Donna Gotch

Donna Gotch teaches a wide range of communication courses, including Oral Communication, Introduction to Communication Studies, Communication   Theory, Persuasion, Classroom Communication, Ethical Aspects of Communication, and the Instructional Communication Graduate Seminar. She co-developed one of the nation’s first fully online public speaking courses and holds a certificate in Effective College Teaching from the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) and the American Council on Education (ACE).

In addition to completing the ACUE course, Promoting Active Learning Online, Gotch served as a facilitator for more than 150 California State University (CSU) faculty across multiple sections of the program. She also chaired a Community of Practice (CoP) that revised the general education curriculum for COMM 1006: Oral Communication. The updated requirements were adopted by the Department of Communication Studies and have been implemented across all COMM 1006 sections since Fall 2020.

Gotch has received multiple honors for her teaching, including the 2018–2019 CSUSB Outstanding Lecturer Award and the 2016–2017 Outstanding Lecturer Award from the College of Arts and Letters. She is also a two-time recipient of the CSUSB Panhellenic Council Faculty Recognition Award (2014, 2016),   recognizing her dedication to student success and excellence in teaching. She served as Graduate Teaching Associate Coordinator for over six years training and supervising graduate students to teach Oral Communication.

A life member of the Western States Communication Association (WSCA), Gotch is set to begin a four-year leadership term in 2025, during which she will serve as First Vice President, President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past President. Her responsibilities will include serving as the primary program planner for the 2027 WSCA Annual Convention in Hollywood. Her prior service to WSCA includes roles such as NCA Legislative Assembly Representative (2021–2023), Executives Club President (2020–2023), Second Vice President (2017–2018), Member-at-Large on the Executive Council (2015–2017), and Delegate-at-Large to the Legislative Assembly (2014–2015). She directed the Basic Course Conference at the 2010 WSCA Convention and co-chaired the Local Hosts Committee for the 2006 Convention in Palm Springs. She has also served as Chair of WSCA’s Communication and Instruction Interest Group.

Outside academia, Gotch is deeply involved in community service. She served as President of Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts (2013–2014), a      volunteer-driven nonprofit organization, and previously sat on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. From 2022 to 2025, she led The Linda Vistans, a group of over 110 women dedicated to enhancing lives through cultural, social, and philanthropic engagement.