Short Courses

Thursday
April 16, 2026

Short Course 1

1113

8:00 AM  to 9:15 AM 

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Skyway A

Translating the Public Speaking Curriculum: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy for Middle School Mentorship

Grounded in critical communication pedagogy, this short course will equip educators, mentors, and communication scholars with a culturally responsive framework for teaching public speaking skills to underserved middle school students whose first language is not English. Drawing from my ongoing community engagement initiative with a local mentorship program in Tampa, participants will explore how public speaking instruction can foster youth empowerment and translate knowledge and skillsets beyond a higher education context. By attending this short course, attendees will learn about practical tools and frameworks that can make public speaking accessible for other educational and/or community contexts.

Presenters:

   Madison A. Pollino, University of South Florida 
   Melissa McCormick, University of South Florida

Short Course 2

1206

9:30 AM  to 10:45 AM 

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Skyway A

Intersectionality and Health Communication: Transformation Through Translational Teaching

This short course will overview contemporary health communication theories and research that are based on nuanced approaches to intersectionality. Then, we will use those theoretical approaches as lenses through which to reflect on our teaching, with particular attention to the implications of our own intersectional positionalities and how they can enable and constrain opportunities for translational teaching. Finally, we will develop specific learning outcomes for teaching a deliberately intersectional health communication course that focuses on translating that complex approach into concrete terms and then developing students' skills for translating that learning into their professional lives-often within (allied) health fields.

Presenter:  Jenn Anderson, South Dakota State University 

 Short Course 3

1307

11:00 AM  to 12:15 PM 

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Skyway A

Leading, Not Just Lasting, in Academic Middle Management

This short course explores the paradox of department chair leadership: chairs are increasingly expected to deliver managerial results without the formal authority of traditional managers. They must navigate faculty expectations, institutional demands, and their own academic identities while advocating for their departments from a vulnerable and often ambiguous position-straddling the boundary between faculty and administration. This workshop, based on the book The New Department Chair: 100 Daily Reflections to Mindfully Design Your Term, explores the unique communication demands of academic middle-management. Participants will engage in interactive discussion and real-life case studies focused on the challenges of leading from the middle in higher education.

Presenter:    W. Benjamin Myers, The University of Toledo

 Short Course 4

1600

3:30 PM  to 4:45 PM 

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Skyway A

A Simplified Approach to Teaching the Basic Course – Introduction to Public Speaking Using the 5 Notecard Method

For this course, I would like to share part of my new book, Public Speaking Simplified: Removing Speech Anxiety publishing as a national title with Kendall Hunt – ready for course adoptions for Fall 2026. In my book, five chapters are dedicated to teaching the five notecard method where each notecard represents a major section of their speech: introduction, main point #1, main point #2, main point #3, and their conclusion. I teach students how to write an outline one step at a time and transpose that information to their notecards.

Presenter:  Jaclyn Marsh, Bowling Green State University 

 Short Course 5

2107

8:00 AM  to 9:15 AM 

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Skyway A

Translate AI! Building the Communication Course of the Future

This short course is designed to prepare educators to teach an undergraduate course in AI and Communication. The course is designed to address the critical need for AI literacy within the communication major and will provide the theoretical foundation and practical resources necessary to launch this essential course. The ability to utilize generative AI tools and understand the risks and limitations involved is increasingly necessary for graduates of our programs. Participants will receive example syllabi and a collection of ready-to-use assignments designed to foster both critical thinking and practical skills.

Presenter:  Heather Walters, Missouri State University 

 Short Course 6

2210

9:30 AM  to 10:45 AM 

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Skyway A

Strategic Communication in the AI Era

The short course aims to explore how communication faculty can bridge the gap between traditional communication expertise and emerging AI technologies. By using AI as a focal example, the discussion will highlight ways to thoughtfully integrate AI tools into communication courses. Key discussion questions include: What are the main learning goals this course should focus on? Which foundational communication theories or frameworks can support students in critically examining AI as a communicative agent or tool? What concepts are most useful in helping students analyze and question AI-generated content across journalism, PR, and social media platforms?

Presenter:  Nagwan R. Zahry, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 

 Short Course 7

2308

11:00 AM  to 12:15 PM 

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Skyway A

Putting Communication to Work: Translating Theory, Methods, and Skills for Industry

This short course focuses on how to translate communication theory, methods, and skills from academic settings to industry practice. The short course will talk about what translation looks like in industry and non-higher education work spaces, including: • how to transform research questions and project framing, • how to use theory as an applied vocabulary, • how to leverage research methods to address problems, and • how to use communication skills to improve communication competence. This short course is perfect for graduate students, professors, and professionals looking to amplify their transferable skills and show the power of communication to industry partners.

Presenter:  Heather J. Carmack, Mayo Clinic 

Saturday
April 18, 2026

 Short Course 8

3404

12:30 PM  to 1:45 PM 

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Skyway A

Developing an OER Text for a College Course in Argumentation and Debate

Today, more than ever, there is a growing urgency to adopt teaching practices that are both inclusive and equitable. This short course presentation will examine the outcomes of one professor's efforts to foster diverse pedagogical and curricular approaches to enhance student learning, encourage critical thinking, and ultimately promote equity and inclusion. More specifically, the presenter will address the challenges and opportunities arising from developing an open text for a course in Argumentation and Debate at a community college, offer strategies to include English-language learners in the classroom, and share a newly developed OER aimed at making college debate accessible to diverse learners.

Presenter:    Elvinet Piard, Imperial Valley College

 Short Course 9

3514

2:00 PM  to 3:15 PM 

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Skyway A

Translating your Passion into a Podcast Launch

In this short course, we offer an introduction to podcasts for academics and hobbyists. Based on the experiences of Danielle (Podcast: Plan, Goal, Plan, a top 1% podcast) and Kyle (Podcast: Publishing Academic Research, a top 5% podcast), we talk about how to generate your purpose, identify your niche, and develop the materials. We'll also discuss some of the common barriers and perks as well as ways of monetizing your work.

Presenters:

   C. Kyle Rudick, University of Northern Iowa
   Danielle McGeough, University of Northern Iowa