Conference on Communication and Social Action

The Seventh Annual Conference on Communication and Social Action – a two-day February event focused on the problems of racist and bullying language – provided enrichment for interpersonal and public communication (IPC) students and faculty. 

Speakers discussed how language constructs reality, the effects of bullying, the principles of dialogue, confronting racism and bullying, and ethical leadership.

The conference was sponsored by $5,962 in CMU 2010 funding.

“This program enriched students’ understanding of race on campus and prepared them to extend their reach to others in the community through service learning projects with PEAK,” said Mary Ann Renz, CMU professor of speech communication and dramatic arts.

PEAK, Partners Empowering All Kids, is an after-school program that students in many IPC classes are working with in a variety of projects.

“The conference gave students solid background information to help make their involvement with those projects successful,” Renz said.

Rena Richtig, CMU educational administration
and community leadership professor,
discusses the impact of bullying during
CMU’s February Conference on Communication
and Social Action.