Gavilan College’s communications studies program will receive the 2013 Model Communication Program Award from the Western States Communication Association Feb. 18, at a luncheon in Reno, Nev.
To receive the award, the local program showed that it is a model in teaching, a model in service, a model in research or creative works and uses resources effectively.
According to a press statement from the college, the communications program grew in the last 10 years from offering only two courses taught by one professor to one with two full-time professors and six to eight adjunct faculty who teach 10 courses. The college now offers an associate’s degree in Communication Studies as well as two certificates of achievements recognized by the State Chancellor’s office.
Students in the classes have created public service announcements that aired on Community Media Access Partnership stations and service learning projects have generated more than $60,000 for local nonprofits and agencies. Some examples of service learning projects include:
• A group of six students raised money for the Heritage Home, a nonprofit safe house for homeless pregnant mothers who reside in the home free of charge for the duration of their pregnancy. The group raised money and collected baby items and held a baby shower at the home. They received $5,300 through collecting change in baby bottles that was then matched by a private donor for a total donation of $10,600. Their initial goal was $500.
• A group of six students volunteered over 135 hours at a Wildlife Refugee Center in Morgan Hill. They helped to rehabilitate injured animals from the wild, built enclosures with special netting to keep out mosquitoes to further prevent the spread of West Nile Virus and raised money through a Safari Dinner on campus. They donated more than $1,500 to the agency and were recognized for their service by the City of Morgan Hill.
• A group of five students volunteered at a battered women’s shelter and assisted in fundraising and building a bike rack for the children who resided at the shelter with their mothers. They also put on a mother’s day event providing free spa services and dinner at the shelter.
• A group of six students brought new life to a group of elderly women who were sending care packages to the troops overseas. They raised and provided much needed volunteer assistance in creating and shipping the care packages. The group won a scholarship as a result of their service-learning project and were honored at a public event.
In addition, all communication studies faculty are active members of professional organizations such as the National Communication Association (NCA) and the Western Speech Communication Association (WSCA). At the WSCA conference in February 2011 in Monterey, three faculty members presented on Service Learning and Small Group Communication and presented a paper on the success and challenges of service-oriented pedagogy.
Nearly all faculty are certified in Conflict Mediation and have assisted in mediations on and off campus. Faculty have created and conducted trainings for staff development days, the student newspaper “Gavilan Press,” and campus clubs such as EOPS and MANO. Training topics have ranged from Building a Supportive Working Environment, to diversity, conflict management and team building.
