Communication Studies News

October, 2005

CST 110 test-out 

The CST 110 test-out (written) has been scheduled for March 24 at 2 p.m.  The speaking portion of the exam will be in the following week. If you would like more information about the opportunity, please see Dr. Jim Putz in CFA 350 (785-6705). 

NCA Convention Update 

Several members of our faculty will be attending the National Communication Association convention in Boston, Nov. 17-20. Dr. Linda Dickmeyer’s panel submission to the Training & Development division was named “top panel.” Mary Anna Kidd has a paper on the Training & Development “top papers” list. Congratulations to both! 

PRSA Convention Canceled 

Several of our students were registered to attend the Public Relations Society of America convention in Miami – which was canceled as a result of Hurricane Wilma. We are sorry that the students missed the opportunity to go to Miami. At last report, PRSA was working hard to re-schedule the gathering. For the most up-to-the minute information, contact the PRSSA chapter [prssa@uwlax.edu] or visit www.prsa.org. 

7^th Coulee Region Humane Society Telethon 

The Remote Video Operations class is hard at work getting ready for the Coulee Region Humane Society Telethon. The telethon is scheduled to air on Saturday, November 12. The telethon will broadcast live on KQEG/UPN Channel 23 and Charter (cable) Channels 6 & 10 from 7 to 9 p.m.  KQEG owners, Rick Wilson and Eleanor St. John, donate two hours of air time to support the education of Communication Studies students and the C-R-H-S. 

Breast Cancer Panel Discussion 

Dr. Cheri Niedzwiecki participated in a panel discussion on Breast Center on Oct. 5. The other members of the panel were Joy Hennesey, Robin McCannon, and Lonna Theede. Joy and Lonna are nurses at Gundersen-Lutheran's Breast Cancer Center. Several UW-L students worked at a breast cancer awareness table in Cartwright Center. 

Two of the students from the student group received awards at the American Cancer Society Awards dinner at the People's Food Coop Tuesday, Oct. 25.  Kenzie Vlach, a CST major received the Outstanding Leadership Award for starting the group last year and Jess Corey, a Political Science major, received the Outstanding Advocacy Leader Award.  She is also the current president of Colleges Against Cancer.  Cheri Niedzwiecki, adviser of CAC, received a certificate of appreciation from the American Cancer Society.

Everybody into the Pool! 

CST students need to be aware that the CST Research Pool is now open for the fall semester.  As in the past, seniors doing senior projects will hang sign-up sheets on the bulletin board outside the CST Resource Room in an attempt to solicit volunteers for their research-based senior projects (CST 499). Some instructors offer extra credit for participation in the Research Pool. 

Instructors: If you are offering extra credit for this, your students will be given a form to validate their participation AFTER they show up for the study. The CST 499 students will ALSO keep track of participants for their own records and to double-check if there are questions/discrepancies later. So, once these forms go up on the board, please announce in your classes.  Even if you are NOT offering extra credit, you might encourage them to participate anyway—there will be lots of cool topics! 

Contact Dr. Linda Dickmeyer if you have questions or suggestions. 

Update on CST Undergrad Research 

The spring semester was a busy time – with lots of undergraduate research presentations by our CST students.  In addition to great representation at UW-L’s 8^th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creativity, CST students attended conferences where their papers and panels were competitively selected. 

Three students had the opportunity to participate in the Undergraduate Communication Conference at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. Lisa (Evenson) Bloomer presented her thematic analysis of testimonials found on the Jenny Craig website. Lisa is working in downtown Minneapolis as a Client Development Coordinator for a prominent law firm. Nikki Zellner presented the results from her study abroad research, comparing touch behaviors between American and Australian dyads. Nikki was also an undergraduate grant recipient and received funding to complete this research. Nikki is currently a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Bethany Harnden presented her qualitative analysis of interviews with females on the role of gossip in roommate relationships.  Bethany is continuing her gossip research in graduate school at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champagne. This was the third year that UW-L was represented at the conference. Drs. Ronda Knox and Linda Dickmeyer attended the conference with the students and served as respondents to papers. In addition to all the exciting scholarship, there was much socializing (with Linda and Ronda in attendance – no one was surprised). Sara Weisenbeck, an alum who is currently a grad student at Mankato, joined the UW-L group for dinner.    

Ten UW-L students attended the Central States Communication Association Annual Convention in Kansas City.  See the April, 2005 news archives for details on this conference and all student participation. 

Steve Duck Visits UW-L 

Dr. Linda Dickmeyer and the CST 430 class (Advanced Topics in Interpersonal Communication) were honored to have Dr. Steve Duck come to La Crosse in April.  A major assignment in the class involved groups of students to thoroughly research the work and life of a prominent interpersonal scholar. The “Steve Duck” group was thrilled when Dr. Duck himself agreed to come as a guest for his presentation.  In addition, a calendar of events allowed students and faculty to visit with him and hear about his latest research. This was truly a memorable occasion for all involved, and we hope he comes to visit again.

CST Spotlighted in Campus Close-Ups 

The department will be participating in Campus Close-Up events this year. CCU allows high school juniors and seniors to come to La Crosse and see what we have to offer. It’s the ideal opportunity to speak with prospective students about the strengths of our department and our faculty. The CST department is always looking for faculty and students to represent us at these events. Do you want to be involved? Contact Dr. Rick Rodrick. Future dates of CCU: Oct. 27 and 28; Feb. 17; April 28. 

New Furniture 

When you get a chance, stop by the CST office and see the snazzy new furniture that came our way courtesy of the dean. Joyce is enjoying her new, classier office setup. 

Advising Center Honored by PRSA for Excellence in Communication

The University of Wisconsin Academic Advising Center and its director, Dr. Doug Swanson, have earned a prestigious award recognizing the center for excellence in communication. The Public Relations Society of America (Madison Chapter) honored the Academic Advising Center with one of its coveted Alchemy Awards for the work done during the AAC’s inaugural year – when the center was organized to provide a new, higher level of academic support for UW-L students. Specifically, the AAC was recognized for excellence in strategic planning and communication through “consumer campaign development and launch.” 

The Academic Advising Center was created by student initiative and is funded in part by student fees. The center provides a full range of academic advising services, including guidance for students who are undecided about their major, support for transfer students, help with graduate school searches, and assistance for students who are having academic difficulties. Since its inception in 2004, the AAC has served more than 3,000 UW-L students. In just the first nine days of the current academic term, more than 1,000 students worked with the Academic Advising Center to resolve an academic concern. 

“The AAC is a great example of how this campus has come together as a team to help students succeed,” said Dr. Doug Swanson, Director. “Our advisers, together with faculty members in the individual departments, are providing a level of service that never existed before on this campus. The results have been amazing.” 

An assessment of the center’s work with students shows more than 90% of students are satisfied with the academic advising services offered. More importantly, an equally high percentage of students report they learned about their academic options as a result of a visit to the AAC – and they’re acting on that new knowledge. Said one recent student who visited the center: “the AAC worked with me to find the quickest and best path for me to graduation.”

The Alchemy Award presented to the AAC on Oct. 20 was one of more than a dozen awards presented to corporate entities and non-profit organizations across Wisconsin. The award recipients were recognized by the PRSA for “the melding of creative thought, sound strategy, effective execution and evaluation” in their communication programs. UW-L’s Academic Advising Center was the only educational entity honored with an Alchemy Award, and was the only excellence award winner in its category. 

“There was intense competition from other organizations across the state for the Alchemy Awards,” Swanson said. “To be recognized by the PRSA as among the best of the best in Wisconsin is an honor for the university, and a real credit to my hard-working staff of professional advisers, graduate students, and undergraduate peer advisers. Without their total dedication to improving academic advising for UW-La Crosse students, this award recognition would not have been possible.” 

Comprompter Updates NewsKing 

The Communication Studies students enrolled in television classes are working with state-of-the-art newsroom software thanks to Comprompter. Comprompter recently updated the NewsKing software. This software is used by television stations across the country as well as stations in other countries. The old software was no longer functional. Ralph King, owner and president of Comprompter, made the generous donation.