Learning Objectives

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) establish a framework for assessing what students should be able to do when they have completed an undergraduate degree. The Department of Communication Studies has developed and ratified a set of SLOs specific to the communication studies major.

  1. Describe the communication discipline and its central questions
    • Explain the origins of the communication discipline
    • Summarize the broad nature of the communication discipline
    • Categorize the various career pathways for students of communication
    • Articulate the importance of communication expertise in career development and civic engagement
    • Examine contemporary debates within the field
    • Distinguish the communication discipline from related areas of study
    • Identify with intellectual specialization(s) in the communication discipline​​
  2. Employ communication theories, perspectives, principles, and concepts
    • ​​Explain communication theories, perspectives, principles, and concepts
    • Synthesize communication theories, perspectives, principles, and concepts
    • Apply communication theories, perspectives, principles, and concepts
    • Critique communication theories, perspectives, principles, and concepts
  3. Engage in communication inquiry
    • ​​Interpret communication scholarship 
    • Evaluate communication scholarship 
    • Apply communication scholarship 
    • Formulate questions appropriate for communication scholarship
    • Engage in communication scholarship using the research traditions of the discipline
    • Differentiate between various approaches to the study of communication
    • Contribute to scholarly conversations appropriate to the purpose of inquiry
  4. Create messages appropriate to the audience, purpose, and context
    • ​​Locate and use information relevant to the goals, audiences, purposes and contexts
    • Select creative and appropriate modalities and technologies to accomplish communicative goals
    • Adapt messages to the diverse needs of individuals, groups and contexts
    • Present messages in multiple communication modalities and contexts
    • Adjust messages while in the process of communicating
    • Critically reflect on one’s own messages after the communication event
  5. Critically analyze messages
    • ​​Identify meanings embedded in messages
    • Articulate characteristics of mediated and unmediated messages
    • Recognize the influence of messages
    • Engage in active listening 
    • Enact mindful responding to messages
  6. Demonstrate the ability to accomplish communicative goals (self-efficacy)
    • ​​Identify contexts, situations and barriers that impede communication self-efficacy
    • Perform verbal and nonverbal communication behaviors that illustrate self-efficacy
    • Articulate personal beliefs about abilities to accomplish communication goals
    • Evaluate personal communication strengths and weaknesses 
  7. Apply ethical communication principles and practices
    • ​​Identify ethical perspectives 
    • Explain the relevance of various ethical perspectives 
    • Articulate the ethical dimensions of a communication situation
    • Choose to communicate with ethical intention
    • Propose solutions for (un)ethical communication
    • Evaluate the ethical elements of a communication situation
  8. Utilize communication to embrace difference
    • ​​Articulate the connection between communication and culture
    • Recognize individual and cultural similarities and differences
    • Appreciate individual and cultural similarities and differences
    • Respect diverse perspectives and the ways they influence communication
    • Articulate one’s own cultural standpoint and how it affects communication and world view
    • Demonstrate the ability to be culturally self-aware
    • Adapt one’s communication in diverse cultural contexts
  9. Influence public discource
    • Explain the importance of communication in civic life
    • Identify the challenges facing communities and the role of communication in resolving those challenges
    • Frame local, national and/or global issues from a communication perspective
    • Evaluate local, national and/or global issues and from a communication perspective
    • Utilize communication to respond to issues at the local, national, and/or global level
    • Advocate a course of action to address local, national and/or global issues from a communication perspective
    • Empower individuals to promote human rights, human dignity and human freedom