By Kirsten Johnson
Copy Editor

As the UNCP campus changes, other changes are also being made, not only to better the campus appearance but to improve the quality of education. With all the construction and building going on around campus it is easy to overlook changes going on within the departments. With an increasing number of juniors and seniors declaring Communication majors, the Department of Mass Communications knew it was their time to renovate.

Dr. Jamie Litty is now leading the UNCP Mass Communications faculty as the new full-fledged Mass Communications department chair. Litty was a key factor in designing and implementing the departments five-year plan as the interim chair from July 2003 through August 2004. The plan incorporates new faculty members and a digital conversion of the department’s academic labs and WNCP-TV to further the social, economic and technical aspects of the growing department.

“The faculty has greatly enhanced students’ learning experiences here by designing new courses and by integrating state-of-the-art technology into the media laboratories, so that our curriculum reflects contemporary production practices and genres. Online Journalism is a great example,” Litty said. “Together we will continue to expose students to the latest thinking and trends in broadcasting, journalism and public relations.”

Litty said the five-year plan also discusses the new course offerings under each of the tracks in the Mass Communications department. Earning her undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communications, master’s degree in Mass Communications and doctorate in Communications, Litty is an applicable and knowledgeable leader in her field and is sure to continue the growth of the forthcoming department.

“Our challenges are the same as mass communications departments nationwide: to satisfy the demands of the enrollment growth and to keep pace with innovations in the production, distribution and reception of the media content,” Litty said.

Litty said the department aims to utilize the Internet as a medium to new opportunities in publishing and broadcasting. The department also intends to engage in audiovisual productions, public communications campaigns and other field projects working in partnership with non-profit organizations and campus groups.