Chair’s Corner
The Department of Media, Film, and Journalism Studies is buzzing with activity. In
addition to teaching close to 500 students in 32 classes this Spring, we’re holding
our annual Estlow Lecture and Margolin Distinguished Family Lecturer events,
participating in the university’s Internationalization and Women’s Summits,
supporting the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences in their Distinguished Lecture
event, and hosting our annual end-of-the-year Film Showcase, all of which are
described in this newsletter. We’re also working individually and collectively on a
variety of creative works, research projects, and public scholarship efforts, some of
which are described in this newsletter.
In addition, we’re also hard at work on a departmental strategic plan that is taking a
look at how we will continue to meet growing student demand for our classes. Our
strategic planning process dovetails with the University of Denver’s Impact 2025
Strategic Plan, and we are similarly focusing on how we will (1) support student
learning and leading in a diverse and global 21st century, (2) enhance opportunities
for discovery and collaboration, (3) contribute to the Denver and broader areas
through public scholarship and engagement efforts, and (4) work toward a diverse,
inclusive, and sustainable community both in our department and beyond. In
particular, we’re especially focused on creating and maintaining a welcoming
environment for all of our students both inside and outside of our classes. We cohosted an event on microaggressions this winter and have had an initial faculty
discussion about both addressing some of our shortcomings and deepening our
work in inclusive excellence, with specific action items and a departmental
statement on inclusive excellence soon to come.
We welcome suggestions and feedback as part of our planning process and look
forward to receiving your insights.