50th anniversary parties abound; C of C is in the midst of it all

Dean Pullen is ready for the April car show
The party continues.

Across campus and into the community, the university almost daily showcases the imagination and talent of its diverse community – and the College of Communications has pulled out all stops to highlight its own.

A spring event hosted by the college is the “Dean’s Car Show,” featuring 1957 cars to commemorate the year Cal State Fullerton was incorporated. The event, to be held Sunday, April 27, is a bow to Dean Rick Pullen’s passion and respect for classic cars and to all car buffs who want to exhibit their auto “collectibles” during the university’s Golden Anniversary.

Further registration and class information is in this issue of ProComm. Antique car enthusiasts are encouraged to polish those vehicles and bring them to the College Park parking lot Sunday, April 27, for what promises to be a stellar show. Proceeds go to the Center for Children Who Stutter. This will be a one-of-a-kind display of classic cars.

The car show concludes Communications Week, April 21 to 26, which once again will feature special events, workshops and speakers representing areas of concentration in the college. Many alumni will be involved in this 30th anniversary event which has garnered the College of CommunicaCommunications visibility locally and nationally. The AAF Regional Competition takes place on Friday of that week.

In March, some alumni and friends of the college will serve as professor for a day. These professionals will teach a class and interact with students in informal sessions. Also, a panel of women graduates participated in a discussion titled “Cal State Fullerton Women: Leading the Way” on Wednesday, March 5. Two communications graduates, Sandra Bell (’81) and Michele Ruiz (’88), were a part of this panel.

Concert under the Stars was the kick-off event in September 14, 2007, for the year-long celebration of Cal State Fullerton’s milestone anniversary. More than 50 alumni, faculty and staff from the College of Communications enjoyed international opera star, Rod Gilfry, the musical theatre students and the spectacular fireworks.

The next day, Sept. 15, was an all-university open house. More than 125 alumni enjoyed the kick-off speaker, Sandra Bell, vice president and chief marketing officer for First American Corporation.

This was followed by the college’s recognition of the 50 top employers and internship sites affiliated with the Department of Communications.

The open house featured tours of the broadcast news and television studios, Titan Radio, Titan Communications, the Center for Children Who Stutter, the digital photo lab, the Speech and Hearing Clinic, the James P. Alexander Daily Titan newsroom and the post-production lab. Various workshops and special lecturers were featured throughout the day.

A Legends and Legacies Donor Recognition Gala that night topped off the Saturday activities. This inaugural event recognized benefactors who have made substantial investments--$100,000 or more--toward the advancement of the university. Dr. James P. Alexander, professor emeritus, and Kalli O’Malley and Terry Giles were recipients of special recognition for their donations to the College of Communications.

Friends of the university and college, alumni, emeriti faculty and current faculty members are urged to watch for and attend upcoming performances, special exhibits, and other events as they evolve throughout the coming year.

Help us celebrate the golden anniversary.

Curriculum updates: Changes aim toward future careers

Change is in the air in the Department of Communications, and the results will provide more options for undergraduate and graduate students.

In the upcoming year, the department will add a new emphasis in Magazine Journalism to the journalism concentration for those wanting to pursue careers in print and/or online magazines. The emphasis will include a new elective course, “Working in the Magazine Industry,” designed to provide students with an understanding of the inner-workings of the magazine business.

The new emphasis will help generate additional support for Tusk, the department’s award-winning student magazine, which is written and edited by students in two magazine classes, “Advanced Magazine Writing” and “Magazine Editing and Production.”

The department also will see the creation of a concentration in Visual Communications, which will replace the existing Photocommunications concentration. The Visual Communications concentration has been designed to help students develop creative problem solving techniques that are applicable to today’s evolving mass media marketplace.

The revamped program will result in a top-down overhaul of the current curriculum. Visual Communications students will complete one foundation studio class, one beginning, and two advanced courses that reflect an interest in the areas of interactive media, studio photography, and visual reporting. A capstone class will enable students to produce professional portfolios.

The changes in these two concentrations still need university approval before implementation. However, it is hoped that they will take effect by fall 2009.

Finally, at the graduate level, a recently approved change in the master’s degree program in communications will offer students the option of pursuing a traditional, research-oriented M.A. in communications, similar to the existing program, or a more professionally-oriented M.S. in communications for those interested in a practice-based program.

“The journalism concentration is among the most progressive and visionary in the university,” said Department of Communications chair, Dr. Tony Fellow. “It continues to look into the future, trying to prepare students for tomorrow’s careers. These moves will do just that.”

Grad student receives grant

Jenna Elisabeth Ronnquist, a graduate associate and master’s student in human communications, received a grant to represent CSUF at the Invitational Masters Student Institute at Rutgers University in October 2007. The institute is designed for candidates from universities around the country who plan to pursue a Ph.D.

The institute grant included food, hotel, and $300 travel. Over 100 applicants were received; only 24 students were accepted.

Ronnquist said, “I am one of only a couple students representing the West Coast. I am proud to represent Cal State Fullerton to this community of scholars.”