Communication

Students train with top professionals.

Why Study Communication at Southwestern?

There is great demand both in the United States and around the world for men and women skilled in creating and managing the elements of communication. It is the aim of this department to strengthen students’ personal, public, and professional communication skills.

Many communication students acquire valuable training and experience at one or more of the following facilities on or adjoining the campus.

  • 88.3 KJRN, the University’s FM station
  • Channel 31 KGSW, the University’s TV station
  • The Studios at Southwestern, our digital audio and video production facility
  • The Southwesterner, the University's news website.

The department encourages all upper division majors to complete an off-campus internship in their major field. Even before graduation, and sometimes as a direct result of internship positions, many of our majors are hired by these communication firms.

Communication alumni from Southwestern who have continued their education through graduate school have done so very successfully. This department prepares men and women to meet the challenges and to take advantage of the opportunities of Christian communication professionals in today’s world.

Curriculum

Discover the classes that make up the curriculum.

Communication:
- Curriculum and Courses.

Departmental Faculty

Robert R. Mendenhall, Ph.D., Chair

Professor, Communication

o: Communication North

e: bobm[at]swau.edu

p: 817-202-6776

Communication Chair

Bob Mendenhall completed his high school work at Monterey Bay Academy, La Selva Beach California, in 1963, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Pacific Union College, Angwin, California, in 1967. After a year in commercial radio in Redding, California, he served two years in the United States Army, including one year as a combat medical corpsman in the Republic of Vietnam.
He came to Southwestern in 1970—serving first as assistant dean of men and two years later as dean of men. In 1974 he became Instructor of Communication and General Manager of the University’s radio station, KJCR FM. Since that year he has been active in the Adventist Radio Network, producing the network’s coverage of Adventist General Conference sessions, and serving at various times as ARN secretary, vice president, and president.
In 1977 he earned an M.A. from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth and in 1994 a Ph.D. in Radio-Television-Film from The University of Texas at Austin. He is now Professor of Communication and Chairman of the Communication Department at Southwestern Adventist University. He and his wife, Bev, Southwestern’s alumni director, have two grown children and four grandchildren.

Glen Robinson, Ph.D.

Professor, Communication

o: Communication North

e: robinson[at]swau.edu

p: 817-202-6715

Professor

Glen Robinson graduated from Pacific Union College in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication. He received his M.A. in Information and Communication Studies from California State University, Chico in 1998, and a Ph.D. in Information Science from the University of North Texas in 2004.
His career includes extensive experience in publishing, editing, writing, and public relations. He has served as managing editor of a weekly newspaper, in hospital public relations, and ten years as a book and magazine editor for Pacific Press Association in Nampa, Idaho. He has published numerous articles and stories in magazines and newspapers, and has authored eight books.
Robinson came to Southwestern in 1998, teaching communication classes and assuming full responsibilities as general manager of 88.3 KJCR until 2004. He is now a professor in the department.
Robinson is married to Shelly, a hospice nurse. They have two grown children.

Randy Yates, M.Ed.

Assistant Professor, Communication/General Manager, KGSW

o: Studios at Southwestern

e: ryates[at]swau.edu

p: 817-202-6257

Professor

An alumnus of Southwestern Adventist University, Randy Yates has an M.Ed. from Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. He served as a missionary in Micronesia and as a teacher and principal on several islands. Yates was also the Chairman for the Education Department of the College of Micronesia in Kosrae. He took additional graduate work in Communication at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. While a student at Southwestern, Yates worked at KJCR as an announcer, and besides teaching he is now the General Manager for both KJCR 88.3 FM and KGSW Channel 31.

Michael Agee, B.S.

Instructor, Communication/General Manager, KJRN

o: KJRN Building

e:magee[at]swau.edu

p: 817-202-6883

Adjunct Professor

Mike Agee completed his high school work at Ozark Adventist Academy in Gentry, AR in 1977 and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from Southwestern Union College, now SWAU, in 1981. While at Southwestern, he worked at KSUC, now KJRN, as an announcer and news director. After college, he worked at KZEE 1220AM in Weatherford, TX, as news director, sales, operations manager and finally station manager. In 1985, Mike moved to Berrien Springs, MI as program director of WAUS on the campus of Andrews University. While at Andrews, he also taught classes in the Communication Department and began work on an M.A. in Public Relations at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI. In 1990, Mike accepted a call from the Idaho Conference to build and manage their radio station in Boise, ID. Under Mike’s leadership, KTSY has become a nationally recognized station in the Christian music industry, winning three Station of the Year awards from the Gospel Music Association and a Station of the Year award from the Christian Music Broadcasters Association. KTSY was also a finalist for a Marconi Award from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and a finalist for the Crystal Award for Community Service, also from the NAB. Mike came to Southwestern in 2010 to rebuild and remake 88.3 KJCR, now 88.3 The Journey KJRN. Mike will also teach selected courses for the Communication Department while he completes his M.A. in Communication at University of Texas at Arlington. Mike and his wife Wanda (SUC ’82) have two grown sons. .

Trent Truman

Adjunct Professor, Communication

o:

e:ttruman@gmail.com

p: 717-552-8684

John D. Williams, M.A.

Adjunct Professor, Communication

o: Studios at Southwestern

e:jdwilliams[at]swau.edu

p: