Dr. Jennifer H. Waldeck Speaks the Truth to NAC Students About Communication

May 15, 2012

NAC News Archives

Dr. Jennifer Waldeck shares the importance of Communication with NAC Students.In the last lecture of the Chapman Visiting Scholars Series for the school year, Dr. Jennifer Waldeck stressed the importance of being able to communicate willingly and effectively with the Nicholas Academic Centers’ students. Dr. Waldeck, Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Chapman University, used the concepts from her co-authored book, Business and Professional Communication in a Digital Age to examine the role communication plays in people’s everyday lives.

According to Dr. Waldeck, “Our willingness to grow as a communicator in all kinds of settings, even the ones outside our comfort zone, can help us in incredible ways.” Using “The Simultaneous Transactions Model of Communication,” she noted that a number of factors influence the ways people communicate, including physical surroundings, organizational culture, and social relationships. Hugo Gutierrez, NAC Executive Director, confirmed this by sharing with NAC students how he communicates in various settings with different groups: “There are many different angles I have to consider in my position here working with the organization. I engage with students and staff, and partners like Dr. Struppa and Dr. Waldeck, who come to visit, and funders. There’s a wide range of people I communicate with, and communication seems to be tailored to fit the audience.”

NAC students attending the lecture participated in a number of exercises designed by Dr. Waldeck to encourage people to pay closer attention to their audience and the ways in which they communicate. In one exercise, students sat with their backs to one another, and they struggled to communicate without using any visual cues. The students then faced their partners and found it much easier to have a conversation. NAC senior, Joe Serrano said, “It was hard to hear with our backs to one another, especially with so many people talking.” Dr. Waldeck noted that distractions like noise could impact people’s ability to communicate with their partners. She also mentioned that facial expressions and other body language could help listeners interpret what the speaker is saying and how he or she feels about it.