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Welcome Back-Craig Hall gets a facelift

Posted on by Kelly Wood

For the last three months, Craig Hall at the corner of Grand and National has seen a steady stream of construction equipment and workers coming in and out. The third floor classrooms were remodeled to remove decades old sisal wall covering, referred to as the “burlap walls” by students and faculty, and floor tiles.

And finally, on Monday, August 23, just in time for the fall semester and after undergoing a 3-month renovation, the 3rd floor of Craig Hall will be revealed to students and faculty.

You are invited Monday, August 23, at 2:30 when the College of Arts and Letters will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to showcase the upgraded 3rd floor classrooms, including newly installed classroom technology. University and college administrators will be present along with faculty and students. Those attending will have an opportunity to tour the rooms and see the changes up-close. A small reception will follow the ribbon cutting in room Craig 334.

You will also have a chance to see a newly remodeled room dedicated to students:  Craig 334 Student Resource Room. It’s a place for students to hangout in between classes to study or meet with other students and faculty.  Be sure to stop by and see the new furniture, and grab some refreshments too. The room will be open from 8-5pm each day for COM students to use.  It will be available on a limited basis at night for meetings and classes.  We’ll have instructions for how to reserve the room.

We will see you there.  Oh, and if you attend, you may have a chance to receive a piece of the vintage burlap wall!

Kelly Wood

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What did you do for your summer vacation?

Posted on by Kelly Wood

Do you remember teachers asking you that question when you returned to school after summer? It’s a classic first day of class activity no matter what grade level.  I like to ask that question of my new students as an ice breaker on the first day of class.  Why?  I like hearing about the awesome trips they took, concerts they went to, tight spots they got themselves into, and generally enjoying seeing their enthusiasm when talking about the summer.

You may be surprised to know that COM faculty like to talk about their summers too. They travel to exotic locales, write articles, collect data, spend time with family, and generally prep for the coming year.   Summer is the best time to prepare for teaching.  Some faculty are preparing for a new class this fall, while others are revising their power point slides or adding new movie or tv clips.  Still others are adding online elements and activities to their courses.  I encourage you to ask faculty what they did with their summer break when you return to campus.

There is much change going on in Craig hall this summer.  If you are a frequent inhabitant of Craig hall, you spend lots of time in classrooms on the 3rd floor–those 1970s decorated rooms with blackboards in some rooms, water-stained or missing ceiling tiles, and the the oh-so-lovely “burlap wallpaper.”  You know, that stuff your hair sticks to when you sit on the back row or something you pick at when sitting next to the wall.

This summer, all the 3rd floor classrooms are being remodeled and the burlap wallpaper is now officially removed!  Here are the pictures to prove it.

Craig 335 "before"
Craig 335 "before"

photo0309.jpg Photo0311

Here are the “during construction” pictures of Craig 337.

Drywall up--no more orange walls
Drywall up--no more orange walls

All the rolls on the floor are the burlap wallpaper and the tubes hanging from above is the ductwork (they pulled all the old ceiling tiles off so the ducts are hanging).  Notice the floor tiles are removed as well.  Hard to believe!

When you return in August, all the classrooms will be updated with white walls, and an accent grey wall.    You may walk into a room and not know where you are.  I’ll post some more progress pictures later in the summer and you’ll see even more changes!

Keep enjoying your summer.

Kelly Wood

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End of the Semester Snippets

Posted on by Kelly Wood

Congratulations to 10 of our COM majors who were selected to be SOAR Leaders this summer–they will be 1/4 of all SOAR Leaders!  They will represent for COM and I look forward to them recruiting tons of new majors for us this summer.  Good luck to all of you!

1. Scott Turk: Socio-Political COM
2. Mindy Dilley: Ethical Leadership
3. Kyle Copeland: PR
4. Jon Jones:  New major 
5. John Stubblefield: Org COM
6. Jared Grimsley: Org COM
7. Alex Johnson:  PR
8. Justin Melish: Socio-Political COM
9. Savana Stewart: PR
10. Lauren Terry: Socio-Political COM

QUESTION for you to ponder:  Would you miss the burlap wallpaper in the Craig Hall 3rd floor rooms if it was gone tomorrow?

When I ask the COM faculty that question, they respond  “H*&#  NO! Get rid of it.” 

But do those burlap walls mean anything?  Do they represent your time here?  Do they remind you of the experiences you had in your COM classes?   Are they wrapped up with interesting conversations you had about political speeches, listening, interpersonal relationships, organizational culture, health campaigns,  crisis communication?

I encourage as many of you to share what the burlap walls mean to you?  (post a comment below)

 Why?  Because this summer, those walls will be transformed into clean white walls for the fall semester.  That’s right, you heard correctly…the burlap is COMING DOWN!  Starting this fall, the 3rd floor may become even more of a maze when all the classrooms become the same–eggshell write with a computer cart at the front and desks neatly in a row. 

****
Are you interested in a career that involves public speaking, motivational speaking, or something similar?  If so, I highly encourage you to look into applying for a National Speakers Association Scholarhip. They give away 4 awards per year at $5000 a pop!  Check out their website for more information. http://nsafoundation.org/Scholarships.aspx  I have scholarship applications in the COM office too, come on by to grab one.  Deadline is June 1, 2010 (more than enough time to apply!).

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Spring Musings

Posted on by Kelly Wood

It’s now officially spring–all the trees are leafed out, the spring flowers are taking hold, and everyone seems to be in shorts.  Don’t you just love spring on a college campus?   But it’s also hard to go to class when the sun is shinning and the sun is beckoning you to “catch some rays and chill.” 

So, what do you do to keep yourself motivated to go to class?  Maybe it’s that A you are trying to get in your hardest class.  Maybe  it’s that law school application that you are planning on and so your grades are doubly important. Maybe it’s a scholarship you are applying for that motivates you to keep your grades up.  Whatever it is, keep your sights set high and keep motivating yourself to go to class, keep up with your reading (you can read outside, you know), and complete the semester well.

With these ideas in mind, I want to congratulate a few folks who recently received COM departmental scholarships and awards. It is their efforts to endure even when it’s tough to do that we celebrate.  We announced the departmental scholarships at a ceremony on April 8 in the Student Union. We also  inducted a new group of students into our national communication honor society, Lambda Pi Eta.  Congratulations to all the students!

jaimejones.jpgmichellepence.jpglaurenterry3.jpgkateshellenberg.jpgbethanyparry.jpgkarinmoukrime.jpgcaryn.jpginductees1.jpginductees2.jpg

Not shown:  Lauren Reiter:  Richard Stovall Graduate Scholarship and Bridget Rapp: Chris Sifford Scholarship.

 

Speaking of Scholarships!

Are you a student majoring in communications or public relations who is planning a career in professional services marketing? If “yes” then read below for another scholarship opportunity!

The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2010 Ron Garikes Student Scholarship! One outstanding scholar will be selected this year to receive a $1,500 scholarship award, to be used toward academic expenses, such as tuition and fees, books, supplies, and other similar expenses.

Eligibility requirements are:
1.  Your college or university must be located in the continental United States and the institution’s accreditation must be recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.

2.  You must be currently enrolled and pursuing a Bachelor of Arts, Associate of Arts, or a graduate degree in marketing, public relations, and/or communications.  

3.  Students pursuing a Bachelor or Associate degree must be enrolled full-time, with a course load of at least 12 semester hours. Students pursuing a graduate degree must be enrolled for a minimum of six credits.

4.  You must currently have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.

5.  You must have two letters of recommendation: one from either your academic advisor or a professor in the degree program in which you are enrolled, and the other from a person who can speak to your passion about your major.

6.  You may not have previously received any scholarship award from the SMPS Foundation or more than one scholarship from a SMPS Chapter.

7.  You must respond to one of two essay questions.

Follow this link to download the scholarship application.

Application deadline: May 28, 2010 

About the Ron Garikes Scholarship:  This scholarship fund was created by the SMPS Foundation in partnership with Karlsberger, a full-service planning and architectural firm, where Ron Garikes spent most of his 27-year career. Garikes recently led the firm’s national Laboratory and Technology Group and served as COO of its Birmingham, AL, office. Headquartered in Columbus, OH, with additional offices in New York, NY, and Ann Arbor, MI, Karlsberger is one of the country’s leading consultants to the healthcare, pediatric, research, and education markets. A Distinguished Life Member and a Fellow, Garikes has served SMPS in the roles of National President (1991–92), National Board Secretary, Southeast Regional Director, and Foundation Trustee. Garikes is a founding member of SMPS Alabama and was president of that chapter. A contributing author to the three editions of The Marketing Handbook for the Design and Construction Professional,Garikes is an accomplished industry author and presenter, and a contributor to the SMPS journal, Marketer.

Enjoy spring,

Kelly Wood

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New to COM or graduating soon? Check this out…

Posted on by Kelly Wood

Are you a graduating senior or a new COM major/minor?  You may have something in common with each other—you don’t know exactly what you are going to do?   Whichever situation you are in, there are a number of EXCELLENT opportunities in the next few weeks to take advantage of.  Check them out!

  • Jobs in Health Communication
  • Life After MSU
  • Mentor Match

Considering a major or minor in health communication?

Health communication offers a wide variety of career options…sometimes they can be overwhelming. The good news is the health industry continues to be the leader in new jobs. So, we’ve planned a lunchtime (FREE)  informational session to highlight two local professionals and careers they’ve carved out that focus on communication and health care.  Learn about their jobs and possible internship opportunities.

WHAT: Learn about jobs and internships in the health industry from two local professionals.
WHEN: Tuesday, April 6 at 12:30, Craig Hall 321.
WHY:  Free lunch and free advice about careers in health care.

Sponsored by the COM department in support of the health communication program.

Life after MSU

Are you ready?  What does life has in store for you after leaving MSU? No one knows, but you can be prepared to handle just about anything…I highly recommend attending any of the workshops at the Life After MSU event.  Remember, MSU is here to help!

The Life After Missouri State Workshop will be held on Wednesday, April 7th, 2010, from 3:00-8:00 p.m. in Glass Hall. The goal of the event is to prepare students for the transition to life after college. Organized as a mini professional conference with several workshop options, the event will bring together campus and community resources into one forum. Although the workshop is targeted towards upperclassmen, the content is relevant and beneficial for the any student. Students are encouraged to attend the entire event, but they can come and go as they please according to which workshops they are interested in attending.  Looks like no RSVP is required, but encouraged so you can be entered into a prize drawing

Topics will include: resume building, personal finance, navigating the “human resources process,” interview skills, how to be an effective and successful alumnus, work/life balance, graduate school search, job search, and professionalism in the workplace.

Event Information
Date: Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Time: 3:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Location: Glass Hall

Event website: http://sga.missouristate.edu/LAMSU

Questions, Contact: Shannon O’Hagan, ohagan123@live.missouristate.edu

The event is sponsored by Alumni Relations, Public Affairs Support, Career Center, Student Engagement, Student Government Association, Graduate College, and Graduate Student Council.

Could a MENTOR help you decide on a career?

You thought March was all about brackets and basketball…how about Mentors in April?  I wanted to make you aware of an event the Career Center is hosting on April 20th – Mentor Match.  The Career Center will host 15 professionals coming the afternoon of April 20 in the Plaster Student Union to speak about their professions & to answer questions you may have for them.

This is a great opportunity for you to learn about different professions, especially if you are not sure what you want to do or if you want to learn more about what professionals do on the job.  Local professionals in Public Relations, Health Care, and Management (HR) will be in attendance.

Check out the sessions online now (use link to the right).  You can sign up for a Mentor Match session online, up for a maximum of 3 sessions (1 pm, 2 pm & 3 pm).

Kelly Wood

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Welcome Back: Important Updates

Posted on by Kelly Wood

Fall 2010 Schedule

•    COM 512/617: Communication and Diversity in the Workplace.  This online course has been added to the fall schedule.  Instructor Dr. Randy Dillon.
•    COM 507/604:  Health Communication and Culture.  This is a seated course with Dr. Heather Carmack as instructor. NOTE:  COM 604 NOW appears on the fall schedule.  Approval granted of this new course! :-D

MORE SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

The COM Scholarship Application deadline has been extended to Wednesday, March 17 at 5pm.   In order to give you a few days after break to get caught up, please apply for our scholarships!  See my previous blogpost with information on each one.  In particular I would recommend you apply for the Keeling and Stanton scholarships as NO ONE has applied yet.  I’m also posting below the expected amounts for each of the scholarships.

Bourhis/Berquist (Graduate)    $500
Drale (Graduate)    $500
Dollar    $1000
Faculty    $600
Keeling    $300
Sifford    $500
Spicer    $1000
Stanton    $1000
Stovall (Graduate)   $225

Check out the dept website for all the information you need including a link to the application and criteria for all of the scholarships.  APPLY NOW!  If you have questions, call our office at 836-4423 or email me directly at kellywood@missouristate.edu.

DID YOU KNOW?  The College of Arts and Letters currently has three scholarships available for students to apply for as well.  The application deadline for these is March 22.  Do take note of the Winnie Clark scholarship if you are majoring in Speech and Theatre Education.

•    David O.  & Susan Belcher Graduate Scholarship – $350
Student must be a graduate student in the College of Arts and Letters. When awarded to an incoming graduate student, he/she must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.5. When awarded to a student already enrolled in the program, he/she must have maintained 3.5 GPA. Recipients need not enroll full-time.
•    O. Franklin Kenworthy Memorial Scholarship – $450
Student must be majoring in a program in the College of Arts and Letters and have demonstrated exceptional performance in their academic field.
•    Winnie Lawrence Clark Memorial Scholarship* – $1,750
Student must be junior level or higher pursuing a B.S. in Education in English, or Speech and Theatre with an overall GPA of 2.75. Financial need is considered.
*Indicates that student must have a FAFSA on file to be considered for this award.

You may access the following links for scholarship information and the application form
COAL Scholarship web site:  http://coal.missouristate.edu/scholarships.asp
Scholarship on-line form at:  https://apps.missouristate.edu/coal/secure/scholarshipform.htm
Scholarship descriptions:  http://www.missouristate.edu/FinancialAid/scholarships/collegeofart_design.html

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Do You Need More $$$$ for School? Apply for a COM scholarship!

Posted on by Kelly Wood

Apply for a COM Scholarship…application deadline March 15, 2010. This date is the Monday we return from Spring Break, so if the scholarship you are applying for requires a letter of recommendation, contact a faculty member now so she or he can write your letter during break.  You too can spend some time during break putting together a quality application.

HEY, we have money to award and we want to give it to students like you–SO APPLY!

Check out the dept website for all the information you need including a link to the application and criteria for all of the scholarships.  APPLY NOW!  If you have questions, call our office at 836-4423 or email me directly at kellywood@missouristate.edu.

Kelly

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New Hours, New Courses, New Opportunities

Posted on by Kelly Wood

1.   Important information about Craig 339 lab
We are lucky to have a dedicated classroom lab to meet the demands of our various programs including public relations.  However, since we pay for this lab ourselves and it is dedicated for mostly COM classes, we’re beginning a new process this week allowing limited access to the computers outside of class time.

Starting immediately, the Craig 339 classroom lab will be available only to students enrolled in specific courses. For the spring semester, students in the following classes may use the lab during open hours.  COM 210, 309, 336, 379, 439, 449, 509, 566 and MED 381.  Our friendly lab monitor will confirm your attendance in one of those classes. The lab is to be used for work required in these classes.

The lab hours for Craig 339 are as follows:
Monday 10:30-12:00, Tuesday  9:30-11 and 1-2:30, NO Wednesday hours, Thursday 9:30-11 and 1:00-2:30 and Friday 10:30-12:00

Hours are posted on the door.  This is a trial run this semester, so look for updates as we go along. If you have class at the time the lab is open, please visit with Karen in Craig 375 so we can make arrangements with you. Thanks for understanding.

2.   New Course options you should know about….need flexibility in your schedule? Want to learn new skills?  Consider these…

•    2nd block, COM 397 (2 credits), APA Style in Academic Writing. This course is blended, a mixture of seated and online course activity.  The class meets on Tuesdays, 6:30 pm – 9:20 pm in Craig Hall 0336.  The course will consist of four class meetings on April 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th, with the time before and after occurring via Blackboard.

The course is designed to help you improve writing skills by offering guidance in the use of APA style. Topics discussed will include the academic importance and relevance of APA style, what is new with the 6th edition of APA style, and proper use of the techniques/conventions of APA style. Assignments and coursework will be completed online via a Blackboard course site. Contact Heather Walters for details.

•    An exciting course offered this Summer!  COM 597/698 – 900 (3 credits): Topic: Difficult Dialogue: Facilitating Constructive Talk in Groups, Organizations, and Communities.

This course is also blended and a great elective for those interested in org com, interpersonal, and conflict. You will gain valuable skills in this course.  It will consist of eight face-to-face meeting times (June 8-9, June 15-16, July 6-7, and final meeting times on July 16 6:00pm-10:00pm and July 17 9:00am-1:00pm) combined with independent work and online interaction. Information will be provided on the first day of class or you can contact Dr. Carey Adams for details.

3.     Looking to gain some leadership experience?
•    Looking for ways to apply your awesome communication skills with first year students?
•    Consider applying to be a Peer Leader for GEP 101 (replacing IDS 110)

What is a Peer Leader?
A Peer Leader is a student who uses their positive attitude, exemplary academic work, interpersonal skills, and personal experience to assist first-year students in their transition to university life.  Peer Leaders pair up with a GEP 101 instructor and help educate students on topics including campus involvement, time management, critical thinking, campus resources, the public affairs mission, and more.

What does a Peer Leader do?
•    Acquaint themselves and work with a lead instructor
•    Help students by answering questions, acting as a resource, and problem-solving
•    Assist with class activities and teaching
•    Develop positive relationships with students
•    Make a difference in the lives of first-year students

What are the requirements of becoming a Peer Leader?
•    A 3.0 cumulative GPA
•    Enrollment in IDS 310, a 1 credit hour course for leadership instruction
•    Completion of Peer Leader training
•    Good interpersonal and communication skills
•    Strong work ethic
•    High standards for ethics and integrity
•    Respect for the University and its students, faculty, and staff
•    Desire to serve others

What are the benefits of becoming a Peer Leader?
•    Become a leader on campus
•    Earn 1 credit hour for IDS 310 each semester of service to a maximum of 3 credits at no cost to the student
•    Obtain credentials for a resume following graduation
•    Make a difference in the lives of first-year students
•    Receive textbooks and peer leader apparel
•    Meet other leaders on campus, collaborating ideas and sharing resources

How do I become a Peer Leader?
•    To find out more information, attend one of our information sessions on Wednesday, February 17th at 8 pm in PSU 314 AB, on Monday, February 22nd at 4 pm in PSU 308 A, or on Tuesday, February 23rd   at 7:30 pm in PSU 315 AB.
•    Fill out the attached application and find two references to fill out your reference forms. Your application and reference forms must be turned in to University Hall room 205 no later than Wednesday, March 17th at 5 pm.  You can also find the application and the reference forms online at the First-year programs website: http://www.missouristate.edu/FirstYearPrograms/2842.htm
•    Attend Peer Leader Carousel on Saturday, March 20th from 9-1 pm on the PSU 3rd floor.  This is a required interview process; you must attend to be eligible to become a Peer Leader. Dress will be business casual.
•    Peer Leader position offers will be made via e-mail by Wednesday, March 31st at 5 pm.
•    If you are offered a Peer Leader position, you will be required to attend the Spring Peer Leader Training Session on Saturday, April 10th, 9 am to 1 pm in PSU 315 ABC.

Event    Date    Location
Information Sessions    Wednesday, February 17th, 8 pm    PSU 314 AB
Monday, February 22nd, 4 pm    PSU 308 A
Tuesday, February 23rd, 7:30 pm    PSU 315 AB
Applications and
Reference Forms Due    Wednesday, March 17th, 5 pm    University Hall 205
Peer Leader Carousel    Saturday, March 20th, 9 am-1 pm    PSU 3rd Floor
Position Offers made    Wednesday, March 31st, 5 pm    Via e-mail
Peer Leader Training    Saturday, April 10th, 9 am-1 pm    PSU 315 ABC

If you have any questions, please contact First-Year Programs Director Mike Wood at (417)836-8343 or e-mail him at MikeWood@missouristate.edu.

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Posted on by Kelly Wood

Planning for your future NOW.

Planning ahead is always good, but it gets a bad wrap. The investment of time almost always pays off.  So my blogpost is all about helping you think ahead, so that you can take action!

  • Could you get out a semester earlier than you planned by taking a 2nd block course or summer classes?
  • Have you looked at what jobs are out there, who’s hiring and how to make yourself more marketable?
  • Did you know the COM dept has scholarships available to help support you?

So, here are some items for you to consider in planning ahead for SUCCESS!

1)  DRAFT Summer and Fall class schedules are currently on Banner…yeah, check them out.  A few notes to pay attention to in planning:

  • REGISTRATION POINTERS–no one ever told you this?   Each course has a section number assigned (next to the course number, not CRN) 700 section numbers mean it’s an intersession course. 800 section numbers means it’s an online ONLY course. 900 means either Honors or that it’s a blended course.
  • Deciding between a blended and online course? Here’s what you should know:

Online: A course that meets entirely online utilizing no traditional classroom time.  Proctored exams may be required. A class may also include some synchronous activity and still be considered online.

Blended: A blended course includes: Integrating online and traditional face-to-face class activities in a planned, pedagogically valuable manner.   A portion of the face-to-face time is reduced by online activities and specified in the course description, e.g. from three days to two or two days to one.

  • Pay attention to course descriptions of special topics, blended courses, and online courses. Click on the CRN and read the description carefully (you’ll have to scroll up to see the full description). This is information about the content of the course, as well as the format of when it meets and if various components occur outside of class time.
  • Fall ONLY courses are COM 332 Small Group, COM 325 Nonverbal Com, and COM 550: Political Com
  • New Course COM 206: Introduction to Health Communication (TR 2-3:15). I highly recommend this course to new COM majors and minors who are interested in how communication applies and is important in health care settings. This is a required course in the Health Com major.  You may also use this as an elective course in COM, if your degree provides for them.
  • Related, the health communication and culture class is now numbered COM 507/604. I recommend that for any intercultural com and health com majors as well. It’ll be on Thursdays 6:30-9;20.
  • I might also recommend COM 513: Communication Ethics. This is an online only course.
  • We will also offer a number of online classes: COM 209, 328, 511, 521.

2) Attend the upcoming Career Expo

The Career Expo is an annual spring career fair that hosts as many as 140 local, regional, and national employers from a variety of industries (excluding education). This event is open to all students and alumni, the employers in attendance will be looking to fill full-time, part-time, and internship positions. Sponsored in consortium with Drury University, Evangel University, Southwest Baptist University and College of the Ozarks.

Career Expo 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
1:00 – 5:00 PM
University Plaza Convention Center

Students: View employers registered to attend.

3) SHOW ME THE MONEY! Apply for a COM Scholarship…application deadline March 15, 2010.  Check out the dept website for all the information you need including a link to the application and criteria for all of the scholarships. APPLY NOW!

CHECK THIS OUT: our very own Dr. Heather Carmack has published a cool short article on “checklists” in medical procedures: http://www.communicationcurrents.com/index.asp?bid=15&issuepage=210&issue=56

Finally, I am still taking feedback on summer course offerings. We can still add a course to the summer schedule if a number of students request a particular class. I’ve received some suggestions, but not enough to indicate that we need to offer another course.   Please email me directly with your input, it’s important that we provide you courses you need!

Take care, stay warm, and drive safely in our winter weather :-D

Kelly

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Welcome back COM students

Posted on by Kelly Wood

The Spring 2010 semester is in full swing.  Now that the first two weeks of the semester have passed, I suspect your schedule is starting to feel normal again and you are in the swing of your classes.  It’s about this time that I really feel like we are getting down to business in our classes and committees and such.

As a reminder, I blog at least two times a month with information that you can use as a COM student.  So, to start you off with “stuff you can use,”  below is a brief list of items in this post.  I would appreciate it if you would review the entire post as it contains some important information about additional classes we’re offering in 2nd block as well as summer/fall schedule planning (yeah, I know, already?).

  1. Check out the additional COM courses offered 2nd block. And, we need your input on summer classes in process of development.
  2. Career Center offers on campus interviews, etiquette dinner and EXPO.
  3. COM students to offer workshop on PR strategies for student organizations.

1.  Did you know that we are offering two 2nd block courses in COM?  We are…do you need to add another course to your schedule? Even better, they are blended courses with seated and online components.  These are flexible courses for your schedule.  Both courses will start Monday, March 15 and run for eight weeks, however note the different times and dates they meet.  COM 597 is available for immediate registration. COM 397 is currently being built and will appear this week on the schedule.

  • COM 597/698: Communication Issues in Mental Health Problems. Dr. Isabelle Bauman will be facilitating this blended course. Please note this is CRN 47984. This course is blended and it will consist of an intensive face-to-face weekend format over 2 weekends (March 26-28 and April 9-11) with a 2-4 week online segment between them. REGISTER NOW!
  • COM 397:  APA style in academic writing. Heather Walters will be teaching this course as it is designed to improve writing skills with guidance in the use of APA style.  Topics discussed will include the academic importance & relevance of APA style, what is new with the 6th edition of APA style, and proper use of the techniques/conventions of APA style.  This course is appropriate for Communication majors/minors, as well as other majors/minors in the social & behavioral sciences including pyschology, criminology, business, etc.  This course is blended.  It will consist of four class meetings in April (6:30-9:20, evening TBA).  Other assignments and coursework will be completed online via a course Blackboard site including individual feedback on current papers.  Contact Heather Walters for additional details.  (Course in process of being built, we will contact all majors when it’s available for registration).

SUMMER SCHEDULE:  We are in the process of finalizing the summer and fall 2010 schedule of classes.  WE NEED YOUR INPUT on adding one more course to the summer schedule. Below is what we plan to offer:

  • COM 315: Advanced Public Speaking.  This will be a three week INTERSESSION course, May 17-Jun 4, 9am-12pm.
  • 5 seated sections of COM 115, and 2 online sections of COM 115.
  • Online COM 209
  • COM 597/698:  Special Topics Course. Difficult Dialogue: Facilitating Constructive Talk in Groups, Organizations, and Communities. This is a blended course with seated time and online components.  I highly recommend this to any COM major and minor, but in particular to those interested in interpersonal, organizational, health, and intercultural. This is a hands-on course in developing your skills in facilitating group discussion of difficult topics.  What a great resume builder!
  • We would like to offer one more blended course. This is where I need your input. If you plan to take summer courses, what other COM course would you most likely take? Please respond to me via email at kellywood@missouristate.edu.

2. The Career Center offers many services to ALL students.  This semester you can participate in on-campus interviews, a business etiquette dinner and Career EXPO. Check out their website.  I recommend the upcoming Career Expo whether you are on the job market or not. Go to the webpage and check out the employers who’ll be attending…quite impressive.

The Career Expo is an annual spring career fair that hosts as many as 140 local, regional, and national employers from a variety of industries (excluding education). This event is open to all students and alumni, the employers in attendance will be looking to fill full-time, part-time, and internship positions. Sponsored in consortium with Drury University, Evangel University, Southwest Baptist University and College of the Ozarks.

Career Expo 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
1:00 – 5:00 PM
University Plaza Convention Center

3. COM students to offer workshop on PR strategies.

PR for Dummies- Making everything easier

Facilitated by PRSSA Students: Leah Almeling, Emileigh Ard, Meaghan Hadenhorst, Kristen White, Lindsay Vanquathem

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 5 p.m.
Place: PSU 308 AM
Format: one hour and 45 minute workshop consisting of brief lectures and examples of PR strategies you can use. 15 minutes for question and answer.
Find out what public relations is and learn how good PR practices can benefit your organization.
This class is free and open to student organization presidents, secretaries and PR chairs or anyone that wants to learn more
about good communication practices.

That’s all for now, have a good semester.  Coming soon to this blog:  job market tips, fall 2010 schedule tips, and submitting to LOGOS (an MSU academic journal).

Kelly

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