Three students from the Department of Communication Studies will present original research this weekend at the Southern States Communication Association (SSCA) in San Antonio.

For Hillary King, James T. Vinson and Natalie Rose, the process began last semester in interpersonal communication and intercultural communication courses with Dr. Jennifer Edwards. Edwards selects the top papers from the course and students then revise papers for possible submission to conferences.

This is the second year communication studies students have had papers accepted at SSCA. Tarleton State papers accepted this year include: “College Students’ Perceptions of Facebook Safety and Privacy Settings,” by Hillary King; “How Different Relationships on Facebook Affect Posts,” by Natalie Rose; and “Gender-Based Equity Similarities and Differences among Men and Women Who Use Social Media Websites,” by James T. Vinson.

Students applied for and received travel funds from the undergraduate research office.

“The exposure our students receive by attending an academic conference is phenomenal,” said department head Dr. Charles Howard. “They see the bigger picture and understand that they are important contributors to scholarship.”

The Department of Communication Studies offers programs in journalism and broadcasting, public relations and event management, speech communication and teacher certification. Faculty and staff are dedicated to educational and societal development of students, in a progressive, relaxed atmosphere of learning and mentoring.