Communicator

Profile overview: Communicator

Communicators convey their ideas effectively and ethically in oral, written, and visual forms across multiple settings, using face-to-face and mediated channels. Communicators are mindful of themselves and others, observe, read thoughtfully, listen actively, ask questions, create messages with an awareness of diverse audiences, and collaborate with others and across cultures to build relationships.

The communicator:

Evaluates information

Communicators scrutinize information prior to opinion formation and knowledge dissemination. They comprehend, interpret, analyze, and assess ideas, facts, and arguments. Communicators challenge assumptions and ask questions; they use complex information from a variety of qualitative and quantitative sources, personal experiences, and observation to draw logical conclusions, form a decision or opinion, or advance an argument.

  • Determine key issues for consideration and access information using well-designed search strategies
  • Find and use a variety of credible information sources
  • Interpret/evaluate oral, written, visual, and mathematical evidence to develop comprehensive analysis or synthesis
  • Ask questions to consider thoroughly diverse viewpoints
  • Analyze own and others' assumptions
  • Evaluate relevance of contexts (e.g., historical, political, cultural) when presenting a position
  • Express a logical position that accounts for complex perspectives
  • Acknowledge limitations

Academic

  • Engage in the research process to produce a paper or report
  • Design and conduct an experiment or survey
  • Convey the results to diverse audiences

Co-curricular

  • Analyze data on student organization participation to convey conclusions to student affairs

Listens actively

Communicators listen attentively to others, observe and read actively, and respond appropriately. They are aware of personal biases.

  • Observe, listen, and read for information
  • Paraphrase ideas
  • Perform self-reflection
  • Engage others respectfully and in ways that facilitate their contributions

Academic

  • Advance class discussion with peers
  • Summarize in-class group meetings or class sessions for the purpose of checking perceptions and getting input from all members

Co-curricular

  • Facilitate a Democracy Plaza event
  • Go through intergroup dialogue facilitation training and facilitate a difficult dialogue

Builds relationships

Communicators actively engage with others to deliberate, negotiate, build consensus, navigate conflict, define values, or meet shared goals. They operate with civility and cultivate healthy and meaningful relationships with others.

  • Evaluate and apply diverse perspectives to complex topics in the face of multiple or conflicting positions
  • Engage in reflection to increase self-awareness and personal growth
  • Engage others respectfully; motivate others
  • Tailor communication strategies to express, listen, and adapt to others to establish relationships to further goals

Academic

  • Work with others to accomplish a team project
  • Work with classmates and community members on a service learning project

Co-curricular

  • Work with a student organization to accomplish a shared goal
  • Build community with a residential living cohort