This is an archived version of the University Catalog and is no longer being maintained. References to people, offices, policies, and web links may be outdated. View the current catalog or email catalog@csuchico.edu for updated information. Students who have catalog rights to this version of the catalog should check with an advisor for graduation requirements.

Skip to Side Navigation Skip to Content Skip to Accessibility Settings

College of Communication & Education

Communication and education are symbiotic elements that provide the foundation for higher learning, are central to the university’s mission, and transcend individual academic units. Established in 1992, the college has a rich history of excellence and includes seven units: one school, five departments, and a program. Degree options include the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Science, the Master of Arts and Teaching Credentials. While each unit varies in its particular academic foci, career preparation, and degree option, all are united by the interdependence of communication and education as the two critical processes that make the College of Communication and Education an exemplary learning community that nurtures, embraces, and values students’ potential. We value the knowledge and expertise of our faculty across the disciplines represented in the college while embracing opportunities for collaborative, interdisciplinary, and innovative teaching, research, and service.

Mission Statement

The mission of the College of Communication and Education is to prepare our students to be effective, educated, engaged, and ethical leaders in their relationships, communities, and professions. We do so by building a student-centered learning environment that focuses on the innovative pairing of disciplinary knowledge and applied professional practice to meet the needs of a diverse society.

Vision Statement

CME aspires to be the college of choice for students to develop their full potential across contexts and the lifespan and a nationally recognized innovator in professional practice.

Guiding Commitments

Our mission is driven by these five guiding commitments:

1. Preparing Change Agents and Life-long Learners

  • Our students are leaders and life-long learners who reflect our commitment to effective communication, civic engagement, community building, and the collaborative and holistic development of human potential.

2. Crafting Meaningful Narratives

  • Our goal is to educate critical consumers and producers of the stories that shape our individual and collective lives and futures.

3. Educating the Whole Person

  • Our pedagogy honors the humanity, well-being and potential of all our faculty, staff and students. Student learning and student success guide our practice.

4. Enabling Access and Equity

  • Our programs, practices and curriculum embrace and promote diversity.

5. Building Community through Collaboration

  • Our College seeks to continually improve our communication, community-building, and collaborative processes and practices.

Departments, Programs, and Schools

The Department of Communication Arts and Sciences provides students with two distinct programs: one leads to comprehensive and clinical understandings of communication sciences and disorders, preparing students for professions in or related to speech-language pathology and audiology; the other explores knowledge and skills related to the power of communication in rhetoric, interpersonal relationships, group settings, workplaces, civic organizations, media, and society.

The Department of Media Arts, Design, and Technology prepares students to be professionals and entrepreneurs in media and design through a focus on the synergy of art, craft, and technology. Students emerge with the critical thinking, collaboration, and leadership skills necessary to thrive in their media professions.

The Department of Journalism and Public Relations is grounded in ethics and professionalism. It offers a skill set in high demand by employers in the digital information industry, focusing on a broad range of written, oral, and strategic communication, including multi-platform storytelling.

The Department of Kinesiology promotes lifetime physical activity for all ages and ability levels by educating students in exercise science, school physical education, coaching, strength and conditioning, and fitness and wellness.

The Department of Recreation, Hospitality and Parks Management creates a welcoming community committed to academic excellence that prepares students to lead and serve others in the fields of recreation, hospitality, and parks management. The department values choice, civic engagement, community, diversity, globalism, honesty, joy, happiness, quality of life, knowledge, scholarship, lifelong learning, service, including service learning opportunities, and sustainability.

The Liberal Studies Program is an interdisciplinary program that provides students with the foundational knowledge, critical inquiry, problem-solving, and collaborative skills that are the necessary preparation for entering a teaching credential program or other careers that require broad-based skills.

The School of Education focuses on the power of education to create a diverse, democratic, and socially responsible society in which every learner is valued and students learn to become effective, reflective, and engaged educators.

Catalog Cycle:20