[Che-student-staff-list] A message re effective communication

[Varma, Arvind]

Dear Colleagues,

In the Chronicle today, there is an interesting letter, copied below, re effective communication - important in teaching and research presentations.  I enjoyed reading it and share it with you, highlighting two key sentences, realizing that most of you know all this well.

Arvind Varma





The Chronicle of Higher education

May 21, 2012

To Succeed in Communication, Keep Aristotle's Lessons in Mind

To the Editor:

Leonard Cassuto's advice rings true across the disciplines and venues where Ph.D. holders are called upon to be effective transmitters of knowledge in addition to being creative generators of that knowledge ("Teaching Ph.D.'s How to Reach Out,<http://chronicle.com/article/Teaching-PhDs-How-to-Reach/131776/>" The Chronicle, May 6). While my hope is that a course in communication may be valuable in that endeavor, it will succeed only insofar as the leaders of that course remember the founding principles of effective communication-well described by Aristotle (The Rhetoric) and taught continuously since in speech, communication, and rhetoric courses.

These elements remain the abilities to create, organize, develop, support, adapt, and present messages. Professor Cassuto's advice points out the essential role, often overlooked in advanced work, of the last two elements: thoughtful and intentional adaptation, and a powerful, audience-centered presentation. Too often we get vocabulary that remains trapped inside insider jargon, and a presentation hiding behind dreary reading of PowerPoint slides.

"Communication" is the message received, and message adaption and presentation are the transmitter elements that make it happen. Here's to an idea with great potential!

Raymond Zeuschner

Professor Emeritus

Communication Studies

California Polytechnic State University

San Luis Obispo, Calif.

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