Trustees Expected to Consider Communications Major

A new major in communications has one remaining hurdle: the Board of Trustees.

The board of trustees is expected to consider a proposal for a communications major, Sean Tinsley reports in the Crier.

Having passed the English Department, Curriculum Committee, and other college bodies, the major will be added to the course catalog, the Crier has learned.

The dean of the college, Fr. Augustine G. Kelly, O.S.B., Ph.D., declined to comment, but the director of the Communications Certificate, assistant professor of English Sherry Shepler, Ph.D., said the major “allows the College to adapt to the changing interests of incoming students.”

New majors are considered based on six areas of merits, according to the dean’s office website: “compatibility with the liberal arts identity, mission and values of this Catholic College;” “potential academic strength: given the resources that can be devoted to the proposed major, can it become an academically strong major;” “value of introducing the major into the curriculum, rather than restructuring an existing major;” “assurance that the new major will not significantly weaken or replace existing majors, essential to our liberal arts identity, by attracting students from a limited pool;” “justification of the cost of introducing the major and assurance that it will not force existing majors to reduce their budgets; and assurance that it will not reduce resources available to existing majors;” and “support of the Admissions Office for the major as a way to attract students to the College.”

The major will require introducing several new courses, and likely hiring new faculty to cover the courses. The proposal includes requirements in “Introduction to Human Communication and Introduction to Mediated Communication, the two foundational courses; requirements in oral, visual, and written communication; two textual analysis classes; a theory course; and a senior seminar course,” Mr. Tinsley writes.

- gww