Communication and Theater Department records, 1925 - 2020, bulk: 1980 - 2000

Sub-Group — Multiple Containers

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection dates from 1947 to 2020. The bulk of the material dates from the 1980s and 1990s, and includes material from all iterations of the departments' titles, such as the Department of Speech and Drama, as well as under its names of Department of Communication and Theater and Department of Communication, Telecommunication, and Theater. Administrative files include end of the year reports, annual reports, departmental reports, course proposals, departmental searches, budgets, selfstudies, IPPR reports, information on majors and courses, advising handbooks, planning, goals, and a very few meeting minutes, National Theater Standards, student handbooks, Star Studio documents, Alpha Psi Omega Honor Society materials, promotional materials and loose photographs, among other materials. There is some correspondence received by faculty members, including that from deans, and a small sample of syllabi, lesson plans and document drafts.

Dates

1925 - 2020
Majority of material found within 1980 - 2000

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Biographical / Historical

The department of Communication and Theater started as two separate departments: Music and Expression. Expression was mainly about public speaking and communication, with a little bit of dramatics in a few of the courses. In 1922 dramatics and public speaking were combined with the English department until 1941, when they split from the English department and became the Department of Speech and Drama. From 1979-1984 the department was named the Department of Communication and Theater and from 1984-1990 the Department of Communication, Telecommunication, and Theater. In 1990 the department split into two with communications and telecommunications as one department and theater as its own department.

Extent

5 Linear Feet (4 cartons)

Language of Materials

From the Record Group: English

Additional Description

Materials Specific Details

Some materials in this subgroup were created in 2011 or later, after theater had become part of the combined Music and Theater Department. They were originally stored in theater offices and delivered to the archives by theater faculty. Given staff workload, the decision was made not to move these materials to the subgroup for the combined department.