Strategic Priority #3

Empower student success and opportunity

Goal: Foster an inclusive learning environment where students thrive through interdisciplinary education, hands-on experiences, and career preparation, equipping them with the skills and ethics to lead in media.

Strategy 1: Enhance Experiential Learning Opportunities

1. Launch a Student Media Agency where students collaborate on real-world projects such as video production, content strategy, and social media campaigns for external clients. This interdisciplinary model allows students from different programs to collaborate, earn credit, and build portfolios while generating revenue to reinvest into school programs.
2. Leverage the school’s public broadcasting entities and student media organizations to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and hands-on learning, engaging students in projects that integrate critical analysis, storytelling, and technological innovation.
3. Partner with leading media companies to provide structured, high-quality internships, capstones, and co-ops tailored to key industries like journalism, game design, advertising, and digital storytelling.
4. Leverage cutting-edge technology, including the Kinetic Imagery and Extended Reality (KIX) Lab, to provide hands-on, interdisciplinary learning that enhances storytelling, creative expression, and ethical inquiry. Integrate tools like
   cinematic techniques, virtual set design, game design, AI-driven storytelling, and motion capture into collaborative projects while maintaining a strong foundation in media literacy, theory, and human-centered communication.

Strategy 2: Elevate Career Development Services

1. Expand mentorship opportunities by creating an Alumni-to-Student Connection Program that pairs students with alumni in their field for guidance, networking, and skill-building.
2. Host regular career expos that include on-campus interviews, industry panels, and workshops on essential career skills like freelancing, entrepreneurship, and contract negotiation.
3. Integrate career readiness modules into core curricula, focusing on practical skills such as resume building, portfolio curation, and industry-standard software certifications.
4. Develop partnerships with industry leaders to bring guest speakers, project sponsorships, and real-world case studies into classrooms.

Strategy 3: Advance Accessibility and Student Well-being

1. Increase scholarships and financial aid to expand access to media careers for students from underserved and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Develop bridge programs with high schools and community colleges to create clear pathways into the field.
2. Ensure curricula and student media projects expose students to a broad range of viewpoints and industry challenges, equipping them to engage with a shifting media landscape. Strengthen mentoring programs that connect students with faculty and peers to foster a supportive and engaging learning environment.
3. Promote student well-being and success by integrating academic resources, peer and faculty mentoring, and wellbeing initiatives that support resilience, mental health, and long-term achievement.