Speaking of ... College of Charleston

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Gibbs Knotts, the dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, talks about the achievements in the School of Humanities and Social Science and the collaborations between HSS and local businesses and communities.

The host is Mike Robertson, senior director of media relations in the Office of University Marketing and Communications.

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On this episode of Speaking Of...College of Charleston speaks with acclaimed author Bret Lott about his 34 years of teaching writing, his writing process and upcoming non-fiction book and the international writing program he established in Bahrain. Lott shares moments from his life, including the infamous story of becoming an overnight, international best-selling author when his book Jewel was chosen as an Oprah's Book Club selection.
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Bret Lott is the author of fourteen books, most recently the essay collection Letters and Life: On Being a Writer, On Being a Christian (Crossway, 2013) and the novel Dead Low Tide (Random House, 2012). He received his MFA in fiction from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 1984, studying under Jay Neugeboren and James Baldwin.
From 1986 to 2004 he was writer-in-residence and professor of English at The College of Charleston, leaving to take the position of editor and director of the journal The Southern Review at Louisiana State University. Three years later, in the fall of 2007, he returned to The College of Charleston and the job he most loves: teaching.
He has spoken on Flannery O'Connor at the White House, and served as Fulbright Senior American Scholar to Bar-llan University in Tel Aviv, Israel. From 2006 to 2013 he served as a member of the National Council on the Arts. From 2010 to 2022 he was director of the Spoleto Summer Study Abroad program in English at the College.
Resources on this Episode
Michael Connelly, Bosch Series
Barbara W. Tuchman: The Guns of August, The Proud Tower

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On this episode of Speaking Of...College of Charleston, Julia Heslin, CofC senior majoring in communication, speaks with Jim Allison, executive director of the College's career center and Karen Fritchman, director of employer relations at the career center. Allison kicks off the conversation by talking about the various offerings at the career center for students of all ages.
"In higher education and student development, probably the areas that are most underutilized or areas that would be the most appropriate to emphasize, for soon to be graduates, are to please make sure to have your resume critiqued by someone in the Career Center before you graduate," says Allison. "The hardest thing for an undergraduate student to do is apply for a job after graduation cold."
Fritchman shares some of the most common questions students ask when they come to the center. She also talks about the upcoming Spring Career Exploration Fair that is curated for all students, including those just starting to take a peek into what career might fit their passions and interests and those who are graduating and ready to start their careers. The EXPLORATION format will encourage career exploration and discovery, as well as extensive networking options beyond the traditional career fair. The fair will have workshops and programming before and after to effectively prepare students for the fair – like writing a resume, planning professional attire and enhancing communication skills. The event is on Thursday, February 29, 202, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Most Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Does my resume have to be one page?
2. Do I need a cover letter?
3. Where do I start if I have no job experience?
Final Words of Career Center Wisdom:
"National data has shown for several decades that students who utilize their college career centers have a much higher percentage of securing an internship as well as securing an interview for a full time job."
Featured on this Episode:
Jim Allison, executive director career center, earned his Bachelor's degree in English from Wake Forest University and a second degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. He earned his Master's degree in Counseling with a concentration in Student Development in Higher Education. When he is not busy in the Career Center, Jim enjoys spending time with his family, his dog, and his bird!
Karen Fritchman, director of employer relations , career center, earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication and her Master of Education degree in the Art of Teaching from Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA. Her previous experience within Higher Education includes alumni engagement, student advising, event planning, recruiting, and fundraising. She and her family love spending time at the beach with their dog, Ivy, a rescued German Shepherd, and at home with her twenty pound cat, Beefy!
Resources from this Episode:

• Career Center
• Handshake
• Financial Wellness
• IGrad

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On October 3rd, 2007, the College of Charleston started a brand new political communication lecture series called the Bully Pulpit Series. The goal was to have national politicians who were running for president come to the College and speak to students about politics and how they planned to communicate to the public if they were elected President of the United States. Over the last 15 years, 32 politicians have participated in the series. The events have ranged from very small, intimate gatherings to huge events attracting thousands of people. Some of the more memorable candidates include then Senator John McCain, former president Barack Obama, president Joe Biden and Stephen Colbert, who was the host of the Comedy Central program, The Colbert Report at the time, and his "ROCK ME LIKE A HERMAN CAIN" Primary Rally in Cistern Yard.
Featured on this Episode:
H. Gibbs Knotts was appointed the dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in October 2020. The School of Humanities and Social Sciences is comprised of the following academic departments: communication, English, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, religious studies and sociology and anthropology.

Before assuming the role of dean, Knotts served as the department chair of the College's Department of Political Science from 2012 to 2019. In the area of political science, he teaches undergraduate courses in American politics and graduate courses in the public administration program.

Knotts has published works on political participation, Southern politics, public administration and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Articles have appeared in a variety of outlets including the Journal of Politics, Public Administration Review, Political Research Quarterly, The American Review of Public Administration, State Politics and Policy Quarterly, PS: Political Science and Politics, Social Science Quarterly, Southern Cultures, Southeastern Geographer and Social Forces. He also co-edited The New Politics of North Carolina (University of North Carolina Press, 2008). He has two co-authored books: The Resilience of Southern Identity: Why the South Still Matters in the Minds of Its People (University of North Carolina Press, 2017) and First in the South: Why South Carolina’s Presidential Primary Matters (University of South Carolina Press, 2019). He received the College of Charleston’s Distinguished Research Award in 2017.

Amanda Ruth-McSwain is an associate professor of communication at the College of Charleston. Her teaching and research interests are in strategic communication placed in agricultural contexts. More specifically, her specializations are in leadership communication and organizational public relations. Since her 2005 start at the College of Charleston, Dr. Ruth-McSwain has taught over 12 different courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including Leadership Communication, Strategic Communication Campaigns, Public Relations Cases, Business Communication and Ethics in Leadership Communication.
Ruth Mc-Swain has served in a variety of leadership roles at the College. From 2011-2021, she served as the Director of the Bully Pulpit Series. She also served as the Interim Associate Dean for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences from 2019-2021, and as Director of the Master of Arts in Communication program from 2013-2019.Resources from this Episode:
The Bully Pulpit SeriesStephen Colbert at the College “Rock Me Like A Herman Cain: South Cain-Olina Primary Rally”

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On this episode, we speak with Aimee Arias, Dean of the School of Languages, Cultures and World Affairs (LCWA). Arias shares some upcoming events, internship opportunities, study abroad programs and much more.
Featured on this Episode:
Aimee Arias, Ph.D., was appointed the dean of the College of Charleston School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs on July 1, 2023. In this role, Arias will build upon the school’s dedication to preparing students to become discerning, knowledgeable and engaged global citizens. An innovative leader, educator and researcher, Arias fosters collaboration in teaching and research; builds industry, community and international connections; and handles all aspects of research funding.
In her previous role as associate dean of research and creative activity in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters at Florida Atlantic University, Arias worked to develop a research strategic plan for FAU to increase proposals for external funding, diversify the external outlets for proposal submission, expand cross-discipline faculty collaboration and enhance the promotion of research success.
Among her achievements is the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Brazil’s Universidade Federal Fluminense to support faculty research collaborations and student exchanges. Also at FAU, Arias was assistant director of the Leon Charney Diplomacy Program. In this role, she trained students for participation in Model European Union competitions, served as the on-site advisor for National Model United Nations and created the South Florida High School Model European Union. She also served as chair of the Department of Political Science, where she developed a five-year plan focused on enriching education, promoting cultures of research and inquiry, and connecting FAU to the community and industry.
Resources from this Episode:

• School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs
• Study Abroad in Trujillo, Spain
• German American Business Summit
• International Studies Program
• John Edwin Mroz Global Leadership Institute
• LCWA Scholarships