Strategic Plan 2002-2005 Highlights

The Beginning and Mission
The Roy and Marnie Pearce Center for Professional Communication was created in 1989. Since that time, hundreds of faculty have attended Pearce-sponsored workshops to learn how to incorporate communication into their teaching and learning; the Pearce Center has collaborated in other campus efforts such as service learning; and it has offered several types of summer programming, including seminars for high school and college students and digital portfolio workshops and institutes for university faculty. In keeping with its mission, the Pearce Center has also supported communication across the curriculum in K-12 settings, and it has worked with members of its Corporate Advisory Board to develop the kinds of communication skills and competencies we would like to see in Clemson graduates.

Strategic Plan 2001-2002
The Pearce Center Strategic Plan for 2001-2002 included two major goals:

(1) begin to bring into reality the vision of the Class of 1941 Studio for Student Communication;
(2) continue the Pearce Center program of communication-across-the-curriculum workshops, diversified faculty development efforts and individual Pearce Team projects, as detailed below.

1. Feature Workshops on Speech throughout the Year
2. Structure Research Team Work around Projects
3. Connect with Other University Initiatives
4. Sponsor Allied Activities
5. Work with Advisory Boards to Develop New Faculty Initiatives and Develop our New Studio

The Pearce Center will continue to work on these goals in the following ways.

1. Feature Workshops on Speech throughout the Year
-Beginning in September 2003, the Pearce Center will offer two workshops a month on using speech in teaching and learning.

2. Structure Research Team Work around Projects
-Each member of the Research Team will design a Pearce Project that relates both to their teaching and to their research interests, that fits with the mission of the Pearce Center, and that will lead to publication.

• Professor Andy Billings will develop our initial Clemson offerings in speaking across the curriculum and create a second set based on faculty interest.

• Professor Summer Smith will build on her successful "Speakers Series" for students and faculty in technical and business communication courses and develop a new program for those courses.

• Professor Michael Neal will offer several writing workshops for graduate students.

• Professor Art Young will continue his project: Poetry across the Curriculum.

• Professor Kathleen Yancey and Professor Michael Neal will lead the second cohort of the PowerPoint project, a faculty development group investigating ways that Powerpoint presentations can enhance student learning.

• The entire team will help develop a new programme for our new Class of 1941 Studio for Student Communication.

3. Connect with Other University Initiatives
The Pearce Center has a history of working with other groups on campus; this tradition will be expanded, in these ways specifically:

• The Pearce Center, the Dropout Prevention Center, and the Rutland Center for Ethics are working on the third annual institute on service learning, ethics across the curriculum, and reflection.

• The Pearce Center will continue participation in the development of the Clemson Electronic Portfolio, the CLE-enriched electronic portfolio that is being developed by the Clemson Portfolio Research Team, led by Carla Rathbone and Professor Yancey, with assistance from Donna Winchell, and supported by an Innovation Fund Grant.
  
  In addition, each collaborative venture will have a Pearce Team Member liaison.

4. Sponsor Allied Activities
The Pearce Center will continue to support related activities, including

• Sponsorship of the Tiger Cup
• Contributions of Funding and Talent/Time to the Clemson Site of the National Writing Project
• Work with health sciences and communication efforts.

5. Work with Advisory Boards to Develop New Faculty Initiatives and Develop our New Studio

Specifically, we seek new collaborations with our K-12/Community Outreach Advisory Board, and help in thinking about our new Studio from the Campus Advisory Board.