Increasing communication and diversity in Ball State's College of Communication, Information and Media is among the top priorities for the college's first dean candidate.
In an open forum at Bracken Library Wednesday, Roger Lavery, dean of the School of Communication at Northern Arizona University, encouraged faculty in the college's four units -- telecommunications, journalism, communication studies and the Center for Information and Communication Sciences -- to ask themselves one question.
"What do we have in common?" Lavery said. "We're in a communication college. We'd better have something in common."
As the college's new dean, Lavery said he would work closely with Provost Beverley Pitts and President Jo Ann Gora to develop ideas for boosting convergence. Enhancing convergence among communication and news media programs at Ball State University will successfully prepare students for the work force, he said.
The candidate said he would also invite professionals from the industry to the college to inform faculty of the skills its students will need in the next five to 10 years.
Northern Arizona University is one of a few schools in the Southwest that are practicing convergence, he said. In fact, the university communication school is the only one in the country to integrate oral, visual and written communication and blend a variety of disciplines, according to Lavery's message at the site. These disciplines include journalism, public relations, advertising, merchandising, electronic media, photography and speech and visual communication.
Lavery encouraged CCIM faculty to continue developing the convergence program here at Ball State.
"It can be very unpopular to be a pioneer, and we have a number of pioneers in this college," Lavery said.
After touring the campus for the past two days, Lavery said he was highly impressed with the technology, facilities and professionalism of students, faculty and administrators in CCIM. His only disappointment, however, was the lack of diversity.
"I'm disappointed in the disproportion of minority students and faculty in the college," he said. "If you make me a dean, I will make that my priority. If we're preparing students for the real world, the real world is a diverse world and has become more diverse."
Lavery said he has already spoken with Gora about actively promoting diversity, although it will take time to accomplish.
Before assuming his current dean position at Northern Arizona University in 2000, Lavery served in several academic positions, including associate director of the School of Mass Communications at Virginia Commonwealth University and associate professor of advertising at the University of Oregon.
If Lavery becomes the dean of CCIM, he will be the only dean at Ball State University without a Ph.D. This was not a problem at Northern Arizona University, however, where two other deans also lacked a Ph.D. but had extensive industry experience, he said.
Lavery said he looks forward to furthering the college's vision for advancement and building a positive reputation throughout the country.
"Whoever comes in as dean will be very, very fortunate, and hopefully whoever comes in as dean will have the same vision you have," Lavery said.
Rod Davis, chair of the Dean Search Committee, said he was pleased with the open forum and looks forward to receiving feedback from members of the search committee and the college.
"He had some positive things to say about the College of Communication, Information and Media," Davis said. "It's always a good sign when a candidate can make statements like that in an honest and sincere way like he did."
The second dean candidate, Dennis Trinkle, will speak during an open forum at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Bracken Library Room 225.
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