Core Communication

Students must take 6 credit hours in the Core Communication domain, including:

• One speech course
• One composition course

Course learning outcomes

Instructors teaching courses in the Core Communication domain include at least half of the following learning goals so students can successfully complete this general education core requirement.

Outcomes for written communication courses

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Produce texts that use appropriate formats, genre conventions, and documentation styles while controlling tone, syntax, grammar, and spelling
• Demonstrate an understanding of writing as a social process that includes multiple drafts, collaboration, and reflection
• Read critically, summarize, apply, analyze, and synthesize information and concepts in written and visual texts as the basis for developing original ideas and claims
• Demonstrate an understanding of writing assignments as a series of tasks including identifying and evaluating useful and reliable outside sources
• Develop, assert, and support a focused thesis with appropriate reasoning and adequate evidence
• Compose texts that exhibit appropriate rhetorical choices, which include attention to audience, purpose, context, genre, and convention
• Demonstrate proficiency in reading, evaluating, analyzing, and using material collected from electronic sources (such as visual, electronic library databases, internet sources, other official databases, federal government databases, reputable blogs, wikis, etc.)

Outcomes for speaking and listening courses

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Use appropriate organization or logical sequencing to deliver an oral message
• Adapt an oral message for diverse audiences, contexts, and communication channels
• Identify and demonstrate appropriate oral and nonverbal communication practices
• Advance an oral argument using logical reasoning
• Provide credible and relevant evidence to support an oral argument
• Demonstrate the ethical responsibilities of sending and receiving oral messages
• Summarize or paraphrase an oral message to demonstrate comprehension