The Wesleyan Communicators Vol. 1 Issue 1 December 5, 2014
Mass Communication Department Celebrates Curriculum Change
Dr. Colley and students jump for joy over curriculum change.
Texas Wesleyan University’s mass communications department implemented a new curriculum change in Fall 2014. Dr. Kay Colley, department chair of the Texas Wesleyan University’s mass communication department since 2012, said the departments curriculum has not changed since they split from the English department, which was over 20 years ago. The change is designed to prepare students for the fluctuating industry, Colley said. In 2011, Colley talked to people from all over the world at an International Association of Business Communicators meeting about what skills
ate students that are ready for graduate school and ready for employment,” Colley said. Colley said her main goal for the department is to have the faculty familiar with the new convergent style of journalism. The new style requires students to have more than one role and know how to shoot video and audio, write a story, and take photos. “They can teach students skills that are needed,” Colley said. “Students can learn from people who understand where we are right now and where we are going in the field of communication.” Faculty teaching mass communication classes were required to complete one-on-one training spring 2014 to keep them updated with industry standard. They were trained in programs such as Adobe InDesign and Premiere, Final cut, Photoshop and Wordpress. All mass communication classes will require students to build a Wordpress portfolio to showcase the student’s work.
they are looking for, what kind of students they want, and the skills they are having most problems finding in students today. Most professionals said they are looking for someone who knows how social media works and possesses good writing and editing skills. The new curriculum focuses on these skills by focusing on writing, editing and multime- Cont. on Page 4 dia use. The change has been well thought out and is based upon the Editors: needs of top industries such as Melanie Mondoy, Valerie Spears The Star Telegram, Dallas Morning News, and the Miami Herald. Contributors: “The new courses will help stuBrianna Kessler, Maria Brown, dents build skills that are needed Victoria Johnson, Heshan Perera in the industry so we can cre-
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The Wesleyan Communicators
New Professor Focuses on Student Success
Dr. David Ferman is an experienced journalism instructor who is dedicated to his students at Texas Wesleyan University. Ferman started teaching at Wesleyan in fall 2014 and is instructing Writing Across Media and Practicum courses. He is also the Rambler Media Group Advisor, and helps with editing the school paper, The Rambler. Ferman received a bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of Texas in Arlington in 1985, a master’s degree in journalism from Texas Christian University in 2007, and a doctorate degree in mass communications and journalism from the University of Oklahoma in 2014. Ferman was a pop music critic for the Star-Telegram for 14 years. His master’s thesis, Journalism in Ireland, How Two Irish Newspapers Covered the 1960 Presidential Election of John F. Kennedy, was published, and he has written for several academic journals. While getting his doctorate, he worked as a media writing instructor for OU. He also spent three semesters at TCU teaching reporting classes and helping with the college newspaper. Ferman’s sister, Kathy Ferman Menino, attended Wesleyan in the early 1990s as a drama major and often had performances that he would watch. He grew familiar with the campus and wanted to teach at the school because of the size. “I really like Wesleyan,” Ferman said. “There is a really sense of forward motion and people making progress, really trying to improve
New professor, Dr. Ferman, helps students learn journalism skills.
everything about the university.” Ferman is very excited to work along with Dr. Colley, the department chair for mass communications at Wesleyan, and teach journalism to a smaller group of students. “You get to know people better,” Ferman said. “You can have more personal connection with kids. There is more continuity between myself and students.” He is also helping several of the mass communications instructors encourage students to get an internship and not just a degree. “We are working very hard to prepare students for internships,” Ferman said. “It will be very hard to get a job in this field without an internship.” He is committed to helping stu-
dents succeed, and he gives his students experience by having them go beyond the classroom and report about different events on campus. “My goals here are to develop my students’ abilities as writers, reporters, and mass media professionals acting ethically,” Ferman said. “I want to make an impact with my students.” Ferman hopes to integrate more technology in his classes as Wesleyan begins to upgrade its tools. He believes that it is important for his students to fully comprehend how to use a vast variety of different programs and technologies. “I want to help students understand the full potential of it,” Ferman said, “and to better see how to tell stories in different ways and with different technology.”
The Wesleyan Communicators
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Don’t Just Choose a Job, Choose a Passion
Jay Johnson and Texas Wesleyan President Frederick Slabach take food to the Tarrant County Food Bank.
For college students, choosing a major can often be exhilarating, terrifying, or a hassle. The idea that this decision will affect the rest of their lives can be almost as scary as the idea of failing. Students sometimes struggle to find a suitable degree plan and often seek a major that fits their passions. Alumnus Jay Johnson had his fair share of degree searching upon transferring to Texas Wesleyan University in 2010. After graduating from Cassata High School and getting an associate’s degree in real estate, Johnson was looking for more than just a standard degree. “I considered being a business major and political science, but I wanted to be well-rounded,” Johnson said. Johnson currently works for The NRP Group, a real estate firm. He has been with the company since 2012, and after graduating in 2013, was offered a po-
sition in San Antonio, Texas. “My studies in public relations come in use every day,” Johnson said, “from communicating with our public relations firm on planning groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings, to integrating those principals in marketing NRP and the work we do.” During his years at Texas Wesleyan, Johnson worked to bring back the Black Student Association and considers it his fondest memory. “My most fond memories of Texas Wesleyan come through the opportunity I had to serve as the President of the Black Student Association,” Johnson said. “I’ve always felt passionate about community service. I often used my studies in public relations to organize events and promote the student organization.” During Johnson’s presidency, the Black Student Association conducted a voter registration drive that
registered 100 Texas Wesleyan students. In addition, the organization held a holiday food drive that raised more than 717 pounds of non-perishable food items for Tarrant County families. “I used my college experience as an opportunity to fill my resume with leadership credentials, service experience, and other things I knew would make me a more valued professional,” Johnson said. Johnson advises students to be a part of an organization where they feel they can make a difference. “I would encourage students to get involved in something they feel passionate about,” Johnson said. “The job market is competitive, and even more so for new graduates. What sets you apart won’t be that you studied, but what you took away from your studies.”
The Wesleyan Communicators
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Jessica Liptak, a junior in mass communication, has been a student at Wesleyan since 2012. She said the incoming freshmen will have an advantage over upper classmen, especially in the use of Wordpress. “The department just started to focus on the use of Wordpress this year, and now the incoming freshmen will get to start learning and using Wordpress from the start,” Liptak said. “I think this is great.” Liptak said the change is con-
fusing, but she believes it will improve Wesleyan’s Communication Department. “I think it’s really great for the new freshmen and it will be easier for them,” Liptak said. “So much more organized.” New classes and training secessions will be available to current and potential students to help build multimedia skills. Colley said that alumni who completed the previous curriculum missed out on a lot of multimedia training and students weren’t al-
ways shown how everything was integrated. She hopes to open the training to alumni by 2016. Alexis Belton, a senior in mass communications, started attending Wesleyan in 2012. She said the change is much needed and the department is headed in the right direction. “The coolest thing about the change is how organized everything will be and the incorporation of more multimedia,” said Belton. “It makes me want to be a freshmen again because they definitely have an advantage.”
The Multimedia Center Waits on Proposal to Update Equipment and Software A proposal for new updates in the multimedia center will be decided in late spring 2015, Dr. Colley said. Chris Frobes, a media and classroom technologist for Wesleyan, said that he has big plans for the Multimedia Center if the budget is approved. Below is a list of updates Forbes wants for the center: •Long tables to replace desks and chairs. Each table with have two computers on it. •New programs for the computers that students in photography and digital design can use.
Apple computers line the walls of the classroom, for now.
•The center to have a total of 16 computers: 8 Macs, and 8 PC’s.
•A new curtain in the studio that will replace a black wall. The curtain will be a lighter color that will change from white to blue. •Update the microphones that are used in the sound booth. •The new computers to also have the newsest edition of Pro Tools available for use.
Chris Forbes works on video editing in multimedia center
The sound booth will receive new microphones if the proposal is approved.
Cameras face the green screen in the studio.