Introduction

For background on the survey, see the Student Demographics report. Here we discuss what students said about the effects their Speech Communication major has had on them, their particular areas of concern, and their overall evaluation of the major.

Learning outcomes

In part to determine whether the learning goals of the major were even being effectively conveyed to students, we asked only open-ended questions about what they experienced as the outcomes of pursuing a program in Speech Communication: "

• "How has majoring in Speech Comm affected you? What have you learned—what do you know, what are you able to do, how do you feel about yourself, that's different from the ways you knew, acted & felt when you started?"

In addition, we asked students to explain the effects of the Speech Communication major to an imagined audience of administrators:

• "If there was a committee considering the elimination of the Speech Comm major, what advice would you give them?"

In response to these questions, three major themes emerged:

skills in speaking

present in 14 responses (93%). In this pervasive theme, students acknowledged that improved communication skills were a key benefit of the Speech Communication major. Responses stressed the variety of the skills learned, the diversity of contexts in which they could be used, as well as their particular importance for career success. For example:

• "I was uncertain of how I felt about the major my freshman year, but as I continued to take classes I began to realize how important it is to be able to understand communication! It is amazing to me how so many people simply stand in frontof some type of audience and talk monotonously and take no time to relate to this audience. . . . Today, I have quite a variety of skills when it comes to communicating because of this major."
• "The overall speech strength of graduating students is decreasing. The business environment demands good speaking skills and the college should meet these demands."
• "A major in SpCm has had a huge effect on my life. I truly believe my public speaking skills have greatly improved and my confidence as well. The knowledge I have gained in this major has been EXTREMELY valuable. I've learned to communicate effectively and that has affected every aspect of my life. Because of my major and classes I have taken, I feel that I have an advantage over others. In interviews, meetings, speaking engagements, etc. I am able to articulate what I say more effectively than other people."
• "As for skills I have learned, I really like having classes that "overlap." I have found that I apply my skills in all of my classes."
• "I would tell themthat it is the best thing that has happened to me since I came here. It's a greatprogram that offers students more than just abusiness, education or engineering degree because it teaches us how towork insociety and teaches usreal life scenarios. That's important!"

understanding of rhetorical theory and criticism

present in 8 responses (53%). Students articulating this theme spoke of their enlarged understanding of communication and their sharper abilities to analyze messages. Often this theme was coupled with the first, as students explained how understanding theory had contributed to improving their practice. For example:

• "When I took 212 as a freshman, I became interested in how speech is used in all aspects of life. Through the classes I have taken, I have learned so much more about ways in which people communicate, ways in which people are persuaded. For myself, I gained an appreciation for the art of speech, our language in general, as well as learning about effects that speech has on people. I think I use what I've learned in Speech classes every day. And I've begun to apply what I believe are necessary skills in order to lead a rich and fulfilling life."
• "I can read a speech now and see so much more than an average person can."
• "I understand the structure of speeches, how a presentation should be made so that my audience understands my ideas and believes what I say."
• "Majoring in Speech Comm has affected me a great deal. I have learned so much about the process by which we (as the most complex of beings) use to communicate with one another as well as how we useinterpersonal communication. Aside from the basic knowledge of communicating that we learn just bydoing it orreading about it in 212, I have learned the basis from which it stems. For example, the different theories and models of communication such as Toulmin or Weaver and also howthey work. I am able to apply so much of what I've learned whilemajoring in Speech Comm to everyday life. Because communication is a constant process there's ways to practice it all of thetime. I find myself being more conscious of words I use and messages that I send (verbal or nonverbal)."

self-confidence

present in 9 responses (60%). In this theme, students spoke of their personal growth and their enlarged sense of their own powers. Almost always they used the term "confidence," although one student confessed to feeling increased caution. For example:

• "I am much more confident in my speaking skills and being in public. I've really enjoyed the closeness of the professors and other people in Speech Comm. I think this closeness has made my college experience more beneficial and memorable. When I first came to college I never would have believed I'd be a Speech major because I was scared to death of public speaking. I feel so much better about my skills now and actually look forward to a career in public speaking."
• "I feel more knowledgeable and intelligent when I speak now than when I first started."
• "Speech Comm has helped me become more audience related and attuned to feedback. It has helped me become more focusedinmy communicative skills and given me more ability to speak with others. It has helped me to become more extrovertedand accepted in community"

Probes for particular problems

The survey also asked students to respond to a series of potential problems with the major.

• Difficulty registering for classes? Seven students (47%) responded "yes." In three cases, the student wanted to take a class not offered that semester. In another case, the student noted that it was his/her own scheduling problem that prevented her from registering. One student reported being blocked out of a full class (a cross-listing from English). The remaining two students did not specify the problem.
• Graduation slowed because of a lack of Speech Communication courses? Only one student (7%) reported slowed progress. By contrast, five (33%) commented on the ease of completing the major. As one student replied: "No, I'm graduating one year early."
• Do Speech Communication classes need to have more prerequisites? All students replied "no." Several mentioned that Sp Cm 212, Fundamentals of Public Speaking, "is a great intro course, and I haven't felt unprepared for any class."
• Should the Speech Communication major have more required courses? Again, no student said "yes." One student noted his/her appreciation of what he/she had learned in the existing required classes, "although I probably wouldn't have chosen those, if not required." Another noted that "I think I have taken many different classes along with my SpCm classes, but that's probably because I have switched my major so many times."

The survey also asked an open-ended question to elicit students' concerns or problems:

• "What would you have liked the major help you know, do or feel that it didn't?"

In response, students identified the following areas:

• More career preparation, advising and internships (3 students; 20%).
• More interpersonal or other communication subjects (3 students; 20%).
• More class offerings (3 students; 20%).
• More or different public speaking opportunities (2 students, 13%).
• Offer a teaching certificate (1 student, 7%).
• More current material, not like "Aristotle, Cicero, MLK and JFK" (1 student, 7%).

Overall assessment of the major

Two unexpected themes emerged in the responses to a variety of questions.

• The Speech Communication community. Even without an explicit prompt, six students (40%) commented on the sense of community within the Speech Communication program, both between faculty and students and among students. For example:
  • "SpCm has affected my life in many ways. First it created an opportunity for me to enjoy my classes rather than sit in Econ, Chem and others that I couldn't stand. Secondly, it has provided me the opportunity to really get to know others with the same major. This is important because I feel that I have learned so much more by feeling comfortable in class, discussing assignments and knowledge gained in class outside of school. I have really enjoyed getting to know the faculty and advisors. It has been a great help to have the faculty members encourage and talk to meon a more personal basis. I truly feel that each member of the faculty cares about the success of the students."
• The challenge of the major. Although there is a widespread perception that any communication major is easy, four students (27%) spontaneously reported their sense of being challenged by the curriculum. for example:
  • "I would tell them [a fellow student] about all of the classes that I have really enjoyed. I would warn them that the classes are a lot of work but I have benefited from all of them."
  • "I enjoy my time at ISU. This has been a real challenge, very satisfying."

Finally, we asked students what advice they would give if an acquaintance was thinking about majoring in Speech Communication. Twelve students (80%) responded with enthusiasm: "Do it!" and "go for it!" As they went on to say:

• "Actually, there is one student that is currently majoring in Sp Cm because of my influence. If Speech Communication has taught me one thing it is how to relate and be outgoing to others. The reason I have learned this skill, or rather further developed it, is because it has also taught me to think on a deeper level and analyze rhetoric."
• "I would say go for it. What a lot of people fail to see is that communication is the basis of everything we do. It applies to all aspects of life, even before we "learn" to communicate we're already doing it. Even when we're not intending to, we are still communicating. For this reason to become educated in communication, its origin, its functions, its uses, its techniques, its flaws, its multiplicity, its goals and its purpose is to the advantage of any person. All other majors should require courses in Speech Comm, aside from just the 212 minimum. I would say Speech Comm is an awesome major."