Mandatory College Course

Mandatory Course at College

Currently, at different universities, students are required to enroll in mandatory courses. These classes are often considered Liberal Arts and include classes such as Introduction to Dance, Western Art, and Introduction to Theatre, just to name a few. Mandatory classes often differ depending on the department that the student is enrolled in. For instance, dance majors are often required to take different mandatory liberal arts classes than chemistry majors. Unfortunately, such classes have gained a reputation to be "blow off" classes. Students often feel this way because such classes frequently do not have any similarity to the student's major. I strongly feel that a basic communication class would be very beneficial to make mandatory for all majors. As stated in a NZ Business magazine, "Clear communication and straightforward talking is something we've increasingly moved away from and it's holding us back at work, at home and in social situations (Gluyas, pg 64)." In this research paper, I will be explaining why I feel that a communication class would be beneficial to all majors, if made mandatory, while in college and even when the student is out of college.

Students often forget the importance of communication and its significance in their day-to-day lives. Unfortunately, if an individual lacks effective communication skills, it makes it difficult for his or her ideas and knowledge to be expressed. Since communication can be articulated in two different ways, namely, verbally and written. It is crucial that a student is properly educated in both ways. Oral communication focuses on aspects such as vocabulary that is being used, body language (nonverbal commutation skills such as hand gestures, head movement, posture, tone), and discontinuous functions (properly annunciating words; typically the beginning and ending sounds / letters of the words). Written communication also needs to be accurate and clear to ensure that the message is correctly "delivered" to the audience per say. Written communication also focuses on the vocabulary being used but also briefness of the content (getting the point across without being to wordy), typing complete thoughts in order to make the idea more comprehensible, and awareness of who the prospective audience may be. To furthermore understand these concepts I chose to interview an English Professor at Slippery Rock University to see acquire his thoughts on verbal and written communication. Professor Timothy Ruppert pointed out that, "the most important skills when verbally communicating (face-to-face) is the proper use of eye-contact, selective/effective vocabulary, and most importantly respect" (personal interview). Even though an individual's verbal communication skills leave more of a "lasting impression" on another individual, written communication skills are also very important.

The main reason I feel that a communication class would be beneficial to all students is because it would demonstrate to students how important communication skills are when trying to obtain a career. According to an article from buzzle.com:

The forms of communication today have transformed from what it used to be in earlier times, due to the advent of plenty of electronic mediums in order to carry out the communication process. Despite all these changes though, the significance of communication in the workplace still remains the same as it ever was. Success of a business resets upon communication. It is proper communication that encourages and upholds this spirit of teamwork and cooperation amongst the employees. There are seven main points to focuses on when it comes to workplace communication skills: 1) Courteousness, 2) Precision, 3) Language, 4) Low speaking volume, 5) Clarity, 6) Listening, and 7) Posture and body language. (Ambekar)

Although verbal communication plays a large role in the interview process, it is important to remember that these communication skills alone will not "score" the career.

As the years pass by, it seems that the workforce becomes more and more competitive. With that being said, communication skills can be a make or break factor as to if an individual gets hired. For example, if an individual is highly qualified for an open job position yet lacks verbal communication skills during an interview, he or she is unlikely to get the position. As Brooks and Heath explain, during an interview the applicant should be prepared to satisfy the employer's questions; but it is also necessary for the applicant to answer his or her own questions (194). It is important that a potential employee has not only verbal communication skills (face-to-face, video conferencing) but also written communication skills (emailing, blogging, networking, conference calls). Denise Gluyas stated in NZ Business magazine that, "Our brain talks to us between 300 to 1000 words per minute and that can have a detrimental effect on self-esteem and achievement if those are negative words that stop success (pg. 64)." The more successful an individual is at properly communicating, the higher their self esteem is which results in more success in their career.

Secondly, I feel that a communication class should be