Over the past 20 years, the basic communication course has become a staple of many of general education programs. The ability to communicate effectively is viewed as a prerequisite to interpersonal relationships, success in the workplace, and meaningful participation as a citizen in our democracy.
The role of the basic communication course in general education affords the discipline with substantial political capital on many campuses—administrators often look to the basic course as an ideal location for launching new initiatives and capturing important data regarding student learning outcomes. To the extent that basic course directors are able to deliver those initiatives effectively, they may earn additional access to university resources. Without question, this is an important course. For more than 20 years the Basic Communication Course Annual has been the preeminent outlet for scholarship exploring and debating the best practices for the basic course in communication and this volume continues that tradition
