Professor Lyn Millner says she hears angel music in her head when she thinks about the Audio and Video Journalism class she'll be teaching next fall with world renowned Al Tompkins from the Poynter Institute.
The long awaited Journalism major will be given the go ahead or be sent back to the drawing board at the Board of Trustees meeting later this month on April 19.
"I think the university has wanted to give students the journalism major, but it had to set priorities when state budgets got cut," said Millner, head of the Journalism department. "Now they're just able to act on it."
Like many other institutions, FGCU fell victim to the declining economy and had to put the journalism major on hold, said the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Donna Henry.
But in the meantime, they instituted the minor.
"Now the university has sufficient funds and we're able to get the technology and hire the faculty we need," Henry said. "We're in good shape to get the major up and running once it's approved at the Board of Trustees meeting."
Millner thinks the journalism major at FGCU really stands out among other universities in the state of Florida because of its multimedia focus.
"We want to create something completely realistic based on what employers actually need," Millner said.
Henry also thinks the journalism program will stand out among other universities because it's focusing on new media.
"Journalism is no longer about print publications in newspapers and magazines," Dean Henry said. "It's about web and video."
Students will be trained how to use the technology, be sent out to do live reporting, put videos on the web and get a ton of hands on experience, Henry said.
Associate Professor Rick Kenney, Poynter's Al Tompkins, Adjunct Professors and news professionals from the area will team up with Millner to give students the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the world of journalism.
Students will see some changes to the journalism lineup, but rest assured knowing that Journalism and Society, News Reporting and Writing, Media Design and Media Law and Ethics aren't going anywhere.
One small change is that Writing, Grammar and Style will become two classes: Grammar and Writing for a Mass Audience. Grammar will be a pass/fail one-credit-hour course and Writing for a Mass Audience will be a three-credit-hour upper level course.
The split will lend more focus to the two individual subjects.
Another small change is that Media Design will become Visual Storytelling, but it's still the same class students know and love.
"We just wanted to update the name," Millner said.
FGCU began brainstorming the journalism major in the fall of 2005.
In June of 2006, FGCU requested for the approval to plan the journalism major and Millner was hired on as a contractor and project manager for the planning of the major.
Millner officially became the Journalism Project Leader in 2007.
Not only did she infiltrate the infamous Grammar class with question mark cats and grammar safaris; she also brought in professionals from the surrounding areas to lend perspective and teach journalism classes.
Most importantly, she truly wants to give students the tools and experience they need to succeed.
"At FGCU there's an incredible opportunity to learn from the best and connect with professionals," Millner said.
Millner also says the university is looking to add more classes in the spring.
"We're tentatively looking to add Multimedia Storytelling, but all of this will depend on enrollment," she said. "Depending on the growth of the major we'll decide when to roll out what."
Every student will learn writing skills including how to write for the web, how to research information and dig in to find the facts, how to take pictures and shoot video all while learning a basic knowledge of visual media, according to Millner.
Millner encourages all students to take some journalism courses.
"Students will learn skills they can use in a variety of different careers," she said.
Students cannot officially declare the journalism major until it's approved later on this month, but they can sign up for classes for next fall on Gulfline.
"If you're a sophomore this year with the journalism major there's a good chance you'll graduate on time," Millner said. "But I encourage everyone to take as many classes as they can."
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