DACUM: A National Database Justifying the Study of Speech Communication

This article proposes that Developing A Curriculum (DACUM), a standardized curriculum development process, be tapped to justify the study of speech communication in higher education. DACUM is a standardized method for determining curricular needs. Its purpose is to identify the duties, tasks and skills performed in a particular occupation, career area or profession. DACUM assumes that successful workers are best equipped to identify the competencies needed in their specific occupation. DACUM was created by he Canada Department of Manpower and Immigration and the General Learning Corp. of New York

The Future of Communication Education in the Community College

This article discusses the future of communication education in community colleges in the U.S. Recently, business and political leaders have begun to take note of the important role of community colleges within higher education. Bill Gates, chairman of the Microsoft Corp., firmly stated that community colleges are becoming absolutely critical in the information age. He continued by adding, The more I\u27ve learned about the community-college system throughout the United States, the more I\u27ve been impressed. President Bill Clinton\u27s vision of expanding education for all Americans to include grades 13 and 14 moves the community college to a more visible location in the fabric of American education. Perhaps surprisingly to some, community colleges have become significant players in the educational arena. Over 9 million credit students are enrolled in our nation\u27s 1,130 community colleges. Almost half (46%) of all first-time college freshmen attend community colleges. The majority of all African American students (46%) and Hispanic students (55%) in higher education are found in community colleges. Historically, community colleges evolved from junior colleges, providing access to higher education for local populations, into a more eclectic mix of institutions continuing to provide access, but with a wider range of options. As a result, there is no universal agreement regarding the role of the community college. Regardless of in which corner a community college currently resides, the evolutionary process will continue to mold and reshape today\u27s community colleges