Unfounded rumors have been circulating about the possibility of eliminating the media studies program from USM’s curriculum.
These rumors began with an administrative question that morphed into an exploration of possibilities to strengthen the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), which houses both the communications department and the media studies program.
Luisa Deprez, interim dean of CAS, said media studies would not be taken out of the curriculum at USM.
“There is no discussion no thinking in that direction. It would be a stupid, inappropriate move,” Deprez said.
Provost Joesph Wood reiterated Deprez’s sentiments. “Why would we do that? There are hundreds of people in the program,” he said.
Dan Panici, director of media studies, has been with the program since its establishment in 1995 and confirms that numbers have only expanded.
Both Panici and Deprez adamantly state there are no plans of cutting faculty numbers or eliminating classes for either the communication department or the media studies program.
However, as Wood pointed out, the question of structure needs to be addressed.
Currently, because media studies is a program and not a department, it is without an “academic home” Wood said.
However, by restructuring, it is Wood’s goal to place media studies within a department.
This will allow for consistency of administrative issues, he said.
Deprez takes a different angle on what this restructuring means to media studies. Her focus has been the strengthening of both the communication department and the media studies department.
Panici, the director of media studies teaches introduction to Communication. There is a swing between majors, contributing greatly to both areas of study. Many courses offered by media studies apply to communications, he said.
Deprez said there already appears to be some kind of natural interaction between the two. It is a definite possibility that media studies and communication could become one entity, she said.
If media studies and communication were to unite, a number of possible outcomes could manifest Deprez said.
Either media studies and communication would unite offering one major encompassing the teachings of both disciplines, or a joint department would be formed maintaining both majors.
Deprez and Panici said nothing will be taken from the students experience in this restructuring.
Deprez said her “intentions are nothing but honorable” and that “only good can come from the outcome.”
Panici said that the “move to make us a department is to strengthen the program and allow for us to get more resources.”
Deprez agrees that there is strength in numbers.
If media studies were to unite with communication combined majors would be upwards to 500. When it came down to hiring more faculty these numbers would “Have a hell of a lot more clout,” Deprez said.