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Welcome to the third Dean’s newsletter – a regular communication between dean, alums, faculty, staff and interested others. In my last newsletter I talked about hiring. Since then it feels like we have been having a job talk nearly every other day and engaging with a variety of impressive and exciting new teachers and researchers. We are starting to be at the point where we can make offers to the brightest and best, and hopefully, I can report on that in the next newsletter. For now, we are not losing sight of the significance of renewing and enhancing our faculty in a school that is successful and growing. Surely the success of a school is measured in part by the ability to recruit and to expand.

 

Also, in the last newsletter, I talked about the feasibility study for a new SC&I building. We have now engaged an architectural practice and will be starting the extensive process of consulting in the coming weeks. If you come into the school, expect to be stopped and asked your views! Please join the conversation. And when you are walking around other academic buildings, think about what you like about them, how they support pedagogy, how they highlight – or obscure! – the joy of discovery.

 

At SC&I, we are very proud of the success of our graduates. In newly released figures, we see that 88% of our graduating students report outcomes – they are employed, in further education, in the military or voluntary work.  This is an achievement to be celebrated. It can’t be achieved without excellent teaching, a dedicated faculty, and also a team focused on placement and engagement with Rutgers University Career Services. We especially thank Hester Coan for her assistance. An example of this is the extremely successful Rutgers Road to Communication and Media Program that connects current students with alumni in the career of their dreams.

 

As we all know there is a new governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, and he has established a transition team to support his program for the state. I have been asked to be on an associated task force considering the way SC&I’s research and vision can contribute to the prosperity of New Jersey. I am honored to take on this important role and I believe passionately that our disciplines should be at the center of the future prosperity of the state.

Dean Jonathan Potter

Higher education as well as media and information technologies are changing dramatically before our eyes, and we find ourselves needing to act at this important juncture. Doing so requires that we face and prepare for change amidst the following two programmatic conundra:

How does one find the right balance between:

Continuing to strengthen existing programs and advancing new initiatives?

S upporting what we have been doing so well, for so long, and developing plans for an imagined future?

Our two new planned master degree programs fall within that juncture. A Master in Communication, Information, Media, and Health (working title) acknowledges the growing public investment and concern for health and well-being, the changing nature of the professions engaged with them, and their growing need for expertise in our fields. Faculty from all three SC&I departments are currently working on a draft curriculum for a degree that will take advantage of the strength and expertise we already have in these fields.

Explorations aimed to enable us to decide about advancing a Master degree in Creative Media and Cultural Industries (working title … try changing the order of the words!) requires us to rethink the interconnections between various industries journalism, publishing, TV, radio, web and information technologies – as well as those housed in other schools – such as cinema, museums, theaters, music, heritage sites, food and fashion industries – and their roles in shaping up our culture, urban spaces, economy, and social life. We have connected with King’s College in London which hosts similar programs (at both undergraduate and graduate levels) to explore potential collaborations on dual Master degrees and exchanges of both students as well as faculty. A group of JMS faculty will join the deans in a London visit in April for a conference on the topic and a brainstorming session with our counterpart faculty.

Both of these degree initiatives also build upon our unique geographical location – the New Jersey health complexes surrounding Rutgers for the Health Master, and proximity to the buzzing creative and cultural life of NYC and Philadelphia for the Cultural Industries degree. Both also recognize the growing demand for professional degrees that provide employable skills that are knowledge-based, flexible, and adaptable. 

In addition, we are moving forward with great energy and excitement in the search for the inaugural Gloria Steinem Endowed Chair. The search committee reviewed and debated stellar and inspiring applications for accomplished women in academia, media professions, and activism. We were impressed by being presented so much “women power” in a condensed manner! It is a great advantage that the position is a temporary 2-3 year one, and will allow us to bring different women/men with outstanding accomplishments in the area of media, culture, and gender. Stay tuned for an announcement featuring our finalist/s in due course!

Finally, Sharon Stroeger, our new Assistant Dean for Instructional Support and Assessment, has been busy revamping our assessment activities, reorganizing our instructional design services, and tuning in to our teaching needs. Together with Sharon and Mark Aakhus, we are planning our Scholarly incubator on Teaching for March 7th – make sure it is on your calendar, as it promises to be a stimulating day of learning about teaching!

Dafna Lemish

Professor and Associate Dean for Programs

Rutgers School of Communication and Information

4 Huntington Street

New Brunswick, NJ 08901

 848.932.7500

[email protected]