The School of Communication gets a revamp
Seth Atkins, Visual Arts Editor
The School of Communication is getting a revamp. This program is going to have two main majors, and within those majors there will be different concentrations. With that, each major will share a “COMM CORE” with courses that are required for all School of Communication majors. The two main majors are called digital media and strategic communication.
The digital media major will have four concentrations.
- Broadcast
- Film
- Journalism
- Sports
Each concentration will have a list of courses to take in order to complete that concentration.
In the next major, strategic communication, there will be three concentrations.
- Public Relations
- Communication Studies
- Media Ministry
The question may be asked, why is the School of Communication going through this change? Here are a few words from Randall King, associate dean for the School of Communication to help better understand the reasoning:
“We have recognized for a while we needed to revise many of our programs to adjust to the realities of 21st century media, add some new areas of focus, such as film, public relations, and sports media, and also strengthen the courses and academic focus for all of our communication students.” – Randall King
These changes elevate some things we’ve already been doing – such as film and and strategic communication/public relations and gives them more focus.”
King is excited for the students by expressing, “I’m excited for students to get some focus and attention to areas they’ve been interested in for a while . . . these new areas will make future students better while protecting the traditional strengths of our communication programs in writing, speaking, producing and performing.”
The excitement continues throughout all the School of Comm. faculty for their students. Ansley Welchel, faculty, expressed what she is excited about for students by saying, “I am excited for the opportunities that the new strategic communication major will provide. Which includes necessary training and critical thinking skills needed for communicating in organizations today. So that students will be better prepared for future jobs.”
Her colleague Lara Jackson also explained the benefits for students by stating, “I think the new change in School of Communications will benefit students by helping them build more specialized skills.” Each faculty member in the School of Communication are excited for their students and how much this will tend to more specific needs in skillsets.
King also is excited to be teaching new courses with this change. King states, “Our new Communication CORE is innovative, distinctive and cohesive. We have a new course in Media Literacy that allows us to do critical thinking about media messages from various perspectives including a Christian worldview.” King makes it a point that this “COMM CORE” isn’t familiar among other schools by saying, “I don’t know of too many schools that have a COMM CORE quite like ours and I think it puts communication study at NGU on the map in some important ways.”
King also wants to express his appreciation for the School of Communication faculty. He says, “I give our School of Communication faculty so much credit for being able to have the difficult conversations and hammer out compromises where necessary. We are a collaborative and cohesive group, committed to having the best communication programs NGU can offer.”
With all the exciting changes in motion for the 2022-2023 school year, faculty and students are preparing for the major changes during the current class schedule/advising time.
In a world full of advancing technologies, communication is right in the center. King explains what communication actually is by stating, “It’s important for people outside of communication and our students to understand we are more than a set of skills you learn to get a job. Communication is, first and foremost, an academic discipline that helps us understand human interaction.”
*Featured Image: Outside the School of Communication. Photo by Seth Atkins.
