Speech Communication discipline mission

Rhetoric was the first liberal art and remains essential to the functioning of all other liberal arts. As human understanding of the nature of the process of communication has developed there is a greater appreciation for the centrality of the subject to the exploration of ideas, the functioning of democracy, the creation of culture. Speech Communication is foundational to the functioning of any strong liberal arts curriculum.

The mission of the Speech Communication discipline is to introduce UMM students to the study of the multidimensional nature of communication, including rhetoric, human communications, and electronic mass media; to promote the skills of life-long learning; and to develop in students the capabilities for active involvement in a participatory democracy.