By Mary Ann Albright
Gazette-Times reporter | Posted: Thursday, March 22, 2007 12:00 am
Supporters of the new-media communications program at Oregon State University, concerned by what they see as a lack of financial backing from OSU administrators, are gearing up to make another pitch about the importance of the program.
With OSU now in the midst of its annual budgeting and asking colleges and departments across campus to streamline and re-examine how they fit into the university's strategic plan, now is the perfect time to remind OSU of how crucial new media is, according to members of the program's advisory board.
"We on the board think new-media communications is extremely important to the future of OSU, and this is a good time for OSU to reaffirm its commitment to the program," said Ben Kaminash, a Portland attorney and member of the New Media Communications Advisory Board.
Kaminash and other board members are drafting a letter to OSU administration members asking for a firm commitment to maintaining and growing the program. One key concern for the advisory board: With only two full-time faculty members, the program doesn't have the resources to meet its potential and stay on the forefront of this emerging academic discipline, board members say.
The program has been in a state of transition since Joel Thierstein, who came to OSU to start the program from scratch in 2001, was deposed as director in September. Thierstein left OSU in January for Rice University in Texas, where he accepted an associate provost position.
Jeff Hale, assistant dean for external relations in the College of Liberal Arts and director of the college's liberal studies program, is serving as interim director.
Kaminash said the new-media program will be able to attract and recruit better candidates to fill Thierstein's shoes if there is clear support for the program from the offices of the president and provost. OSU's provost, Sabah Randhawa, is out of the office this week and could not be reached for comment.
On May 3, the advisory board will come to campus for its annual meeting. Present will be Hale and other OSU representatives. The agenda likely will include a program update, a tour of the new video-game lab and other discussions, Hale said.
The search for a new director is tied to the academic year, Hale said. OSU will probably advertise the position during winter term, conduct interviews in the spring and have a permanent replacement for Thierstein in place for fall 2008.
New media began offering classes in 2002. The program is an option within the liberal-studies major, and boasts about 65 majors and 80 minors. About 400 students take classes through the program each year.
New-media communications stresses storytelling through various media, including video games, the Internet, television, newspapers and movies.
With Thierstein gone, the program is down to two full-time faculty: Todd Kesterson, assistant professor of new media, and Bill Loges, assistant professor of new media and sociology.
About six adjunct faculty members round out the teaching roster.
Hale has hired another full-time faculty member with a background in print journalism to begin teaching in the fall. That position is funded for three years.
Though the school year got off to a tumultuous start, Kesterson said he's optimistic that OSU will get behind the new-media program.
"I see this as an opportunity where this can either become a successful program, highly supported and highly respected in the state and the nation, or we can sort of disappear," he said.
OSU has made substantial investments in software and hardware for the program, but to get the most out of it, more faculty members are needed, he said.
Kesterson's area of expertise is three-dimensional storytelling, including animation and video-game design. In many of his classes, Kesterson uses the new-media motion-capture lab and the recently completed video-gaming lab.
For spring term, Kesterson has changed his course offerings to include a new-media storytelling class and a revamped virtual-media class.
Both quickly filled, he said.
When it comes to new media as an academic field, there's a small window of time for OSU's program to really make its mark. Other universities around the country are increasingly recognizing video gaming and other multimedia storytelling techniques as legitimate fields of study. Also, the equipment OSU has purchased will be antiquated within a few years.
To be a leader in new media, rather than just another program, OSU needs to move quickly, Kesterson said.
Rather than wait for more financial help from OSU's upper administration, Kesterson is trying to collaborate with other universities and other departments on campus, such as music and computer science.
"We're building what we can with what we have," he said. "We are moving forward, period. We have to carry this vision forward in a way that directly and immediately benefits the program and our students and paves the way for the future."
Mary Ann Albright covers higher education. She can be reached at maryann.albright@lee.net or 758-9518.