Communication Infrastructure Theory: A Rural Application

The health of a community’s communication infrastructure influences their efficacy and efficiency in dealing with societal problems. The majority of previous communication infrastructure research has focused on multicultural urban centers. This study looks at the communication infrastructure of one rural Arkansas town, specifically looking for the places residents report as communication assets and the subjects discussed within the storytelling network. I used a combination of communication asset mapping and semi-structured interviews to identify the physical locations within the community where residents regularly converse with one another. The interviews along with observations also provided insight into the subject matter that residents prioritize when conversing in public. I found that the overwhelming majority of public locations, whether public spaces or private businesses, were considered comfort zones by respondents. I also discovered that residents prefer to talk about micro-level subjects such as family, relationships, and well-being and avoid meso- and macro-level topics that could be considered controversial, such as local or national politics, except when the issue brought up for discussion impacted the community’s youth

Structure and Functional Responsibilities of Graduate Schools: An Organizational Analysis

The contemporary graduate ‘school’ is facing a number of significant challenges. In addition to the fundamental question of its role as a shared service provider, graduate education units are exploring ways that they can demonstrate a value-added component to the graduate school experience. These activities include offering graduate certificates about how to be a faculty member, how to best teach and mentor graduate students, and offering undergraduate courses on how to get into graduate school. The current study explored 84 graduate ‘school’ or equivalent unit organizational charts, noting major differences between those with research administration attached to them and those without such responsibilities. Findings also included the identification of small administrative staffs and growing innovation to serve graduate student needs, such as providing mental health services and food pantries