Mission Statement

The Butte College Communication Studies program offers lower division courses designed to culminate in AA degrees and/or Certificates that are transferable to four-year colleges and universities. The courses are structured to develop personal growth, professional communication, and critical thinking abilities with the objective of enhancing intercultural, interpersonal and public communication skills.

Program Description

The Communication Studies program at Butte College prepares students for transfer to a baccalaureate major in Communication Studies. In addition, this program offers vital communication skills that are in demand by virtually every company and organization. Students with a degree in Communication Studies are prepared to succeed in numerous professions; in fact, many studies cite "effective communication" as the number one skill in demand in today's workplace. Students majoring in Communication Studies explore communication theories and skills needed in our complex world. These include: oral and written communication, critical thinking, interpersonal communication, gender and communication, intercultural communication and sensitivity, and effective group interaction, among others. We offer two degree options.

AA Degree in Communication Studies
The Associate in Arts (AA) in Communication Studies degree is intended for students who plan to earn an AA degree in Communication Studies in support of career or other academic endeavors or who plan to specifically transfer to CSU, Chico.

AA-T Degree in Communication Studies
The Associate in Arts in Communication Studies for Transfer is intended for students who plan to complete a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies or similar major at a CSU campus. 
	(This section adapted from BC 2012-13 Catalog)

The Communication Studies program fulfills the Butte College Mission in six distinct ways:

1. We provide our students with vital communication skills needed for today�s workplace.
2. We provide our students with required courses for lower division general education and transfer.
3. We provide our students with courses that lead to the achievement of degrees and certificates for our program, and in support of other Butte College programs.
4. We provide our students with courses that support student learning beyond the traditional classroom.
5. We provide our students with the knowledge, understanding, mindset and skills that will enable them to interact effectively and appropriately in our multicultural and changing world.
6. We provide our students with deep student learning and civic engagement opportunities. 

It's clear to see how our unique and varied Program Learning Outcomes offer students engaging and meaningful academic, career and life-long learning opportunities.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLO's)

As a result of an AA or AA-T degree in Communication Studies, the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate skills to connect, work, and play well with others.
2. Communicate ethically, responsibly, and effectively as local, national and global citizens.
3. Research, organize, and create messages using appropriate resources.
4. Effectively present formal and informal communication to a variety of audiences in multiple contexts.
5. Demonstrate critical thinking skills. 

Student Learning/Administrative Unit Outcomes

SLO Cs 




CMST 10: Interpersonal Communication
Demonstrate an understanding of ethical interpersonal communication founded on communication theory and research including listening and other individual skills and competencies for successful interpersonal communication.




CMST 12: Forensics
Employ the tools of Information Competency including but not limited to logical thinking, effective advocacy, appropriate use of forms of support, and critical deliberation for event preparation.




CMST 13: Gender and Communication
Apply theoretical approaches and analytical tools to identify and explain gendered phenomena.




CMST 14: Argumentation and Debate
Analyze, advocate, and criticize ideas, especially through the process of debate.




CMST 2: Public Speaking 
Formulate through research, analysis, and organization of material; presentation of the message, including management of communication apprehension; and evaluation of the effectiveness of their communication.




CMST 4: Small Group Communication
Engage in sound reasoning to reach a well-reasoned decision.




CMST 6: Oral Interpretation
Distinguish between the various forms of literature.




CMST 9: Intercultural Communication
Explain how culture influences verbal and nonverbal communication.




 
Programs & PLOs Assessed (find your PLOs)




 


Communication Studies – Program Learning Outcomes




1.


Demonstrate skills to connect, work, and play well with others.




2.


Communicate ethically, responsibly, and effectively as local, national and global citizens.




3.


Research, organize, and create messages using appropriate resources.




4.


Effectively present formal and informal communication to a variety of audiences in multiple contexts.




5.


Demonstrate critical thinking skills.




 




Courses


SLO C


PLO(s)




CMST 2


Formulate through research, analysis, and organization of material; presentation of the message including management of communication apprehension; and evaluation of the effectiveness of their communication


3




CMST 2H


Formulate through research, analysis, and organization of material; presentation of the message including management of communication apprehension; and evaluation of the effectiveness of their communication.


3




CMST 4


Engage in sound reasoning to reach a well-reasoned decision.


5




CMST 6


Analyze and critique literature for the purpose of interpretation.


5




CMST 9


Explain how culture influences verbal and nonverbal communication.


1, 2




CMST 10


Demonstrate an understanding of ethical interpersonal communication founded on communication theory and research including listening and other individual skills and competencies for successful interpersonal communication.


2




CMST 12


Exhibit the ability to write for performance.


3




CMST 13


Apply theoretical approaches and analytical tools to identify and explain gendered phenomena.


5




CMST 14


Analyze, advocate, and criticize ideas, especially through the process of debate.


5




CMST 95


Draw from their notes sufficient data as to be able to write a logically ordered analytical essay of at least 1,500 words in a proper research-paper form, on a chosen topic that is pertinent to the special study theme.


3




 
E. Communication and Analytical Thinking
GELOs




Upon successful completion of a course in the Communication and Critical Thinking area, the student will be able to:


 




Identify and discuss the role communication or analytical thinking plays in academic, social, and professional endeavor


PLO 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
SLO Cs – CMST 2, 2H, 4, 6, 10, 14 & 14




Analyze and critically evaluate arguments and issues in terms of logical principles or other problem solving methodologies in the given discipline


PLO 5
SLO Cs – 2, 2H, 4, 6, 13, 14




Construct and evaluate messages appropriate to particular communication situations relevant in the given discipline


PLO 1, 2, 3 & 4
SLO Cs – 2, 2H, 6, 12, 14




 
 
ILOs Assessed (more on ILOs).  Select those that apply
 
X - Think Critically X - Communicate Competently
X - Engage Collaboratively
X - Work Effectively
 
Looking Back
Please begin with a look back at summaries submitted in the prior two semesters, and provide here a brief follow-up on any actions taken, resources requested, resources received, etc.
The Communication Studies Department continues to hold monthly night-time 1 ½ hour GIFTS workshops (Great Ideas for Teaching Speech) in order to collaborate on active learning strategies and collectively reflect on how to motivate students to complete more of the work (e. g. increasing the relevancy of the work to real world applications). Workshop themes included: Conflict resolution, rubrics, delivery, research/critical thinking, listening, outlining, etc.
NOTE: When the college required all courses move to emergency online/remote instruction, the CMST department held weekly one to two hour Zoom sessions to brainstorm and collaborate on how to make the switch to virtual learning as simple and seamless as possible, for both the instructors and students. This included sharing ideas for speech/presentation/debate requirements (e.g. video recording), tools for teaching online (e.g. VoiceThread, Camtasia, etc.), as well as tips and techniques for staying connected with our students. 
We continue to request more department funds, but have yet to receive any more.
 
Part 1 – Findings
Discuss the findings and/or observations. Please include:

How the Learning Outcome was assessed.  Examples: using brief reflections from individual instructors, using a common assessment, etc.
The results of the assessment.
Collective dialog that occurred in the department (who was involved)

 
Process: Since the spring 2017 semester, the CMST department has implemented a procedure whereby all faculty focus on the same SLO when creating their “brief reflections.”This semester all instructors analyzed the results of their assessments for SLO Cs in every course. After receiving all the reflections, faculty names were removed from the comments for each class and the brief reflections were analyzed by course to discover any interesting patterns or concerns. Suggestions for addressing issues were then provided.
*It should be noted that because of the emergency online teaching mandate, there were many last minute assignment modifications, increased flexibility in deadlines (e.g. no late penalties), video recording of speeches/presentations/debates, and extended no-drop penalty allowances that make it difficult to gather meaningful data re: student retention and success. Instructors were asked to facilitate their classes with versatility and grace to help navigate these unprecedented and traumatic times.




Course


Observations/Patterns/Themes


Reflections/Suggestions




CMST 2: Public Speaking
SLO C: Formulate through research, analysis, and organization of material; presentation of the message including management of communication apprehension; and evaluation of the effectiveness of their communication


- 22/33 instructors noted that students were successful in meeting the objective.
- Most instructors used research or outline assignments to assess this objective.


- One instructor noted the successful completion of this SLO may be helped by having students use additional college resources  for assistance, such as CAS writing workshops, tutoring and/or library resources.
- The department has also reflected on how to best have students deliver speeches in an online environment based on experiences this spring semester, concluding that live is always best to ensure the transactional nature of communication with immediate and direct feedback. Video recording speeches requires a different skillset (e.g. broadcasting) than presenting information live. It was clearly evidenced that students recording themselves were merely “reading” their outlines. As a result, in the FA 20 semester, instructors will be having their students deliver speeches live via Zoom.
 




CMST 12: Forensics
SLO C: Exhibit the ability to write for performance.


- The Forensics Director notes that all students were able to successfully meet this SLO.
 


- While students were forced to collaborate and compete in a mediated environment, the forensics community, including the Butte College Speech and Debate team, was able to successfully hold virtual tournaments. This allowed more students to compete with less financial resources! The forensics director wrote: “While this isn’t the way we wanted to get there, we all got there.”




CMST 13: Gender and Communication
(Face to face = 1 and online = 2)
SLO C: Apply theoretical approaches and analytical tools to identify and explain gendered phenomena.


- 3/3 classes had positive reflections (re: meeting SLOs).
 


- This is a significant SLO because it is imperative that students understand how theories relate to the real world; therefore, instructors need to collaborate to ensure consistency in measuring this SLO.
 




CMST 14: Argumentation and Debate
SLO C: Analyze, advocate, and criticize ideas, especially through the process of debate.


- This SLO is measured via the debates in the course.
- While the majority of students were able to be successful with this SLO, instructors indicated that the emergency switch to the online modality most definitely affected their ability to hone their debating skills. 


- One theme is that all courses used Flipgrid as a medium for recording debates asynchronous; all instructors agreed that it would be better to have the debates live via Zoom because one important critical thinking skill is the ability to hear arguments and respond/refute them with little to no preparation.
Plus it is just more fun live!
 
 




CMST 4: Small Group Communication
SLO C: Engage in sound reasoning to reach a well-reasoned decision.


- 9/10 sections positively described successfully reaching SLO C.
- Many instructors indicated that group cohesion was affected by the emergency switch to online because during in class learning, this class is very experiential and application-based.


- Especially when teaching this class fully online, instructors need to include many activities/assignments for students to build connections and relationships. These are imperative to group work.   
- Instructors also need to brainstorm application-based assignments for the online modality.
 




CMST 6: Oral Interpretation
SLO C: Analyze and critique literature for the purpose of interpretation.


- The one section of this course reported that students did meet this SLO.
 


- The instructor indicated that they would like to have at least one more assessment to evaluate this SLO.  




CMST 9: Intercultural Communication
(Face to face = 2 and online = 2)
SLO C: Explain how culture influences verbal and nonverbal communication.


- In both the face-to-face and online sections of this course, students were able to meet the objective.


- For the online learning modality, it is important that instructors try to incorporate application assignments that require to student to practice their verbal and nonverbal skills, even though they are not meeting face-to-face. For example, one instructor created an assignment that required students to create short videos modeling various nonverbal gestures and explaining their meaning and possible (mis)interpretations.
 




 
*FINAL ANALYSIS NOTE: Analyzing class SLO reflections that focus on the same SLOs has proven to be more useful, yielding more significant results for implementation of new ideas, etc. Our next step is try to standardize the assessment (e.g. pick one assignment that we will all administer) with which to analyze and write about in the “SLO brief reflections.” Therefore, when analyzing them collectively, it will be even more clear as to what is working or not in our classes.
Part 2 – Strategies
Discuss how the findings above will be used to inform practice.  For example: planned improvements in individual courses; department-wide trainings; altering the assessment; or moving the focus to a different learning outcome.
The CMST Department will continue to collaborate on teaching strategies (GIFTS workshops) via Zoom; specifically, we will focus on application-based assignments in online learning environments. These assignments will require students to practice and sharpen their communication skills. In other words, assignments should not be all text-based, even in the online classes. This clearly stems from the analysis of the spring 20 SLOs.
Part 3 – Resource Needs
What resources (if any) are needed to make the changes outlined above? What resources (if any) does the department need to help students meet course and/or program outcomes.
As indicated in our Unit Plans and latest Program Review Validation Team Report, the Communication Studies Department requests an increase in its annual department budget from $1356 to $3000. This increase would allow the department to conduct further measurements of SLOs using some nationally recognized tools and assessments. It will also help to increase the marketing of its program and AA and AA-T degrees.

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (Instruction Departments)

CMST vs. College Retention and Success Rates 
Communication Studies data

College data
 
As indicated in the charts above, CMST courses have a higher retention rate (1%) and a higher success rate (4%) than the college’s averages. As well, longitudinal data evidences that CMST success and retention rates are at a steady increase, which mirrors the college’s data. This may be due to CMST instructors using active learning, student-centered and equity-minded pedagogical practices; these help to make content relevant to all students and keep them engaged in the learning material.
 
CMST Degrees Earned

After taking a dip in years 2017/18, with 36 degrees awarded in 2019, CMST degree is making a strong comeback! CMST had a 56.52% change in AA-T degrees in 2019. This indicates that the majority of the students plan to transfer to four year universities. In addition, the data show that the median GPA for our CMST majors as also slowly risen to 3.1/4 in 2019.
 

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (All Other Departments)

Strategic Direction

2. Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
CMST  instructors have continually shared their experise with the college via presenting FLEX workshops and participating/facilitating on campus committees/groups. Examples include (not an exhaustive list):

Stephen Ban, Deb McCabe and Laura Rapozo-Davis facilitating Instructional Skills Workshop teaching others strageties and methodoligies as to how to teach well. 
April Kelly and Shannan Troxel-Andreas using their technology and online teaching expertise to serve on the Distance Education Committee. 
Deb McCabe used her knowledge of intercutural cultural communication and presented a FLEX workshop in Janaury 21 on microaggressions in the workplace and classroom.
Laura Rapozo-Davis shared her knowledge of equity-minded teaching practices in a January 21 FLEX presentation on anti-racists teaching strategies. 
Laura Rapozo-Davis served on the Vice President of Student Services hiring committe in order to help create an equity lense in the hiring process. 
Tom Grothe and Laura Rapozo-Davis have presented FLEX workshops on toxic masculinity stemming from his expertise on gender and communication. 
Angela Ohland serves on the Great Teachers committee, bringing her presentation and speechmaking skills to the group. 

6. Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness
The CMST instructors are include culturally reponsive and anti-racist pegagodical practices in their classes. These are evidenced in their teaching evaluations. These practices have been proven to reduce equity gaps for our underrepresented students. In addition, the chair of the department, Laura Rapozo-Davis, serves as the GE representative on the EEO Committee and has worked on changing faculty hiring procedures to ensure fairness and equity. 
 

Program Review

In February 2020, CMST completed its Program Review; we had the Validation Team site visit and we are awaiting the new recommendations. 

Department Goals

Goal: Promotion and growth of Forensics Speech and Debate program. (Strategic Initiative 2. a. and 2. b., 6.)
Goal: Promotion of the CMST degree; therefore, increasing enrollment in our major courses and the number of CMST majors. (Strategic Initiative 1. d.)
 

Future Development Strategies

Requested Non-Financial Resources

Current Financial Resources