had the one bit of information that reveals you everything you need to be the winning job candidate? To unlock the secret that can get you hired, there’s one question you must ask during an informational interview. Find out how to use your informational interviews to set up a winning job interview! Read more. Connect Meaningfully with the SoC |