As the most recent changes in the media studies curriculum over the past couple of years, the Media Studies program is now adding equipment for a new multimedia room in the Information Technology Services (ITS) building, slated to open in late October, and other equipment for video production.

"Media studies is getting new recognition," liaison Mikey Gaertner ’02 said, with about $20,000 worth of equipment for the multimedia room in ITS.

"Studio 47 had to move from its home in Rembrandt Hall, and they had no place to go. Plus, the ASPC student government expressed a desire last year that they no longer be expected to support the big-ticket computer purchases that Studio 47 requires. Instead, some people suggested that such equipment be channeled through the Media Studies Program," explained professor John Seery.

With funding from the Media Studies Program, a room in ITS was renovated over the summer to become the new center for Studio 47. It will be equipped with four computers, one for Studio 47, two for media studies, and one for scanning, as well as other equipment. The multimedia room will provide facilities for post-production editing, Seery said.

While ITS agreed to the multimedia room, it did not want responsibility for loaning out equipment, such as cameras, to students. Therefore, the production end has been channeled to the Brian Stonehill Library (named after the founder of Pomonaís Media Studies Program). The library will check out cameras, tripods, lighting equipment, microphones, and other equipment to students. In addition, the library has videos donated from actor Roddy McDowellís estate, and professor Fitzpatrick, on leave this semester, has supplied the library with essential works on the topic of media studies.

Studio 47 is "merging" with ITS and also adopting a more "formal" arrangement with the media studies library, liaison Dru Hilty ’02 said.

"We’ve sort of been the AV department of Pomona College," said Aaron Sachs ’02, general manager of Studio 47. But he asserted that Studio 47’s main goal is "helping people make stuff in a creative way," using good equipment.

When the process is complete, Sachs said that Studio 47 would become more of a club, able to focus on its own projects, but for now, it has to help teach ITS how to use everything.

The way that the new facilities are spread across the Stonehill Library, ITS, and Studio 47 is indicative of a program that is generally scattered.

The program tries to be flexible to accommodate student interests across a broad range of subjects relating to media. Courses are available in politics, sociology, English, foreign languages, and other departments.

This arrangement leaves the program in a unique position. While most departments have an office, full-time faculty, and a specific curriculum, media studies has no ìdepartmentî and few faculty.

The program "offers a lot of flexibility," said student librarian Sonja Hubbard ‘02

There are about 22 senior Media Studies majors, Seery said. Despite this large number, the faculty is small. Most professors, including Seery, work jointly in media studies and another discipline.

"I wish we had full-time, dedicated faculty,’ Hubbard said. "Not only for students, but for faculty."

"I think we need a department and professors," Sachs said. "I’m close to not being able to graduate," due to certain courses’ only being offered a limited number of times.

When Professor Fitzpatrick went on sabbatical this year, she left a gap in advising for Media Studies majors.

"This is a difficult year with Fitzpatrick missing," Hilty said.

Professor Tracy Biga MacLean, a visiting professor, is filling in for Fitzpatrick. "My current commitment is to teach interesting, high-quality courses and to be of as much use as a resource for students interested in media studies," she said.

The Russian Studies department is also looking to hire a new professor that could teach some media studies courses; however, prospects for a permanent, full-time faculty member for the program is a long way off.

"To the best of my understanding, the position in Russian and Media Studies is the only media related search among the seven or so that are going on this year. I think that the college is interested in creating more positions and in having a strong program in the field but is one of several departments that are seeking an increase in faculty positions. The College also hopes that faculty growth can be accomplished in large part through donors who give us money to create new positions something that happened in Environmental Studies and in Creative Writing this year," said Dean of Students Ann Quinley.

Hilty said, "I feel that the administration realized that it has missed the opportunity several times to improve the department," yet she noted that the number of students in the program should be attracting some attention from the administration.

Pomona’s Media Studies program was the first program of its kind at a liberal arts institution in the United States. Since then, many other colleges have adopted similar programs. The multimedia lab and curriculum adjustments in the past couple of years represent a trend toward improvement, but many students still complain that it is understaffed and lacks resources.