Earlier this semester, The Polytechnic reported on the new communication requirement that has started with the Class of 2010. The basis of the new communication requirement is to address the shortcomings of the old writing requirement, which Lee Odell, associate dean and professor of Humanities and Social Sciences felt “... tells us nothing about people’s ability to write.” He added that it is also important to develop the non-written forms of communication such as oral presentation and web design. Current debate revolves around how to modify existing courses to fit the communication requirement. Faculty senators mentioned the difficulty in evaluating group communication and some suggested that there should instead be separate English courses that are mandatory for all students.
Odell has spearheaded the effort for establishing a communication requirement through the Faculty Senate with some assistance from the Student Senate. He said more progress is being made in updating the course selections and stated, “We will have this fully acclimated in time for this year’s freshman to make the requirement by their senior year.” A proposal format for having classes designated as communication-intensive courses has also been presented to the Faculty Senate, whereby faculty submit a brief memo and a course syllabus listing items such as the amount of communication-intensive assignments involved and the method of evaluation. These proposals will be reviewed by a committee appointed by the Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee, comprised of faculty from all five schools.
More sections have been added to the first year studies program, enabling freshman to fulfill half of the new communication requirement. The second half, Odell hopes, will be fulfilled during a senior design course, where communication is essential between group members for design and presentation.
The key to developing these major-specific courses into communication courses is working to design their evaluation procedures as well as to shape their content. Odell plans on talking with deans of the engineering and science schools in order to work out the methods of integrating the communication requirement with major-specific courses. The new Center for Communication Practices will also play a large role in supporting professors and students. Odell emphasized that the center will not grade papers, but instead will provide one-on-one assistance to students with any communication-related project and help develop literacy skills.
Jim Napolitano, the president of the Faculty Senate, emphasized the importance of students learning how to communicate effectively. However, teaching effective communication skills is a problem inherent to each major and to each member of the faculty. Communication skills have not traditionally been emphasized in the schools of Science and Engineering and the ability to communicate effectively does not necessarily imply the ability to teach that skill. In an example provided by Napolitano, mediums of communication are often misused in the technical world. Poor communication skills and misuse of PowerPoint by NASA engineers ultimately led to the tragic Columbia shuttle accident upon its re-entry. On a more familiar level, most RPI students can attest to the abuse of PowerPoint in the classroom.
Ultimately, more work is needed in developing communication courses at RPI, especially when compared to programs offered at other schools. Cornell, for example, mandates two communication-intensive courses, plus a third course or a project to fulfill the communication requirement. Though some faculty senators advocated making it mandatory for students to take communication courses, it was deemed impractical, as in order to have enough communication classes for the freshman class alone there would need to be over 50 sections. As RPI cannot accommodate that course load at this time, the Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee is of the opinion that faculty alter the courses that are currently offered so that they can be designated communication courses.
While it is not pragmatic for RPI to offer a strictly communication course for every freshman, students and faculty alike have expressed the need for an emphasis on developing communication skills throughout college.
According to Napolitano, the communication requirement is in the hands of the Curriculum Committee. The Senate is now focused on other issues, such as women and minority issues at RPI, tuition, community issues, and restoring library journals. Napolitano recognized the strong participation of different members of the RPI community in restoring $180,000 of the estimated $320,000 budget cut to library journals and applauded the efforts of many, including Professor Esrock of the School of H&SS, Robert Mayo of the Folsom Research Libraries, Dean John Harrington of the School of H&SS, Chief Information Officer John Kolb, and President Shirley Ann Jackson.
Jackson also attended the General Faculty Meeting on November 8, updating the faculty on major accomplishments, such as the new Computational Center for Nanotechnology Innovations, which is expected to become one of the top 10 supercomputing centers of any kind. Jackson also expressed enthusiasm about admissions, calling the increase in applications for the Class of 2010 “good news.” Important issues in the near future include finding a new vice president for Research, finding a provost, and improving communication between the faculty and the administration.
Jackson expressed disappointment that there was such a low attendance of faculty at the meeting, but emphasized her desire to improve the faculty and administration relationship. Some members of the faculty feel that it is essential to find a provost that will serve as a point-person to broker communication between faculty and the president. In addition, Napolitano emphasized the need for faculty to get more involved and contribute to the community.
