Content of journalism education up for discussion at series of meetings

Faculty members are invited to make recommendations concerning the content areas of the new college or school that will replace the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) at the University of Colorado Boulder in a series of meetings that will be conducted over the next few months. The new entity will focus on information, communication, journalism, media and technology (ICJMT).

Following recommendations by President Bruce D. Benson and Provost Russell L. Moore, the Board of Regents voted 5-4 to close the SJMC during a meeting in April, about nine months after the process of program discontinuance was begun. In June, Moore established a steering committee to collect information and begin the process of determining the different educational and academic dimensions of the new school or college. The committee consists of five faculty members, one liaison from the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Exploratory Committee and Jeff Cox, associate vice chancellor for faculty affairs, who will act as the liaison from Academic Affairs.

Eight discussion groups will collect feedback and suggestions from faculty and report to the steering committee.

Besides faculty discussion groups, a public forum will be conducted to answer questions and hear comments regarding the process. A representative from each of the eight discussion groups will be present at the event, set for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 22 in the Aspen Rooms in the University Memorial Center. Associate Vice Chancellor Cox will moderate the forum.

Discussion group dates and topics, along with contact information, are:

• Group 1:  Journalism, documentary filmmaking, creative nonfiction and other modes of delivering nonfiction content across platforms; Dan Boord, film studies, daniel.boord@colorado.edu; 9 a.m. to 11 .m. Oct. 18 in UMC 245 and 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 26 in UMC 247.

• Group 2: Media studies, communication, mass communication; Janice Peck, journalism and mass communication, janice.peck@colorado.edu; 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 8 in UMC 247 and 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 10 in UMC 245.

• Group 3: Advertising, design and related issues; Brett Robbs, journalism and mass communication, brett.robbs@colorado.edu; 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 4 in ATLAS 1B31 and 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 12 in UMC 335.

• Group 4: Technology, computation and related issues; Dirk Grunwald, computer science, dirk.grunwald@gmail.com; meeting times and locations to be announced.

• Group 5: Journalism, science, the environment and related issues; Tom Yulsman, journalism and mass communication, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 15 in UMC 245 and 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 12 in UMC 425.

• Group 6: Arts, media technology and related issues; Mark Amerika, art and art history, mark.amerika@colorado.edu; 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 8 in UMC 285-Aspen Room and 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 1 in ATLAS 229.

• Group 7: Humanities, media technology, digital humanities and related issues; Mark Winokur, English, mark.winokur@colorado.edu; meeting times and locations to be announced.

• Group 8: Communication, internationalization, globalization and other related issues; Meg Moritz, journalism and mass communication, moritzm@colorado.edu; meeting times and locations to be announced.

Those unable to attend the scheduled meetings should contact the group’s leader with thoughts and feedback about the process. Information and meeting updates can be found on the Academic Affairs website.