Over the past couple of years, Marian University has gone through a good amount of changes. We now have a shuttle service, a new dorm building, and a chapel., We are building the E.S. Witchger School of Engineering building, and we are (soon) getting a Chick-Fil-A. One of the more significant changes comes from the College of Arts and Sciences.

The College of Arts and Sciences had a massive revamp over the past year. The newly formed Media, Design, and Communication (MDC) is one of the bigger changes.

 The new MDC department combines the English, Communication, and Art & Design departments. According to the new chair of the MDC department, Dr. Rachel Brown, the departments are combined for various reasons. Each curriculum has pockets focusing on media and media creation. Also, this merger helps synthesize resources such as the media lab and student publications.

Junior Communication major Nick Kompar said he was aware of the merger but had some questions. The combining of Communication and English made sense, he said. So did the combination of Communication and Art & Design. But he was confused about the combination of English and Art & Design.

Dr. Jaime Higgs, Curriculum Director for Art & Design, said that the combination of all departments could be linked through communication. For example, the English department’s curriculum communicates through words, like books and journals. The communication department focuses on oral communication through rhetoric. And the Art & Design department communicates visually with images and videos.

Dr. Brown stated that the MDC department acts more like a networking group. She said that each department (English, Communication, and Art & Design) still functions separately, so students may not notice a difference. They should, however, be aware of the potential benefits of the merger.

Dr. Higgs said that one of the benefits that students will have is the ability to work together by helping and collaborating. She said this is one of the MDC department’s main goals.

Dr. Higgs also stated that the MDC department is working on shared classes. One of the big ones we will have in the future is an Anime/Manga/Graphic Novel class. She said that students would not only be able to learn how graphic novels are made but might have the opportunity to make one themselves.

Dr. Higgs also said that other classes are still tossed around but could not specify at the current time.

NOTE: If you have any questions regarding the MDC, please contact Dr. Brown at [email protected]