Welcome to the virtual home of the Department of Communication at Volunteer State Community College. The Department of Communication and Humanities Division offices are located in the Hal R. Ramer Administration Building on the main campus in Gallatin.
Volunteer State Community College is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents family of universities, community colleges and technology centers. The college serves a 12-county region of northern, middle Tennessee. The main campus, located in Gallatin, is about 30 minutes northeast of downtown Nashville.
The Mission of the Department of Communication is to be a student-centered community, a community that allows each individual to develop his or her communication understanding and skills to their fullest.
Realizing that communication will play a significant role in whatever career one chooses, the Department of Communication offers a wide choice of courses designed to meet the complex communication skills required in today's society. The department promotes high standards, while seeking to promote a balance between a liberal arts education and professional preparation.
Courses of Study lead to an Associate's degree, as part of the college's University Parallel Degree Program. The Department of Communication offers five courses of study or emphasis areas: a General Communication emphasis (covering the breadth of the discipline), or an emphasis in Radio/TV, an emphasis in Journalism, an emphasis in Business and Professional Communication or an emphasis in Speech & Forensics. Nineteen (19) hours are required for the major. In addition, the Department of Communication provides courses to support a Recording Industry Management course of study. Contact James Story to discuss this program. Take a Slideshow Tour of the facilities.
Courses of study prepare a student for transfer to a four-year institution's communication program to pursue a Bachelor's degree. Students, from the Volunteer State program in communication, have successfully transferred to schools, such as Austin Peay State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee.
Careers in the communications field include television and radio broadcasting, public relations, corporate communication, education, print, radio or television journalism, photography, desktop publishing and writing.
Students of communication follow a variety of careers, including marketing, teaching, media operations, the law, finance, banking, public relations, policy analysis, government service, consulting, human resources, account management, advertising, brokerage, print and electronic media writing, performance, news production, management, real estate development and lobbying, to name a few.
Communication majors also regularly pursue advanced study in graduate schools of business administration, history, journalism, political science, fine arts and schools of law, in addition to graduate studies in different fields of communication
Practical Experience is at the heart of each individual course and is also an integral part of each course of study. Communication majors have numerous opportunities for practical/job-related experience, not only in the classroom, but also through campus activities and organizations and within the off-campus larger community.
Activities have been created to make a student's educational experience exciting, practical, and valuable, as each student develops a portfolio of skills that employers want. Practica are available for all courses of study.
Journalism opportunities include the student-written campus newspaper, The Settler (with print and an online version) and the college magazine, The Pioneer (also with a print and an online version).
Mass Communications students program and operate WVCP-FM, the campus radio station and gain experience in video and television production. The Department also has video and television production studios and a commercial music studio. Take a Slideshow Tour of the commercial music and video production facilities.
Communication majors may participate as a part of the Pioneer Forensics Team and enter intercollegiate competition in any one or several of 10 individual events or parliamentary team debate.
Any student may participate in the Annual Hal R. Ramer Oratorical Contest in April. Speakers deliver prepared speeches on a variety of topics for cash prizes and awards. See Oratorical Contest Rules for more information. See Oratorical Form for a contest entry.
The Gallatin Toastmasters hold weekly meetings on the Volunteer State main campus. Weekly meetings are on Friday afternoons between 12:10pm and 1:20pm. Interested students, faculty, staff and administrative personnel are welcome to join this organization. E-mail the chapter contact.
All Volunteer State Community College students, in addition to communication majors, are eligible to audition and work in the dramatic productions of the college. Dramatic productions, staged during the fall and spring terms, offer practical experience opportunities in acting and all aspects of production.
Activities, in addition to the practical experiences listed above, are also available to students. Communications majors, as well as non-majors, are eligible for membership in several honor societies and organizations.
Sigma Chi Eta is a national honor society for communication majors in two-year colleges which provides enrichment and networking opportunities. The minimum requirements are 3 courses completed (9 hours minimum), a 3.0 or better overall GPA and a 3.25 or better communication coursework GPA.
Phi Rho Pi is a national honor society for speech competitors in two-year colleges in the United States, while Alpha Sigma Iota is an organization for broadcasting majors that provides opportunities for experience, such as field trips and workshops.
In addition, Phi Theta Kappa is a national academic honor society open to students with the minimum course requirements and a GPA of 3.5 or better.
Memberships are maintained, by the Department of Communication, in the following associations, organizations, fraternities and honor societies:
The Associated Press
National Association of Broadcasters
Society of Broadcast Engineers
Tennessee Communication Association
National Communication Association
Tennessee Press Association
Phi Rho Pi, a national honor society for speech competitors in two-year colleges
Sigma Chi Eta, national honor society for communication majors in two-year colleges
Alpha Sigma Iota, an organization for broadcasting majors
For more information about our programs, please use the “Contact Us” link at the right or send email to:
For general inquries: communication@volstate.edu
For print journalism program: journalism@volstate.edu
