Communication

Department of Communication Vision Statement

The historic mission of Baylor University is to "educate its students for worldwide leadership and service." Leadership and citizenship in organizational, community, and worldwide settings are communicative, relational, and ethical processes. The Department of Communication Studies is uniquely positioned to champion Baylor's sacred mission.

Communication constitutes our social worlds. Given its clear importance, we believe that a fully developed understanding of the theory-research-practice of communication is vital to our students' development and success. Leadership success is rooted in skillful and motivational communication. Healthy friendship and intimate relationships are formed in affirming conversations. Organizations constructed in enabling versus disabling communicative practices are more likely to be successful in for profit and volunteer contexts. Job seekers and organizational members must now exhibit universal communicative skills cited as make-or-break organizational requirements. Communication is the central lynchpin that enables us to construct and maintain our individual, family, and group identities.

Departmental Goals

The Department of Communication Studies is committed to not only helping our students find their voices so that they can care for themselves and others, but also instilling within them the courage to stand by their voices as authentic, articulate, and persuasive rhetors, organizational members, and story tellers. We accomplish this through creating a dynamic and relationship-oriented learning environment. Faculty members not only encourage students to explore course content within the classroom, but also provide students with fruitful opportunities to actively apply their knowledge by working with organizations in Baylor and larger Waco communities.