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This study sought to gain insight into how faculty in other disciplines perceive communication skills as well as to conduct a needs analysis that can help us to develop resources to support faculty who are integrating communication assignments into their disciplinary courses. Survey data were collected from 232 faculty at three large, public universities, and qualitative follow-up interviews were conducted with 12 faculty across institutions and disciplines. Results showed that there is wide variation in the complexity with which our colleagues define communication. Group and interaction skills were among the most valued communication skills, along with a variety of presentation skills. While explanatory and argumentation skills were highly valued, they are also areas where growth is needed. Online and mediated communication skills were rated as least important in the survey that was completed prior to COVID-19, but were discussed as an emerging need in the interviews conducted during the pandemic.

The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between visiting a communication center and taking an introductory communication course on student public-speaking anxiety, goal orientation, and motivation. Researchers analyzed pre- and post-course survey data for 1,373 students enrolled in a fundamentals of communication course. Results showed that, for students who reported medium and high levels of public-speaking anxiety at the beginning of the semester and before visiting the communication center, the communication center helped reduce their levels of anxiety, whereas students with low levels of reported public-speaking anxiety did not report as much of a difference in their anxiety levels after visiting the communication center. There was a significant main effect for communication-center visits on the goal-orientation types of mastery approach, performance approach, mastery avoidance, and performance avoidance. However, there were no significant effects for work avoidance. Results indicated a significant effect for communication center visits on motivation types: identified regulation and external motivation. However, there were no significant effects for intrinsic motivation or amotivation.

The goal of this study was to understand student experiences in and perceptions of a new communication center. Researchers conducted 22 semi-structured qualitative interviews with students who visited the communication center and conducted a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts. Overall, the findings suggest that students had positive experiences and indicated some areas for future development. The primary value of communication center lies in the knowledge and perceived credibility of the coaches. The communication center also serves as a unique site for addressing communication apprehension and helping students transfer communication skills to other contexts. To continue to develop, additional resources are needed to invest in coaches, space, and marketing in order to adequately serve the needs of all students.

Numerous studies have argued for the importance and examination of communication curriculum in K-12 (Book, 1989; Hunt et al., 2014; Rudick & Dannels, 2020; Wright, 2020). More recent trends have shown that while higher education communication educators have been successful in advocating for the importance of K-12 communication instruction, the creation of training programs and opportunities for K-12 educators to learn how to effectively teach communication skills has not been as readily supported (Hunt n, 2014). Jennings (2010) noted that many current K-12 instructors tasked with trying to implement communication education in their schools received their undergraduate training in English rather than communication and therefore do not have the formal training often necessary. In most public K-12 institutions, the content and the curriculum will not change, but approaches and pedagogies can. Actively promoting collaborations between K-12 and higher education communication institutions, and other educational programs offered by organizations, can help ensure communication standards are taught and assessed thoroughly. Through these collaborations, K-12 teachers can develop a deeper method and practice of teaching communication standards and provide K-12 students with a deeper foundation, and understanding, of the communication skills demanded in higher education and the workforce. To continue to develop richer K-12 communication pedagogy for teachers, the authors argue that more collaborative and out-service experiences between K-12 and educational organizations should be created and available for communication to be effectively interwoven into existing K-12 curriculum.

The transgender community encounters pervasive prejudice, discrimination, and violence, yet social science literature lacks research that focuses on reduction of antitransgender prejudice. This experimental study examined the effectiveness of three interventions aimed at decreasing negative attitudes toward transsexuals, correcting participants' beliefs in myths about transsexuality, and reducing their predicted discriminatory behaviors. Results revealed a significant decrease in negative attitudes and beliefs in myths. However, no individual intervention proved more effective than the others. The interventions led to no change in predicted discriminatory behaviors. (Contains 10 tables.)

This study examined diversity course influence on student prejudice against lesbians and gay men, awareness of heterosexual privilege, and support for gay marriage. The study included heterosexual female students in psychology of women, introduction to women's studies, and nondiversity psychology courses. Students in diversity courses expressed increased heterosexual privilege awareness and support for same-sex marriage across the semester compared with no changes among the nondiversity course students. Although diversity course students also exhibited reduced prejudice against lesbians and gay men, the changes did not differ significantly from students in comparison courses. (Contains 2 tables.)

Although most research investigating diversity courses focuses on attitudes toward racial minorities and women, these courses may also influence student attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. The current study assessed student awareness of heterosexual privilege, prejudice against lesbians and gay men, and support for same-sex marriage. Students (N = 143) in a general diversity course completed identical surveys during the first and last weeks of the semester. Participants in diversity courses exhibited increased heterosexual privilege awareness and support for same-sex marriage, as well as less prejudice against lesbians and gay men, during the last week of the semester compared to pretest levels. (Contains 2 tables.)

Neumann (2005) called for an analysis of marginalization and inclusion of lesbian, gay, and bisexual students in psychology. As psychology instructors begin to infuse such content, the curriculum still overwhelmingly neglects the transgender community. This invisibility of transgender people within psychology courses allows for perpetuation of myths, stereotypes, and oppression of this particular population. Transgender inclusion requires efforts to eliminate bias in the classroom, such as derogatory comments and jokes, as well as faculty self-education with regard to the appropriate terminology for transgender subgroups. By infusing relevant transgender content into lectures and reading materials, instructors contribute to normalizing transgender issues for an inclusive curriculum. (Contains 2 notes.)

This study sought to gain insight into how faculty in other disciplines perceive communication skills as well as to conduct a needs analysis that can help us to develop resources to support faculty who are integrating communication assignments into their disciplinary courses. Survey data were collected from 232 faculty at three large, public universities, and qualitative follow-up interviews were conducted with 12 faculty across institutions and disciplines. Results showed that there is wide variation in the complexity with which our colleagues define communication. Group and interaction skills were among the most valued communication skills, along with a variety of presentation skills. While explanatory and argumentation skills were highly valued, they are also areas where growth is needed. Online and mediated communication skills were rated as least important in the survey that was completed prior to COVID-19, but were discussed as an emerging need in the interviews conducted during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]