By Joanna Sperapani
Elm Staff Writer
Next year at Washington College will offer two new programs: a communications and media studies major and a marketing minor. Both new fields of study have been discussed by the faculty and administration for many years, and have finally been made a reality for the upcoming fall 2017 semester.
Driven by strong student interest, Communications and Media Studies seeks to teach students trivium, known as the skills of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The major is also increasingly relevant as it seeks an understanding of how the communicative process is vital in the new era of technology.
CMS includes a total of 11 required courses. The College is currently searching for a new professor to spearhead the major.
“This person will teach introductory communications courses and eventually, specialized courses in his or her specific area of expertise,” Business Management Professor Ryan Eanes said. This course will also let students take classes in English, theater, music, art, sociology, political science, business, anthropology, and more. There are three concentrations offered within the CMS major: Arts & Production, Business/Organization Communication, and a Social Science Communication.
English Professor Elizabeth O’Connor said, “I think this is a great opportunity for the WC community. It’s a great addition to our curriculum, and I also think it’s important that the students have a foundation in writing.”
The marketing minor was driven by student interest. Business Management Professor Michael Harvey said, “We kept hearing from students that they loved marketing and wanted more marketing courses. And we kept hearing from alumns like Ryan Goff, class of 2006, a senior vice-president at marketing firm MGH, based in Owings Mills, and Jenna Campbell, class of 2011, now at Dixon Valve, that the prospects for marketing careers continue to grow.”
Dr. Harvey said, “The business minor gives students an exposure to some key business areas—accounting, marketing, organizational behavior, economics, and then lets them add a couple of electives of their choice; very broad—not that that’s a bad thing. The marketing minor is more sharply focused on helping students from any major gain key marketing skills.” These skills can be beneficial in conjunction with any major, and help prepare students for their careers ahead.
Dr. Eanes also mentioned the newly re-established student organization American Marketing Association (AMA), a group that is involved with a national web of marketing and business professionals. “I think the most direct way that our growing emphasis on marketing will impact student life pertains to [AMA]… the organization offers a number of fantastic benefits to student members, including networking opportunities, access to job listings and recruiters, various competitions (many of which have cash prizes attached to them), training workshops and certificate programs, and the chance to go to the annual collegiate convention in New Orleans. In so many words, membership in the AMA could very well be the key to landing a great job in marketing or a related field right out of college. Though while a student is here at WC, it’ll offer an opportunity to do a lot of really interesting stuff,” he said.
Eanes said that that even if students don’t want to pursue a job in marketing or a similar field, it is still a beneficial impact. “Having even a basic understanding of marketing concepts can help you be a smarter, savvier consumer. Being able to look at marketing tactics, advertising, pricing strategies, and so forth can be very useful in making smart purchase decisions.”
Both the new CMS major and the marketing minor are interdisciplinary, offering the chance to take many different kinds of courses. With CMS, the choice of concentration allows several different options. For marketing, there are three required courses and they can be completed with two electives from either business or art.