Our mass communication students will be able to reach more masses now.
The Student Government Association (SGA) approved 30-1 a new Mass Communication Technology Fee at its weekly meeting Monday.
SGA Executive Vice President Spencer Sims said she believed the fee increase was imperative for student achievement.
“If we want our Mass Communication and Film Department to be top-notch, to be competitive, we have to give them better resources,” Sims said.
Senator-at-Large Michael Murphy said he was concerned that supporting the fee could set a precedent for other departments to ask for a fee increase.
Students supported the fee increase with a petition containing 109 signatures. John Gale, chairman of the Department of Mass Communication and Theatre, presented the petition to SGA at the meeting.
Students present at that meeting told SGA of their difficulties completing classwork because of the department’s lack of equipment. Some students were unable to finish film projects because cameras were not available, senior Courtney Howard said.
The Mass Communication Technology Fee resolution acknowledged the lack of funding in the department.
“The department’s current resources are severely depleted and do not adequately fulfill the needs of the students,” the resolution said. “Therefore, students often work late into the night to complete projects, are planning to transfer to other institutions, have resorted to buying equipment with their personal monies, and are sometimes unable to complete their classwork.”
