Graduate Director Dr. Leigh Ford writes:

Greetings to all,

The fall semester has been passing very quickly. In late August we sponsored a successful orientation for our new teaching assistants and held an orientation/welcome reception for all incoming graduate students. In early October we hosted the sixteenth annual Midwest Organizational Communication mini-conference featuring Dr. Kathleen Krone of the University of Nebraska as keynote speaker. Dr. Krone also was a WMU Visiting Scholar. We then welcomed three new inductees into our Alumni Academy during the October Homecoming celebration the following week. As November is upon us, several of our graduate students prepare for their presentations at the National Communication Association. As Graduate Director, I am delighted with the accomplishments of all of our graduate students and we all look forward to a successful academic and professional year.

In this newsletter you will find reports about many persons, events, and activities in the department as well as information about important dates regarding advising, spring and summer registration, and commencement. In particular, I want to call your attention to three items. Many of our current and former graduate students will be presenting at NCA in November—check the list in the newsletter. Second, our revised Master’s program will begin in fall of 2004. See the description of these changes. Finally check out the student initiated programs described in this newsletter—Communique and the Peer Research Support Group.

I am happy to report that the School of Communication doctoral proposal has taken two important steps forward as of this writing. The College of Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee has approved the proposal and a positive marketing study was completed in early September. We continue to work with the University in these difficult budgetary times for the necessary resources for this program as it moves through the next stages of the approval process. Keep checking our website for further developments in this area. I encourage you to check the website periodically for other announcements and updates as well. Please feel free to communicate with us also by email, phone or in person. I am always interested in your progress and in hearing about concerns you may have as a student in the School of Communication.

Sincerely,
Leigh Arden Ford, Ph.D.