The Department of Teaching and Learning

Jan Sayers, Ph.D.
Lecturer

Jan Sayers has taught communication courses at SMU since 1990.  Her particular areas of interest are public speaking, persuasion, voice and articulation, and oral interpretation of the literature, either through the undergraduate education program or the graduate Master of Liberal Studies (MLS) program in the School of Education and Human Development.   She directed the SMU forensics program for three years including an award-winning team in 1993 and 1995. 

Dr. Sayers’ career has always included experience in the corporate world as well as academia.  She served as an Educational Technologist while at the GTE World Headquarters (Telephone Operations) in Irving, Texas.  She assessed training needs and designed curricula for various courses.  While at GTE, the issue of workplace literacy became one of her primary areas of concentration.  She interviewed area schools providing workplace literacy and the businesses they served.  A summary of her dissertation on how colleges provide workplace literacy programs to business and industry was published two years later.*

At Brookhaven College she served as the Director of Contract Training.  She developed and maintained contact with business and industry leaders to provide corporate training programs.  Dr. Sayers coordinated enrollment, assessment, evaluation and design of instructional materials for both credit and non-credit industry programs.   

Dr. Sayers’ degrees include the B.F.A., Communication in Human Relations, Texas Christian University; M.S., Communication in Human Relations, T.C.U.; and Ph.D., Higher Education, University of North Texas.

Her organizations (past and present) include the National Communication Association, the American Forensic Association, the Texas Speech Communication Association, the American Association of University Women, and International Training in Communication.

Dr. Sayers began communications consulting in 1990.  Her clients include executives with Fortune 500 companies and professionals in law, business, graduate education, and sports.  She also teaches in the School's noncredit enrichment program.   

* Sayers, J.K. (l995, July-August). “Providing Workplace Literacy: Collaboration with Business and Industry.” Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 19, pp. 295-305.

E-Mail Dr. Sayers (click here)