WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Oct. 12, 2022 — West Liberty University visiting professor, Dr. Richard Talbert, who teaches in the Department of Media and Visual Arts, was selected to present research at the 82nd annual convention of the Pennsylvania Communication Association (PCA) recently.
His research was titled, “Academic rigor in a post-pandemic world: Enrollment, equity, online space, and old ground.” The conference was held at East Stroudsburg University from Sept. 30 – Oct. 2.
“The focus was on how several factors are shaping the practice of academic rigor,” Talbert said.
“The change is not happening at the student level; rather, it is coming from outside of the classroom.”
He pointed to research and personal experience of external pressures to reduce the quality of instruction. “I had a department chair and a provost at another institution pressure me to eliminate the philosophical components of my coursework,” Talbert noted. “The pressure was to create classes that only focused on practical application, but students can get that on YouTube for free. The administration wanted classes to be easy so that students wouldn’t be driven away.”
Talbert noted that he has not experienced those issues at West Liberty. “I have been encouraged by my colleagues to delve into the material,” Talbert said. “My chair has been very supportive and gives me the academic freedom to push my students.”
Talbert also referenced research that showed how this helps enrollment and retention—two key factors of university health. “I found a 2018 study that noted when professors lead students in high-order thinking, they are more likely to have positive affiliation with that institution,” Talbert said.
“The opposite is also true: If the professors reduce rigor and focus on low-order thinking, students think worse of the institution. Students appreciate a good challenge.”
The work was delivered during the “Communication Ethics Claiming Place in the Contemporary Collegiate Classroom” session. Talbert spoke with other presenters from Slippery Rock University and Duquesne University.
Talbert also served as the chair of the Communication Ethics Interest Council and has previously served as an elected member at large for PCA.
WLU’s College of Liberal and Creative Arts houses the Department of Media and Visual Arts and is led by Dean Dr. Cecilia Konchar Farr. For more information, please visit westliberty.edu/liberal-arts.
