Standards for General Education Speech Communication Courses
Maryland Higher Education Institutions

Approved by the Maryland Communication Association
September 26, 1998

Approved by the Maryland Intersegmental Chief Academic Officers Group
April 14, 1999

Definition of the Speech Communication Discipline

The general education course in Speech Communication employs as its core the definition of communication studies developed and adopted by the Association for Communication Administration.

Definition: The field of communication focuses on how people use verbal and nonverbal messages to generate meanings within and across various contexts, cultures, channels, and media. It promotes the effective and ethical practice of human communication.1

Core Components

Speech Communication courses should include at least 12 (80 percent) of the following core components in order to qualify as a general education course.

  1. Communication theory and the communication process
  2. The role of personal perception in communication
  3. The role of communication in critical thinking and decision making
  4. Listening
  5. Verbal communication (language)
  6. Nonverbal communication
  7. Audience analysis and adaptation
  8. Situational analysis and adaptation
  9. Communication confidence
  10. Development and organization of messages
  11. Message types (relational, informative, persuasive, etc.)
  12. Message expression (choice and effective use of appropriate communication channels and media)
  13. Analysis and evaluation of verbal and nonverbal messages
  14. The role of research in facilitating informed communication
  15. Communication ethics

__________________________________
1 This definition was developed at the Defining the Field of Communication Studies Conference sponsored by the Association for Communication Administration in cooperation with the National Communication Association, July 28-30, 1995. Please note that the term communication has supplanted the term speech in many departments and courses. Moreover, the Speech Communication Association has changed its name to the National Communication Association.

 

General Education Course Areas

In general, the following basic-level communication courses could qualify as general education courses at institutions of higher education if they include at least 12 (80%) of the aforementioned core components:

  • Introduction to/Fundamentals of Communication (intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group, and public communication)
  • Public Speaking/Presentation Speaking/Public Address
  • Interpersonal Communication
  • Small Group Communication/Group Discussion
  • Business and Professional Communication/Organizational Communication
  • Argumentation and Debate
  • Communication Theory
  • Other courses that include at least 80 percent of the 15 core components may qualify as general education courses.

Although many of these courses focus on understanding and developing communication competencies, others have more of a theoretical focus that concentrates on understanding, analyzing, and appreciating the role of communication in personal, professional, and societal relationships.

Note: This document does not require institutions to include speech communication courses in their general education curriculum. However, when institutions do include speech communication courses in the general education core, such courses must adhere to the standards advanced in this document.

The Arts and Humanities Area Group in General Education

The state of Maryland=s Chief Academic Officers (CAO) group has recommended the following components in their definition of the Arts and Humanities Area Group in General Education.

Arts and Humanities courses:

  • develop the students' ability to express themselves in a competent, reasonable, and responsible manner;
  • advance the students' appreciation of communication through the representation of thoughts and ideas;
  • foster an understanding of human values, experience, and environment;
  • provide students with an understanding of historical contexts (the relationships to other times and cultures); the medium of communication (including the analysis and assessment of the actual means of expression); the views of others (by accommodating and appreciating different values and ideas); and the ability to expound one's own values.

The CAO group also established that general education courses in the arts and humanities should develop the following proficiencies in the student:

  • an ability of expression orally and through writing
  • a proficiency in analysis
  • a facility for reading and listening
  • a capacity for and exercise of creativity (including new and original interpretations)
  • an appreciation of expression (written, visual art, or performing art)
  • a nurturance of good citizenship and personal responsibility

Speech Communication as a Core of Arts and Humanities

Speech Communication courses include the majority of Arts and Humanities components and proficiencies recommended by the CAO group.

The following description of general education Speech Communication courses includes both the definitional and skills components of the arts and humanities requirements specified by the CAO group:

A general education Speech Communication course improves students' ability of expression both orally and in writing; develops proficiency in listening, critical thinking, and message analysis; fosters creativity through a variety of communication assignments; enhances appreciation and understanding of various forms of expression/communication; and nurtures good citizenship and personal responsibility through the study of communication ethics.

 

General Education Speech Communication Competencies

By including at least 12 (80 percent) of the 15 core components previously listed, a student taking a Speech Communication course qualifying as a general education course should be able to demonstrate the competencies listed below. After each competency statement, specific behaviors are listed that a student should demonstrate in order to be considered competent.

  1. The Communication Process
Competent communicators can demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
    1. the variables influencing the communication process,
    2. the effects of personal perception on the quality and effectiveness of communication,
    3. the influence of the speaker, the audience, and the situation on communication choices, and
    4. the role of communication in critical thinking and decision making.
  1. Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
Competent communicators can
    1. select, effectively use, and adapt to different forms of verbal and nonverbal communication,
    2. use language and nonverbal communication that respects and adapts to listeners' backgrounds and individual differences, and
    3. give constructive verbal and nonverbal feedback through effective listening behaviors.
  1. Message Development and Organization
Competent communicators can
    1. identify message types by their communication goals,
    2. generate ideas and select appropriate message components,
    3. select appropriate and effective channels and media for communication,
    4. research and select appropriate supporting material, and
    5. choose appropriate and effective organizing methods.
  1. Audience and Context Analysis
Competent communicators can
    1. analyze and adapt to different sizes and types of audiences, and
    2. analyze and adapt to different contexts (situations, occasions, settings).
  1. Expression
Competent communicators can
    1. manage communication anxiety and apprehension,
    2. transmit messages using delivery skills suitable to the purpose, audience, and setting,
    3. speak clearly and expressively, and
    4. demonstrate nonverbal behaviors that support the verbal message.
  1. Listening
Competent communicators can
    1. receive, interpret, and appropriately respond to verbal and nonverbal messages, and
    2. identify the main ideas and supporting materials in a message.
    3. attend with an open mind, and
    4. identify and use different listening skills appropriate for diverse listening situations.
  1. Analysis and Evaluation
Competent communicators can
    1. distinguish among statements of fact, inference, and opinion; between emotional and logical arguments; and between objective and biased messages,
    2. effectively analyze and evaluate the content and delivery of verbal and nonverbal messages, and
    3. express opinions and ask questions constructively.
  1. Ethics
Competent communicators can
    1. exercise personal responsibility in making communication decisions, and
    2. discuss ethical issues associated with effective communication in society.


Arts and Humanities Area Group and Speech Communication Course Competencies

The following table demonstrates the ways in which a general education Speech Communication courses address all of the Arts and Humanities competencies established by the Chief Academic Officers group.

Arts and Humanities/

Communication Competencies
Oral and Written Expression
Proficiency in Analysis
Reading and Listening
Creativity
Appreciation of Expression
Citizenship and Personal Responsibility

Communication Process

x

x

x

 

x

x

Verbal/Nonverbal Communication

x

x

x

x

x

x

Message Development & Organization

x

x

x

x

x

x

Audience & Context Analysis

x

x

 

x

x

Expression

x

x

x

x

 

 

Listening

x

x

 

 

x

x

Analysis & Evaluation

x

x

x

x

x

x

Ethics

x

x

x

 

x

x


The Interdisciplinary and Emerging Issues Area Group in General Education

The state's Chief Academic Officers (CAO) group also recommended the following components in their definition of the Interdisciplinary and Emerging Issues Area Group in General Education.

(1) In addition to the five required areas . . . of this regulation, a public institution may include up to 8 semester hours in a sixth category that addresses emerging issues that institutions have identified as essential to a full program of general education for their students. These courses may:

(a) Be integrated into other general education courses or may be presented as separate courses; and

(b) Include courses that:

(i) Provide an interdisciplinary examination of issues across the five areas, or

(ii) Address other categories of knowledge, skills, and values that lie outside of the five areas.

(2) Public institutions may not include the courses in this section in a general education program unless they provide academic content and rigor equivalent to the areas in (the following section) of this regulation.

J. General education courses shall reflect current scholarship in the discipline and provide reference to theoretical frameworks and methods of inquiry appropriate to academic disciplines.

K. Courses that are theoretical may include applications, but all applications courses shall include theoretical components if they are to be included as meeting general education requirements.

L. Public institutions may incorporate knowledge and skills involving the use of quantitative data, effective writing, information retrieval, and information literacy when possible in the general education program.

The CAO group recommends that general education courses in interdisciplinary and emerging issues should use the following requirements to guide course development:

I. An Interdisciplinary Issues course is one in which a broad theme is examined from multiple perspectives and leads to a synthesis of experiences from at least two of the five general education areas.

II. An Emerging Issues course is one that the institution has determined is of such current significance to the students that it is essential to include as a part of their general education experience. Such a course must be based on a credible body of established scholarship with pertinent evidence of methodology and/or epistemology. In addition, the course must address a body of knowledge, skills, and values that lie predominantly outside the five general education areas.

Interdisciplinary and Emerging Issues in Speech Communication Courses

In addition to those Speech Communication courses that meet the Arts and Humanities area group standards, many Speech Communication courses also qualify as Interdisciplinary and/or Emerging Issues courses. The following titles are only offered as examples of courses that would be expected to meet the rigorous criteria set forth by the CAO group:


Intercultural Communication
Mass Communication and Society
Communication Theory
Family/Health/Gender/Political Communication
Oral Communication of Literature
Freedom of Speech
Management Communication
Organizational Communication
Public Relations
Listening
Rhetorical Criticism
History of Rhetoric/Public Address
Mediation and Counseling
Communication Ethics
Linguistics
Instructional Communication
Introductionto Mass Communication/Telecommunications
Introduction to Communication Research
Leadership
Negotiation and Conflict Management

REFERENCES

Berko, R.M., Morreale, S.P., Cooper, P.J., & Perry, C.D. (1998). Communication standards and competencies for kindergarten through grade 12: The role of the National Communication Association. Communication Education, 47, 174-182.

Book, C.L. (1989). Communication education: Pedagogical content knowledge needed. Communication Education, 38, 315-321.

Engleberg, I.N. & Wynn, D.R. (1996). DACUM: A national database justifying the study of speech communication. Journal of the Association for Communication Administration, 1, 28-37.

Ford, W.S.Z. & Wolvin, A.D. (1993). The differential impact of a basic communication course on perceived communication competencies in class, work, and social contexts. Communication Education, 42, 215-223.

Maes, J.D., Weldy, T.G. & Icenogle, M.L. (1997). A managerial perspective: Oral communication competency is most important for business students in the workplace. The Journal of Business Communication, 34, 67-80.

Morreale, S., Moore, M., Taylor, P., Surges-Tatum, D., & Hulbert-Johnson, R. (1993). The competent speaker speech evaluation form. Annandale, VA: National Communication Association.

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). (November, 1995). Special report: Job outlook >96. Spotlight, 15. Bethlehem, PA: NACE.

National Communication Association. (1998). Competent communicators: K-12 speaking, listening, and media literacy standards and competency statements. Annandale, VA: National Communication Association.

 

This document was approved and adopted by the Maryland Communication Association at its annual meeting on September 26, 1998. The standards were endorsed by the Maryland Intersegmental Chief Academic Officers Group on February 10, 1999. Final approval was conferred on April 14, 1999.

Revised: 2/10/99