New
curriculum adds flexibility for journalism
students
Jamie Rowe/ On-line Forty-Niner
William
Babcock, chairman of the journalism department
and Raul Reis, chairman of the journalism
department's curriculum committee, discuss
the new curriculum at Journalism Careers
Day Thursday.
By
Jamie Rowe
On-line Forty-Niner
William
Babcock, the chairman of the department
of journalism and Raul Reis, the chairman
of the department of journalism's Curriculum
Committee unveiled the new curriculum for
the department of journalism during its
annual Journalism Careers Day on Friday,
April 29.
Babcock
said "[students need] the flexibility
to plan their own careers with the help
of professors and councilors. They need
to balance their professional skills with
the demands of academic classes. Not only
will they survive the professional skills
and academics, but they will thrive."
Reis
said the curriculum gives more flexibility
in deciding what courses students want to
take and ultimately what career path they
wish to travel. He also said they need to
be able to prepare for the professional
world.
The
committee looked at what standards need
to be met in order to gain accreditation
in two years. The new system is 11 courses
within a journalism degree with a minimum
of 33 units and a maximum of 40 units, said
Reis.
The
changes include a core requirement of eight
classes and a professional skills requirement
of three courses, plus any additional electives
up to seven units.
The
skills classes will involve two-hour labs
for students to practice and hone their
newly acquired skills, Reis said. For the
fall semester, the lab time is built into
the class, making it an hour longer, but
Babcock said he hopes to make the lab times
free standing come next spring.
The
fall schedule is still in fluctuation because
of the loss of two faculty members, Babcock
said.
"Before
the semester is out, we'll know as much
as we can," he said. "Stay in
touch with the department."
The
current printed schedule reflects the class
changes. Babcock also said, "If you
have Milligan teaching basic writing, you'll
know how to write. If I teach reporting
- I've been teaching reporting for 12 years
– you'll know how to report. If you
have Mulligan teaching editing, you'll know
how to edit. We can't teach everything in
one course."
English
Grammar and Voice and Applied Speaking are
no longer required under the new system,
said. Reis. The new curriculum also combines
the journalism field with public relations.
Many at the journalism day event expressed
their doubts. Professor Les Goldberg said,
"It's a great idea to combine the two.
Sometimes young people are too timid to
do what it take to find stories in their
companies."
Students
who declared journalism as their major prior
to June 1, 2004 can choose whether to be
under the old or new curriculum.
"If
you are a freshman or sophomore, then going
with the new curriculum makes more sense.
But if you are just starting your junior
year, go with the old," Babcock said.
Some
of the required classes, such as News Reporting,
will no longer be offered. Substitutions
will be made for those classes.
"If
you still need to take classes that are
not being offered, that's what advisors
are for. They will make substitutes. Students
will be able to graduate on time. The changes
won't be held against you," Babcock
said. "No one, I repeat no one will
be left behind."
|
