Communications faculty, students share advice at honor society event

Six faculty members in the School of Communications recently shared insight, information and advice about the school’s majors and master’s program at a panel hosted by the Eta Gamma chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the communications honor society.

The annual event, titled “How to Succeed as a Communications Major,” featured a faculty panel, question-and-answer session and student-to-student mentoring. The Oct. 27 program began with introductions of faculty members, who discussed the various majors in the School of Communications.

Senior Lecturer Randy Piland highlighted the recent addition of the school’s communication design major. He explained that design courses not only teach students how to code for the web but also provide them the best tools to design for the web. He said it is a great major for those who like to think creatively.

Piland also gave an overview of the journalism major, which he said is a multidimensional area of study. “At Elon, you not only learn how to be a good writer, but how to connect with the community, which is a crucial skill for any journalist,” he said.  

Associate Professor Qian Xu discussed the media analytics major, which teaches students how to measure the success of news and messages in reaching and interacting with their intended audiences. The goal of the major is to learn how to track media data and audience behavior and to also gain insights to drive decision-making, said Xu. She informed the students that there is explosive growth in the media analytics industry due to the increasing amount of social and interactive media.

​Associate Professor Tom Nelson, with his trademark humor, covered the cinema and television arts major. To truly fall in love with this major, he said, you have to be creative and do it for your soul, not just to make money. Assistant Professor Vanessa Bravo highlighted strategic communications and explained that students who choose the major will learn how to communicate on behalf of organizations. The goal of strategic communications majors is to learn how to build and maintain relationships, she said.

Assistant Professor Cara McFadden reviewed the sport and event management major, explaining to the audience that the major’s “more than just throwing a ball.” Sport is a mirror of society, she said, noting that students should find their passion and dedicate time to truly understand their interests. “Faculty are here to help you find your place,” McFadden said.

Assistant Professor William Moner discussed the Master of Arts in Interactive Media program, Elon’s 10-month, full-time program that prepares graduates to think strategically across media platforms. He explained that it’s not too early for students to start thinking about the graduate program, which allows students to use the skills gained from their undergraduate experience to hone in on a particular area.

The event ended with refreshments and Lambda Pi Eta senior members talking one-on-one with students interested in the School of Communications.

– Submitted by Audrey Engelman ’17