Communication Studies Professor Christine Miller suggested using rap battles, music videos and dance as methods for promoting higher education innovation.

Every year, a faculty member is chosen as the recipient of the John Livingston Annual Faculty Lecture Award. This year, Miller received that distinction and hosted a lecture on Tuesday to propose pop culture “mashups” as a thought-provoking way to approach philosophical, structural, legislative and pedagogical goals.

“As I’ve been following these higher education innovations and looked at when they’ve worked and when they haven’t, it made me think about ‘well, how can I talk about those innovations in ways that are meaningful to this group and make some suggestions for how we can get some attention for things we want?'” Miller said.

Miller said she sought out the help of students to convey the utility of pop culture in proposing legislation in higher education. Her first example was a graduate from the Communication Studies department, Tyler Wyckoff.

Yes, you read that right. She said rap battles to encourage innovation. #statehornet pic.twitter.com/RnSN6pBkzJ

— The State Hornet (@TheStateHornet) February 16, 2016

Miller then brought up dance majors Brenda Lo and Gawzong Vang to build the case of how dance, at times, is more effective than just speech.

More photos from using dance as a way to propose legislation to decision-makers. #statehornet @sacstate pic.twitter.com/Y4hDV68wTy

— The State Hornet (@TheStateHornet) February 16, 2016

Miller is open to the idea of people using her methods for suggesting legislation in higher education.

“I was trying to be provocative and make people think of some things they might have not thought up before and so if I accomplished that, I don’t know if there’s a specific outcome that I want beyond that,” Miller said. “Maybe it’ll spur some thinking in other people to be creative.”