Supporting OCxC with
Communication Centers/Speech Labs
The integration of both oral and written communication into general education is often referred to as Communication Across/In the Disciplines/Curriculum. A wide variety of acronyms capture this interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary endeavor, including: OCxC /OCAC, CxC/CAC, SAC, or CAD/CID, SAD, SALAD, WOVE, SAW... Public speaking, or "presentation skills," in General Education (GenEd or GE) is often called Oral Communication Across the Curriculum (OCxC).
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Universities take a variety of approaches in implementing these programs:
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Speaking intensive programs designate specific courses as ones in which students will participate in multiple, varied, speaking opportunities.
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General faculty development and student lab/faculty development initiatives use workshops, retreats and other forms of ongoing training, support and counseling to prepare faculty and support students in speaking classes.
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Combined initiative programs partner with other campus initiatives to connect communication skills with other modalities.
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Discipline-specific programs focus on integrating communication into particular fields with emphasis on discipline-specific communication and instruction, and may rely on interdisciplinary teaching.
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Communication in General Education approaches may borrow from several of these, such as blending speaking intensive options (like SUNY Cortland's COM210) with discipline-specific options (other PRES-designated courses at Cortland), with or without development and support (Cortland has peer tutoring for COM210, speech preparation support through The Writing Center, and these resources plus one-on-one consultations by the Presentation Skills Coordinator).
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Communication Centers gained a national presence around 2001 through the grassroots efforts of speech faculty who recognized the advantages of providing support to student speakers outside the classroom. They provide support and tutoring for students and faculty in oral communication across the curriculum programs and are developed according to the needs of each institution and their students. The benefits of peer, and faculty, tutoring through the Centers include opportunities to:
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Systematically apply the communication competency construct - ability and willingness to make the most of shared meaning- to undergraduates
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Expand and improve opportunities to deal with communication apprehension
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Allow for direct support to students with specific or special needs
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Create active learning environments
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Increase the integration of technology
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Improve student and programmatic assessment
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Augment faculty support with consistency and training opportunities​
Furthermore, Communication Centers can serve a role in stakeholder networking for universities, providing service, support, and information, and even partnering with communities, businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.
What They Are
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Student Perceptions of Value: A Qualitative Study of Student Experiences in the Communication Center, Basic Communication Course Annual, 2021.
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Communication Centers at Colleges & Universities: Transitioning from a Course- to an Institutional-Resource. Communication Teacher, 2019
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The Communication Center at U.S. Colleges and Universities: A Descriptive Overview II. Communication Education, 2017
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The Communication Center at U.S. Colleges and Universities: A Descriptive Overview, Basic Communication Course Annual, 2014
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Communication Laboratories: Genesis, Assessment, Challenges, Journal of the Association for Communication Administration, 2000.
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Assessment as Meta-Listening at the Communication Center, International Journal of Listening, 2006.
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What They Do
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The Positive Impact of Applying Economics to Communication Centers, Communication Center Journal, 2023
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The Impact of Communication Center Visits on Students’ Performance and Engagement, Basic Communication Course Annual, 2021.
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Communication Centers as Uniquely Positioned Sites to Strategize "Belonging" Communication Center Journal, 2021
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The Communication Center as a Resource for Professional Development. Communication Center Journal, 2020
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The Centrality of the Center: Best Practices for Engaging Students on Campus, Communication Center Journal, 2020.
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The Communication Center as a Resource for Professional Development, Communication Center Journal, 2020.
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Communication Centers Spanning Campus and Communities, Communication Center Journal, 2019.
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The Changing Communication Center – Collaboration through Student Engagement, Praxis, and Research, Communication Center Journal, 2018.
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Communication Center Effectiveness: The Impact of Tutoring on Speech Performance, Communication Center Journal, 2017.
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Speech Center Support Services, the Basic Course, and Oral Communication Assessment, Basic Communication Course Annual, 2012.
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Assessing Communication Proficiency in Higher Education: Speaking Labs Offer Possibilities, International Journal of Listening, 2006.
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Front and Center: Speaking, Listening, and Assessment in the Contexts of Communication Instruction, International Journal of Listening, 2006.
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Speech Laboratories: An Exploratory Examination of Potential Pedagogical Effects on Studies, Basic Communication Course Annual, 2004.
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Extending Learning Opportunities in the Basic Communication Course: Exploring the Pedagogical Benefits of Speech Laboratories, Basic Communication Course Annual, 2002.
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The Pursuit of Speaking Proficiency: A Voluntary Approach. Communication Education, 2000
What They Need
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Charting Peer Tutor Success and Developing Consultant Self-Efficacy Through Concept Mapping, Communication Center Journal, 2023
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Ethics, Technology, & Standard Practice in Communication Centers: Proposing a Continuing Education Credit Program based on Lessons Learned from Law, Business, & Healthcare, Communication Center Journal, 2021.
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Calling All Coaches: A Qualitative Approach to Understanding and Developing Communication Centers. Texas Speech Communication Journal, 2021
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Recommendations for Communication Centers based on Student and Tutor Reflections: Insights about Students’ Reasons for Visiting, Session Outcomes, and Characteristics of the Tutoring Approach, Communication Center Journal, 2020.
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Communication Consultant Proficiency: Benefits of Building Better Consultants, Communication Center Journal, 2020.
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Social Media Ethos: Raising Awareness about Communication Center Programs and Outreach through the Use of Twitter, Communication Center Journal, 2019.
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Expanding Professional Development Opportunities for Consultants: How to Incorporate Social Media into a Communication Center, Communication Center Journal, 2019.
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Enrich Consultants and the Public, Communication Center Journal, 2019.
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Making an Impression @UTampaSpeech: A Case Study Using Instagram at The University of Tampa’s Center for Public Speaking, Communication Center Journal, 2019.
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Technology in the Consultation: Using Videos to Achieve Engaging Dialogue and Authentic Feedback, Communication Center Journal, 2018.
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Preparing for Change: The Development of a Multiliteracy Communication Studio, Communication Center Journal, 2017.
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Using a Mixed-Methodological Approach to Assess the Communication Lab: Gaining Insights & Making Improvements, Communication Center Journal, 2015.
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Listening and New Approaches to the Creation of Communication Centers, International Journal of Listening, 2006.
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Peer-to-Peer Tutoring: A Model for Utilizing Empathetic Listening to Build Client Relationships in the Communication Center, International Journal of Listening, 2006.
Student Use & Value
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Therapeutic Applications for Communication Center Student Efficacy: Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Communication Center Journal, 2023
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Rebooting or Regressing? Communication Centers and Peer Mentoring in the Introductory Communication Course, Communication Center Journal, 2023
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Campus Communication Centers Can Ease Students’ Public Speaking Anxiety, Communication Currents (NCA), July 7, 2021.
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Making a Difference: A Quantitative Study of Communication Center & Basic Course Impact on Public Speaking Anxiety, Goal Orientation, & Motivation. Communication Education, 2021
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Student Perceptions of Value: A Qualitative Study of Student Experiences in the Communication Center. Basic Communication Course Annual, 2021
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I Need Help: Help Seeking Behaviors, Communication Anxiety and Communication Center Usage, Basic Communication Course Annual, 2012.
How to Assess Them
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Strategies for Assessment in Communication Centers: Perspectives from Across the Field, Communication Center Journal, 2015.
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Oral Com in the Writing Center
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Descriptive and Supportive Language: A New Heuristic for Training Speaking Center Consultants. Communication Centers Journal, 2020
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Consultants in the Classroom: Pilot Study Assessing Multidisciplinary Center Collaboration. Communication Centers Journal, 2019
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Empowering Public Speaking Students through Consultant Training in Empathetic Listening. Communication Centers Journal, 2019
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Stronger Together: Nonsummativity and the Grand Valley State University Knowledge Market. Communication Center Journal, 2018.
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Using LibGuides to Deliver Communication-based Resources: A Behind the Scenes Partnership between a Writing and Communication Center and a University Library. Communication Center Journal, 2018.
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How Do Our Tools Connect to Our Practice? Investigating What Tools to Pick for a Multimodal Communication Center. Communication Centers Journal, 2017
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Hamilton College Oral Communication Center - Spoken vs. Written Language (guide)
Examples of COM Centers
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Further Reading
Empowering Public Speaking, by D.L. Fassett & K. Nainby (2021)
Speech Writing in Theory and Practice, by J.W. Kjeldsen, A. Kiewe, M. Lund, & J. Barnholdt Hansen (2019)
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Out in the Center: Public Controversies and Private Struggles, by H. Denny, R. Mundy, L.M. Navdan, R. Severe, & A. Sicari (2018)