University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Student organizations open door

To help a student prepare for a career after college, the School of Mass Communication has four student organizations that anyone can join; no matter what sequence they follow on their way to a degree.

These organizations will give students a chance to network with other students and professionals in their future profession and to gain experience by working on projects with other students.

“By joining a student organization, students could find a mentor, a future employer, or even a future client,” said Amy O. Barnes, assistant professor and adviser for the Public Relations Student Society Association chapter. “Your career could just take off.”

Since the student organizations are associated with their national counterpart, students can also take advantage of the national organization’s benefits. The national chapters have opportunities for internships, scholarships, and networking at regional and national conventions.

For more information contact the organization’s adviser or go to the organization’s Web site.

National Association of Black Journalists
Adviser: Tim Edwards
Annual fee: $40
www.nabj.org

National Broadcasting Society
Advisers: Mark Giese and Ben Fry
Annual Fee: $50
www.nbs-aerho.org

Public Relations Student Society of America
Advisers: Jamie Byrne and Amy O. Barnes
Annual fee: $41
www.prssa.org

Society of Professional Journalists
Adviser: Sonny Rhodes
Annual fee: $36
www.spj.org

Dr. Dale Zacher
Assistant Professor

There were many reasons why Dr. Dale Zacher joined UALR’s School of Mass Communication this semester, or as he puts it, a “perfect storm” of elements.

But he said one of the biggest selling points for him was the job itself.

“This is the first job I picked for the merits of the job and the professional opportunities available,” he said.

Zacher’s career has led him from North Dakota to Ohio, and he said the UALR SMC stands out from other programs in its depth.

“I came from a program that combined Mass Communication and Speech Communication—I find that waters each field down,” he said. “I like the split in the programs UALR has—there is room for specialization. Only one of my four previous jobs was in a dedicated ‘Mass Communication’ school like this one.”

The size of UALR’s campus was also a factor in Zacher’s decision.

“You’re just a number at the bigger schools; I wanted more of a smaller-campus feel,” he said.

But Zacher added that the size of the SMC is not too small to run effectively.

“The classes [at UALR] are smaller, but they still have the ‘critical mass’ to do programs,” he said.

He said the environment of Arkansas was also a draw for him, as well as his family.

“I’ve spent some time in South-like climate – Ohio is similar geographically,” he said. “But I don’t miss the winter in North Dakota. I heard the summers here are bad, but it seems like you get nine months of good weather and three months of bad weather here. In North Dakota, it’s nine months of bad weather and three months of good.”

Zacher said that he is still taking things slow this first semester, but that he has plans for the future of the SMC. “I am still learning the people and the place, but I am looking forward to next semester,” he said. “I can finally sink my teeth into this place.”

One of his goals is to expand the television programming offered through channel 62, starting with news.

“I’m looking forward to getting the news operations geared up, maybe putting some weekly news program together,” he said.

Zacher said this starts with both student and community involvement.

“The first step is getting students aware and involved…then get the community’s awareness of the station up as well,” he said. “I want to ramp it up—it has been there in the past, and we have to get it jumpstarted again. Once this is up, we can expand programming.”

Zacher also credits the SMC faculty and staff as another element of his decision to join UALR.

“I was impressed by the people,” he said. “I’m glad to be a part of a program that knows the balance between applying skills and education.”

The mass media are changing and so is the School of Mass Communication.

Beginning in the fall 2007 semester, students admitted to the School will follow a new curriculum, one that will introduce them to media convergence. The blending of media was an important factor in developing the new curriculum, Dr. Jamie Byrne, director of the School of Mass Communication, said.

“It’s not enough anymore to prepare anyone just to be a newspaper reporter or a videographer,” she said. “Convergence is here, and it is here locally.”

New classes will give students a wide range of skills from print, broadcast, and the Web. “It made sense to develop a curriculum that would have students familiar with knowing something about all media, but also allow them to specialize,” she said.

Some of the new classes include: Intro to Web Principles and Design, Mass Media Research, and Intro to Digital Graphics. Students already admitted to the School are not required to take the classes, but are welcome to register for them or they can choose to change their degree plan to reflect the new curriculum. But students need to keep in mind they will have to complete 42 hours instead of 36 to finish their degree.

The new degree won’t take students longer to complete than the current program because of the number of elective courses that students need. Students currently majoring in the School will not have their graduation delayed by the change in curriculum, Byrne said.

Changing the curriculum has been a long process; taking over three years, Byrne said. “We took our own knowledge, what is happening in the local market, and talked with other professionals,” she said. “And based on what we learned, we designed the new curriculum.”

After faculty refined classes, both the College of Professional Studies and the University approved the curriculum this spring. Now, when students register for classes, they should select Mass Comm instead of the Journalism or RTVF option when selecting the subject on BOSS. Only undergraduate classes are listed under the new alpha code, MCOM, while graduate classes are still listed under JOUR.

A new curriculum is being designed for the master’s program and could be in place within a year. Along with the change of the alpha code, several course numbers and titles have changed with the new curriculum. Students should check with their adviser to see how the new curriculum could affect the classes they take in the fall. “We are really excited; this will benefit all of our students,” she said. “I think it will make a stronger, better school.”