Communication And Literature

Mission

The Department of Communication and Literature seeks to assist students 1) in developing oral and written communication skills that will enhance their personal effectiveness; 2) in preparing for careers that involve the exercise of communication proficiencies; 3) in learning to read and respond to literature with appreciation and discrimination; 4) in becoming responsible world citizens by attaining proficiency in foreign language; and 5) in developing the intellectual tools necessary for advanced study.

The department offers a general B.A. in Communication with two emphases: Public Relations and Speech Communication. B.A. majors in English and Spanish are also offered. Each of these majors is appropriate as a pre-law program. The department also offers minors in Communication, English, Journalism, and Spanish.

The department also hosts a chapter of Sigma Tau Delta and International English Honors Society offering students opportunities for travel, leadership, and scholarly research and presentation. Subject appropriate travel is often available for students in English and Spanish to enhance their coursework.

Freed-Hardeman University provides co-curricular learning opportunities for communication students. Student media outlets include WFHU radio station and the Bell Tower online newspaper. A student-run newspaper has operated at FHU since 1923; starting as Sky Rocket and then being renamed Bell Tower in 1972. WFHU "FM91" began broadcasting in 1967 and provides student-produced music, news, and sports programming.

 

Why study here?

The department offers a general B.A. major in Communication with two emphases: Public Relations and Speech Communication. A B.A. in English and a B.A. in Spanish are also offered. The department offers minors in Communication, English, Journalism, and Spanish. 

The Department of Communication and Literature can help students prepare for a career in journalism or languages.

The faculty includes dedicated professionals. Their passion for language, media, and journalism encourages students to become actively engaged in learning and developing the skills necessary to be successful in their chosen field. The low student-faculty ratio in courses required for the major also allows individual attention and training for students.

The Department of Communication and Literature provides students with opportunities for learning outside of the classroom. Students gain valuable experience in practicums and internships, which provide them with hands-on training that leads to careers in communications.

Margaret Payne, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Communication and Literature; Associate Professor of English

Old Main, Room 220
731-989-6668
mpayne@fhu.edu

Before coming to Freed-Hardeman in 1999, Margaret Payne completed a Ph.D. in English—the first to graduate from that program with an emphasis in women writers. She graduated from Texas Christian University (1991) with a degree in English with an emphasis in writing and the University of Oklahoma (1994) where she completed an MA in American and Native American Literature.

Since joining the faculty at FHU, she has taught courses in American and World Literature in the classroom and online, beginning and advanced writing classes, and special topics classes in Utopian Literature and literature of the Native American Renaissance. She is also active in FHU Honors College classes and activities. Payne currently enjoys presenting papers on postmodern and gender issues in literature as well as literature of the American West. She is a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, the Beatrix Potter Society, the Western Literature Association, and the Tennessee Philological Association. 

 
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