UNCP First Institution in State Selected to New Media Consortium™

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has been selected to become the first North Carolina academic member of the New Media Consortium™. New Media Consortium™is a non-profit organization that brings leading colleges and universities together with innovative high-tech companies to explore new ways of teaching and learning through new media. Founding members include Adobe, Apple Computer, Inc. and, Macromedia, Inc. while sustaining and core members include Compaq, Avid, Cisco Systems, Microsoft, MagicBeanStalk, Sunrise Media LLC, WebCT and Mindcrossing. UNCP joins a distinguished list of members that includes Dartmouth College, Amherst College, Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, Marquette University, Princeton University and Yale University.

The UNCP Media Integration Project was initiated through the collaboration of three faculty members from different departments. Nearly five years ago, Dr. John Labadie of the Art Department, Dr. Larry Arnold of the Music Department and, George Johnson of the Mass Communications Department began discussing the use of technology in their work. Their discussions grew into joint projects that include the production of animated instructional programs combining their three disciplines. These programs were very well received by the students and led the faculty to explore more innovative methods of teaching through the use of digital art, music and animation techniques. According to Johnson, “The Internet, digital television and broadband communications are changing the mass media landscape. Courses like Media Integration will prepare our students to work in this new landscape.” Other UNCP faculty members from across the campus have begun to gather regularly with the project faculty in a lunchtime discussion group called “Digital Soup and Sandwich”.

In order to be considered for membership, UNCP had to meet a number of strict criteria including: be an accredited institution of higher learning with a new media center that is viable; have a noticeable impact on the use of new media in teaching and learning or the advancement of new media as a discipline or means of artistic expression; must engage in collaboration with other entities on campus and beyond; must reflect diversity through its location, institution size or type, student population, and/or structure; and, must demonstrate innovative methodologies, assessments, pedagogy, or uses of new media in a distinctive and innovative manner, and through industry partnerships. As a member of New Media Consortium™, UNCP will become part of a select network of knowledgeable peers from diverse institutions and will get quick answers such as solutions to technological problems, suggestions for selecting appropriate technology and, techniques for evaluating instructional effectiveness. Students and faculty will have the opportunity to exchange ideas with other members at face-to-face events as well as through online discussions and collaborations with other campus centers. Faculty will receive training at the annual conference through hands-on instruction provided by leading experts in the field. An additional advantage will be the opportunity to test advanced technology products before they become available to the public.

The primary focus of the project team has been the enhancement of the educational experiences of their students. UNCP’s center is unique in its student-centered work. Students have been increasingly exposed to various forms of creative technology and will be expected to have an understanding of its application in the workplace. According to Dr. Larry Arnold, “Long experience has shown that successful implementation of New Media increases student motivation and accomplishment. Techniques and concepts of new media will be increasingly important, if not essential, for all students to use for communication in their careers.”

The use of technology in the classroom comes with a high price however. Equipment and software used for these specialized projects are very expensive. Through Labadie, Arnold and Johnson’s efforts, they pieced together equipment and created lab spaces to produce notable and even award winning student work. Determined to continue the growth of media integration on campus, the three men began looking for alternative sources of funding when they learned of the New Media Consortium™. The selection process is quite competitive but the quality and potential of UNCP’s media integration efforts won over the selection committee. Nonetheless, there was another obstacle for UNCP to face, the annual membership fee of $2,000.00. With state funding and student tuition providing the basics to the university, there were no available funds to cover this cost. A corporate sponsorship was needed to assist the university with their quest and Eagle Distributing Company in Lumberton stepped in to help. Mr. Bob Caton, CEO of Eagle, learned of the project and immediately recognized the tremendous benefits to the students. “We are in the century of technology, “said Caton. “Through my association with UNCP on the Board of Trustees, I felt strongly that the New Media Consortium™ membership would be an opportunity for the University to stand out from the other 15 UNC schools. This project will give UNCP an undeniable edge in luring top students from all over the country.”

Through Eagle Distributing Company’s sponsorship, the University not only has become a member of the NMC but the 3 founding faculty members and the university web publisher were able to take advantage of attending the national conference recently held at California State University of Monterey Bay. At the conference, the UNCP members met and exchanged ideas not only with representatives of other institutions but also with technological groundbreakers such as the founders of Yahoo! These affiliations may lead to tremendous opportunities for UNCP students to include collaborative projects and internships.

Dr. Roger Brown, UNCP’s Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs said, "I am very pleased that UNC Pembroke will join the relatively small group of colleges and universities selected as sites for a New Media Center™. The very essence of university education and research must include the emerging variety of communications and artistic media that will shape our society and global dialogue in the 21st Century. John Labadie (Art), Larry Arnold (Music), and George Johnson (Mass Communications) have positioned us to be at the forefront of this exciting work."

Chancellor Allen Meadors is quite proud of the University’s selection but even more proud of the efforts of the faculty. “Dr. Labadie, Dr. Arnold and Mr. Johnson provide wonderful examples of the hard work that UNCP faculty engage in to the benefit of our students. Our membership in the New Media Consortium will not only link our students to the latest technological advances and the companies that create them, it will put the University, our students and the phenomenal work that goes on here in the spotlight nationally and internationally.”

The impact of UNCP’s membership will be significant. Media Integration Project director Dr. John Labadie stated, “the UNCP Media Integration Project has taken a leading role in building a working information technology context that has now allowed our academic community to connect, in an unprecedented way, with creative, highly technical, experienced colleagues in universities worldwide. Our productive and highly functional relationships with well-informed members from institutions as diverse as the University of Calgary, Stanford, MIT, California State University - Sonoma, and Bowling Green State University have already added immensely to our store of knowledge about the uses and implementation of new media. This collegial network will strengthen over time and provide an invaluable conduit for the introduction of thinking about how to effectively integrate new media into the UNC-Pembroke academic and technical infrastructure. The ultimate beneficiaries are, of course, our students who will matriculate in an environment that more effectively utilizes new tools for communication.”

Learn more at www.uncp.edu/media_integration

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