Due to the lack of recognition on campus, the School of Communication (SOC) should be called the
Although the School is training future professionals to raise public awareness and communicate ideals, it
Recently appointed SOC Director, Dr. Elizabeth Graham sees the current greatness of the School as well
Emmy awards adorn our shelves, new books have been authored, articles published, promotions
granted, phenomenal radio rankings earned, student groups recognized, famous alums returning to
campus and faculty honored for academic achievements, Graham said. No doubt about it, it is a great
Graham has enlisted the help of the newly formed Special Topics: PR Agency class to help her raise
Communications is the third most popular major for a Bachelor’s Degree with nearly 1,200 declared
majors, yet only one out of ten non-communication students surveyed actually knew where the SOC is
For clarification for non-communication majors, the SOC is in Kolbe Hall, a building that is currently only
recognizable by the various media antennae and satellite dishes on its roof, something Graham would
First off, we plan to install signage that welcomes students to the School of Communication, Graham
said. We need a lobby for students to congregate and sit and talk with one another, and message
boards with school postings and television monitors continuously updating students about School and
The facilities in Kolbe Hall are state-of-the-art and have helped the student-run radio station, WZIP,
According to the Arbitron Ratings Company Report for April 1 through June 23, WZIP has a weekly
audience of 125,900 listeners, making it the No. 2 station among 18- to 24-year-olds in the Greater
In addition to the impressive facilities offered to its students, the SOC employs an award-winning
Dr. Endres and Dr. Hoffman have both won Emmys, and Dr. David Ritchey has numerous awards to his
In spite of its many achievements and opportunities, it seems that without trying, the SOC has become
one of the best kept secrets on campus, a problem that Graham is looking to correct as Director.
We are in the process of articulating how we are aligned with The University of Akron’s 2020 strategic
vision, including our commitment to student success…the distinction of our program, our engagement
in interdisciplinary/cross disciplinary partnerships, our involvement in the community and our desire to
continually assess the curriculum and commit to continuous improvement, Graham said.
The entire SOC faculty encourages all students who may be undecided on what major to choose
or are already interested in a career in communications to call the SOC at (330)972-7600, visit
www3.uakron.edu/schlcomm or stop in at Kolbe Hall Room 108 to get more information about what
