Bakersfield College’s Communication Department has made long strides and continues to make long strides to accommodate students who are interested in obtaining a degree or certificate.
This year, 21 students are involved in helping out the department with the Communication Certificate Program.
“Basically,[communication] ambassadors are responsible to accomplish a number of tasks for the department,” said A. Todd Jones, professor and adviser of the Communication Certificate Program.
According to Jones, the ambassadors go to classes and give presentations educating others about the program and the discipline. They also have written pamphlets explaining the discipline and the classes offered at BC.
“The ambassadors program is probably my favorite thing to do,” said Communication Ambassador Alex Kirkland, 17, communication major. “We’re gaining communication skills which will help in everyday life.”
“I think these classes should be a state prerequisite,” said Communication Ambassador Juliet Fox, 32, psychology major.
Much of the communication classes offered now, were not offered a few years ago.
According to Jones, 80 percent of the classes that were taught were public speaking classes.
“The bottom line,” according to Jones, “is that we want students to become more employable.”
The Communication Department accomplished this by adding a variety of communication classes including small group, persuasive, and rhetoric and argumentation classes.
“Students love this class,” said Jones, reflecting on students coming out of rhetoric and argumentation (COMM B5) class. “It’s very popular.”
According to Jones, the certificate program grew much more rapidly than expected. Not only have communication majors grew from 16 to over 100 in a year, the amount of students signed up for certificates grew to 1,200 a year.
“I expected 100 students a year,” said Jones. “It’s been crazy popular.”
The certificate program is the largest program on campus, according to Jones, and it is one of the 10 largest in the nation.
“I can’t manage it alone,” explained Jones, “I mean, it’s crazy.”
Not only do the communication ambassadors educate others about the certificate program, according to Jones, they help out the department by running the certificate program.
“It will be a regular class,” said Jones.
The Communication Practicum/ Special Topics (communication ambassadors) class is currently two units, but will become a three-unit course next semester.
Not only has the department added the ambassadors course, according to Jones, the department plans to add Intercultural Communication and is thinking about adding an organizational class.
“It’s [organizational class] is a work-in-progress,” said Jones, “so, we’re not sure what’s going to happen yet.”
As if that were not enough, the department is also involved in high school outreach.
“It’s a shock how few people actually know what the discipline [communication] is. We’re not radio,” explained Jones. “I think that is changing slowly over time.”