What are Communication Studies Faculty Doing?

Distinguished Professor Joe Angotti continues writing his occasional column on Media Matters in the Monmouth Review Atlas.   He is also designing an online newswire that will post stories covered by students enrolled in the new Monmouth College Journalism class beginning in January 2010. This news wire will serve as a resource for media outlets across the region providing expanded news coverage of events in Monmouth and the surrounding area.

Professor Chris Goble was just selected to be a Faculty Fellow by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (the Emmy people) to attend their prestigious week long fall Faculty Seminar in Hollywood this November.  Chris is one of 20 faculty members nationwide selected for this conference.

Professor Lee McGaan recently completed a sabbatical leave during which he developed a new course on "Media and the Self-Directed Citizen" as part of the Integrated Studies curriculum senior year requirement.  He also spent time studying engaged learning methods and metacognition in college teaching, incorporating a number of insights into his classes this year.  He continues to explore the role of copyright law on society documentingthat current law and practice is simply too restrictive for the good of consumers and society. See the full report.  Lee continues service as a reviewer on the editorial board of the journal Ethics and Information Technology.

Professor Trudi Peterson attended an ACM Conference at Ripon College sponsored by the Teagle Foundation, "Strengthening the Achievement of Liberal Learning Goals in Academic Majors" reporting on the outcome of a team grant-supported project she led assessing the success of the Communication Studies major and it's relation to general and liberal education goals.  See the poster report.

Professor Sue Van Kirk continues work on writing a book of creative nonfiction short stories about teaching, planning to publish it in the spring of 2010.  Interestingly one of her Monmouth students suggested that she write the book.  Another former student, Lisa Bennett, currently living in Holland, has been a "reader" for Sue and the faculty creative writing group at the college has read and critiqued a number of the stories.  Sue will also serve as a visiting lecturer in English Honors classes at Burlington (IA) High School speaking on Book Challenges and Censorship, reviewing an incident concerning efforts to block use of Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions.