Wittenberg University has approved the creation of its first formal communication major.

The faculty voted Dec. 5 to establish the new program, and the program will officially begin offering courses in the fall of 2001, although many Wittenberg students are already pursuing communication studies on campus.

Student demand for a communication program has been growing steadily, according to Provost Sammye C. Greer. A communication major can prepare students for careers in journalism, business, public relations, advertising, social services, law, politics and many others, she said.

Currently, Wittenberg has more than 30 students who have created their own interdisciplinary communication majors. Some 25 other interested students have not yet declared a major.

In recruiting the Class of 2004, Wittenberg was contacted by 1,156 students interested in studying communication, and many comparable colleges already offer formal communication programs, Greer added.

The major will develop into a new academic communication department after three years. In the meantime, the program will be housed administratively with the English department.

Students will be required to take courses from three basic areas: rhetoric (public discourse, political communication, persuasion, argumentation, deliberation); relational communication (interpersonal, intercultural, organizational) and media, according to Catherine Waggoner, assistant professor of speech communication.

A fourth key element will require that students apply what they have learned in one of those three areas, she added.

Here students could work in areas such as journalism, public relations, photography, public speaking, computer imaging, advertising, or marketing management. The four years of study would be completed by a capstone experience.

During the first year, Waggoner will offer introductory-level courses for the new program. This spring the university will hire a second faculty member with expertise in the media and communication.

A third full-time faculty member will be added the following year with expertise in relational communication, completing the new department.

Waggoner led the curricular planning for the new major, assisted by English faculty and colleagues from across the university.

This is a natural area of study for a liberal arts college since in ancient times it was one of the original liberal arts, Waggoner said. “That classical tradition becomes even more appropriate in our contemporary society,” she added.

“More than just a new major, communication courses will enrich the education of our majors in management, political science, sociology, English and other areas,” Greer said.

“Our communication program is closely interwoven with established majors to the benefit of each program.”