School Awards
Unit Civic Engagement Award (2017)
Awarded by Illinois State's chapter of the American Democracy Project, recognizing the School's commitment to educating students for citizenship across the curriculum and co-curriculum.
Outstanding Undergraduate Program Award (2014)
Awarded by the Central States Communication Association, recognizing curriculum development, program quality, and course design.
Outstanding Master's Program Award (2013)
Awarded by the National Communication Association Master's Education Interest Group.
Civic Engagement Award, TRANSFORMERS (2009)
The School's graduate program launched an initiative in 2009 that seeks to end bullying in local junior high and elementary schools by teaching conflict resolution skills. The TRANSFORMERS program received Illinois State's Civic Engagement Award as well as a grant to support their work from the American Democracy project in 2011.
Program of Excellence, COM 110 (2008)
The School's introductory communication course (COM 110) was recognized in 2008 as a national Program of Excellence by the National Communication Association. The course is also a staple of Illinois State's Political Engagement Project which was recognized as a national exemplar by The New York Times and American Association of State Colleges and Universities in summer 2011.
Walter Cronkite Civic Engagement National Leadership Award (2006)
The inaugural Walter Cronkite Civic Engagement Leadership Award was presented to Illinois State University for its student outreach on behalf of both civic engagement and in support of Film Your Issue, a film festival that invited all young Americans to create personal "issue films" as a way to engage young people in pressing contemporary issues.
University Teaching Awards
School of Communication faculty have won more university teaching awards than any other unit on campus since 2002, as well as several significant regional and national teaching awards.
Forensics Tournaments and Championships
A consistent national forensics power, Illinois State's speech team has finished in the top 5 in nine of the last ten years. The individual events team has won the national championship 4 times since 1995 and they have had 28 individual national champions since 2000. The team has also had 6 AFA All-Americans since 2005. The debate squad won the national championship in 1991 and has qualified 23 teams to the prestigious National Debate Tournament since 1952.
WZND Broadcast Excellence Awards
In 2017, WZND received eight first place Silver Dome awards from the Illinois Broadcasters Association, while no other collegiate radio program in the state received more than one. With over 200 state, regional, and national awards and scholarships, WZND's work has also been recognized by the Illinois News Broadcasters Association, Society of Professional Journalists, College Broadcasters Inc. and the Broadcast Education Association.