During the summer of 2020, we were in the early days of the pandemic and day-to-day life had become surreal. Lifelong routines were disrupted and distorted beyond recognition. Like many other Americans, I found myself unexpectantly working from home for months on end. There was an unsettling air of uncertainty that challenged me to take stock in my life and reevaluate my future goals.
As I struggled to stay connected with colleagues whom I had not seen in person for more than four months, I found myself having a ton of casual phone conversations reminiscent of when I was a pre-teen in the 1980s. It was during one of those meandering conversations with a co-worker that I learned of the Masters of Professional Studies degree. On a whim, I decided to apply to the program and less than two weeks later, I was enrolled in my first course.
I felt reinvigorated as I painstakingly mapped out a plan for completion of the MPrS degree. Of all the courses on tap, Professional Communications was the one I anticipated the most. As my time in PRS 603-
I01/Professional Communications comes to a close, I am tasked with conducting a self-assessment. This self-assessment is the story of how this class helped me reconnect with my passion for communication. Although the first 2/3 of the course served more as a nostalgic review than educational instruction, the final 1/3 more than made up for the initially elementary material.
After the pandemic forced us all into varying degrees of extended isolation, it was so nice to revisit the intrinsic value of communication and its fundamental importance to human interaction. I enjoyed reading through chapters 1-3 and was especially excited that the first module’s assignment was from Chapter 4: Nonverbal Communication. I think perhaps there has never been a more important communication topic.
The Module 1 assignments in general served as a timely refresher of how to interact with my fellow humans. I had so many realizations while studying the material. It is astonishing how the vast majority of my adult life has been dedicated to a career in a communication field and yet I have simultaneously taken communication for granted. With some two decades under my belt as a print legacy media journalist, I rely heavily on the written word. It has been more than 25 years since I took an undergraduate course in communication. It was somewhat comforting to find that so many basics of communication remain constant despite the passage of time and in spite of a global pandemic.
As society continues to emerge from the cautionary habits dictated by the pandemic, Chapter 4 helped me revisit appropriate proxemics. It is a daily challenge for me to expand my personal bubble. Conversely, as a former physically-engaging conversationalist, I have become hyperaware of respecting personal distance because of this class. Surprisingly, at 50 years old and more than 20 years in a communication-based industry, I feel as if I am reestablishing many of the nonverbal skills we studied.
I know in the past few years my nonverbal skills have suffered. Not only were my daily physical interactions limited because of the pandemic, but the face-to-face communication I did have was usually distanced and hindered by wearing a mask. I am a fairly animated conversationalist but until the onset of the pandemic, I had never thought about how important facial expressions are in everyday conversation. It is reminiscent of the adage: you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Readjusting to having the luxury of full facial expressions in conversation has not been easy for me. I found myself feeling awkward – this class has helped me get back to basics and recapture ownership of my nonverbal skills.
I am especially grateful for this course’s inclusion of ethics, diversity, and inclusivity in these communication topics. Working on the first reaction paper assignment was a substantial “a-ha” moment for me. I know my reaction to the video would have been different if I were 25 years younger. As I watched the speaker discuss nonverbal skills, I frantically scribbled notes and felt a fire in me that has been festering my entire life. The multitude of oppressive patriarchal stereotypes ingrained in professional culture is astonishing. Blindly accepting and automatically buying in to instructional videos such as the one in the Chapter 6 assignment makes us all – it makes me – a tool of proliferation for these false societal power structures. I appreciated this assignment the most of all the ones this semester. I have to do better at opening my eyes to the subtle inequalities that surround me every day. I have to do better at using my communication skills to question the status quo.
I found Chapter 7, Intercultural Communication, to be especially prudent to my current career path. I concur that nonverbal communication is vital to building relationships that span a multitude of languages. The material covered many challenges I have faced since joining the University of North Alabama’s Office of International Affairs eight months ago. I agree with the ever-increasing necessity of studying such intercultural interactions as we continue to steamroll toward being a truly global society. My office is on the second floor in Powers Hall near the classrooms where students from more than 60 countries mill about as they become proficient in English. From a sincere smile to making brief, friendly eye contact, my nonverbal skills are tested every day. These seemingly small actions are the building blocks of a foundation of trust that supersedes cultural differences. This class helped propel me forward as I continue to search for productive ways to engage with international students.
I appreciated the text covering such timely domestic cultural topics as xenophobia and marginalized groups before tackling intercultural communication problems. The material helped me realize that sometimes I am still guilty of functioning from an unintentional place of ethnocentrism. It was another “a-ha” moment for me as I realized cultural issues are all around us in our daily walks. Inclusive cultural communication is about more than considering our fellow humans from different countries, it is about accepting that we are all culturally different. A university campus reflects society in a way that forces us all to step beyond our comfort zones and embrace the entirety of diversity. I have a newfound appreciation for my current career path and the opportunities a university population provides me to grow in my intercultural communication skills.
Although I did not find Chapter 9, Workplace Communication, to be especially poignant to my personal career goals, the discussion forum exercises were eye-opening. I am concerned that my generation has not done a good job of mentoring rising professionals. I found it alarming that so many of my classmates seemed to have very little knowledge of the crucial elements required for securing desirable employment. Life experience has served me well but this course has helped me see – yet another “a-ha” moment for me -- how experience has also made me somewhat complacent. I take my experience for granted and have to do a better job of standing ready to offer constructive criticism and advice to receptive individuals less experienced than myself. Since joining the university four years ago, I have had the privilege of informally mentoring many student workers. This course has helped me become more self-aware and has inspired me to actively seek opportunities to help guide rising generations.
Part Three of our text gave me life -- I absolutely love the process of creating an impactful message. I do not recall ever studying public speaking in such detail at any point in my past. From topic selection and audience analysis to source credibility and delivery tools, these are all skills I acquired on the job. As a lifelong learner and an eager student, I reveled in this content and it brought me great joy. Honestly, of all the PRS 603 content, public speaking warrants an entire course. I believe students would reap substantial rewards for a semester-long study of each of the areas covered in Part Three. Whereas I feel as if I am pretty versed in these areas, I found the material to be incredibly valuable and pertinent to real-world scenarios.
Being reminded of our ethical responsibilities as both speakers and listeners was especially beneficial to me. We live in an era offering endless access to information. Having a critical, questioning eye while digesting information is a vital part of being part of the educated electorate. The discussion forums reminded me of my duty to stand ready to encourage others to practice ethical/critical listening.
The persuasive presentation video assignment was incredibly humbling for me. It is true, some of us are meant to be behind the scenes and I had that “a-ha” moment years ago. Sure, doing the persuasive presentation video was humbling, but it was also reassuring because I know I chose the right career path so many years ago. After undergraduate, I thought I would pursue a master’s degree in public policy and ultimately become either a lawyer or politician. A chance opportunity led to me being a journalist. Although I enjoy public speaking, my strengths are more suited for the written word.
Over the years, I attempted to complete the graduate school path I started in the early 2000s but it never worked out. The siren call of the career that found me and injected ink into my blood was always stronger than any other when standing at the crossroads. This assignment finally brought me peace in my life decisions. Obviously, I was never meant to be a public speaker. I am entirely adequate but I would rather be the one behind the scenes curating a powerful message for someone more skilled than myself to deliver.
I would be remiss if I did not include a critique of my persuasive video submission as part of my self-assessment. I subscribe to a succinct style of journalism that is devoid of unnecessary words. I am so married to word choice that making the transition from written preparation to audible delivery is difficult for me. My submission has a flow problem that is a bit distracting to me as an audience member. In retrospect, my first take had less hesitation (dead air) moments and was perhaps a better effort.
I pride myself on being a conversational feature writer. The tone of my video submission is not as conversational as I would have liked. My delivery feels somewhat forced and scripted. In the spirit of self-assessment, it is jarring to watch myself and be confronted with reality opposed to how I see myself in my head. If I were to pursue more public speaking opportunities, I would have to work on being more natural. In my defense, it was extremely challenging to address a computer screen instead of having the opportunity to fully connect with a live audience.
The video assignment’s ramifications for me extended beyond skill development. The topic selection phase challenged me to discover a cause worthy of a persuasive presentation. The assignment helped me realize my level of outrage at the evolution/disappearance of the University of North Alabama’s annual, the Diorama. My video presentation prompted me to create a change.org petition and become an activist for the cause. I created “Save UNA Diorama” social media accounts and have launched a soft campaign to raise awareness among UNA alumni about the demise of the Diorama.
Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed PRS 603. I have been edified and my communication skills have been enhanced. At the risk of sounding trite, the truth is, this class has made me a better person.
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