As Wichita State University's Elliott School of Communication (ESC) celebrates its 25th anniversary, Matthew Cecil is celebrating the start of his second year as director. His tenure began just as Wichita State embarked on a new era of its own, and he's positioned the ESC to be the national model for experience-based learning in communication education.

Good communication skills are an asset in any career, and writing, thinking, speaking and technology are taught in all ESC courses. The program offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in communication with emphasis areas in electronic media, integrated marketing communications, journalism and strategic communication.

The Elliott School has been an innovation leader in experiential learning for 25 years, and other schools are beginning to realize that a model like Wichita State's is the best way to teach and learn communication.

“It's something that the industry is beginning to catch on to,” Cecil said. “There's a lot of money out there trying to change the inertia of big institutions to do what the ESC has already done. It's something our students take for granted.”

Reasons to celebrate 

Most universities treat communication as two separate disciplines: communication studies (rhetorical, interpersonal, etc.) and mass communication (journalism, marketing, etc.). Having integrated both elements into one program makes the Elliott School ahead of the times. Other institutions tried to combine programs in the past and failed – now that the world is multimedia-focused, many see the need to try again. They’re taking a close look at the Elliott School’s success.

One big advantage the ESC’s has over other programs is its urban location and relationship with the community.

“I can tell you from my own experience how much other schools wish they were in a media market like Wichita,” Cecil said. “Our connection here provides students with opportunities for experiential learning and sets us apart from other programs.”

Traditional communication education is an exercise in simulating reality. Students learn lessons by book and lecture, then they practice in imaginary work scenarios. The lucky ones tackle the job market after graduation armed with a few bylines from their student newspaper.

ESC’s experiential approach is the core of a communication student’s education at Wichita State – an approach supported by faculty that are remarkable for their significant professional careers, nationally recognized research and deep ties to the industry. Cecil cited two examples of outstanding faculty from the school’s premier experience-based course, Kevin Hager and Amy DeVault, co-instructors of the Flint Hills Media Project (FHMP).

Before he was recruited to the Elliott School, Hager was an executive producer at KWCH-TV with more than 25 years of experience in television broadcasting, photojournalism, editing, writing and producing. He’s won numerous honors, including a national Edward R. Murrow award. DeVault came to WSU from The Wichita Eagle, where she worked as a visual journalist and front-page designer. She has taught journalism at a high school level and, as a certified Master Journalism Educator, is active in scholastic journalism, presenting papers to the Broadcast Educators Association and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, where she serves as teaching chair of the Visual Communication division.

“Amy and Kevin have taken on this project where our students cover a live event and do what Amy calls ‘mob reporting.’ To me, they are a perfect example of professional faculty who bring not only the skills, but the experience and know-how to pull it off,” Cecil said. “Our students tell us that the class is a life-changing experience – we’d like to replicate that in all of our project courses.”

Opportunities

Under Cecil’s leadership, the school is focused on expanding its hands-on approach.

As in the Flint Hills Media Project, instructors work closely with students, often on real projects for real clients – in FHMP, students create media for the nonprofit Symphony in the Flint Hills. Project-based courses are an important part of the curriculum, which was recently changed to give students more flexibility to participate in at least two projects before graduation.

Students also have opportunities to intern with local communication companies and put their skills to work for real employers with high expectations, and a position has been created to facilitate opportunities for students. Instructor Eric Wilson is the new director of outreach, with responsibility for event planning, student recruitment and internship development activities.

“Nothing is more rewarding for me as a teacher than to see a student land a great internship or a really good job,” Wilson said. “Communication is a broad and dynamic field, and employers seek out Elliott School students and graduates.”

One of those recent graduates is Trace Hughes, who works as a copywriter for Tulsa-based ad agency Brothers & Co. and describes himself as a product of the Elliott School.

“I had no idea what copywriting was until I talked to Eric Wilson,” he said. “He said I had a raw talent, and that I needed to develop it. With his help and through the connections he’s helped me make, that’s what I’ve been doing for the past two years.”

Besides Brothers & Co., many other area employers provide student internships and recruit Elliott School graduates, including Sullivan Higdon & Sink, Associated Integrated Marketing, KWCH/CatchItKansas, KSN, The Wichita Eagle and GoWichita. Some ESC alumni who have gone on to significant success include ABC news correspondent Jeremy Hubbard, senior aviation reporter Molly McMillin at The Wichita Eagle and Jennifer Wright, president of the Orpheum Theatre.

Growth and change

With growth at Wichita State, the Elliott School is preparing to meet the needs of students from all disciplines. Notable is COMM 111, Public Speaking, a course that most students take early in their college careers. Cecil has already hired five new instructors and graduate teaching assistants this semester to cover increased freshman enrollment.

Three of the new lecturers are recent Elliott School graduates: Ken Ward and Taylor Dietterich both finished the master’s program this May; Michelle Dreiling finished hers a year ago. Madeline McCullough was hired to teach full time in the integrated marketing program, and Sam Maurer has been recruited from Emporia State to work as an instructor and assistant director of debate.

Another change is the Elliott School’s new laptop requirement: Starting this semester, all communication students enrolled in core classes will be required to own a laptop and bring it to class daily. Faculty have been issued laptops as well.

The change is expected to set a new professional standard for the Elliott School, and having individual laptops will allow students to focus on mastering the art of storytelling while also catering to the mobile nature of modern communication.

“It’s a very exciting change,” Cecil said. “We’ve really become a mobile computing operation at the Elliott School, and I think our faculty and employers will see a big difference. Our students are going to go out in the real world better prepared.”

Another one of Cecil’s goals is to make Elliott Hall more of a home away from home for his students, so a new student lounge and flexible learning spaces are a priority. Over the summer, the ESC used a $50,000 gift from Wichita ad agency Sullivan Higdon & Sink to create a new flexible learning space; a laptop-ready classroom with movable furniture and modern technology. It’s a professionally designed, student-friendly classroom of the future.

“We’ve got all the advantages here,” Cecil said. “A faculty that believes in experiential learning, a community that understands it and an administration that rewards it. We’ve got all the pieces to make this the premier experiential communication program in the country.

“We’ve already bucked the trend, and I think we’re going to continue to grow.”