Registration started  Monday for the spring semester, can you feel the stress/relief/anxiety in the air?  It’s that time of the year when faculty and students meet to plan for the upcoming semester and check their progress towards graduation.   Some of you have registered already, and others have a few weeks to wait until their window opens. I thought that it would be a good time to let you know about a few things relative to scheduling now and in the future.

• Recently we added a new feature to our department webpage that outlines what courses we expect to offer in the next three years, including the way in which we will offer it. This is our 3-year course rotation with delivery mode (this means whether a course is offered during the day, evening, online, blended or intersession). This is an important tool for you to use in planning your upcoming semester.  Please refer to it as you work with your advisor each semester because it shows you which semester we offer specific courses so you know to take a class that is only offered in the spring or fall or both.  This is an important tool for planning your graduation semester too!
• Are you a Senior who is intending to graduate in the spring semester?  Listen up!  You need to enroll in COM 499 and GEN 499–they are different graduation requirements.   In order to register for COM 499, you need to email me (Dr. Wood) and request permission.  When you do this, I will review your audit and email you with permission to add the course, along with comments about outstanding issues you need to get resolved. GEN 499 is open registration and you select a date on which to take your university assessment exam.  Let me know if you have any questions.

For spring semester, we have a few new course offerings that I’d like to share with you.

Three Undergraduate Intersession Courses

• COM 397:   Political Speechwriting
  Instructor: Nora F. Cox  Jan 03, 2011 – Jan 07, 20111:00 pm – 4:00 pm Craig Hall, 0331
• COM 397:  Semiotics: Communication of Signs and Symbols
  Instructor: Randy K. Dillon 9:00 am – 12:00 pm MTWRF Craig Hall 0331 Jan 03, 2011 – Jan 07, 2011
• COM 331: Employment Interviewing
  Instructor:  Allison R. Coltharp 9:00 am – 12:00 pm MTWRF Craig Hall 0337 Jan 03, 2011 – Jan 07, 2011

Full Semester Special Topics Courses

Interpersonal majors
Topic: Communication Issues in Mental Health Problems Studies in Communication Theory and Practice – 24198 – COM 597 – 901
Studies in Communication Theory and Practice – 24199 – COM 698 – 901Instructor:  Dr. Isabelle Bauman. This course is blended. It will consist of an intensive face to face weekend format over 2 weekends (April 1-3 and April 15-17) with a 2-4 week online segment between them. Information will be provided the first day of class or you can contact Dr. Isabelle Bauman for details.Organizational Com majors
Topic: Conflict Systems Design in Organizations. Studies in Communication Theory and Practice – 22530 – COM 597 – 902
Studies in Communication Theory and Practice – 22532 – COM 698 – 902 Instructor:  Dr. Stephanie Norander.  This course is blended. It will consist of three Saturday face-to-face meetings (January 15th, February 5th, and February 26th) and online work in between each session. Information will be provided the first day of class or you can contact Dr. Stephanie Norander for details.

 

Things you should do!  –> Attend a Department of Communication Presentation

Open to faculty and students from all departments

Speaker:  Dr. Randy Dillon, Internship Director
Title:  Communication Internships: The Good, the Bad, and the Not So Pretty!

Monday, November 8, 11:50 am to 12:40 pm, Craig Hall 337.  Light refreshments will be provided

You probably have heard from faculty that internships can be good for students.  Internships occur in the “real world” and along with the good, there are sometimes some bad, and even downright ugly things about internships.  Dr. Dillon will share findings from a study he has conducted asking Missouri State University Communication students to report on their internship experiences.  You may be surprised to hear what these students have to say.  Utilizing the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, where scholarly inquiry works to improve the practice of teaching and student learning, results of the study are already influencing and changing the way that internships are being approached and carried out.       

Or, maybe you are considering Graduate School?

Why is graduate school a great choice?  Conduct research with top-tier faculty.  Increase your earning power.   Capitalize on an affordable education with flexible course offerings.  Learn about all these and more by attending  the Graduate College Showcase on Wednesday, November 10 from 3-7pm in the PSU ballroom.  You can learn about the 48 graduate programs MSU offers, 20 certificate programs, accelerated master’s programs, and scholarships/assistantships.   Not only that, you can talk with faculty in COM about our Masters program, graduate assistantships, certificate programs, and our accelerated program.

Are you interested in Intercultural Communication? 

If so, put this date on your calendar, November 18th at 5 o’clock in Craig Hall 334.  Faculty and students  interested in intercultural communication can gather together, share some pizza, and talk about the major, projects to work on, and careers.  More information will be shared soon.

That’s all for now…happy registering!