End in sight for Communication and Media Studies

The Educational Policy and Governance Committee (EPAG) is expected to approve a proposal that would effectively dissolve the Communication and Media Studies department. Clay Steinman, who currently chairs the department, said that he expects the faculty to vote on the proposal soon.

"The immediate cause of the change is the college's financial pressure," he said, adding, "I do think it makes good academic sense. It will enable us to focus our energies better."

Steinman is one of three tenure-track faculty in the department. He said they have all signed on to the proposal. If passed, he and Leola Johnson, who teach courses in media and film studies, would be transferred to Humanities and Cultural Studies which would become an interdisciplinary department. Adrienne Christensen, who teaches courses in rhetoric, would be transferred to the Political Science department.

"Everyone who is a major or a minor already is guaranteed enough courses to take," Steinman said. New majors have been suspended as of a few weeks ago. "We don't know what funding we'll have, we can't be sure we'll have enough courses for them," he said.

He said that the department had already been cut from 29 to 25 course sections for next semester.

According to the proposal, Roger Mosvick, who founded the department and is now preparing for retirement, "envisioned a full-service Communication program, modeled after that of a research university." With the college unable to financially support such a program, the proposal goes on, it is preferable to " realign with an established department and program than continue hobbling through."

"We're trying to have the most orderly change that we can have," Steinman said.
 

Hornbach cuts his own term short

At the April 9 Faculty meeting, Dan Hornbach announced that next year would be his last as Provost. He is currently serving the first year of his second three-year term in the position.

"One observation that I have after my years as provost is that at some institutions where a new president is hired, the 'old' provost/dean, because of the terms of their appointment, may 'overstay' the time where they are most productive in assisting the new president," Hornbach told the faculty.

"I just wanted this person to have the complete freedom to make crucial choices for the college without having the 'baggage' of a provost appointed by the previous president (no matter how great that provost might be!)" he said.

Hornbach promised that he would not be a "lame duck Provost" and that after a sabbatical he will return to the Biology department, "whether they want me or not."

President McPherson issued a statement supporting Hornbach in his decision.

"When Dan first approached me with this proposal, I was reluctant, because I know what great contributions he has made and would certainly continue to make to Macalester in the role of chief academic officer," McPherson said. "Yet I must concede the wisdom in providing the new president with maximum freedom to define this important partnership as he or she thinks best."