Dear Coms majors,
Coms has made some important changes to our program that were needed to address faculty retirements and the budget cuts to higher education in the state. For next year please note the following:

Freshman must take the Learning Community courses, Coms 160A/B for fall and spring. These will fulfill Coms credits as well as A3 and C3 GE requirements.

Coms is no longer offering Coms 315, Media Law. Students who have not yet taken Coms 302 will now take Coms 302 as a revised course called, Media Ethics and Law. Students who HAVE completed Coms 302 BUT have not taken Coms 315 should NOT take Coms 302 again.

The requirement to graduate from Coms remains at 48 units. Therefore, to fulfill your requirements you may need to take a different 4 unit class (to replace 315).

Coms recommends that this course be a 300 level elective since many of you may need Upper Division units to graduate from SSU.

Coms also strongly recommends that this course be a COMS class, although other courses outside of Coms can used for substitutions and will be allowed. A list of those courses will be distributed shortly--please feel free to make suggestions for good courses based on your interests and we will try to include them as well.

Coms is offering several exciting new Coms electives this summer and next year that will be highly stimulating and informative. Most of these electives will be more specialized, skill driven courses than in the past (although not all!). If those elective classes fill and you still need units, all students are also allowed to take and repeat our Media outlet classes (Star, KSUN, SSU TV, Coms 340) or Coms 499 (internships). You may repeat these classes for up to 12 units.

Finally, our "skill classes" will be offered in rotations only:
Fall:
Coms 201 & Coms 240
Spring:
210 & Coms 265

These classes will be restricted to seniors, then juniors only.

FYI: From now on we will be referring to these classes as "labs" (no longer beginning "skills").

The advanced skills classes have had to be cut and instead students should take our media outlets as advanced skill experiences.

Coms is undergoing a transition period but we can assure you that these changes will not hold you back in your graduation plans in anyway. In fact, they are designed to better prepare you for the workplace.
Coms wants to graduate our students. That remains a major part of our mission. Coms is in the top 10 programs in the university  for graduating majors.

I recommend that you see your advisors to answer any other questions. Please be sure to see Donna Garbesi in the A&H advising center as well if you would like.

Coms should be sending out our fall course listings by early next week to assist you with planning.

Please know that we understand that some of the changes you will note in the fall schedule will be difficult.
Please let us know how we can support you through this transition.

Coms has a new professor that will be teaching in the fall, Dr. Emily Acosta-Lewis. Dr. Lewis, who graduated from the Communications program at the University of Wisconsin as an expert in PR, Advertising, and New Media, will be an excellent addition to our program.

Our very best,
Coms

 

 

 

COMS in Sonoma State Newscenter,

February 10, 2011

Check out the full article here!