A fully staffed department from 1920 to 1979, the speech program at Dartmouth is now limited to a single office run by one professor.
The director and only professor in the office of speech, Jim Kuypers, teaches approximately two speech classes a term but is not a tenure-track professor. Despite the fact that speech classes are filled to capacity every term, it is unlikely that the department will expand due to the sentiment of the administration, according to Kuypers.
Kuypers's requests that the College hire more speech professors have allegedly been denied for economic reasons for the past nine years, but this year he was told there is no need for additional faculty.
"For nine years I was told there just wasn't enough money to hire more faculty; this year they tell me there is no need to hire more faculty, that speech is being taught all over campus. Honestly, I don't see this happening," Kuypers said.
"Some other professors might give out do and don't lists for presentations, but this is very different from the serious study of rhetoric," Kuypers continued.
Last July, Dean of the Faculty Carol Folt privately expressed her opinion that speech was an important multidisciplinary skill but one that was increasingly being taught through other departments, according to Dean of Humanities Lenore Grenoble. Grenoble also suggested that the study of speech itself did not warrant more than a small office at a liberal arts institution.
Folt's office could not be reached for comment.
"An extensive speech or communications program with a major would be appropriate at a technical or service college, but few liberal arts institutions give such training," Grenoble said.
Kuypers noted that he was particularly frustrated by the denial of faculty for the office of speech because he feels it violates tradition and will of the trustees.
The Board of Trustees issued a mandate that the college establish an office of speech after the College abolished the speech department in 1979.
In accordance with the mandate, the College started an office with several professors that offered eight to ten performance-oriented speech courses. The office staffed two to four employees until the three tenured faculty members working there retired nearly simultaneously in 1995. The College began a search for two new faculty member, but abandoned the search for a second professor when they hired Kuypers.
As a result, the office of speech finds itself with the responsibility to teach speech at Dartmouth but without the resources to do so thoroughly, according to Kuypers. To some, this seems like an inappropriate state for the discipline.
"Continuing as is, with no tenure-track appointments, is far, far from ideal. My opinion is: tenure track appointments and enlarge it or get rid of it," said English professor Bill Cook, a long-time supporter of the discipline who has taught oratory courses in the past.
Kuypers' classes fill up waitlists every term as many students seek a better understanding of the art of speech, despite the fact that speech classes do not contribute to any major or minor.
"[Kuypers'] colleagues look down on speech as some sort of vocational college course, but that is bull," said Jedidiah Sorokin-Altmann '05. "Learning to speak effectively is no more vocational than learning to write effectively."
