Sign up for new Reporting for Online News class starting October 12

Great start to the Fall 2007 term.

New courses like the soon to be required JRN 400 (Reporting for Online News) made its debut under JRN 492. Students are learning to shoot and edit video and audio to enhance their story telling skills.

Students interested in taking this course can sign up for the second session (JRN 492, Sec. 303) NOW!! The class will meet on Fridays from 9:10-3 p.m., Oct. 12-Nov. 9.

Three students are gearing up as part of two teams creating new ideas for online communities as part of the Knight Brothers Challenge grant awarded to the J-School and six other universities and colleges across the country. Our students made brief presentations on Friday to the members of the Journalism Professional Advisory Council at its fall meeting. Prior to the start of the meeting, a small group of JPAC volunteers will be reviewing course portfolios for JRN 200, 300, 305, 403 and 406 to ensure these classes measure up to J-School standards. In other words, students are learning the skills they need to succeed in media careers.

I was in Reston, Virginia most of last week attending a seminar on Leadership in Disruptive Times run by the American Press Institute. API awarded me the James Ottaway Fellowship so I could attend. These certainly are challenging times for the industry and higher ed. It was a very engaging and informative seminar. I am glad I attended.Thanks API and Mary Glick!

On campus, we watch with concern and interest as the state legislature and the governor work to find a budget compromise to address the projected $2 billion deficit. The governor has withheld the fourth quarter payments to the 15 public universities in the state. This has happened twice previously several decades ago. If MSU gets its allocation, we will all be relieved. If the state decides to withhold it, trouble looms. Tuition already jumped 9.6 percent.