UP Mass Comm proposes elevation

 By Irine Hinayon

The Mass Communication Program of the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu proposes to elevate the program to a Department of Communication and Media Studies.

“We have to propose the elevation of the course programs of the Arts and Humanities Cluster because if the UP system approves it then we could finally institute the cluster as a College of Arts and Humanities and that is our end goal,” said Program Coordinator for Mass Communication Belinda Espiritu.

This aims to improve the quality of undergraduate programs and focusing on the role of an institution of higher learning in the region.

The proponents believe that the Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication Curriculum do not only belong to mass communication but to the larger field of communication such as development communication, public relations or public information, and advertising.

The proposal envision the Mass Communication Program to be the leading department in Visayas and Mindanao and in different public and private agencies that will train the students to become outstanding media practitioners and communicators.

On September the Center for Media Education (CME) will be launched to provide better support and conduct of media literacy.

The program intends to offer graduate courses and Master Degrees such as the Master of Arts in Communication and Media Studies and provide better facilities, classrooms and equipments in the 2015.

“By elevating the Mass Communication Program that means a lot of things, we need to increase the student enrolment, strengthen the faculty profile, add more classrooms, that would be constructing another building and also instituting the graduate degrees,” said Espiritu.

The Department of Communication and Media Studies aims to increase intellectual and training resources of UP Cebu.

Currently the program has the UP Cebu Radio, Video and Audio Editing Room, News Editing Room or the Public Information Office and the Center for Media Education as its facilities and the budget for the present materials were taken from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of Congressman Del Mar.

Students express their approval and are hopeful of the plans of instituting the development of the mass communication program.

Second year mass communication student and Program Director of the UP Radio Keiza Empleo said the new facilities would equip students to train themselves into future media practitioners.

First year Mass Communication student Anfernae Ty said “I was delighted to hear about the proposal. I really hope that it pushes through because this could really improve the quality of media education in UP and the whole of UP Cebu.”