Letter from the Chair
It has been far too long since we published our last newsletter. This publication is largely due to the conscientious and creative work of our new administrative assistant, Krista Burke, who is also a 2014 graduate from our department. The department is different in many ways now than it was when I arrived in 1988, although in some essential ways, we are the same — in the quality of instruction, the joyful attitude of our students, the sense of common purpose, and the commitment to teaching and learning.
In 2005, the department changed its name from Speech Communication to Communication Studies. We are told that the name change by itself increased the number of students who have applied for admission. This year 1,250 students applied for roughly 70 spaces. Since students applying to the department and university have many other fine options, there will be more than 70 acceptances, but because of the reputation of Cal Poly and our department, fewer and fewer students choose to go elsewhere. Last year we had nearly 100 new freshmen and transfer students, far more than the Admissions Office predicted. Enrollment in our undergraduate program has swelled from 160 students to 300 students, while our admissions standards have increased steadily. We also have roughly 50 declared minors advised by Professor Michael Fahs.
There have been several innovations in the curriculum. We now offer, or will soon offer, courses in Environmental Communication; Technology and Communication; Science Communication; Critical Cultural Studies; Media, Self and Society; and Political Communication. Several of these courses were proposed just this past year. Performance of Literature; Intercultural Communication; and Media, Self and Society are in the university general education curriculum.
The faculty continue to garner accolades for their teaching, scholarship and service. Our forensics program has changed since Terry Winebrenner was its long-time, successful director. Chris Skiles and John Patrick now coach the squad in British Parliamentary (World) Debate. Our teams have won numerous awards including several championships in the first year competing in this new format.
Following a university trend, more students in the department are from out-of-state or from foreign countries, which reflects the increasingly cosmopolitan environment of the campus. The university continues to grow in popularity and prestige, now ranking fifth in selectivity for all public universities in the U.S., and there has been a push to enhance the visibility of the College of Liberal Arts.
Communication Studies at Cal Poly has never been more popular and our degree has helped open the door to high-level employment opportunities at Google, Oracle and Intel, and to graduate programs at institutions such as Pennsylvania State University, University of Illinois, University of Texas, University of Pittsburgh, and to law schools such as University of California, Berkeley, Hastings and Harvard. Our students have been interns at the White House, the Clinton Foundation, IBM, Northrup Grumman, Elle Magazine, Los Angeles talent agencies, and prestigious San Francisco law firms.
To help current students and alumni connect with one another, we created a LinkedIn alumni page and a Facebook page. Please connect with us and stay in touch!
Best Regards,
Bernard Duffy