By Sara Hardiman (Class of 2017)
JMU classes, particularly communication classes, are great.
But even the best of classes have their limitations.
That’s why a dozen Public Relations students in JMU’s School of Communication Studies packed their bags and went to South Korea last summer.
Sports and International public relations in Korea is one of the newest study abroad programs the School of Communication Studies offers. Read more SCOM’s newest study abroad program: Public Relations in Korea
“Gen Ed’s are supposed to be easy.” Says who? JMU students immediately associate ‘general’ with ‘easy’. This commonly held mindset is actually a big misconception. Many of these courses are actually very challenging. So why does the dreaded “G” in front of all of these courses change the way students view the difficulty of a course?
This is one of the negative connotations the G has acquired over the years that has come to many faculty’s attention. The G was originally intended to be a positive symbol and make JMU’s General Education program distinctive, when it was created in the late 1990s. Although the General Education program continues to do this, it has acquired negative connotations that have led to major reconsiderations. During JMU’s 2011-2012 program review, faculty proposed the idea of removing the G from the course prefix in General Education classes, according to the General Education page on the JMU website. Last year it was confirmed by various members of the JMU community that this was a good idea.
Last year, the JMU General Education program made a concerted effort to reach as many people as possible including instructors who teach General Education courses to listen their opinion about this issue.
“They tried hard to explain why the program was contemplating the removal of the G,” said Dr. Tim Ball, assistant professor and SCOM basic course director, “They wanted to make sure we thought it was a change that needed to happen.” Read more No More GCOM?! The “G” Indicators will be removed from Gen Ed Courses by Fall 2015.
Congratulations, you just received your acceptance into the School of Communication Studies! Now what? Many SCOM students might be unsure of what to concentrate in once they begin their SCOM courses. Let’s hear from Dr. Toni Whitfield, coordinator for the concentration and a few organizational concentration students about what the concentration has to offer and if it is the right one for you.
You may have already glanced over the organizational communication summary on the SCOM website and have an idea of what courses are offered, but an insider’s view is always essential in decision making.
“I have had many students gain exciting jobs practicing many of the concepts we cover and that is always rewarding,” shared Whitfield. She also said that one of the many positions students go into after graduating is recruiting. According to Whitfield, many pursue student affairs positions and graduate school to work in higher education, such as counseling or in freshman orientation-type programs. Among just a few, students work as event coordinators, communication coordinators and marketing assistants.
Read more An Inside Look: The Organizational Communication Concentration
