IMC Degree Celebrates 10 Years and a Thousand Lives Changed STORY BY DEBORA WENGER
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nly 51 adventurous students signed enabled the program to grow faster than on to enroll in the very first cohort anyone imagined at the start,” Fiene said. of the integrated marketing In the 10 years since the start of IMC, the communications (IMC) program at the School program has put an increased emphasis of Journalism and New Media. The year was on writing and has created dozens of new 2011, and those enthusiastic student pioneers courses. Students can now take advantage helped spread the word and grow IMC to of eight specialization areas, including sports more than 1200 students today. communication, social media, public relations, Darren Fike (2013) was part of that first media design and fashion promotion. group of intrepid students. Graduating senior Asia Guest says more “Thinking back on it, I could sense that importantly, the school has made her feel part the world was changing and that consumer of a family. behavior/business was likely to follow,” Fike “From the professors, to fellow classmates, said. “I knew that I needed to prepare myself to the administration, I couldn’t have asked for this new era, and that really is what for a better learning and growth-promoting charting a new path is all about. You forfeit environment,” Guest said. “Also, I liked the certainty in the pursuit of extraordinary broadness that IMC provides, meaning results.” that the skills and instruction that is taught Assistant Dean Scott Fiene was one of is invaluable and can be used in various the first faculty members hired to teach in occupations in the marketing world.” the IMC department, and he credits the The Georgia native plans for a career program’s popularity to several factors. working for environmental and social justice “First, there are only about a dozen or so IMC undergraduate and graduate programs in the U.S., and ours is the only one housed in a school of journalism,” Fiene said. “That means our students don’t just learn marketing and communications, they learn about media. That’s a big advantage. Second, our faculty is superb. They’re experienced in the profession, they love teaching and they passionately care about student success.” Fiene says the IMC curriculum – including the required business minor in the undergraduate program – resonates with prospects, parents and employers. “These three things have sparked an incredible word-of-mouth that’s PHOTO BY LEAH MACFARLAND
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THE REVIEW 2021-2022
