The need-to-know for the professional Regina George.
UC Santa Barbara has a wide-reaching online presence, able to churn out short “comedic” videos that remind people we have a library. It also reminds the student population that our faculty in charge of those social media accounts are horrifically out of touch, and the comments have overwhelmingly shared one sentiment: we need to bring back bullying. While this reporter has heard debates over the best way to address this, including many officials considering adding to the list of skimmed over mandatory trainings, the chairs have come to a thrilling conclusion. Starting Winter Quarter 2025, the Department of Communication will be debuting their first specialization — Professional Bullying.
Many other majors in the UCSB catalog have multiple specialization options so that particularly dedicated students can learn about topics they are highly passionate about under the watchful eye of a professor who has studied the topic for years. Rather than traditional hiring practices, the department heads scoured Rate My Professor for those with the absolute bottom-out scores to find only those truly experienced in bullying. It’s high time that comm stops being for the somehow lazier business majors and starts offering the true pathway to head of human resources.
“I’ve always been looking for the best way to hide peaking in high school,” Seayu Entee, third-year pre-communication major, said. “Now I can finally officially say I do not Gaucho back with the Professional Bullying specialization.”
The department chairs closely reviewed the lists of communication courses offered and have hand selected 17 slightly modified pre-existing courses that meet the criteria for the Professional Bullying specialization which cover topics of interpersonal communication, self assertiveness and internet presence. As with other specializations, applicants must take four of the following, however, they are more than welcome to showcase their newfound skills by bullying an undertrained advisor to let them pass with as few as two. The course selection includes, but is not limited to, the following:
COMM 106B: Bullying Within Small Groups; COMM 111B: Nonverbal Communication in Mean Interactions; COMM 121B: Causing Conflict; COMM 139B: Manipulating Emotions; COMM 142B: Asserting Dominance; COMM 144B: Becoming the Devil’s Advocate in Debate; COMM 146B: Introduction to Deception; COMM 160MHB: Special Topics: Destroying Close Relationships and Mental Health; COMM 160OHB: Formatting Online Hate Speech; COMM 178B: Evil Interpersonal Communication.
The department has also deemed it necessary to create three additional courses within the 160AA-ZZ series: COMM 160WB: Bullying Within the Workspace; COMM 160HT: History of Trolling; COMM 160AI: Accessibility and Inclusion in Bullying. These courses will join the roster and cycle just infrequently enough for you to be unable to take your final required course with the debut of the specialization this upcoming winter quarter.
A large portion of communication majors have been automatically enrolled in the program, and many non-majors have found that their own GOLD transcript lists them as a participant.
Meg Abich, a second-year biology major, says, “I’ve never even looked at the comm classes. Why do I need to learn how to talk? Anyway I need to go scream at my boyfriend because he didn’t assume I wanted a mint chapstick instead of tea tree.”
The department chairs are thrilled with the enrollment rates and look forward to adding another specialization in the near future — Oversharing and Infodumping.
Binzy Eggbag has never said a mean word ever, nuh-uh, no siree, not here.
