cxc.lsu.edu

LSU Distinguished Communicator

Requirements Packet

Student Requirements for LSU Distinguished Communicator Certification Eligibility

www.cxc.lsu.edu

apply and be accepted to the program through their PAWS accounts during their sophomore

year * Students must apply prior to accumulating 80 hours of course credits. Juniors and

seniors with 80+ hours who have at least 2 semesters remaining may petition for acceptance

into the program.

earn a 3.0 or higher in at least 12 C-I course hours (minimum 3 written, 2 spoken, 1 visual, and

1 tech) * A full listing of C-I courses is available at cxc.lsu.edu. Independent contracts are

available for students needing credit in areas where C-I courses are unavailable.

choose a faculty advisor, complete a student-advisor contract with and meet regularly to

ensure timely submission of all components needed for certification

attend at least 3 communication-related workshops hosted by CxC or other organizations

(credit for non-CxC workshops must be approved by the CxC staff)

participate in an internship, service-learning, research or study abroad experience related to

your field in which you practice and exhibit strong communication skills

serve in a leadership role on campus or within the community in which you practice and

exhibit strong communication skills

reflect on growth as a communicator throughout your Distinguished Communicator journey

compile a private portfolio of required communication samples

complete an approved public digital portfolio to achieve your post-graduation goals

Updated 8/23/2010

LSU Distinguished Communicator How to Begin & Official Deadlines

www.cxc.lsu.edu

Students who are certified as LSU Distinguished Communicators demonstrate exceptional proficiencies in writing, speaking, visual, and technological communication within their discipline. To be eligible for this certification, students must apply for entry into the program prior to completing 80 hours of coursework and follow the outlined workflow.

Upon Acceptance

Attend Distinguished Communicator Orientation

Make an appointment with a CxC staff member to discuss details of the program

Visit the CxC website for required forms, prompts, etc.

Complete your Beginning Reflection

Begin compiling documentation for your Private Digital Portfolio

Begin taking C-I courses within your curriculum or contract with professors for C-I credit

Answer the Public Portfolio planning reflection questions and begin building your Public Digital Portfolio

Sophomore/ Junior Year

Select a Faculty Advisor and complete the Advisor-Student Contract

Video yourself giving presentations (freshman, sophomore/junior, and senior sample required)

Share a draft of your Public Digital Portfolio with your faculty advisor and a CxC staff member for feedback and create a plan for revisions as you move forward

Continue compiling documentation for your Private Digital Portfolio

Seek support from the CxC Studios and attend communication-related workshops (3 required for students graduating after May 2011; credit for non-CxC workshops must be approved by CxC staff)

Meet with a CxC staff member to ensure completion (or plan for completion) of 12 credit hours of C-I courses or contracts

Complete or (plan to complete) an internship, research or study abroad experience that utilizes your communication skills (experiential learning reflection required)

Complete or (plan to complete) a leadership role on campus (service-learning) or within the community that utilizes your communication skills (leadership reflection required)

Senior Year

Attend communication skills building workshops

Complete your final reflection and all required paperwork

Meet with CxC staff member to finalize courses and requirements

Submit your Public Digital Portfolio to your Faculty Advisor and CxC staff for final feedback (due April 1 for fall grads & November 1 for spring grads)

Share your finalized Public and Private Digital Portfolio with your Faculty Advisor and to CxC through Tigerbytes II (due February 1 for spring grads & September 1 for fall grads)*

Faculty advisor to submit final rubric and recommendation to CxC (due February 15 for spring graduates and September 15 for fall graduates)

*Students who wish to add their senior projects to their final portfolios may do so 15 days prior to commencement. These revisions will not impact the committee’s final recommendations for candidacy.

Updated 1/18/2011

Private Digital Portfolio Guidelines for Distinguished Communicators

www.cxc.lsu.edu

As part of the requirements for being certified as a Distinguished Communicator, you are required to submit a public and a private digital portfolio. A digital portfolio is a way for you to go beyond the traditional resume presentation and showcase your work and abilities in a dynamic, professional manner.

Your private digital portfolio is a compilation of files and is only for the purposes of evaluating you for certification as a Distinguished Communicator. You should compile your documents in a “Private Portfolio” folder in TigerBytes because you will be required to share this folder with CxC and your advisor (see Private Portfolio Submission Procedure). There are specific guidelines you must follow in creating and naming your private portfolio; however, that is not the case with your public portfolio. Your public portfolio, which you will publish to the web, is meant to help you pursue your specific professional goals. It should be your own showcase of the skills and work that are relevant to the field you are pursuing.

While you may submit additional supporting evidence, below are the minimum requirements you must include in your private digital portfolio. You should also follow these three rules when putting together your examples.

For all examples, you must provide the context in which the project was completed (assignment instructions, intended audience, etc.).

When available, you should provide documentation that includes the professor’s feedback and revision recommendations.

If any examples are the product of a group project, you must explain your role in the project and identify the specific parts for which you were responsible.

LSU Private Portfolio – Minimum Requirements

Writing Evidence 1 first-year composition paper or equivalent 2 substantial written documents (essays, lab

reports, etc.) from freshman or sophomore year 3 substantial written documents from your junior

or senior year (one must be from a capstone experience or major-specific project and another must be a paper possessing a thesis, argument, and supporting citations/sources)

1 resumé, in PDF format Foreign Language Majors must submit written

evidence demonstrating language proficiency (for those who have minored in a foreign language, the use of this element is encouraged)

Speaking Evidence 1 video of you performing a formal presentation

during your freshman or sophomore year 1 video of you performing a formal presentation

during your junior or senior year Foreign Language Majors must submit video or

audio evidence demonstrating language proficiency (for those who have minored in a foreign language, the use of this element is encouraged)

Visual Evidence 1 visual example (designs, schematics,

photographs, artwork, etc.), from your freshman or sophomore year, accompanied by statements (written or spoken) that explain the visual’s communication effectiveness

1 visual example (designs, schematics, photographs, artwork, etc.), from your junior or senior year, accompanied by statements (written or spoken) that explain the visual’s communication effectiveness

Technological Evidence Link to your posted Public Digital Portfolio 1 other technological communication example List of your competencies with generic and

discipline-specific software

Reflections (Follow Prompts Beginning Reflection Digital Portfolio Planning Reflection Experiential Learning Reflection Leadership Experience Reflection Final Reflection

Updated 8/23/2010

LSU Distinguished Communicator Reflections www.cxc.lsu.edu

Reflections are a means by which we evaluate our experience. It is an opportunity to look back at our previous experience, evaluate what we’ve done, learn from our actions, set goals for the future and create our own roadmap for success. As you work toward the LSU Distinguished Communicator certification, reflections will be an integral part of your journey.

Your reflections must be included in your private portfolio. They will be reviewed by your Faculty Advisor and the CxC staff but will not be shared publically. Like all communications intended for review by others, your reflections should be substantive, well organized, and free of errors. They should be thoughtful and structured; not merely personal random thoughts.

1. Beginning Distinguished Communicator Reflection

In this personal reflection, you should think critically about your current communication skills, what you

hope to gain though the Distinguished Communicator program and ideas about the role communication

plays in your current and future work.

Must be a written document

Complete within 1 month of entering the program

Some questions you may want to consider when composing this reflection include:

What prompted you to enroll in the Distinguished Communicator program, and what do you hope

to achieve by pursuing this certification?

What do you perceive are your communication strengths? For example, what’s the best thing

you’ve ever written, the best speech you’ve ever made, or the best visual you’ve ever created?

What made these communications successful?

When you find it hard to communicate, what is the source of the difficulty? In what areas of

communication do you hope to improve?

What are your career goals, and why is communication important to your future success?

Updated 8/23/2010

2. Digital Portfolio Planning Reflection

This reflection exercise is designed to help you determine the purpose of your public portfolio and set

personal goals toward completion. After completing this reflection, you will be fully prepared to create

an outline and formal plan for developing your Public Digital Portfolio.

Must be a written document

Complete within 3 months of entering the program

Questions you must answer in this reflection include:

Your digital portfolio should have a purpose beyond fulfilling the Distinguished Communicator

certification requirements, so what’s yours? Is it to land your dream job, support your graduate

school application, or something else?

Now that you know what purpose your portfolio will serve, who is your primary target audience?

Describe this audience as fully as possible. Include information such as what they will most likely

be looking for in your portfolio, their educational background, etc.

Make a list of adjectives that describe what you want your target audience to think/feel about you

when they see your portfolio. In other words, how would you finish this sentence: “When my

intended audience looks at my portfolio, I want them to think I am...”

Tone, colors, images, and design can often influence what your audience thinks and feels about

you. What elements should you incorporate as you design your portfolio to encourage the

thoughts/feelings you outlined in question #3?

What do you want your target audience to know about you? What are you strengths and why

should these qualities be important to your audience?

What evidence could you incorporate into your portfolio to highlight the strengths you listed in

question #5?

What action do you want your target audience to take after they review your portfolio? How will

you covey what you want them to do?

Which elements should you incorporate to encourage the action(s) you outlined in question #7?

Updated 8/23/2010

3. Experiential Learning Reflection

Your experiential learning activity (study abroad, internship, service-learning project) will require you to

use effective communication techniques to be successful. In this reflection, you should think about

what communication skills were required, what skills you had and what skills you need to refine.

May use any type of medium (written, audio, video, etc.). You might consider creating this

reflection as a video interview or as a letter to your advisor.

Complete within 1 month of your experiential activity

Questions you must answer in this reflection include:

What was your experiential learning experience(s)? With whom did you “work”?

What was your primary role in this experience?

What communication skills did you use during this experience?

What communication challenges and successes did you encounter? Be specific with your

examples.

Based on this experience, on what communication skills do you plan to work more?

4. Leadership Experience Reflection

Your leadership role will require you to use effective communication techniques to be successful. In this

reflection, you should think about what communication skills were required, what skills you had and

what skills you need to refine.

May use any type of medium (written, audio, video, etc.). Consider writing this entry as a

newspaper article on “Leaders at LSU” or creating a photo essay or video that shows your

leadership at work.

Complete within 1 month of your leadership experience

Questions you must answer in this reflection include:

What was your leadership experience(s)? With whom did you “work”?

What was your primary role in this experience?

What communication skills did you use during this experience?

What communication challenges and successes did you encounter?

What did you learn about your leadership skills or style?

Based on this experience, on what communication skills do you plan to work more?

Updated 8/23/2010

5. Final Reflection

In this final personal reflection, you should reflect on your journey through the Distinguished

Communicator program, including reviewing and reacting to the thoughts you wrote in all of your

previous reflection. This entry should be a very substantive, honest reflection of where you were, where

you’ve been, and where you are now as a person, a communicator, and a leader.

May use any type of medium (written, audio, video, etc.). You might consider making a video

for the CxC website to help other students learn what it means to become a LSU Distinguished

Communicator.

Complete prior to final Distinguished Communicator materials deadline

Some questions you may want to consider when composing this reflection include:

Did you accomplish what you set out to achieve when you initially enrolled in this program?

What challenges and successes have you faced in your journey to becoming a Distinguished

Communicator?

What have you learned about yourself and your ability to communicate effectively during this

process?

Did your portfolio turn out to be the way you had initially envisioned it? Is that good or bad?

What challenges and successes did you encounter when building your digital portfolio?

How has your journey through the Distinguished Communicator program helped you in achieving

your academic, career and other life goals?

We seldom accomplish milestones alone. Who helped you become a Distinguished

Communicator?

What messages or advice would you share with future students?

LSU Distinguished Communicator Private Portfolio Submission Procedures

www.cxc.lsu.edu

While you are producing your private portfolio, get into the habit of saving your private portfolio documents into a

folder on your TigerBytes II account. Because you will submit your private portfolio to CxC and your advisor through

TigerBytes II, it will make compiling and sharing your samples much easier. Once you have compiled all of the required

files (see naming structure) for your private digital portfolio, follow the steps below to share them with CxC and your

advisor.

1. To create a folder in TigerBytes II, go to http://tigerbytes2.lsu.edu or http://tb2.lsu.edu and use your PAWS

username and password to log-in.

2. Create a folder titled “Smith – Private Portfolio” and click “next.”

3. To share this folder with CxC and your advisor, enter his/her name or LSU PAWS ID. For example enter “Kimberly D

Bourque” or “kbourq3” and TigerBytes will populate my name into the field and click “next.”

4. Verify the permission level you wish to give the receiver of this folder. For Distinguished Communicator purposes,

you can select “viewer” and click next. You’ll also need to add your advisor’s name.

5. Send an email to me (be sure the “To:” field says “Kimberly D Bourque (kbourq3@lsu.edu)) to let me know that you

have shared your folder and click “finish.”

LSU Distinguished Communicator Naming Structure for Private Portfolio Documents

www.cxc.lsu.edu

Each Distinguished Communicator candidate is required to turn in document samples that highlight his or her communication skills in each of the four communication modes. These documents must be saved in a folder inside TigerBytes II and shared with CxC and your advisor before the submission deadline (see instructions for sharing procedures). If a file is too large, it may be burned to a DVD/CD and delivered to CxC and your advisor. All files must follow the naming conventions below, substituting in your last name where you see “Smith.”

**NOTE: An assignment description must accompany all samples. The assignments should be saved in one file named “Smith_ Assignments”. Label each assignment with the corresponding filename, course number, professor name, and semester taken.

Writing File Type File Name

One first-year composition paper or equivalent Smith_W1stcomp

Two substantial written documents (essays, lab reports, etc.) from Gen Ed courses Smith_WGenEd1 Smith_WGenEd2

Three substantial written documents from your junior or senior year (one must be from a capstone experience or major-specific project and another must be a paper with a thesis, argument, and supporting citations/sources)

Smith_WMajor1 Smith_WMajor2 Smith_WMajor3

For Foreign Language Majors/Minors ONLY: written evidence demonstrating foreign language proficiency

Smith_WForeign

Printable copy of your resume Smith_ Resume

Speaking File Type File Name

At least one video of you performing a formal presentation during your freshman or sophomore year

Smith_SEarl

At least one video of you performing a formal presentation during your junior or senior year Smith_SLate

For Foreign Language Majors/Minors ONLY : video or audio evidence demonstrating language proficiency

Smith_SForeign

Visual File Type File Name

At least one visual example (designs, schematics, photographs, artwork, etc.), from your freshman or sophomore year, accompanied by statements (written or spoken) that explain the visual’s context and communication effectiveness

Smith_VEarly

At least one visual example (designs, schematics, photographs, artwork, etc.), from your junior or senior year, accompanied by statements (written or spoken) that explain the visual’s context and communication effectiveness

Smith_Vlate

Technological File Type File Name

Link to your posted Public Digital Portfolio Smith_ DportURL

At least one other technological communication example Smith_ TExample

List of your competencies with generic and discipline-specific software Smith_TComp

Reflections, Experiential Learning & Leadership File Type File Name

Beginning Reflection Smith_ RefBeg

Digital Portfolio Planning Reflection Smith_DportPlan

Experiential Learning Experience Reflection Smith_RefExp

Leadership Experience Reflection Smith_ RefLead

Final Reflection Smith_ RefGrad