Mission

If students are to succeed in their college work, they must be able to write and speak effectively. After graduation, these skills will be continually in demand in the job market. Employers consistently rate good communication skills among the most desirable qualities of their employees. The Communication Arts courses are designed to help students develop and refine these vital skills.

In the first semester, students will read and analyze sophisticated texts of various kinds. Using the knowledge gained from these activities as source material, they will learn to develop a clear and interesting thesis, collect supporting materials, organize ideas effectively, and express their thoughts in vivid and appropriate language. Students will learn how to adapt a written document for oral presentation with a particular audience, purpose, and setting in mind. They will improve their computer skills involving collecting information (e.g., internet and online databases), communication with others (e.g., e-mail via campus Pipeline), and preparing documents (word processing applications). CA 101 often includes a service learning component.

In the second semester, students will develop the advanced rhetorical skills necessary for persuasive communication, including understanding the structure of a logical argument and the ability to recognize logical fallacies. They will develop small group and interpersonal communication skills and learn to use computers for presentation of information through such tools as PowerPoint.