Media and Communication Studies - FAQs

Figure 1: Generic Structure

Figure 2: Current Name

Figure 3: New Name

In 1997, when FIMS was a new Faculty, the undergraduate program consisted of only one undergraduate module: Media, Information, and Technoculture (MIT). In the 25 years since, FIMS has added additional undergraduate modules (MPI, CAP, and the DC certificate) under the overarching program name of MIT (Figure 2).

As many of you expressed in your responses to the survey the Faculty conducted last year, this naming schema leads to confusion, both for prospective (and current) students, as well as prospective employers.
We’ve also heard that as a program name, MIT is a challenge to explain to parents and friends, employers. It is common to see people renaming the program on their LinkedIn profiles, and referring to it with a more generalized name, such as Media, or Media and Communications. Many people expressed that they felt that the name was a barrier or potential barrier when job seeking.

On surveys with current students, prospective students, faculty members, FIMS staff, and alum, we heard that while many of us are fond of the term technoculture, it now acts as a barrier to non-FIMS people understanding our program. In 1997, we anticipated that technoculture would describe the future relationship between technology and culture. It does, but while we increasingly live in a technoculture world, the term technoculture has not caught on to describe that world. There was very little support for maintaining the current broad program name across all stakeholders, especially in light of having added three additional modules.

TL;DR Summary:

• The current overarching program name no longer accurately reflects the full scope of undergraduate offerings at FIMS and acts as a barrier to adding new modules
  
  
• The current program name adversely affects undergraduate recruitment to the Faculty, especially among international and first generation students, which has budget implications for the entire Faculty
  
  
• Graduates and current students feel that the program name is a barrier to explaining their expertise to others, including prospective employers

Consultations happened during the 2022-23 academic year. Surveys were sent out to a wide range of stakeholder groups, including current and prospective students, student leaders, alumni, as well as FIMS faculty and staff members. A Zoom town hall was held for current students, prior to the survey going out, to answer questions and get feedback. The FIMSSC was consulted during a March FIMSSC meeting. Other groups spoken to included current FIMS internship employers, as well as current secondary school teachers who teach media studies modules in their classes.

78 current students completed the survey; 10 current students attended the town hall; and there were 24 student members in attendance at the FIMSSC.

All the surveys last year asked about keeping the current name (MIT) as well as three specific options: Media Studies, Media and Communication Studies, and Media, Communication, and Information Studies. The student and prospective student surveys also asked about the different terms that folks search for program information, or the words or terms they use to describe their current program at FIMS.

It was clear from survey responses that the proposed name, Media and Communication Studies, was very strongly supported among FIMS faculty and staff members. Student support was for both Media and Communication Studies and for Media, Communication, and Information Studies, but very few students listed information as one of the terms they used to describe their program (Figure 4).

You will still be graduating with a BA in whichever module you are currently registered in (MIT Hons Spec or Major, MPI Hons Spec or Major, MIT module with CAP).

Media and Communication Studies helps contextualize your modules: “I did an Hons Spec in MIT as part of the Media and Communication Studies program.” The name change allows you to keep the brand recognition and specificity of your module (“I have an Hons Spec in MIT, or MPI”) when that serves you, as well as having the broader frame of the Media and Communication Studies umbrella to help prospective employers, family members, or other interested parties recognize your field of expertise (Figure 3).

Once the Undergraduate Affairs Committee decided to propose the name change, they sent the motion to FIMS Faculty Council (which includes both graduate and undergraduate student representatives). FIMS Faculty Council voted unanimously to accept the motion to change the program name to Media and Communication Studies. This proposal then had to go through university level consultation and pass through both Western's Senate and Board of Governors. The name change was approved by Senate on September 15, 2023, and the Board of Governors on September 21, 2023.

The name change is now in effect. This does not affect your degrees or modules (as noted above). It will have an impact in how we are recruiting for students coming into the program next year, as these folks will be applying to Media and Communication Studies at Western through the OUAC portal. They can then indicate an interest in the MIT, MPI, or CAP programs as part of that application process.

Over the course of this year, we are going to be looking at how we can rationalize the different course codes. This process will be happening in conjunction with the cyclical Institutional Quality Assessment Program (IQAP) review of all our undergraduate modules that is also taking place this year. Course codes may change down the line, but we will communicate with students about what to expect and how to navigate those changes.

We are currently looking at expanding the Digital Communications certificate to a major. Over time, the Faculty will look at the possibility of additional modules that might fit well under the Media and Communication Studies umbrella.