School of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Missouri Western State University School of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Department of Communication Studies & Theatre

Annual Unit Report on Implementation of Strategic Plan 2006

Department of Communication Studies & Theatre

Degrees/majors offered

BS in Speech Communication, Public Relations Emphasis

BS in Speech Communication, Organizational Communication Emphasis

BS in Speech Communication, Video Production/Performance Emphasis

BS in Speech Communication, Communication Research Emphasis

BA in Speech Communication

BS ED

BS in Theatre and Video

Number of faculty

10 full time faculty

1 adjunct faculty

Number of majors

55 declared majors (Spring, 2006)

65 declared majors (Fall, 2006)

Number of intended/pre-majors

55 intended majors (Spring, 2006)

45 intended majors (Fall, 2006)

Number of graduates

13 (Spring, 2006)

8 (Fall, 2006)

2 Department/Program Mission, Vision, Values

The Bachelor of Science degree emphases in the Communication Studies and Theatre Department share a common core curriculum of communication courses incorporating theoretical and practical applications. This curriculum is designed to assist students in learning communication skills that will enable them to compete in various career settings and graduate school. Through instruction, interaction and support, the faculty assists students in learning to communicate clearly, critically and creatively. The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Speech Communication provides excellent preparation for graduate school and other areas of advanced study for which knowledge of a foreign language is desirable. The Bachelor of Science degree in Theatre and Video prepares students as crossover artists between live theatre, film and other media and entertainment careers and strengthens their ability to compete for graduate school positions. The Bachelor of Science in Education degree (a joint degree combining Speech Communication and Theatre) prepares the secondary education student for a career teaching speech and theatre.

Department Goals

I. Develop a valid and reliable method for program assessment: A. Refine the process of evaluation of program through the senior portfolio 1. Implement during five-year program review, 2003-2004 2. Increase program evaluation of graduates a. Email lists for graduates presently numbers 72 b. Seniors surveyed every year have indicated they were highly satisfied with the program B. Continually evaluate and refine emphasis structures and curriculum requirements 1. Provide a sound economic base for department expenditures 2. Submit grant applications for equipment needs for theatre/video degree 3. Develop budget projections

II. Reduce dependency on adjunct faculty for Oral Communication (COM 104)

III. Increase offerings of major courses to meet student demand

IV. Expand experiential learning opportunities A. Increase the number of students who participate in internships B. Develop service learning opportunities C. Increase student participation in professional organizations

V. Establish and develop student recruitment techniques A. Brochure B. Display Board (Visit Days)

3 C. Recruiting DVD D. Personal contacts E. Major Fair and other opportunities 1. St. Joseph Museum 2. International Film Festival 3. High school exchange

F. Strengthen on-line presence

Integration of Department and Institution Goals

(Please quantify your responses whenever possible)

Western Strategic Plan Goals

 Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management

o Goal Two: Develop a diverse mix of students with academic potential for completing high-quality programs.

Department response and outcomes: (recruitment activity and successes)

When students indicate on their admission forms that they are interested in Communication Studies and Theatre/Video, their form is forwarded to our departmental recruiter, Diane Gorcyca. Students are then sent an email expressing our willingness to answer questions and otherwise assist in the admission process. They are also sent a mailing which includes a personal letter, our departmental brochure and information on scholarship and financial aid application. If their ACT score qualifies them for the Honor’s program, a hand-written note encourages them to explore the Honor’s Program. 2006 was the first year of this program: we responded to 38 inquiries. Fourteen of these students registered for Western in fall 2006. CS/T will continue tracking this number. Tyson Schank was highly complimentary of our tracking procedure and planned to recommend this to other departments.

Theatre faculty members attended local high school productions and offered their services for workshops and other outreach activities to the teachers.

Theatre/video faculty organized and hosted film workshops for the Third Annual Griffon International Film Festival exhibiting films and guest lectures to the public and classes.

Theatre faculty hosted the regional Northwest Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) one-act play festival. Approximately two hundred regional

4 high school students participated in 2006.

Theatre/Video and CS faculty continued collaboration on redesign of the department web site to appeal to and enable potential students to easily see what the department offers and what is being accomplished by our majors.

Theatre/Video faculty began recruiting and instruction in the new BS degree in Theatre/Video.

o Goal Three: Strengthen existing and develop new academic programs, taking into consideration the educational and career needs of students and the economic, social, and cultural needs of the community.

Department response and outcomes: (accreditation)

The Department completed a rigorous and extensive redesign of its curriculum in 2005. Admission and retention requirements were again revamped to conform to discipline standards and to insure a high level of student achievement. Core course requirements were reduced in each emphasis area within the Speech Communication Degree, and emphasis area requirements were updated. These requirements will serve to strengthen the retention, graduation and placement outcomes by enhancing the learning and success of department majors.

The Department designed a new Bachelor of Science Degree in Theatre and Video. The curriculum proposal was approved by Western’s curriculum committee and the CGAC. This degree is intended to prepare our students as cross over artists between live theatre, film and other media and entertainment careers and to strengthen their ability to compete for graduate school positions.

The Department revised the video production emphasis to put the focus on non- fiction production and make the emphasis more compatible with the Communication core. This change will more effectively prepare our students for work in the professional world of video and film production.

Nonverbal Communication (COM 345), Survey of Rhetorical Theory (COM 338), and Intercultural Communication (COM 342) enable students to learn about culture and communication in other countries and within the increasingly diverse workforce here in the U.S. All are designated LAS International/Intercultural intensive courses.

A new course in Health Communication was taught in fall 2006 as a special topics (COM 399) offering. This course helps support Western’s growing life sciences initiative.

5 o Goal Four: Strengthen the retention, graduation and placement outcomes of students.

Department response and outcomes: (retention, graduation, placement rates, licensure/certification pass rates)

A 2006 graduate was hired by a production company in New York City.

One student worked with a production company for a show being produced for the Discovery Channel.

Three alumni have started a production company in New York City.

One student was hired as a caricature artist in the Pocono resort area. This student was hired as head caricaturist for Worlds of Fun Amusement Park.

One student was cast in the latest Ridley Scott film, American Gangster, and in an episode of 30 Rock. He also auditioned for the off Broadway production of Alter Boyz.

One student completed his MFA thesis at the University of Illinois, Carbondale.

One student is serving as production stage manager in the nationally recognized and award winning Coterie Theatre in Kansas City.

One student is an assistant professor of theatre at Ferris State University.

One student completed a documentary video, From Mid Coast to Left Coast, on extreme rollerblading for national distribution.

One student has been selected as a finalist for the Branson Idle Competition. This student also has been granted a scholarship to The American Academy of Musical Theatre in Los Angeles.

Two alumni are currently producing, writing and performing in and around Los Angeles. Their independent short film, The Importance of Blind Dating, has received several awards at film festivals around the country.

Three alumni are working in New York City as video producers with commercial production companies.

Two alumni were hired as commercial producers for the local ABC affiliate (total of four students in two years).

One alumnus was hired as a multi-media producer by a Virginia company that services Boeing and NASA.

6 Year by Year Comparison of Faculty, Majors, and Graduates

Calendar Year 2004 2005 2006 Spring Fall Spring Fall Spring Fall Full-time Faculty 10/12 10/12 10/12 10/12 10/12* 10/12

Part-time Faculty 2/1.25 2/1.0 2/1.25 1/.75 1/.75 1/.75

Number of Majors 77 68 67 67 55 65

Number of Intended Majors 31 48 37 52 55 45

Number of Graduates 10 11 7 6 13 8

* 2 faculty on sabbatical

 Experiential Learning and Student Development

o Goal One: Provide students, by graduation, the opportunity to blend academic knowledge and applications in and beyond the classroom.

Department response and outcomes: (applied learning opportunities and numbers)

One student directed a production as part of Western’s main theatrical season.

One student produced a high definition video for Sun Rider Corporation.

One student taught a course on digital filmmaking to high school children at a summer workshop at Northwest Missouri State University.

Fifteen students presented a showing of student work at the Horseshoe Drive-In in St. Joseph.

Thirteen students presented a showing of a feature horror film at the Horseshoe Drive-In in St. Joseph.

Four students were involved as actors in No Exit.

Thirteen students were involved as actors in Bodies, Rest, and Motion.

Six students were involved as actors in House of Yes.

7 One student produced a small production of Sure Thing.

Two students acted in a production of Sure Thing.

Six students in The Film Technique (COM399) wrote, directed and produced a super8 film.

Eleven students in Health Communication (COM399) developed public service announcements targeting low income women in the St. Joseph area for the Social Welfare Board—Fall 2006.

Four students shot and created a Video Archive webpage that captures events on and around campus.

One student associate produced the 30 second MWSU commercial directed by Los Angeles-based filmmaker, Tara Veneruso.

Two students worked as production assistants for the Regional One Act Play Festival, hosted by Western.

Two students were asked to be costume assistants for the Performing Arts Association’s presentation of “In the Mood.”

Two Theatre/Video students worked with film companies as interns for production projects shot in the area.

Two Theatre/Video students developed a promotional video for the Heartland Foundation promoting the Empower Plant project.

Two Theatre/Video students developed a “Life and Times” video featuring alum Joe Friedman for the Western Foundation and Alumni Association.

Two Theatre/Video students taught acting classes for The Western Institute.

Four Theatre/Video students completed a three-camera shoot of a live musical performance. These students were taken through set up, shooting and camera switching.

More than 20 students from Western participated in the development and implementation of the Third Annual Griffon International Film Festival. Students learned how to organize, view and evaluate over 170 international film submissions and how to plan, organize, publicize and direct a major event. The Second Annual Griffon International Film Festival was held in October 2006.

In Introduction to Video (COM 270) and Advanced DV Filmmaking (COM 370) students write and produce commercials, short narrative pieces, interviews, and promotional pieces. Everything the students do is based on a strong foundation of theory and aesthetics. The analysis, application and final evaluation of the projects are

8 all part of the program. Thirty-nine students completed projects in the above classes in 2006.

Students in the Producing/Directing (COM 468-COM 470) sequence produced projects for The Second Harvest Food Bank, The Griffon Football Team and a promotional piece for the Griffon Film Festival as well as a number of narrative pieces that will be entered in regional competitions.

Twenty-five students were involved in acting, dance, singing, music and video production during the preparation and performance of the fall production of Beauty and the Beast.

Theatre/Video faculty sent three students to the County Radio Seminar in Nashville, where they participated in the production of live concerts.

Twenty-eight students in the spring 2006 Small Group Communication (COM 324) class engaged in academic service learning projects. Five groups of students worked with nonprofit organizations in the St. Joseph area to assist with targeted projects (Community Action Projects). Student teams worked with their organization throughout the semester to complete the Community Action Projects.

Twenty-four students in the fall 2006 Presentational Communication (COM210) class engaged in applied learning projects focusing on the topic of interviewing. Each student was asked to interview a professional in the community (i.e. journalists, counselors, human resource managers, etc.) to examine the professional’s philosophy on interviewing. Students gained practical experience on how to create and conduct professional interviews, from both an interviewer’s and interviewee’s perspective, but also applied theoretical knowledge about interviewing to a “real world” interviewing situation.

Twenty-two students from the fall 2006 Public Relations (COM415) class worked with seven nonprofit organizations to develop proposals for a public relations campaign. The organizations that participated include: UCP, Patee House Museum, Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, Special Olympics and the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and C3 Missions International of Kansas City. The students worked directly with the organization in developing the proposal. The “pitch” for the campaign was delivered to representatives of the organization. Two of the presentations were delivered on-site. Students from each of the groups are developing implementations from the proposals in the spring 2007 Public Relations Writing (EPR422) class. The full packet, proposal and tactics, will be presented to the organizations in May. The instructors are collaborating to develop an exceptional applied learning opportunity for both students and the organizations. Four organizations have already expressed a desire to have students develop campaigns for them in the future.

9 Year by Year Comparison of Applied Learning Activities

Calendar Year 2004 2005 2006 Spring Fall Spring Fall Spring Fall

Number of Independent 10 8 6 2 9 9 Research/Projects

Number of Practicum/Internships 6 8 7 7 6 8

Number of Performances/Exhibitions 11 9 11 25 12 17

o Goal Two: Provide additional opportunities for students to participate in international and/or multicultural experiences.

Departmental response and outcomes: (number of students and nature of travel/study)

Students in Intercultural Communication (COM 342) studied theories in intercultural communication and their practical applications. By identifying ways to break the barriers to intercultural interaction, students learned to become better communicators with people from other cultures. A variety of written assignments enabled students to refine their research and writing skills and reflect on their own cultural identities. Students gained intercultural experience via case studies, exercises, videos, and guest speakers.

o Goal Three: Recognize and expand experiential learning activities in coursework. (Do not include independent study activities here)

Departmental response and outcomes:

10 educational background to real world situations. Thirteen students were placed in the following organizations in the capacity indicated:

Spring 2006 Credit hours Type Primary Duty(ies) Emphasis

COM 460 2

Jenessa Henderson Bank Scheduling PR

COM 460 3

Sarah Jones Church Group dynamics Org. Comm. Stephanie Searcy Business Brochures PR Robert Woodring Business Sales PR

COM 460 4

Amy Hankins Business training/development PR

------

Fall 2006

COM 460 1

Ellen Vetter Business brochures/scheduling PR

COM 460 2

Sybil Jennings Hospital grant PR Monica Lineberry Business brochures PR

COM 460 3

Lisa Cross Country Club Scheduling PR Sarah Jones Church Group dynamics/study Org. Comm. Kali Pettijohn Business Brochures PR Lasherrie Suttles-Tyes Business Brocuhure PR Robert Woodring Business Marketing PR

______

Totals 13 (students) 35 (credit hours) 13 (organizations)

Five students participated as costume assistants for the RRT and MWSU joint production of Beauty and the Beast.

One student was design assistant and served as coordinator of volunteers for Beauty and the Beast.

One student designed make-up for Beauty and the Beast and submitted her design to the Kennedy Centre Barbizon competition.

Six students in The Film Technique (COM399) class wrote, directed and produced a super8 film.

Eleven students in Health Communication (COM399) developed public service announcements targeting low income women in the St. Joseph area for the Social Welfare Board—Fall 2006.

11 Twenty-two students from the fall 2006 Public Relations (COM415) class worked with seven nonprofit organizations to develop proposals for a public relations campaign. The organizations that participated include: UCP, Patee House Museum, Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, Special Olympics and the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and C3 Missions International of Kansas City. The students worked directly with the organization in developing the proposal. The “pitch” for the campaign was delivered to representatives of the organization. Two of the presentations were delivered on-site. Students from each of the groups are developing implementations from the proposals in the spring 2007 Public Relations Writing (EPR422) class. The full packet, proposal and tactics, will be presented to the organizations in May. The instructors are collaborating to develop an exceptional applied learning opportunity for both students and the organizations. Four organizations have already expressed a desire to have students develop campaigns for them in the future.

Students in Organizational Communication (COM 410) conduct research through intensive field interviews with professionals in their area of interest. Twenty-seven students completed field projects in spring 2006.

Students in Research Methods in Communication (COM 320) utilize statistical software to critically analyze, conceptualize and implement quantitative communication research. Eighteen students completed research projects in 2006.

Twenty-four students in the Fall 2006 Presentational Communication (COM210) class engaged in applied learning projects focusing on the topic of interviewing. Each student was asked to interview a professional in the community (i.e. journalists, counselors, human resource managers, etc.) to examine the professional’s philosophy on interviewing. Students gained practical experience on how to create and conduct professional interviews, from both an interviewer’s and interviewee’s perspective, but also applied theoretical knowledge about interviewing to a “real world” interviewing situation.

Twenty-five students were involved in acting, dance, singing, music and video production during the preparation and performance of the production of Beauty and the Beast.

12 Griffon Eye Productions, a faculty mentored student production team, has collaborated with the Director of Applied Learning to develop a plan to provide productions for video archiving of campus events.

Students in most of the classes in the department are involved in experiential learning. They conduct internet, library research and field research, write original research papers, deliver formal oral presentations and participate in team assignments designed to illustrate theoretical constructs.

 Community Service, Community Partnerships, and Workforce Development

o Goal Two: Collaborate across campus and with regional, national, and international organizations to provide additional service opportunities for individuals and groups associated with Western.

Diane Gorcyca

Chaired the successful search committee for the Alumni Services Director.

Member search committee for Director of Orientation/Griffon Edge.

Directed the Learning Communities and the Freshman Seminar programs.

Marilyn Hunt

Served as member of a Business Department Search Committee.

Served as member of Western’s ABET accreditation team.

Began collaboration with the Social Welfare Board director and members of an ad hoc community health group to develop improved delivery of community health services and information.

Member Allocation Committee of the Allied Arts Council.

Adam Jones

Served as vice-chair of the Basic Course Interest Group of the 2006 Central States Communication Association at the April meeting.

Named chair of the Basic Course Interest Group of the 2006 Central States Communication Association at the April meeting.

Named chair of the Cooper Award Selection Committee for the 2006 Central States Communication Association.

13 Served as secretary of the Communication Education Interest Group of the 2006 Central States Communication Association at the April meeting.

Named vice-chair of the Communication Education Interest Group of the 2006 Central States Communication Association at the April meeting.

Named paper and panel reviewer for the Instructional Resources Division of the National Communication Association at the November meeting.

Served as reviewer of the Basic Communication Course Annual 19 for the American Press publishing company.

Named reviewer of the Basic Communication Course Annual 20 for the American Press publishing company.

Taught in a new learning community entitled “Success in a Global Society” for the Fall 2006 semester with Dr. Russell Phillips (Department of Psychology at MWSU). The learning community consisted of the following courses: Oral Communication (COM104), General Psychology (PSY101), and Freshman Seminar (COL101).

David McMahan

Served as secretary of the Basic Course Interest Group of the Central States Communication Association.

Elected vice-chair of the Basic Course Interest Group of the Central States Communication Association.

Elected secretary of the Kenneth Burke Interest Group of the Eastern Communication Association.

Served as reviewer of submissions for the Central States Communication Association Communication Education Interest Group.

Served as a reviewer of submissions for the Central States Communication Association Instructional Resources Interest Group.

Served as a member of the National Communication Association Task Force for Online Communication Courses.

Deny Staggs

Board member Robidoux Resident Theatre.

Advisory board member of St. Joseph Film Commission (CVB).

14 Co-founded the Film Alliance of the Midland Empire, a community based film society.

Respondent for the Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival Region V.

John Tapia

Served as book reviewer, American History Review.

Brought president and vice-president of Universal Group Acceptance to meet with internship directors.

Worked with area and other businesses and organizations in placing Communication interns.

Board member of the St. Joseph Museums, Inc. Active in other museum groups— Robidoux Row Museum, Pony Express Museum.

Active in saving the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion.

Jeremy Warner

Served as respondent for Troy Perkin’s “Tractor for Sale” for the University Film and Video Arts Conference.

Served on a focus group on “fair use” for the Center for Social Media.

Mei Zhang

Served as a reviewer for the journal, Communication Theory.

Served as a reviewer of competitive papers for the International Communication Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

o Goal Three: Increase the participation of Western students, faculty and staff in community service activities.

Departmental response and outcomes: (service participation by number and hours for students, faculty & staff, list of partnerships and nature of activities)

15 Eleven students in the Fall 2006 Health Communication (COM399) class developed public service announcements targeting low income women in the St. Joseph area for the Social Welfare Board—Fall 2006.

Two Theatre/Video students developed a promotional video for the Heartland Foundation promoting the Empower Plant project.

Two Theatre/Video students developed a “Life and Times” video featuring alum Joe Friedman for the Western Foundation and Alumni Association.

More than 20 students from Western participated in the development and implementation of the Third Annual Griffon International Film Festival. Students learned how to organize, view and evaluate over 170 international film submissions and how to plan, organize, publicize and direct a major event. The Third Annual International Film Festival was held in October, 2006.

The Communication Studies Department internships (COM 460 and COM 361), which are offered for variable credit to seniors and for one hour of credit for juniors, place students in various community organizations to provide practical application of their educational background to real world situations. Thirteen students participated via the internship program in community organizations in 2006. See entry under Experiential Learning and Student Development, Goal Three for details.

W. Robin Findlay is a member of the Albrecht Kemper Museum Board and chairs the Marketing and Special Events committee (e.g., Sugar Plum Festival, Pot of Gold, and all fund raising events).

W. Robin Findlay has been a member of the Ashland Avenue Neighborhood Association Board since it was founded. He is chair of the nominating committee. He represents the association at City Council meetings.

W. Robin Findlay is a member of the Performing Arts Association. He serves on the season selection committee and the equipment allocation committee.

16 W. Robin Findlay assisted LaFayette High School with costumes for their production of The Fantastics.

Diane Gorcyca served on the United Way Marketing Committee and Special Events Sub- committee.

Diane Gorcyca moderated a group discussion for the Missouri Arts Council, St. Joseph, January 2006.

Diane Gorcyca ushered three shows for Robidoux Resident theatre’s presentation of Seussical the Musical for school children in the surrounding area, March 2006.

Diane Gorcyca worked the Robidoux Resident Theatre’s production of Music Man, worked the picnic booth, ushered and worked the members’ table for four performances.

Diane Gorcyca collaborated with Jim Buhman, board member of Patee House Museum, on grant writing.

Diane Gorcyca presented to Leadership St. Joseph, August 2006, on public speaking.

Diane Gorcyca presented a workshop to Agency Directors for United Way agencies on creative ways to tell a story, September 2006.

Presented a workshop for the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce “Lunch and Learn” program, on strategic public speaking, October 2006.

Marilyn Hunt served on the allocation committee of the Allied Arts Council, and is a member of the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, the St. Joseph Museum, and the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art.

Marilyn Hunt began collaboration with the Social Welfare Board director and members of an ad hoc community health group to develop improved delivery of community health services.

Don Lillie served as judge and host for the regional high school one-act-play festival, held at Western, spring 2006. Two theatre/video students provided technical assistance.

Don Lillie designed lighting for the Northwest Missouri State University’s Dance Company spring dance performance.

Don Lillie served as guest lecturer and artist at East Los Angeles College. He delivered a series of beginning and advanced rapier workshops for both classroom and production work.

17 David McMahan presented the keynote address at the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Summer Meeting in August.

David McMahan presented a talk concerning the impact of television on everyday life at the Mid-Buchanan Alumni Association dinner in October.

Deny Staggs serves as an advisory board member of the St. Joseph Film Commission (DVB).

Deny Staggs serves as a board member of the Robidoux Resident Theatre.

Deny Staggs serves on the Show Selection Committee for Robidoux Resident Theatre.

Deny Staggs co-founded the Film Alliance of the Midland Empire, a community based film society.

Deny Staggs gave a theatre seminar to the three area high school theatre teachers and two speech teachers for St. Joseph District I.

John Tapia is a member of the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, St. Joseph Museum, Inc., Pony Express Museum and the Robidoux Row Museum.

John Tapia is the lead plaintiff in a case to save the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion.

Jeremy Warner served as a curator for the Kansas City Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

Jeremy Warner volunteered time to set-up and tear down for the Kansas City Pride Festival.

Mei Zhang gave a presentation on intercultural communication to the St. Joseph Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals at Heartland Regional Medical Center in November.

Year by Year Comparison of Community Service Activities

Calendar Year 2004 2005 2006

Number of Faculty Who 9 8 10 Gave Volunteer Service

Average Number of Faculty 80 75 72 Volunteer Hours per Month

18 Number of Community Groups 40 35 28 Faculty Served

Monthly Hours of Student Community Volunteer Work 60 70 85 Facilitated by the Department

Number of Community Service Projects Involving Students and 15 28 15 Facilitated by the Department

Department Points of Pride

One student has been accepted into the graduate program at University of Central Missouri.

Four alumni have created a start-up production company in New York City.

One alumnus completed the Ph.D. at the University of Kansas and is now on the faculty of Boston College.

One alumnus is a doctoral candidate at the University of Kansas.

One alumnus completed the Ph.D. at Bowling Green State University and is now o the faculty at West Texas A & M University.

One alumnus is completing her masters in Student Affairs at Western Illinois University.

One alumnus is completing his master’s degree in College Student Personnel at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

One alumnus, who graduated with an MFA from UI/Carbondale, completed her second summer season with the Utah Shakespeare Company and is a freelance scenic designer and properties mistress for the Alabama Shakespeare Company.

Two 2004 alumni are in the graduate programs at UM-Columbia and KSU.

Two alumni are currently producing, writing and performing in a series of suspense thrillers for a production company in Los Angeles.

Two alumni had their comedy, The Importance of Blind Dating, accepted for presentation in the METHOD FEST independent film festival in Calabasas, California.

19 Theatre faculty hosted the regional high school one-act play festival. This event was attended by approximately 250 regional high school students.

W. Robin Findlay

Faculty sponsor for the Alpha Psi Omega Honorary Fraternity

Member of the Albrecht-Kemper Museum Board. Chair of the Marketing and Special Events Committee (Pot-of-Gold, Sugar Plum Festival, and all fund raising event).

Member of the Ashland Avenue Neighborhood Association Board. Chairs the Nominating Committee. Represents the Association at City Council meetings.

Member of the Performing Arts Association. Serves on the Season Selection Committee and the Equipment Allocation Committee.

Assisted LaFayette High School with costumes for their production of The Fantastics.

Diane Gorcyca

Attended the Central States Communication Association Convention, April 2006. Presented a panel, “Integrating the Basic Communication Course into Learning Communities: New Approaches from Past Lessons,” with Marilyn Hunt, Adam Jones and Beverly Payne.

Member of Accrediting Panel for Southern Accreditation Association, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas. She was responsible for reviewing and critiquing the quality enhancement program which focused on first year programs.

Member, Institutional Advancement Strategic Planning Committee.

Member, Western PR/Marketing Committee.

Member, Western AQIP team, “Helping Students Learn.”

Conducted student focus group for Financial Aid & Business Offices.

Presented to Leadership St. Joseph on public speaking, August 2006. Presented a workshop to Agency Directors for United Way agencies on creative ways to tell a story, September 2006.

Arranged for 11 students to attend Career Day seminar, sponsored by the Kansas City Advertising Club. Dr. Marilyn Hunt and Jeremy Warner also attended the event.

20 Marilyn Hunt

Attended the 92nd Annual Meeting of the National Communication Association, November 16-19, San Antonio, Texas and presented on three competitively selected panels.

Served as co-presenter on a panel, “Great Ideas for Teaching Speech.” The paper, “Experiential Learning and Perception: Cutting through the Assumptions,” received a “top ten submission” award.

Served as respondent/critic on panel, “Communication Processes and Outcomes in the Superior-Subordinate Relationship.” Presented detailed critique and analysis of four scholarly research papers.

Served as participant on panel, “Teachers as Transformational Leaders: Strategies for Motivating Students to Achieve High Performance Levels.”

Attended the annual meeting of the Central States Communication Association in Indianapolis, Indiana, April 2006.

Served as member of a competitively selected panel “Integrating the Basic Communication Course into Learning Communities: New Approaches from Past Lessons” with Diane Gorcyca, Adam Jones, and Beverly Payne.

Served as a member of a competitively selected panel “Old Dogs and New Pups: Celebrating the Past While Shaping the Future Using Colleagues as Instructional Resources” with John Tapia, David McMahan, and Adam Jones.

Member of Faculty Senate and liaison to Salary Committee.

Member LAS Council of Department Chairpersons.

Chair, Search Committee for Development Officer

Member, Business Department Search Committee.

Member of the Education Leadership Team.

Member of the Facilities and Grounds Strategic Plan Implementation Team. Chaired sub-committee on campus signage.

Member of the Valuing People Strategic Planning Committee.

Member of the Gerontology Program Faculty Council.

21 Adam Jones

Attended the Central States Communication Association annual convention and the National Communication Association annual convention.

Article accepted for publication: “Centered, but Not Caught in the Middle: Stepchildren’s Perception of Contradictions of the Communication of Co-parents.” This article will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Applied Communication Research. This article was co-authored with Dawn Braithwaite, Paige Toller, Karen Daas, and Wesley Durham.

Article under review: “Supporting Our Students: A Typology of Teacher Behaviors that Communicate Support in the Instructional Context,” Communication Education.

Article under review: “Exploring the Effects Perceived Peer Instructor Communication Skills have on Immediacy, Credibility, and Student Motivation,” Basic Communication Course Annual 19. This article was co-authored by Bill Seiler.

Participated on a panel, “Integrating the Basic Communication Course into Learning Communities: New Approaches from Past Lessons” for the Basic Course Division at the Central States Communication Association Annual Conference.

Participated on a panel, “Old Dogs and New Pups: Celebrating the Past While Shaping the Future Using Colleagues as Instructional Resources,” for the Instructional Resources Division at the Central States Communication Association Annual Conference.

Participated on a panel, “Competitive Papers on Assessment in the Basic Course,” for the Basic Course Division at the National Communication Association Annual Conference.

Participated on a panel, “Breathing Life into Communication Pedagogy: Connecting Student and Subject Matter Through Active Learning,” for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Division at the National Communication Association Annual Conference.

Participated on a panel, “GTAs Learning to Teach by Connecting with Each Other: Negotiating Dual Roles in Basic Course Training and Mentoring Programs,” for the Basic Course Division at the National Communication Association Annual Conference.

Served as vice-chair of the Basic Course Interest Group of the 2006 Central States Communication Association at the April meeting.

22 Named chair of the Basic Course Interest Group of the 2006 Central States Communication Association at the April meeting.

Named chair of the Cooper Award Selection Committee for the 2006 Central States Communication Association.

Served as secretary of the Communication Education Interest Group of the 2006 Central States Communication Association at the April meeting.

Named vice-chair of the Communication Education Interest Group of the 2006 Central States Communication Association at the April meeting.

Named paper and panel reviewer for the Instructional Resources Division of the National Communication Association at the November meeting.

Served as reviewer of the Basic Communication Course Annual 19 for the American Press publishing company.

Named reviewer of the Basic Communication Course Annual 20 for the American Press publishing company.

Taught in a new learning community, “Success in a Global Society,” for the 2006 Fall semester with Dr. Russell Phillips (Department of Psychology at MWSU). The learning community consisted of the following courses: Oral Communication (COM104), General Psychology (PSY101), and Freshman Seminar (COL101).

Served on the Communication Studies and Theatre Department Scholarship Committee.

Served as Assistant Moderator for Western’s Galileo’s Legacy Public Forum.

Served as Judge for Western’s Student Organization Awards.

Served on Western’s News Correspondents Committee.

Served on Western’s Faculty Handbook Committee.

Don Lillie

Completed a one semester sabbatical leave, spring 2006.

Served as judge and host for the regional high school one-act-play festival, held at Western, spring 2006. Two theatre/video students provided technical assistance.

Featured character actor in the independent film, Hammond, for Dawnline Productions.

23 Served as stunt player and fight choreographer for the film, Hammond, for Dawnline Productions.

Directed Sweeney Todd for the Palm Canyon Theatre in Palm Springs, California. Don Lillie developed and presented a workshop/performance of combat sequences from Romeo and Juliet and Richard III for the Hong Kong International School.

Designed scenery for Arcadia and The Boys Next Door for the Hong Kong International School.

Designed lighting for the Northwest Missouri State University Dance Company spring dance performance.

Don Lillie designed scenery and lighting for The House of Yes for Western’s theatre season.

Delivered advanced stage combat workshops in rapier, rapier/dagger, small sword, and broadsword to the Actor’s Equity Apprentice Program at Palm Canyon Theatre in Palm Springs, California.

Served as guest lecturer and artist at East Los Angeles College. He delivered a series of beginning and advanced rapier workshops for both classroom and production work.

Acted and served as production assistant on an installment of CASE 55, a series of video vignettes.

Developed and taught competitive fencing classes through Western Institute.

Wrote “Sweet Melons,” a ten minute one act play.

Developed and wrote two story approaches based on the death of Christopher Marlowe.

Member, American College Theatre Festival, Society of American Fight Directors, and founding member of the Griffon Edge Duelist Society.

David McMahan

Attended the National Communication Association Annual Convention, Central States Communication Association Annual Convention, and the Eastern Communication Association Annual Convention.

Served as chair of the “Top Papers in Communication Education” panel at the Central States Communication Association Annual Convention. Also served as a panelist on

24 the following three panels: a) “Best Practices: Perspectives on Teaching in the Undergraduate Curriculum,” b) “Seeing the Diamond in the Rough: Scholars and Students Celebrating Communication Mentorship,” and c) “Old Dogs and New Pups: Celebrating the Past While Shaping the Future using Colleagues as Instructional Resources.”

Participated in a spotlight panel honoring the work of James W. Chesebro at the Eastern Communication Annual Convention. Sections of the paper presented during this panel were included in an article published in Review of Communication, which mentioned my role as Assistant Professor at Missouri Western State University.

Presented a paper, “Media and Interpersonal Communication: Intimately Linked Conceptions,” at the National Communication Association Annual Convention.

Signed a contract with Sage Publications to write a textbook, Basics of Communication: A Relational Context Approach. The first draft of the book has been completed six months before the contractual deadline.

An article, “Media Constructions of Mass Murder-Suicides as Drama: The New York Times’ Symbolic Construction of Mass Murder-Suicides from 1978 through 1997,” was published in Communication Quarterly.

Selected to contribute a chapter in the following volume: 20th Century Beginnings to 21st Century Advances: Developing and Evolving from a Century of Transformation, Studies in Honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Eastern Communication Association. The volume will be published by Roxbury next year and will feature state-of-the art historical reviews of the discipline.

A previously published essay continues to be included as part of the Review of Communication’s description and call for papers.

Deny Staggs

Co-produced the feature film, The Violent Kind, by award winning filmmaker Geoff Pepos (Sundance).

Co-produced pre production on RISK: At-Risk Youth Behind the Camera.

Awarded the Jesse Lee Myers, Excellence in Teaching Award.

Co-produced the MWSU 30-second commercial with Los Angeles based Flaming Angel Films.

Awarded a 2006 Summer Research Institute grant to develop local infrastructure for funding, production, education and filming of a feature documentary, RISK. This

25 successful production brought together Los Angeles filmmakers and 14 at-risk girls who told their personal stories through film.

Directed Creative Arts Production of Friday Night Fever.

Directed the Christmas film section for Wyatt Park Baptist Church.

Respondent for the Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival Region V.

Co-authored AIM proposal for an Interactive Digital Media Applied Arts Center.

John Tapia

Published a review/critique of the book, Circuit Chautauqua: “The Most American Thing in America” in The Journal of American History Review (2006). Competitively selected.

Attended the Central States Communication Convention in Indianapolis, spring 2006. Participated on the panel, “Old Dogs and New Pups: Celebrating the Past While Shaping the Future.” John Tapia proposed this panel for the convention. It was competitively selected.

Served as chair of the CS/T department’s Scholarship Committee.

Jeremy Warner

Directed House of Yes for Western’s Fall 2006 theatre season.

Directed Bodies, Rest, and Motion for Western’s Spring 2006 theatre season. The play hosted guest lighting and set designers.

Hosted Roger Hedden, the author of Bodies, Rest, and Motion. Mr. Hedden gave a talk on the theatre and film industries.

Presented a paper, “The Whole Experience: Medium of Obsession,” at the University Film and Video Arts Conference in Orange, California.

Screened a short film, Diva to the Rescue, at the University Film and Video Arts Conference in Orange, California. Reviewed and critiqued Troy Perkin’s Tractor For Sale, for the University Film and Video Arts Conference in Orange, California.

Applied for grant funding from the Larson Foundation for Pony Express the Musical, with Donald Lillie.

26 Shot footage for a short experimental film, Dying Mother Road.

Researched Route 66 and traveled the Mother Road for a screenplay, Old Ladies with Big Sunglasses.

Received space at the Arts Incubator in Kansas City for a gallery exhibition of my video art piece, IMARK.

Finished a final cut of Diva to the Rescue.

Submitted Diva to the Rescue to over fifteen film festivals.

Wrote a screenplay, Affective, for the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

Served as Curator for the Kansas City Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

Member, University Film and Video Arts Association.

Member, Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers.

Member, Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Member, National Key Society.

Mei Zhang

Served as a respondent on a panel, “Rhetoric, Identity, and Ideology in Chinese Communication,” at the annual convention of the National Communication Association.

Served as a reviewer for the journal, Communication Theory.

Served as a reviewer of competitive papers for the International Communication Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Served as a member of Western’s Evaluation of Faculty Committee.

Served as a member of Western’s Professional Leave Committee.

Presented on a panel of professors talking to a College 101 class about choosing the right major at Western.

Presented on the topic of leadership and diversity at Leadership Lexicon, sponsored by Western’s Center for Student Engagement.

27 Won the Outstanding Instructor Award from Disability Services.

Presented on the topic of intercultural communication to the St. Joseph Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals at Heartland Regional Medical Center.

Jeremy Warner

Edited a short fictional film, Diva to the Rescue, which was shot with Radiostar Productions in Philadelphia, PA.

Produced and acted as Technical Director for Western’s Theatre production “Second Season,” which showcased nine student-directed on act plays.

Member, University Film and Video Art Association

Member Phi Beta Kappa Key Society

Member, National Key Society

Department Strengths

Our faculty are highly qualified, professionally active, student-centered, diverse and collaborative. Nine of the ten full-time faculty members hold terminal degrees in their field. They regularly attend professional conferences, present scholarly papers, publish articles and books, conduct workshops, enter performances and productions into national, regional and local festivals, involve students in their work, and contribute significant time and effort in community service.

Students in our major are energetic and eager. They are positively evaluated by employers and other academic institutions as they pursue professional careers and advanced degrees. See points of pride for descriptions of students’ accomplishments.

The department has developed many opportunities for students to engage in applied learning experiences. In addition to our growing internship programs, the annual Griffon International Film Festival and two of our core courses provide students with rich applied learning experiences. The department internship program provides students with the tools they need to successfully enter the professional world. Alumni consistently report that the experience they received as interns made a significant difference in their career search process and in their ability to be successful.ents completed internships in 2006. Theatre/Video faculty developed relationships with local organizations that will lead to consistent internship opportunities for our theatre/video majors in future semesters.

More than 20 students from Western participated in the development and implementation of the Third Annual Griffon International Film Festival. Students learned how to

28 organize, view and evaluate over 170 international film submissions and how to plan, organize, publicize and direct a major event. The Third Annual International Film Festival was held in October, 2006.

The service learning experience available through Small Group Communication (COM 324) affords students a unique opportunity to study communication in action while they contribute to a meaningful community service project. Twenty-eight students participated in 2006.

Twenty-two students from the fall 2006 Public Relations (COM415) class worked with seven nonprofit organizations to develop proposals for a public relations campaign for each organization.

With the new labs, editing systems and increases in production gear, we are able to give students a strong basic introduction to video production. Students are able to gain experience with video/theatre hands-on activities and state-of-the-art technology.

The student group, Griffon Eye Productions, is reaching out across the campus and community recording events on video to be archived.

We are small enough to offer a personalized educational experience; we are large enough to provide diversity within the program and to be a recognizable presence on campus and in the community.

Department Weaknesses

Prior to the past few years of budget crises, the department was on track to hire at least one new faculty member (a new line). The department needs to expand its offerings and breadth in the major classes to continue to grow and maintain currency in the discipline and to continue its level of excellence. It will become increasingly difficult to meet the demand in our upper division courses and the demand for our general studies courses without additional full-time faculty. We would like to regularly offer special topics courses to supplement the core, but current faculty are too busy meeting the demands placed upon them to deliver existing general studies and upper division courses.

We are completing a second year with one tenure-track position filled by a one-year temporary faculty member. We would like for this individual to remain in the position for AY 2007-2008, but do not know if he will. The staffing situation creates uncertainty in planning.

Currently, one fourth of the Oral Communication (COM 104) classes are taught by adjunct faculty. Any increase in full-time faculty responsibilities such as offering special topics classes or teaching in one of the graduate programs may necessitate hiring additional adjuncts to teach more sections of Oral Communication.

29 With the video and theatre areas working more closely with music technology, art and multimedia, many opportunities have been discovered. A proposal was developed for bringing students and faculty from these areas together for instruction and collaboration in a downtown St. Joseph facility. Unfortunately, that plan has been abandoned by the administration. In a similar collaborative process, a proposal to offer a graduate degree in Applied Arts is in development.

On campus, the performance studio spaces, classrooms, and labs are vastly outdated and do not support (in their current form) the kind of collaborative and creative process envisioned in the downtown proposal or necessary for delivering an M.A.A. The Potter Hall theaters are technically 30 years behind the curve and do not address the latest technology. This creates greater liability in terms of production costs and safety and negatively affects our ability to recruit new students and retain current students. Facility upgrades or alternative space usage is essential to the future success of program maintenance and growth. The future of the proposed M.A.A. offering, of any collaborative program with Theatre/Video Art and Music, and the continued success of our theatre/video program may depend on solving our “facilities problem.”

We need to continue to develop a more systematic process for recruiting majors and tracking graduates. We have improved and updated our alumni records in the past year. However, recruitment takes significant amounts of time and energy, and faculty are stretched to capacity.

Department Opportunities and Costs for Further Implementation

Opportunities exist to collaborate with other departments on projects that link with the community and involve students from these departments. Forging new productive relationships will help raise the positive public profile of the department and Western. Three sections of Oral Communication (COM 104) were linked with other classes in the 2006 Learning Communities. The new collaborative relationship between our department and English provides an exceptional applied learning experience for our students (see entry under experiential learning and community services) through completion of assignments in COM415 and EPR422. Students develop targeted public relations campaigns for area non-profit organizations.

Opportunities exist to increase our service learning and experiential applications in other courses.

Opportunities exist to expand our internship program through systematically increasing contacts with organizational leaders in the region. In 2006, the department internship director brought executives from a major area employer to meet with Western faculty from across campus to discuss internship opportunities for their students.

30 Opportunities exist to involve more students in collaborative research projects with faculty, other students, and local organizations. The major cost associated with this and other opportunities is time—for both faculty and students.

With the establishment of the three small media labs, Academic Computing has assumed the cost of the computers and software in these facilities. However, the CS/T department will still be responsible for supplying and maintaining the professional video cameras, lighting and audio equipment. These are costly, but do last much longer than computers and software. In the future, maintenance of this equipment might become a contracted expense. As high definition technology becomes more mainstream, our students will need to have the tools to work in this area. HD cameras cost between $3,500 and $10,000.

It is imperative to stay at and above the industry curve; therefore, new technological advances must be learned by our students on an as-needed basis. Solutions to manage the ever-tightening institutional budgets have been a main focus for the Theatre/Video area.

Department Threats

Budget limitations are a significant threat. If we are unable to hire qualified faculty, we will be unable to offer classes on schedule, resulting in the loss of majors. If we are unable to replace and renew our equipment and facilities, we will not be able to deliver the programs as advertised, resulting in the loss of majors.

The potential loss of professional development funding due to another round of budget cuts or a significant increase in the number of applications for funding is a threat. Professional development activities (e.g., travel to conferences) are necessary to justify promotion and tenure. Faculty must become/remain active in their professional associations by attending conferences in addition to the presentation of their scholarship and creative products. In a department with five assistant professors and two associate professors, professional development is a matter of survival. Release time is needed for professional growth projects, including those involving students.

The lack of time faculty have in which to accomplish the many projects and assignments is a threat. Time is needed for recruitment, scholarship, supervising student workers, managing laboratories, developing proposals (e.g., M.A.S, M.A.A., downtown proposal, interdisciplinary programs, etc.), and researching and developing department curriculum. So many tasks are added to the full-time job of teaching and scholarship/creative activity that faculty are stretched to their limits.

Travel funding is needed to enable students to present their research and scholarly papers at professional conferences. Involvement in professional associations actively engages students in the field. Students in CS/T consistently present their work at professional conferences.

31 The Theatre’s equipment and facilities are in serious decline (see “Department Weaknesses”). The lighting system for the Main Stage is in urgent need of repair/replacement. The system in the Black Box (listed as a threat last year) became an extreme safety hazard and had to be removed from the facility. In addition to safety concerns, security is a problem in Potter Hall. Theft and vandalism occur with regularity. Computers, tools, stage properties, furniture, audio equipment and stage combat weapons have been lost. Requests for improved security have gone unanswered. It is important to remember that the Potter facility is not a CS/T department responsibility. For example, we are neither the only nor the primary users of the main stage. In addition to the condition of the facilities in Potter, the current configuration and resource allocation does not support any kind of collaborative program with Music and Art, nor does it allow for growth and development of our department’s theatre/video program. The space is not integrated for use by theatre and video. Although the current budget situation is problematic, and the Potter Hall renovation is years off, a university with a School of Liberal Arts and Sciences must support its Theatre and all of its arts programs.

The problem of “terminal degree status” is a threat to the Theatre/Video program. We will not be able to hire qualified theatre/video faculty in tenure track positions if the MFA is not accepted as the terminal degree for faculty in our production-oriented program. Western’s approach to terminal degree allocation is outdated. A 1987 listing of terminal degrees can be found in the current Policy Guide.