Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film

Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Communication is to advance knowledge and practice of effective and ethical communication through teaching, scholarship, and engagement. Six themes unite the various disciplinary specialties represented by our faculty: communication competence, ethical discourse, diversity, leadership and participation, advocacy, and issues analysis.

General Information

Student Activities

Missouri State boasts a tradition of excellence in debate. The debate program is one of the oldest in the country - as old as the university itself - and has consistently been one of the top 20 debate programs in the nation. Missouri State is also the only school in the nation to have hosted both the Cross-Examination Debate Association (CEDA) National Tournament and the National Debate Tournament (NDT). Missouri State students participate in NDT/CEDA policy debate. In 1992, Missouri State won first place at the CEDA National Tournament. Missouri State students have appeared in the “Sweet Sixteen” of college debate eleven times in the last twenty years, including a second place finish and three additional final four appearances (the latest in 2008.) In 2006 and 2008, the team secure done of 16 prestigious “First Round At Large” bids to the NDT. Within this tradition of competitive excellence lies a commitment to the education of the individual student. Missouri State debaters are consistently admitted to top graduate programs and law schools. The Holt V. Spicer Debate Forum features a national and regional travel schedule designed to offer each student the optimum level of participation.

Contact

Interim Department Head

Deborah Larson

Office

Craig Hall, Room 375

Phone

417-836-4423

Fax

417-836-4774

Email

CMJF@MissouriState.edu

Website

MissouriState.edu/CMJF

Faculty

Professors

Randy Dillon

Gloria Galanes

Deborah Larson

Brian Ott

Eric Morris

Shawn Wahl

Kelly Wood

Associate Professors

Richard Amberg

Isabelle Bauman

LeAnn Brazeal

Elizabeth Dudash-Buskirk

Samuel Dyer

Carrisa Hoelscher

Holly Holladay

Jonathan Mabee

Jocelyn Millana

Daniel Jake Simmons

Andrew Twibell

Erin Wehrman

Timothy White

Weiyan Wang

Assistant Professors

Christopher Collins

Leonard Horton III

Gordana Lazic

Bobby Lewis

Cristina Pippa

Senior Instructor

Jack Dimond

Heather Walters

Per Course Instructor

Mary LeAnne Lagasse

M. Brad Palmore

Cynthia Speckman

Kira Varava

Emeritus Professors

Charlene Berquist

Mark Biggs

John Bourhis

Andrew Cline

Arlen Diamond

Thomas Dickson

Herbert Jackson

Russell Keeling

Janis King

Mary Jane Pardue

Mark Paxton

Ralph Smith

Holt Spicer

Donal Stanton