Date:
6/20/2003
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 505.562.2253
Reporter: Tracy Henderson
PORTALES – The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Eastern New Mexico University has added a new team-taught online class: Communication/Political Science 330: Power Games: Politics and Media. The class will focus on political uses of the mass media to shape social values, and will begin with the second four-week summer session on June 30.
The class will be taught by Dr. Janet Roehl, professor of journalism, and Dr. Sue Strickler, associate professor of political science. According to Dr. Thurman Elder, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the course will satisfy the upper division requirement in general education-global diversity.
The course has sparked interest among students and employees at Eastern.
Doncella Caywood, records clerk for the Colleges of Fine Arts and Liberal Arts and Sciences, had a special interest in the course and the professors. "I wanted to take the course mainly because of the two instructors. In my position I hear such positive feedback from the students and their colleagues about the professors. Also, since the media has such a great influence and can make or break any election, this course feeds that curiosity about how it works."
ENMU student Rebecca Holden, public relations major, was excited not only to a see an upper division class offered at a convenient time, but that her areas of interest have been combined. "I am interested in politics and it is exciting to see the mixing of both fields. It gives me the opportunity to see what I am up against in using my public relations education in a political career."
The class title of "Power and Games" intrigued her along with the teaming up of the professors. This has persuaded her to take a summer and online course for the first time.
"Both professor are really passionate and care about what they teach. They have so much energy and are always so enthusiastic. When you go into one of their classes you know you are going to learn a lot and have fun," Holden said.
Even though both Dr. Roehl and Dr. Strickler have wanted to team-teach for awhile, this will be their first opportunity.
"With our discipline having so much in common, there is lots of overlap and shared issues. It is interesting to explore the interaction given that political and media have such profound effects on all our lives," said Roehl. "We felt that it would be a noteworthy topic for academic inquiry."
According to Dr. Roehl, both sections of the course were closed within a week. The next opportunity to take the course will be, tentatively, next spring.