Department of
Communication Studies

Crossing National Borders to Bolster Democratic Engagement through Film and Media

Professors Hye Seung Chung and Scott Diffrient are spending time in South Korea exploring film and its use in government, human rights, and policy as Fulbright Scholars. Their goal is to bolster understanding of and appreciation for democratic principles such as free speech and human rights by critically engaging historical and contemporary Korean films. 

Spring 2021

Together, we imagine and engage

In the Department of Communication Studies, together, we imagine, adapt, engage, and lead. From the ACT Human Rights Film Festival to the Center for Public Deliberation, we engage with the personal and the structural to understand one another better. From student recruitment to student success, we create opportunities for first-generation students to find a place and build their impact. 

Winter 2020

Community Guide Project amplifies housing’s impact on health for Fort Collins residents

How can a city encourage participation in a critical topic such as sustainable, affordable housing? Call on a variety of agencies and the Center for Public Deliberation to solicit people from a wide spectrum and teach them how to engage in productive community conversation. The result is a successful first step toward meeting people’s physical and mental health needs related to housing. 

Winter 2019/Spring 2020

The Rhetoric of (Re)development

With the redevelopment of the National Western Center in Denver came the opportunity to research issues of urban growth, rural constriction, and the forces that make, break, and re-create communities. An undergraduate research academy explores these issues by exploring the concept of place and space, diversity, power, and community at I-70 and the Elyria and Swansea neighborhood in Denver.

Spring 2019

This Content Is Not Available in Your Country (Yet)

Getting locked out can happen not just from your car or your home. Getting locked out can happen online when you’re not able to view certain films or media. Geoblocking, or regional lockout, is a way that media distribution companies protect their films. While we may think that the internet and other technologies have created a global village, media distribution practices and other uses of technology have prevented that global interconnection.

Winter 2018

Walking Up Stream: sleeping rough on the banks of the South Platte River

Chris Conner (M.A. ’11) has spent the majority of his career working to improve the lives of those experiencing homelessness in Denver. Inspired by the rhetorical traditions of his communication studies degree, Conner recently helped one man share an unlikely story of living and sleeping rough on the banks of the South Platte River.

Spring 2018

Three Approaches to Work and Meaning

Communication scholars research TV in the workplace, women entrepreneurs, and high reliability organizations, showing that the intersection of work and communication is vital to our success.