The National Communication Association’s Basic Course Division has awarded Rutgers University the 2023 Program of Excellence Award for the course Public Speaking offered through the Department of Communication at the School of Communication and Information.

Public Speaking Course Coordinator and Associate Teaching Professor of Communication Nikolaos Linardopoulos, who manages all Public Speaking sections, will receive the award on behalf of Rutgers, SC&I, and the Department during the NCA 109th Annual Convention being held in National Harbor, Maryland from November 16 - 19, 2023.

“I am very happy that we have added a program-level award to the mix of SC&I and department of Communication NCA accomplishments in 2023,” Linardopoulos said. “While I run the logistics of the program, this is really a -team level recognition as a result of the efforts of a large group which includes a talented instructional pool and administrative personnel. The recognition of those efforts is really a testament to the commitment we all have to teaching excellence.” 

Explaining the work Linardopoulos undertook to demonstrate the measurable ways the course met the criteria during the NCA award application process, Professor and Chair of the SC&I Communication Department Marya Doerfel said, “Nick compiled significant documentation that demonstrates that our public speaking course is programmatic and replicable and can serve as a best practice model for other programs across the United States. He had to elaborate on how he staffs it, how he has developed an entire mentoring and assessment program to support the instructors, how it meets specific goals and objectives of the university, and how he uses annual reviews to further refine its programmatic development.” 

Linardopoulos said he was able to demonstrate how the course can serve as a best practice model for public speaking courses in the United States because of the multifaceted aspects of the curriculum.

SC&I’s hybrid and online offerings have been certified by Quality Matters since as recently as 2022.

“For example, the course enables students to develop presentation skills from a research- oriented standpoint while placing increased emphasis on writing in addition to the delivery of public presentations across different settings. The course emphasizes virtual presentation skills, which we feel are essential in today's workplace; the course is accessible and scalable across all programs and students at Rutgers-New Brunswick; and in light of that goal it is offered across all main delivery modes: face-to-face, hybrid and online. The mediated component really differentiates the course with the standard version of Public Speaking across the country.”

SC&I’s hybrid and online offerings have been certified by Quality Matters since as recently as 2022.

To ensure comparable outcomes and learning experiences across all sections of the course, Linardopoulos said they use the same core content, rubrics, and assignments, while the instructional team is provided with on-going feedback and support throughout the year starting with a comprehensive on-boarding process. 

“The program specifics will likely be shared by the Basic Course Division at NCA for other programs to review and access,” Linardopoulos added.

Written and oral communication is one of the key future learning goals for the Rutgers-New Brunswick curriculum, Linardopoulos said, so this recognition from NCA helps reinforce that the Public Speaking class meets this specific set of objectives.

Discover more about the Communication Department on the Rutgers School of Communication and Information website.