Requirements, areas of concentration changed
Kurt Oberreither
-News Editor-
The Associates in Communication Arts degree now goes by a different name, but that is not the only change to the degree that has gone unaltered since 1974.
The STLCC Board of Trustees approved the new AA in Communication Arts at the Jan. 26 board meeting and its new curriculum will be included in the fall course catalogues.
The degree now offers five areas of concentration rather than the 12 degree options originally conceived. The Missouri Department of Higher Education singled out STLCC’s AA in Communications degree as overcomplicated.
“The problem is some of these did not have many graduates, so the state had come back to us and said, ‘You have a degree here that’s only had five graduates in three years. What’s up with that?,’” President George Wasson said.
Before the revision, students could earn multiple degrees by taking an additional one or two courses.
Previously, a number of courses, like literature and foreign language, were included under the degree creating confusion for advisors and degree approval. Some required courses were not offered and students had to take substitute courses, according to Acting Dean of Math and Communications Angela Grupas, Ed.D.
“Changing the curriculum like that takes a district-wide approach, so we took over two years working with my colleagues to try to find something that is relevant to our departments as they are now,” Grupas said.
“Arts” has been eliminated from the title; it is now called the AA in Communications.
“Really, it’s one degree now,” Grupas said. “Students will get on their transcript an AA in communication, but on their transcript it will show that they have a theater emphasis or a broadcasting emphasis.”
Grupas said students will be “grandfathered” into the program.
“It better serves our students that want a communications degree,” Grupas said. “We need to continue to update our curriculum.”
