The University of Colorado Board of Regents today approved 12 new CU-麻豆影院 College of Media, Communication and Information degrees, in addition to a name change for one other degree.
The unanimous vote, held today at the University Memorial Center on the CU-麻豆影院 campus, was the final Board of Regents approval required before the degrees are forwarded to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education for approval. The college is now accepting applications and will offer classes for new degrees starting in fall semester 2015.
The new college will be composed of the departments of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design; Communication; Critical Media Practices; Journalism; Information Science; Media Studies; and the graduate program in Intermedia Art, Writing and Performance.
鈥淚t鈥檚 truly a watershed moment for higher education鈥檚 ability to embrace change and take something and to make it relevant to the future for the benefit of the students,鈥� Chair Kyle Hybl said. 鈥淭he potential that this program has is truly exceptional and I am grateful that you all embraced it and are making a real difference with this.鈥�
In his presentation to the Board of Regents, Provost Russell Moore described how this new college will stand apart from other media studies programs that already exist in other universities.
鈥淭his program brings together faculty to recruit students who don鈥檛 fit in in one particular program. We anticipate that we will be able to attract students who are as adept in technology as they are in their particular art form,鈥� said Moore. 鈥淭o provide one specific example, the Department of Information Science is engaging faculty from Computer Science and Electrical Engineering in the development of curricula for its programs.鈥�
Moore explained that this new college was designed with consideration to recent growth of the Colorado state economy.
鈥淐olorado鈥檚 economy has a number of major sectors that depend on the skills that students will learn in this program. These degree programs will prepare students to be thoughtful creators of emerging new media, and it will give them the critical ability to adapt as new media forms arise,鈥� said Moore. 鈥淲e anticipate that substantial industry demands for many of these skills will translate to robust enrollment growth in the years ahead.鈥�
The twelve approved degrees represent a number of new degrees for the campus, as well as the transformation of some existing degrees. The BS degree in journalism will become a BA degree; the journalism program will continue to offer its MA in journalism and the Department of Communication will continue to offer BA, MA and PhD degrees in communication. New degrees being added with this new college include the following:
- BS in strategic communication with tracks in advertising, public relations and media design, and a MA in strategic communication design 听 听 听 听 听
- BA in media production, MFA in interdisciplinary documentary and PhD in emergent technologies and media art practices
- BS, MS and PhD degrees in information science
- BA in media studies and MA in media and public engagement and PhD in Media Research and Practice, including doctoral tracks in strategic communication, journalism and media studies
- Graduate (PhD) program in Intermedia Art, Writing and Performance
Before moving to pass the resolution, many of the university鈥檚 regents expressed excitement about this opportunity for CU-麻豆影院 to become one of the world鈥檚 premier institutions in the arena of media studies.
鈥淭his program touches on so many of the areas that are critical to our changing society and I compliment and thank you for your work,鈥� said Regent Stephen Ludwig.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited for the students who are coming to the University of Colorado,鈥� Regent Sue Sharkey said. 鈥淚 am absolutely confident of the success of this program and I believe it will be a model on a national level.鈥�
Christopher Braider, who oversaw the effort to create the new college, is serving as the transitional dean for the 2014-15 academic year. An international search for the dean of the college will be launched this fall.听