Communication Studies Professor Publishes Book

Wendy Atkins-Sayre, assistant professor of Communication Studies and Speaking Center director at The University of Southern Mississippi, recently published a co-edited book on communication centers and oral communication programs in higher education. 

The first book to address the role of communication centers in the university setting, the book was recently highlighted on the Chronicle of Higher Education web site.

Communication Centers and Oral Communication Programs in Higher Education, edited by Eunkyong L. Yook and Atkins-Sayre, is a collection that examines the centers that support communication departments or across-the-curriculum programs as higher education focuses more attention on the communication field.

The authors in this text address theoretical issues covering topics such as the importance of communication centers to higher education, the effects of communication centers on retention, critical thinking in the center, ethics, and more. These essays also explore ideas about a center's set-up and use of space, staff training, technology applications, and campus advertising and outreach.

Communication Centers organizes cutting-edge knowledge of the theory and empirical research so as to practically serve peer tutors and directors, newcomers to the study of communication centers, and seasoned experts. Furthermore, this collection introduces administrators and those interested in higher education to the potential value of communication centers in higher education.

For more information about Communications Studies or the Speaking Center, visit http://www.usm.edu/communication-studiesor call 601.266.4271.