College of Liberal Arts at Marshall University

05/06/2025

Congratulations Chris! Your record of engaged scholarship is impressive. We look forward to seeing the fruits of this prestigious appointment.

04/18/2025

Congratulations Dr. Rachael Peckham on being named West Virginia Teacher of the Year by the Faculty Merit Foundation at last night's awards dinner. You are a well-loved mentor and guide to so many students. Thank you for your great work these past 16 years.

03/25/2025

Congratulations to our hard working competitors for the Thundering Word!Debaters were TENTH in the National Tournament (Division II) and FIFTH in the speech events (Diviion III). Only our soccer team has a better record in national tournaments in recent years.

02/25/2025

This past weekend Marshall University held its 53rd annual high school speech and debate tournament. The highlight of the tournament for me was presenting the Clara Adkins and Danny Ray Heart of Forensics Award to Dr. Robert Bookwalter, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Dr. Bookwalter will be retiring at the end of this fiscal year.

My first real contact with Dr. Bookwalter occurred in the spring of 1987 when I took his class on Leadership and Group Communication. I sat beside former Wordster Jane Frideczky Pruitt, and we learned all about various theories of leadership. We also read from a little book called "The Tao of Leadership."

I did not know in 1987 that the world would come full circle, and I would have an opportunity to learn even more about leadership from Dr. Bookwalter as he served as Chair of the Department of Communication Studies and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

During that time, I saw Dr. Bookwalter play an instrumental role in saving the speech and debate team from elimination and supporting it for many years. I also saw Dr. Bookwalter work with three coaches - Danny Ray, Clara Adkins, and most recently me. And in the process, I came to appreciate that the key to good leadership is providing the people we work with what they need. Danny and Clara and I were very different people, and Dr. Bookwalter found ways to support each of us in the ways we needed it.

Dr. Bookwalter's retirement will be a loss for the Thundering Word Speech and Debate Team, the Department of Communication Studies, the College of Liberal Arts, and Marshall University.

Thank you, Dr. Bookwalter for demonstrating leadership over so many years and best wishes to Becky and you moving forward.

- Dennis Cleveland Taylor

"The wise leader is like water. Consider water: water cleanses and refreshes all; water freely and fearlessly goes deep beneath the surface of things; water is fluid and responsive. Consider the leader: the leader works in any setting without complaint, with any person or issue that comes on the floor; the leader acts so that all will benefit; the leader speaks simply and honestly and intervenes in order to shed light and create harmony. From watching the movements of water, the leader has learned that in action, timing is everything.”

- The Tao of Leadership

12/13/2024

Are you looking to update your skills? Do you want to be a more valuable resource in your current position? Would you like to enhance your resume? If so, consider our grant writing course!

Grant writing is critical for organizations to fund their programs and services. Not only does it allow for raising funds, but it is also an excellent opportunity for the organization to articulate its mission, goals, and objectives; form partnerships and collaborations; and highlight its accomplishments and impact.

Join Dr. Barbara Tarter this spring in her Grant Writing for Nonprofits course. Students in this class have not only raised money for various organizations during this course, but they have also gone on to secure grant writing positions.

12/13/2024

English Department at Marshall University graduate Jad Adkins finding success with this excellent film.

Marshall University graduate Jad Adkins is celebrating a major milestone in his creative career. The film Battersea (2024), which he co-wrote, took home the award for Best Narrative Feature at the Montana International Film Festival and is showing at the Anchorage International Film Festival this week.

“There is no writing success I could achieve that I would not be able to trace back to the Marshall English department,” Adkins said.

Read Jad's story ➡️ https://bit.ly/3D2ptoF

12/13/2024

What a great program - spreading international education and cultural understanding across the region.

12/13/2024

Great work being done by faculty and students in the Department of Communication Studies.

This week, we’re thrilled to spotlight multiple students and faculty, Jack Cross, Abigail Cunningham, Dr. Rich Jones, Dr. Jill Underhill, Dr. Julie Snyder Yuly, and Dr. Clinton Brown (Not Pictured) who recently showcased their research at the prestigious National Communication Association (NCA) conference in New Orleans! 🎓✨

We are incredibly proud of everyone for representing Marshall University and the Communication Studies program on such a significant national platform. 🌟📚👏

Way to go! Your achievements inspire us all to aim higher and strive for excellence. 💡💪