A plan is in the works that will restructure Iowa State’s communication requirements. As is stands now, the longtime general education English 104 and 105 courses are required for all university students, regardless of their major. A new project, ISUComm, will completely revamp the outdated system, providing students with two university communication courses that will be distributed across curricula and will be spread over an undergraduate career.

The new proposal has been sent to the ISU Faculty Senate, which will evaluate the plan this semester. The issue of strengthening communication skills across the curriculum was raised in 1999 by the Faculty Senate, and a university study conducted in 2000 reinforced the opinions of faculty members that a new communication proficiency policy was needed.

This plan is a positive step for the university as it attempts to provide ISU undergraduates with the communication skills necessary in the 21st century.

By taking a proactive approach to what many educators see as a problem, the university appears committed to helping the student body in an area of extreme importance.

According to the university’s progress report on the ISUComm initiative, both the first- and second-year ISUComm courses would focus on writing. The first year would also study strategies for oral and visual communication. In the second-year course, those oral and visual communications would be more integrated into the curriculum.

In both courses, students would create electronic portfolios that would document their work in the courses.

Diversifying a student’s communication skills is something the university is appropriate in pursuing. When students take English 104 and 105, they listen to what the Teaching Assistant says, do what the TA tells them to do and finish the course. Under the current system, students can also test out of the two classes.

The new system has more of a hands-on approach to communications learning, where the faculty across the university have a hand in actively teaching the communications instruction and practice, engaging students rather than merely pumping students through the system.

This plan appears to be a vast improvement over the old system. Communication skills will be given a higher degree of importance among undergraduates, a smart move by the university.

In all areas, the ISUComm proposal appears to be a framework for success. By proposing this system, the university is reinforcing the belief that in order to achieve even nominal success in the workplace, communication skills are absolutely necessary.

There will be a open faculty forum to discuss the ISUComm curriculum proposal on Thursday, Feb. 28 at noon in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union. Anyone with any questions or concerns is encouraged to attend.

editorialboard: Andrea Hauser, Tim Paluch, Michelle Kann, Charlie Weaver, Omar Tesdell