Five COM Stats You Should Know

by Jane Regan

One of the many departments at Salem State University is called “Communications.” The major has four concentrations — journalism, public relations, advertising and media studies — and is usually thought of as a gateway major into this careers. According to The Princeton Review, a successful student will graduate with “strong quantitative and qualitative research skills,” be a good public speaker and will have learned to “think critically about different forms of media.”

What about the Communications Department here at SSU? Here are a few stats compiled with the help of Joanna Walton.

Professors galore

There are 11 full-time and seven part-time professors in the department this semester.

Five COM professors on Convocation Day, Sept. 6, 2016.

Writers galore

Many professors are also published scholars and journalists: books, articles, documentary films and more.

Professor Robert Brown has authored numerous books.

Courses galore

Students have 53 courses to choose from during the fall 2016 semester.

Great staff

COM faculty and students are assisted and accompanied by Ellen Hughes and Joanna Walton. Hughes, left, is working on upgrading one of the two computer labs to be ready early in 2017.

Computer Lab administrator Ellen Hughes stops for a moment on August 31, 2016, while readying the CC 148 iMacs for the start of classes.

Students are reporters

In a number of classes, students do much more than take notes and write papers. They hit the streets with phones, cameras and video cameras and then produce multimedia content for this website and others.

Want to hear from some SSU students?

Check out the video to the left, from the Majors & Minors Fair in 2015.

Students discuss communications with Professors Brown and Regan at the Majors & Minors Fair on October 13, 2015.