Communication Across the Curriculum

While courses like First-Year Composition provide an excellent foundation in communication skills, communicating as a professional in a particular discipline requires opportunities to learn and practice the conventions of a particular discipline. Michigan Tech's Communication Across the Curriculum (CxC) program aims to enhance communication skills within and across disciplines by supporting faculty in integrating communication instruction into their courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. Here's how Dr. Nancy Barr, the CxC Director, can support faculty across campus:

1. Curriculum Development and Integration: Want to help your students develop and deliver presentations that engage, excite, and inform an audience or prepare clear and concise documentation? The CxC program can help you incorporate communication skills into the curriculum, tailoring assignments and activities to align with the specific communication needs of your discipline. This includes integrating writing, speaking, and digital communication tasks that reinforce subject matter while improving students' communication competencies.  

2. Professional Development Workshops: Interested in receiving training on incorporating communication into your courses? The CxC director will craft and deliver workshops and training sessions to equip faculty with the tools and strategies needed to teach communication effectively. These sessions cover topics such as designing communication-focused assignments, using rubrics for assessing communication skills, and incorporating peer review processes.

3. Resource Development and Sharing: Do you need resources such as assignment templates, rubrics, and guides on best practices in teaching communication? The CxC director can help faculty access information relevant to their discipline and needs. A great first step is the WAC Clearinghouse Repository. 

4. Individual Consultations and Support: If you prefer one-on-one consultations, contact the CxC director, who can provide personalized advice on enhancing communication instruction in their courses. This support might include reviewing syllabi, suggesting assignment modifications, or offering feedback on communication-related activities.

5. Assessment and Feedback: Are you concerned about assessing communication skills? The CxC director can help you develop methods for assessing student communication skills and providing meaningful feedback. This might involve creating assessment tools, such as rubrics, and offering strategies for delivering constructive feedback that helps students improve.

If you would like more information, you can contact Dr. Barr via email at nbbarr@mtu.edu or call 487-1876.