Cornell University - Department of Communication

Our mission The Department of Communication is dedicated to enhancing understanding of communication processes, institutions, systems and practices; informing and educating a wide range of constituencies; and fostering communication competencies, all in service to ethical public discourse in a civil society committed to positive social change. Our faculty, graduate students, undergraduates and alumni are recognized leaders in developing and applying novel theoretical perspectives to address important issues. Grounded in the theoretical and methodological rigor of the social sciences, we teach classes and conduct research on real-world communication problems related to media, health, agriculture and the environment, among others. We recognize and value a wide variety of quantitative and qualitative empirical methods, and we celebrate research as a core element of teaching in all its forms and teaching as a fundamental spur to research. Today, the department is a national and international leader in conducting research with a strong commitment to educating the next generation of citizenry to address these issues. Our vision is to be the global leader in promoting greater understanding of human communication—its forms, structures and effects—in a world that is intricately mediated, technologically sophisticated and scientifically informed. Why is our place in CALS? Our home in CALS is a testament to the foresight of those who recognized that addressing vital social and policy issues requires an understanding of how people communicate these very issues. Today we do this, not in service to other disciplines, but as a fundamental scientific and educational pursuit. Whether we’re researching how individuals communicate in face-to-face and mediated environments or applying theory-driven science to address issues of online privacy, global security and terrorism, food safety, health and nutrition, youth development, and sustainability, we both advance knowledge and align with the College’s “knowledge with a public purpose” ethos. We provide a unique strength to the College by broadening its scope in innovative social science research in communication and communication technologies, while complementing our fellow CALS schools and departments through our interdisciplinary collaborations and teaching. In so doing, we embrace the College’s Land Grant Mission of benefiting the citizens, communities, and economic well-being of the state of New York, the nation, and the world. Why are we "Communication" and not "Communications"? You may wonder why we call ourselves the Department of Communication and not Communications. The simple answer is that we use the term “communication” to reflect our department’s focus on the social scientific study of communication—specifically, the process by which humans use symbols, verbal and nonverbal, to create meaning and form relationships with other humans in face-to-face or mediated environments. This is the essence of what we teach, research, and do in our department. “Communications,” in contrast, is often used to refer to the products—the messages that are transmitted or distributed—or to the equipment (like wireless or fiber optic cables) that conducts the transmission. While these are integral elements of communication study, they do not form the basis for our program. People tend to use the terms interchangeably, and even some social science departments like ours use communications with the "s." But we prefer “communication” and, incidentally, have been the Department of Communication since 1987, when we changed the name from Communication Arts to emphasize our focus on the scientific study of communication rather than the more applied “art” of communicating. The Department of Communication at Cornell University has a three-part mission: 1. to enhance understanding of communication processes, institutions, systems, and practices; 2. to inform and educate a wide range of constituencies; and 3. to foster communication competencies. Achieving this mission requires the full participation of a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff who have had a variety of experiences that can contribute to insights into how our social world operates. The Department can sustain excellence in research only if we have access to all critical lenses and perspectives on the questions that are important to ask, and on the methods that should be employed to examine those questions. The Department can sustain excellence in teaching only if we incorporate the perspectives of those from across our global community, as well as the marginalized communities that are often overlooked within the United States. Fostering a diverse community is more than simple numerical representation. To live up to Cornell’s founding principle as a place where “any person can find instruction in any study,” the Communication Department makes persistent and proactive efforts to ensure that all are welcomed and treated with respect so that they truly can instruct, or find instruction. The goal is to create a culture that encourages and emboldens every member of the community to engage, particularly those who have historically been on the margins of the society. Achieving these goals requires consistent self-examination to assess the progress, strategic planning to set targets for improvement, and most importantly, strategic actions to work toward the Department’s goals. Below is a partial list of current initiatives to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in our community.