Communication, Film, and Media Studies

Chair: Tom Garrett, M.F.A.

Professor Emeritus: Jerry L. Allen, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

Professors: Steven A. Raucher, Ph.D., Wayne State University, J.D., Bridgeport School of Law at Quinnipiac College; Donald C. Smith, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Associate Professor: Tom Garrett, M.F.A., New York University, Tisch School of the Arts

Assistant Professor: Elizabeth Barfoot Christian, Ph.D., University of Southern Mississippi

Instructor: Paul C. Falcone, M.B.A., University of New Haven

Practitioners-in-Residence: Dennis Blader, M.S. Emerson College; Karen Isaacs, M.A. Fairfield University

Students in this program develop a comprehensive understanding of interpersonal communication as well as organizational communication, public relations, advertising, and mass communication (journalism, radio, television, and film). The program blends theoretical concepts and skills, academic rigor, and hands-on experience to prepare students for careers in business, the public sector, or the media, or for additional studies at the graduate level.

An active internship is a valuable complement to the student's classroom studies. The Department offers internships with regional and national businesses, public service organizations, and print and electronic media. Communication majors can gain additional experience through writing for The Charger Bulletin (the student newspaper), working at WNHU-FM (the campus radio station), doing programming for local television, or producing specialized film and video programs.

Department faculty have served as editors or associate editors of more than a half dozen of the top-tier scholarly journals in the communication field and have received national and international recognition. All faculty members do research, publish, and have practical experience in their communication specialties. Faculty and students belong to professional organizations such as the International Communication Association; the Public Relations Society of America; the Eastern Communication Association; the National Association of College Broadcasters; the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences; the National Academy of Cable Programming; the National Federation of Local Cable Programming; the American Film Institute; the Broadcast Educators' Association; the National Communication Association; the Association for Educational Journalism and Mass Communication; the Organization for the Study of Communication, Language, and Gender; the World Communication Association; and the International Listening Association.

In the interest of maximizing students' communication experiences as well as encouraging professional contacts and advancement, the Department urges students to enter regional and national competitions in public relations, advertising, radio, television, and film.

Lambda Pi Eta

The Department sponsors the Beta Kappa Chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the national communication honor society. To receive honorary membership in this prestigious organization, students must have at least 45 University credits and at least nine credits in communication courses. Students must have a 3.0 cumulative G.P.A. and a 3.25 G.P.A. in communication courses. Members become part of a national network of communication majors and may showcase their work at regional and national conferences.

The Co-op Program

The Department participates in the cooperative education program (co-op), which enables students to combine their education with practical, paid work experience in their career field. For further details see the "Office of Internships and Employer Relations " earlier in the catalog, or contact the Department chair.