Mission Statement

The Department of Communication Studies’ mission is to empower students with a meaningful Christian voice in the ongoing conversations of our world. Our professors and the courses we deliver teach students how to communicate within a diverse media landscape, emphasize critical thinking to prepare for civic engagement and leadership, build character by working in creative projects and internships, develop marketable skills by actively engaging with communication technology, and prepare for employment in a wide variety of professional fields and graduate studies. We strive to meet our mission through learning, growing, and serving.

Learning Informed by our Faith in Christ

• Students will learn interpersonal, organizational, media, and rhetorical communication theory and consider how those theories can be applied as they pursue their callings, glorify God, and serve their neighbors.

Growing in a Christ Centered Community

• As students understand the process of communication, they will be challenged to use communication competently to improve their relationships, communities, and ministry.

Serving in a Context of Christian Faith

• Students will participate in service-learning projects in numerous classes, combine faith, learning, and action to benefit university and community partners.

The Department of Communication Studies is committed to helping each student learn, grow, and serve so that they may contribute meaningfully to the ongoing conversation of all humans and seek to make a positive impact in the world through their communication abilities. The power to communicate is the power to transform our world one conversation at a time.

Purposes

• To instruct students in the philosophy, content, methodology, skills, and responsibilities of communication;

• To provide specialized training for those entering communication-centered professions including: leadership, sales, public relations, corporate training; broadcasting, and electronic media;

• To provide foundational courses for those desiring to enter communication-related fields including ministry, law, education, government, social services, journalism, and graduate studies;

• To develop student skills through involvement in a nationally competitive forensics program, internships in major corporations, law firms, radio, television stations, and film production.

Tradition of Excellence

The Department of Communication Studies is a comprehensive and dynamic department that prepares students for leadership in a variety of communication-intensive careers. Classroom instruction is enhanced by the smaller class sizes and individual attention from faculty who are committed to the academic and personal success of each student. Our interns are some of the most sought after students in media and business communities. Our debaters have consistently won top national championships and titles, both as individuals and as an intercollegiate team. And our students are consistently accepted and funded at top graduate and law schools based on their training and experience.

Career Opportunities

The Department of Communication Studies believes in the benefits to be gained from hands-on developmental experiences. These experiences not only teach real world skills, but some also provide funding. Students are encouraged to participate in such developmental opportunities as:

• Media – The department supervises an on-campus television studio, PointTV, and a radio station, Point Radio. Both stations are student-managed, creating original productions for on-campus audiences. The stations are based in well-equipped facilities which include a multi-camera HD studio, digital audio and video editing, HD field production cameras and radio broadcast booths. Students also have opportunities to work in PLNU publications such as the student newspaper, yearbook, and literary magazine.

• Speech and Debate – The forensics team has won many national championships in the major national debate organizations in the last 20 years.

• Conference Presentations – Students seeking further academic opportunities have presented original research at professional conferences and gained successful admission into graduate schools.

• Internships – Most students in the department complete an internship, as this is the most effective way for students to network and explore career paths. It is common for students to be offered a paid position as a result of their internship work upon graduation.

• Service Learning and Real World Projects – In courses like Improving Organizations: Consulting, Training, and Change, Small Group Communication, Interpersonal Communication, and Professional Speaking for Career Settings, students produce content for campus partners (Human Resources, Student Life and Formation, University Admissions) and improve their skills as interpersonal and public communicators by practicing and reflecting on specific interactions and presentations.

A degree in Communication Studies can prepare a student for a career in multimedia communication and business, public relations, nonprofits, radio and podcasting, TV and film, corporate marketing, advertising, social media, and other related careers in politics and government, social and human services, journalism, and ministry.

Full-Time Faculty

Bob Brower, Ph.D. – University of Kansas

Jeffrey Birdsell, Ph.D. – The University of Texas at Austin

Johnny Capra, Ph.D. – The University of Texas at Austin

Nathan Gibbs, MFA – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Melissa Newman, Ph.D. (Chair) – Regent University

Lisa Raser, Ph.D. – Southern Illinois University

Skip Rutledge, Ph.D. – Regent University

James Wicks, Ph.D. – University of California, San Diego

Braedon Worman, Ph.D. – University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Adjunct Faculty

Paige Hifner, M.A.

Katie Jacobson, M.A.

John Loo, M.A.

Rick Moncauskas

Kelly Togerson, M.A.