Faculty Endorses Film and Media Culture Program

Author: Peter Simon

The Educational Affairs Committee (EAC) voted unanimously on Monday to approve a new program in Film and Media Culture. The program, which will replace the Film/Video track in the current Theatre, Dance and Film/Video Department, will include various media-related forms besides cinema, which will remain the focus.

The proposal for the program in Film and Media Culture was presented by the ad hoc Committee on Media Studies, formed in the spring of 2001 by Acting Provost Alison Byerly. The committee, chaired by Professor of Theater and Art Ted Perry, also included Professor of Film/Video Leger Grindon, Associate Dean of Faculty Michael Geisler, Associate Provost Tim Spears and Professor of Art and Architecture Kirsten Hoving.

"The emphasis is still going to be on film," stated Grindon. "The new program will allow a wider range of media into the curriculum." Grindon, who will chair the program when it begins in the fall, also said that he is looking forward to having "more diversity of interests in the program, both among the faculty and among the students."

Spears noted television, animation, the internet, radio broadcasting and digital media as examples of media beyond cinema that could potentially be studied in the new program. "The area of study is opening up," said Spears. "Various forms of media are become an important part not only of the curriculum, but of our lives as well."

One of the professors hired to begin teaching in the department in the fall, Jason Mittell, will primarily teach courses related to television. Deb Ellis, visiting lecturer in film and video, will teach courses in digital media.

The change from being part of a department to becoming a program means that professors from other departments, such as the foreign languages, sociology or American civilization, would be able to teach interdisciplinary courses in film or media studies.

According to Spears, much of the collaboration will occur with the American Civilization Department, as well as with foreign language majors. Classes will be offered on film in various foreign languages, which could potentially be taught by professors employed in the foreign language departments.

Spears compared the interdisciplinary format of the major to the Environmental Studies and International Studies programs, both of which incorporate teaching from several different departments.

"Under the current format, it would have been difficult for faculty members from other departments to teach courses about media," he said.

Among six required core courses will be cultural studies, a Sociology course, as well as "Television and American Culture," which will fit into the American Civilization Department.

For their remaining six courses, Film and Media Culture majors will have to choose at least one course from each of four categories: Media and Arts Criticism, Media and Society, Media and Arts Production and International Media.

Students who have already declared a Film/Video major will have the option of continuing with the original requirements.