Academics in the Spotlight: School of Communication

Award-winning students and faculty, cutting-edge facilities, and community and global reach are just some of the aspects that have propelled the School of Communication (SoC) to one of the top communication schools in the country.

Under the leadership of Dean Sam L Grogg, students learn from experienced working professionals in addition to seasoned scholars dedicated to research and teaching. The curriculum emphasizes the importance of hands-on experience and has taken students around the world putting their classroom lectures into practice.

Last winter, SoC students and faculty were involved in a groundbreaking multimedia project to showcase the performance of Special Olympic athletes during the World Winter Games, in Idaho. The teams of student volunteers were assigned to gather video clips of every athlete in each of the events, produce documentary stories, photos, video galleries and news broadcast feeds on a daily basis during the games. An interactive web site was built and launched as a stage for all the journalistic coverage.

In a time when the communication profession is under constant evolution, the SoC embraces the newest methods of storytelling and communication. The incorporation of new media into the curriculum has not only given journalism students the edge necessary to compete and thrive in the professional arena, but also to make a difference in their community. Early November marked the launch of Grand Avenue News, a hyper-local news site that highlights the happenings in the unique nearby neighborhood of Village West in Coconut Grove. Content in the form of news and event articles, photographs and video is created by SoC students.

The School owns and operates UMTV, a cable television channel, and the Bill Cosford Cinema, which exhibits classic and contemporary films. Communication students also staff the University's FM radio station, WVUM; the University paper, The Miami Hurricane; the student magazine, Distraction; and the UM yearbook, Ibis. In addition to student media operations, the School also houses an award-winning debate team.

Just this fall NewsVision, the School's student-run newscast, was nominated for an Emmy Award. And The Miami Hurricane, Ibis and Distraction were victorious in a number of collegiate press competitions.

Motion Picture students participate in the annual 'Canes Film Festival, which presents narrative, documentary, and animated films produced by graduate and undergraduate students. The winning films are then showcased in Hollywood.

Public Relations and Advertising students conduct real-world advertising and public relations campaigns which go on to compete in national competitions. They also work to help promote a number of local and national organizations through the student-run Advertising and Public Relations Agency, PRADUM, which recently launched the advertising campaign for Lingerie Miami, an organization which raises awareness and funding for empowering women out of poverty.

The School opened the 2009-2010 academic year with the inauguration of the Master of Arts in Multimedia Journalism program, in which enrollment reached full capacity in the first semester. The program provides advanced learning in the most contemporary digital media platforms.

SoC students from all majors are given the opportunity to interact with recognized industry professionals, some of whom are alumni, to help and guide them in their career ambitions. One of those opportunities takes place during Communication Week, an annual celebration of the ideas, insights and information that permeate the Communication arts and professions. The week presents a variety of exhibitions, screenings, forums, panels, special events and other activities throughout the School that engage faculty, students, alumni and special guests in a wide-ranging exploration of Communication in all of its aspects.

The fall of 2010 will mark the School's 25th Anniversary; SoC students are working hard to leave their mark that will last for the next 25 years. For more information on the School of Communication, please visit: www.com.miami.edu.