Thank you SO much for considering a gift to the Department of Communication Studies! We are incredibly proud of our academic programs and our world-class forensics teams, and your gift will be used to support students directly. This year, it's personal for us-- just take a look at our hourly challenges! Whether we have to wax the inside of our nose, take a pie to the face, or get a tattoo to prove it, the COMM faculty want our students, their parents, our beloved alumni, and our dear friends to know that we are enthusiastic about fundraising because we are all-in for our students.
Trying to decide when to give to the Department of Communication Studies? Maybe this handy guide will help you decide...
Ten gifts between 12:00am and 8:00am will unlock Dr. Glen Stamp naming three of his turtles after randomly selected donors
Twenty gifts between 8:00 and 9:00am will unlock Dr. Kathy Denker riding around on a scooter as happy Friyay guy
Twenty gifts between 9:00 and 10:00am will unlock a $250 match from Dr. Kristen McCauliff
Twenty gifts between 10:00 and 11:00am will unlock Melanie Turner baking a homemade sugar cream pie for 3 randomly selected donors
Thirty gifts between 11:00 and 12:00pm will unlock Ashley Coker getting a COMM studies tattoo
Twenty gifts between 12:00 and 1:00pm will unlock Mary Moore wearing a surprise costume to the Big Show
Twenty gifts between 1:00 and 2:00pm will unlock Dr. Laura O’Hara performing Carpool Karaoke
Twenty gifts between 2:00 and 3:00pm will unlock Dr. Kyle Heuett waxing the inside of his nose
Twenty gifts between 3:00 and 5:00pm will unlock Dr. Beth Messner dying her hair purple
Twenty gifts between 5:00 and 7:00pm will unlock Christine Sprunger taking a pie to the face
Twenty gifts between 7:00 and 9:00pm will unlock Kendra Mann model walking in a hot dog suit
Twenty gifts between 9:00 and 12:00pm will unlock Dr. Scarlett Hester teaching wearing a dinosaur onesie
Please direct your gift to one or more of the following six funds:
The Department of Communication Studies has two competitive award-winning forensics teams: the debate team and the individual events (speech) team. Funding is needed to support student travel to tournaments for students on the team. This includes transportation, hotel accommodations, and food, especially at the state and national tournaments. The more funding we receive, the more students we can support.
Unlock these special challenges with gifts to the forensics teams:
Forty gifts to the Speech Team (Individual Events Enhancement Fund) throughout the giving day will unlock Spencer Coile performing in a homemade music video
Forty gifts to the Debate Team (Debate Enhancement Fund) throughout the giving day will unlock Michael Storr sending homemade beef jerky to 3 randomly selected donors
Twenty alumni donors to the Speech Team (Individual Events Enhancement Fund) throughout the giving day will unlock a $250 match from Dr. Carrie Shue
Twenty alumni donors to the Debate Team (Debate Enhancement Fund) throughout the giving day will unlock a $250 match from Dr. Carrie Shue
Our general fund supports the overall unit, and particularly the needs of the undergraduate students and faculty. Our department awards scholarships to undergraduate students, including a diversity scholarship, an involvement scholarship, as well as funding departmental study abroad opportunities. Immersive classroom opportunities such as the COMM210 Showcase of Excellence, the Big Talk Showcase featuring COMM375 students, and student presentations at our annual Communication Research Conference are all made possible by this fund. Our general fund also supports bringing speakers to campus, alumni networking events, and professional development opportunities for our students, as well as travel to academic conferences for both faculty and students.
Unlock these challenges with gifts to the COMM general fund:
Twenty gifts to the COMM studies General Fund mentioning ‘COMM 380’ in the “in honor of” memo line will unlock COMM 380 practicum students making a TikTok dance video
Twenty gifts to the COMM studies General Fund mentioning ‘Big Show’ in the “in honor of” memo line will unlock the grad students performing a choreographed dance at the COMM210 Big Show
The department also has a graduate program; funding is needed to support graduate student travel to conferences so they can present their scholarly work. Travel to conferences can be expensive, as it includes travel (often by flying), hotel accommodations, food, and registration fees. Funding is also needed for graduate student scholarships, for both recruiting potential incoming graduate students and to reward student excellence for those in the program.
Unlock these challenges with gifts to the COMM grad program (First Day Scholars) fund:
Fifty gifts to the COMM grad program (First Day Scholars Fund) throughout the giving day will unlock a $500 match from Dr. Kathy Denker
Twenty alumni donors to the COMM grad program (First Day Scholars Fund) throughout the giving day will unlock a $250 match from Dr. Carrie Shue
Finally, we have two special funds that reflect the values and spirit of some of our most beloved faculty members. The Peggy Fisher Engaged Student Scholarship honors the recently retired Dr. Fisher, awarding funding to students who embody her devotion to immersive and community-engaged learning. The Mike Bauer Debate Fund recognizes the coaching and program building legacy of Bauer. Funds will directly support the efforts of the BSU debate team, and the goal is to raise enough funding to be able to name the debate team room after him.
