Communication Studies and Mass Media Unit Meeting

3/1/22 2:40pm

In attendance

Neil Wells

Amy Lewis

Sindhu Zagoren

Marcus Shepard

Nate House

Mary Conway

Craig Strimmel

Eva Blackwell

Vaishali Sharma

New Canvas Modules
1. There are now modules up on the CSMM Canvas site. These include meeting notes, links we’ve discussed or found useful, course documents, degree programs, and other relevant documentation
2. Most of this was previously available in the folders section, but is also sorted into modules

Updates to course programs for Comm and Mass Media
1. FNMT 101 now an option along with FNMT 118 as part of the Comm and Mass Media pathways
  1. FNMT 101 is a terminal math course that is specifically geared to cover math requirements for liberal arts and humanities students
  2. Neither FNMT 101 nor FNMT 118 are usually transferable to 4yr institutions, however FNMT 118 serves as a prerequisite for math courses that can be
  3. The course document for FNMT 101 will be posted onto Canvas for people to peruse
2. Addition of both ENGL 119 Rhetoric and the Public Sphere and ENGL 219 Black Rhetoric – Congratulations Marcus!
  1. 119 is a requirement for the Comm Program; 219 is a directed elective
  2. Both 119 & 219 are directed elective for MM

Feedback about the course revisions to ENGL 097 - there were considerable concerns about the implementation of this new course as a link with 116
1. How many sections would be offered?
  1. Concerns that COMM faculty who regularly teach this course will no longer be able to teach it in favor of part-time or affiliated faculty with developmental/support teaching credentials
  2. Faculty still want three non-linked sections of this class. A fourth linked version could be added to this, but faculty did not want the three sections currently being offered to change.
2. There is a staffing problem – only COMM faculty, or faculty who meet the COMM teaching requirements should be teaching this course. Demand for linked sections should not entail bringing in unqualified generalists to teach the course.
3. Conversely, people teaching linked courses should have some educational or professional background teaching developmental/support courses.
4. Currently there are no dedicated CSMM faculty qualified to teach this course, however the understanding is that both Eva Blackwell and Amy Lewis could be considered qualified to teach a linked 116
  1. There are concerns that a demand to staff this course could have negative implication for a future hire – the unit has long said we are looking to expand in specific area of the discipline of Communication Studies
5. Concerns about the process of having this course approved.
  1. This was pushed through committees and misrepresented CSMM support for this program.
  2. 50% of the full time CSMM faculty voted against the pilot program
    1. This was reported to the dept. as 15 in favor, 2 opposed
    2. This also raised concerns about how voting is tallied for our unit, and general reporting with the rest of the department.
  3. The move from a proposed pilot with mixed support that did not run in Spring 2022 to having this a regularly offered class that we did not approve as a unit was alarming to most in attendance.
6. These concerns will be brought to the Dept. Chair

Reminder: Assessment – keeping up with AEFIS
1. For each course each CLO should be linked to at least one assignment
2. Over 70% is considered proficient
  1. Novice: 0-49
  2. Apprentice: 50-69
  3. Proficient: 70-89
  4. Master: 90-100

Magner-Nichols:
1. Kirsten Quinn has taken the lead on this and Eva Blackwell is working with her. Questions about the contest can be sent to Kirsten or Eva

New Business
1. Craig wanted to see if we as a unit might develop some academic programming that might address current issues of structural racism in journalism, inspired by the recent Black City White Paper project the Inquirer is launching.
  1. The Link the first article in this project is in the Links module on Canvas
2. The response to this idea was quite positive, and it was proposed that we might consider developing a “special topics in Communication/Media” course that could accommodate this sort of program
3. Other ideas were proposed that could be special topics:
  1. Raphael has apparently developed a Special Topic in Latinx Media that was pitched to (Humanities?) was didn’t go through
  2. Black journalism and/or the History of Black journalism (could also be cross listed with Black Studies) – Eva expressed some interest
  3. Media and Social Movements (Sindhu)
  4. Media ethics and democracy (maybe based on David’s sabbatical work)