Title: So Long, Com! By: Hannah Whaley Thats right! Communication Studies is no more!

Now, wait, dont get your panties in a bunch. The beloved major, Communication Studies, has been revised and revamped to take on the names of Human Communication and Strategic Communication. The new aspects of Human Communication include a more specific approach than the previous Com. Studies. Dr. Greg Fiebig expounds on this area by stating, For example, some communication studies programs examine automated communication, animal communication, and the like. Human Communication focuses on the communication between human beings in interpersonal, small group, organizational, and public contexts. New elements have been added to improve students in their preparedness for the work force. Fiebig expresses exciting additions create a shift in the Communication majors to include organizational communication in the mix of program concentrations. Organizational Communication is a growing and exciting field of study. Along with Organizational Communication, Symbols and Imaging, Persuasion Communication, Interpersonal Communication, and Communication Theory are the major classes that define Human Communication. Another major that is taking on a new form is Public Relations. The new name will be Strategic Communications. Public Relations has not ceased to exist, but has been moved to an Academic Concentration. One main reason for implementing this change is to prepare Indiana Wesleyan Universitys students to adapt to the communication industry. Communications professor, Dr. YoungAh Lee says, Fundamental classes such as Symbols and Imaging and Persuasion help students develop a knowledge base as opposed to skill alone. According to theorist, Walter Fisher, Humans are storytelling animals." One of the goals of the Communication and Theatre Departments is to develop the ability of positive and effective storytelling in our students, Fiebig states. Why is storytelling so important in the workforce? The importance of storytelling is to realize that there is always a narrative to be told. In every board meeting, interpersonal discussion, small group, etc., there is a voice to be heard. So what does this mean for students in the long run? According to Dr. YoungAh Lee, Students will be more marketable for different careers in more fieldsYou have to be versatile. You should be able to schedule events, create news releases into social media writing, and organize fundraising events. Build strong mindset to meet new challenges. She describes the revisions to the majors as the optimal mix of classes for our division. Communication is always at the top of the list of skills employers look for when hiring new people. Students who choose to study the academic field of communication, I believe will have a distinct advantage over others because of their knowledge of the intricacies of language and communication. A positive element for those who arent exactly in love with their speech class, Advanced Public Speaking has been removed due to the lack of enrollment in the course. In rebuttal to my cheerfulness toward this decision, Dr. Fiebig sees the need in pursuing that area. He expresses, Whether students realize it right now or not, they will have a host of opportunities to speak publicly in the future and public speaking remains one of the greatest fears many people experience. Fear is definitely something that can be crippling and the only way to conquer it is to face it head on.
Ultimately, the change is structured to better the students in IWUs Communication Division. Greg Fiebig pronounces, We are committed to giving voice, especially to those who have no voice, or have been marginalized by society. I am haunted by the scripture passage in Proverbs 31:1-9 in which a mother speaks

very candidly with her son, King Lemuel, and employs him to "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Those of us with access to privilege have a responsibility to help those who have none.

In summary, we all have a responsibility to this world. We have a calling to be unapologetically Christcentered, not just as students at Indiana Wesleyan, but as Christ followers. Essentially, this is what the Communication Division is hoping to achieve by the revisions in our majors; preparing students, making them more marketable for employment, seeking out the voiceless and providing them a narrative for their story, and becoming the change in the workforce.