Communication Commons^™

Winona Campus Life, Mass Communication Department

Winona Campus Life

Winona Campus Life was a weekly laboratory newspaper produced by the WSU Mass Communciation Department students and printed as a supplement to the Sunday Winona Daily News, which began in September 1983. The newspaper provided coverage of the four institutions of higher education in Winona: Winona State University, St. Mary's University, College of Saint Teresa, and Winona Area Vocational-Technical School. It was created to provide a place for Mass Communcation students to publish their articles and photographs with the idea of generating reader feedback, which is essential in journalism education.

Communiqué, August 18, 1987, Lindenwood College

Communiqué

The Communiqué was the faculty/staff newsletter for Lindenwood University/College from 1982 to 2016.

The Guardian, August 12, 1987, Wright State University Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

Eight page issue of The Guardian, the official student-run newspaper for Wright State University. The Guardian has been published regularly since March of 1965.

Communiqué, August 4, 1987, Lindenwood College

Communiqué

The Communiqué was the faculty/staff newsletter for Lindenwood University/College from 1982 to 2016.

Beacon Light: August 1987, St. Cloud Hospital

Beacon Light

• Saint Cloud Hospital offers patients escort, shuttle services
• Explanation for the Hospital's logo change
• Hospital staff takes part in various summer activities
• Sponsorship of schools deemed important at the Hospital
• Interns have become valuable addition to the Hospital

Ua3/7/7 Scrapbook File, Wku President - Alexander

WKU Administration Documents

Clippings regarding WKU during August 1987

A Response To The Communication Arts And Sciences: Together Again, Harry Ausprich

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This piece responds to ongoing debates about the organization of the communication arts and sciences by situating the discussion within the larger purpose of education. It argues that administrative considerations such as budgets, efficiency, or departmental structures should be secondary to the broader aim of cultivating intellectual inquiry, values, and connectedness across disciplines. Drawing on reports about educational reform and cultural commentary, it stresses the importance of balancing liberal studies with professional training to prepare students for rapid societal change. The essay highlights the responsibility of faculty to foster learning that emphasizes “know why” rather than only “know how.” It …

Theatre In Its Own Right, David L. Jorns

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article considers the place of theatre as a recognized academic discipline and explores pathways for its future development. It identifies two main options for theatre programs: the liberal arts approach, emphasizing broad education, historical-literary grounding, and expressive opportunities; and the professional approach, which includes secondary education, higher education preparation, and professional performance training. The discussion highlights the importance of improving secondary theatre education, since university programs rely on strong foundations at that level. It also argues that university theatre should embrace professional standards by staffing programs with active practitioners, integrating faculty performances, and fostering repertory-style models. Additional concerns include …

Who Are We And What Shall We Teach?, Larry D. Clark

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article reflects on the future of theatre education in higher education and outlines predictions for the coming decades. It anticipates a renewed interest in the arts and humanities, with theatre educators organizing to establish a professional association that can enhance recognition of the discipline. Colleges and universities were expected to play a greater role in audience development, particularly by engaging elementary and secondary students to cultivate lifelong appreciation for live theatre. Additional predictions include earlier identification and training of talent, stronger preparation of directors, and higher standards for production quality. The importance of new play development is emphasized, with …

The Future Of Interpersonal Communication, W. Barnett Pearce, Karen A. Foss

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines the development and future of interpersonal communication as a central area within the communication discipline. It traces the historical debate between rhetorical and speech traditions, the emergence of mass communication research, and the eventual rise of interpersonal communication as a distinct focus. Three major approaches—objective scientific, humanistic celebration, and humane scientific—are outlined, each offering different perspectives on communication processes. The discussion highlights the impact of broader social and political contexts, meta-theoretical debates within the field, and the growing influence of new-paradigm social theory. By situating communication within long-standing Western traditions of actuality, transcendence, and possibility, the article …

Rhetoric And Public Address: A Future In The Communication Discipline, Gerald N. Sanders

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article explores the future of rhetoric and public address within the communication discipline, drawing on input from faculty and department chairs across the field. It highlights the perception that while newer specialties such as organizational communication and public relations attract students for their career applicability, these areas remain rooted in rhetorical theory and practice. Examples from textbooks and scholarly work illustrate how rhetorical concepts continue to inform contemporary studies. The discussion reviews optimism about the resurgence of rhetoric, noting new degree programs, recognition by other disciplines, and increasing publication in respected venues. Public address is portrayed as evolving, with …

Defining The Organization, Philip K. Tompkins

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article reflects on the role of department chairs in universities, drawing on experience in governance and administration to offer both theoretical and practical insights. It introduces the tension between structure and communitas, arguing that academic organizations often emphasize hierarchy at the expense of collegial bonds. Practical strategies include “penetration,” or building connections two levels up and down in the hierarchy, and developing persistence in advocating for departmental needs despite apprehension. The discussion addresses expectations from deans, the challenge of maintaining order without stifling conflict, and the ambiguity of rational versus irrational decision-making in complex systems. Additional observations concern how …

Organizational Qualities Of Academic Departments, Michael Pacanowsky

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article explores the qualities of organizational culture that can make academic departments more enabling rather than constraining. Drawing on a sabbatical experience with W.L. Gore & Associates, the discussion contrasts corporate practices with academic structures. Gore’s culture emphasized freedom, fairness, commitment, and open communication, supported by a lattice-style structure and sponsorship instead of hierarchical management. From this model, six principles of empowering organizations are identified: distributing power and opportunity, maintaining open communication, using integrative problem-solving, encouraging challenge within trust, fostering self-responsibility, and learning from organizational contradictions. The article applies these principles to higher education, offering questions for administrators to …

Female Leadership In Male-Dominated Organizations, Sue Dewine

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines female leadership in male-dominated organizational cultures, particularly within the field of communication. It critiques common advice that encourages women to imitate masculine leadership models, arguing that such approaches create sterile environments and diminish the unique strengths women bring to leadership. The discussion reviews research on organizational culture and the influence of administrators in shaping departmental climates, highlighting persistent barriers faced by women in higher education. Evidence shows that female administrators often experience role conflict, isolation, and burnout, despite having skills comparable to male counterparts. Recommendations include embracing androgynous leadership traits, building professional networks, and promoting cultural change …

Stories, Accounts, And Organizational Power, Stanley Deetz

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines the role of power in academic organizations, with a focus on how departmental chairs mediate between collegial traditions and corporate administrative structures. Power is framed as both enabling and constraining, manifested not only in direct influence but also in agenda setting, hidden assumptions, and language use. The discussion highlights how storytelling and account-giving shape organizational life, with chairs serving as both accountants of departmental realities and narrators of institutional identity. Stories function to socialize members, naturalize practices, neutralize political interests, and legitimate decisions, thereby influencing whether discussions remain open or become closed. The article concludes that chairs …

Leadership And Conflict Management, Linda L. Putnam

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines conflict management as a central component of organizational life, particularly within educational settings. Conflict is defined as interaction among interdependent parties over perceived incompatible goals or actions, with potential to be either destructive or constructive. Constructive management emphasizes clarity, openness, and trust, while destructive approaches foster rigidity, defensiveness, and escalation. The discussion explores the unique features of academic organizations, including loosely coupled systems, competing goals, scarce resources, and divided professional loyalties, which make them especially prone to disputes. Strategies reviewed include conflict styles such as confrontation, forcing, smoothing, compromising, and avoiding, as well as bargaining approaches that …

Performance Appraisal Reviews In Academic Settings, Lloyd H. Goodall

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article critiques performance appraisal reviews in academic institutions, emphasizing their cultural ambiguity and questionable processes. It argues that evaluations are shaped by implicit academic standards such as professionalism, appropriate scholarship, and being respected in the field, all of which are strategically ambiguous and subject to cultural interpretation. The discussion highlights problems with annual reviews, including reliance on committees, lack of clear performance objectives, and limited opportunities for faculty input. Comparisons with non-academic organizations show that while both settings share subjectivity, some corporate models offer more transparent and participatory appraisal systems. A case study of a software company illustrates how …

The Communication Arts And Sciences: Together Again? Well, It All Depends, J. Robert Wills

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article considers the administrative organization of communication arts and sciences in higher education, noting that approaches vary widely across campuses. It emphasizes that no single model is universally correct; rather, structures should be shaped by institutional mission, levels of specialization, program size, and campus culture. Examples illustrate that theatre, for instance, may be housed in English, communication, fine arts, or as a stand-alone program, with each arrangement carrying historical precedent and local justification. The discussion argues against imposing a national norm, urging instead that institutions regularly examine their organizational choices. While structure can influence outcomes, program excellence depends more …

In Memoriam Richard M. Clark

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

An obituary for Richard M. Clark, chairperson of the Department of Theatre Arts, Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York.

The Future Of Theatre Education: Defining The Discipline, J. Robert Wills

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article addresses the ongoing challenges and future prospects of theatre education in higher education. It argues that despite a long history on college campuses, theatre has struggled to gain widespread respectability and to achieve consistent excellence. The discussion emphasizes two fundamental questions—“Who are we?” and “What do we do?”—which programs must answer to define their missions and philosophies. Nine persistent dilemmas are outlined, including the balance between tradition and innovation, vocational training and liberal learning, specialization and generalization, and the role of students as individuals rather than passive participants. Additional concerns involve weak exploration of new ideas, limited articulation …

The Future Of Theatre Education: The Research University, Milly S. Barranger

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article considers the future of theatre education in research universities, emphasizing both opportunities and challenges. Positive developments include the recognition of creative work as equivalent to scholarly research, the establishment of the MFA as a terminal degree in performance and production, and the growing prominence of dramaturgy as a field integrating scholarship with practice. Undergraduate curricula are increasingly modeled on broad-based core requirements, positioning theatre within general education. At the same time, declining budgets, faculty reductions, and overextended programs threaten stability. The article identifies two likely trends: greater emphasis on quality through program evaluation and national visibility, and stronger …

The Future Of Organizational Communication: An Outline Of Postmodernism, Phillip Tompkins

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article outlines the past, present, and possible future trajectories of organizational communication, emphasizing the shift from modernist approaches toward postmodern alternatives. The field’s history is traced through three eras—preparation, consolidation, and maturity—culminating in recent developments that challenge the dominance of prediction, control, and managerial perspectives. Emerging orientations, including naturalistic and critical approaches, have expanded the scope of inquiry by highlighting social construction, culture, symbolism, and emancipatory goals. Concerns are raised about uncritical pro-management biases, the overuse of psychological models, and the risks of excessive vocationalism that could narrow the discipline’s academic role. In response, the article advocates for interdependent …

15th Annual Seminar Departmental Leadership: Getting Results

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

In November 1987, the Association for Communication Administration held its Fifteenth Annual Seminar and programs in Boston. The seminar, “Departmental Leadership: Getting Results,” was facilitated by Lee Bolman of Harvard University and featured plenary discussions, small group sessions, and a luncheon. Additional programs addressed major issues facing communication administrators, including accreditation in the communication disciplines, curriculum design in merged departments, and the role of departments in faculty recruitment. Special sessions supported new administrators and explored strategies for promoting faculty, responding to adult learners, and sustaining quality programs during budget constraints. The meeting concluded with discussions on balancing increased enrollments with …

Guidelines For Evaluating Artistic Performance For Promotion And Tenure

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

In 1987, the Association for Communication Administration circulated guidelines for evaluating artistic performance as part of promotion and tenure decisions. The document recognized interpretation—oral and written literature in performance—as a legitimate scholarly activity alongside teaching, publication, and service. The guidelines emphasized the need for external jurors to approximate peer review standards and stressed the importance of fair, expert evaluation of an artist’s body of work.

Leadership And Management In The Academic Department: How Can Community And Bureaucracy Be Reconciled?, George Cheney

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article explores the tension between bureaucracy and community in academic departments, offering leadership as a means of reconciliation. Bureaucratic structures, rooted in Weber’s analysis, are critiqued for displacing goals with procedures, obscuring social purposes, and minimizing individuals. These issues are shown to be particularly relevant in higher education, where efficiency, specialization, and management often overshadow academic ideals. The discussion contrasts management, associated with control and manipulation, with leadership, defined as guidance, inspiration, and cooperation. Drawing on organizational theory, leadership is described as fostering communication, articulating shared purpose, and enlisting cooperation. The metaphor of community is proposed to balance bureaucratic …

Negotiating And Bargaining In Academic Settings, Larry D. Browning, James A. Gilchrist

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines political decision making in academic organizations, contrasting the rational-economic model with the realities of negotiation and bargaining in complex environments. It argues that limited information, conflicting goals, and interdependent subunits make purely rational decision making impractical, leading instead to “satisficing” outcomes shaped by coalitions and informal networks. The discussion highlights how leaders use influence, resource control, and interpersonal exchanges to stabilize authority and secure commitments. A set of practical negotiation rules is outlined, emphasizing strategies such as coalition building, impression management, strategic disclosure, patience, and maintaining options. These practices help leaders navigate ambiguity, manage power dynamics, and …

Bringing Communication Scholars Together: Wise Or Foolish?, Erwin P. Bettinghouse

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines the question of whether communication-related disciplines should be merged into free-standing schools or colleges. It argues that the wisdom of such mergers depends on institutional type, the history and strength of the units involved, and the degree of intellectual similarity among them. Large universities with dominant arts and sciences colleges may disadvantage communication units if they separate, while smaller or more balanced institutions may provide opportunities for equal resource distribution. Past histories of strong or weak departments also influence outcomes, as disparities in size or reputation can create dominance or instability. The discussion stresses that intellectual kinship …

Why A College Of Communication And Fine Arts?, Richard R. Ranta

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines the rationale for creating a College of Communication and Fine Arts, using the case of Memphis State University as an example. It argues that combining communication and fine arts disciplines into one administrative unit provides advantages in administration, creativity, and efficiency. A separate college allowed norms for faculty loads, facilities, and nontraditional scholarly activities to be judged fairly, rather than against inappropriate benchmarks from larger arts and sciences colleges. The structure also fostered cooperation among previously competitive departments, leading to joint projects in theatre, journalism, music, and visual arts. Examples include collaborative media productions, shared photography facilities, …

In Memoriam Betty Jo Welch

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

An obituary for Betty Jo Welch, head of the Speech Communication program at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington.

Aca Seminar And Programs, Robert M. Smith

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

In 1987, the Association for Communication Administration announced a series of seminars and programs scheduled for its annual meeting in Boston.