Office Space: Sharing in a Department Merger

By James Whittington, Patrick Broussoul, and Amanda Freeman

Communication Studies and Mass Communication's shared office

The merger of Mass Communication and Communication Studies departments in 2014 seems to have brought as many issues as solutions. From budget cuts to lack of permanent staffing, there are definitely some concerning challenges. An issue that has come of late is the lack of space allocated to both departments. The offices currently occupied by both departments were originally designed and constructed for the Mass Communication department. The merger of both departments required the current offices to accommodate for more faculty. And this is where the issue of space allocation begins.

The recent topic of space problems comes from the loss of an office space being used by the Communication Leadership Lab, a capstone for the Communication Studies major. Office 348P in CCIT is being reassigned to an upcoming engineer for the Mass Communication major. The issue with this decision is that the Leadership Lab, which was occupying the office, is now left with nothing. With the help of Dr. Elesha Ruminski and Professor Christine Willingham, the Leadership Lab has been in operation for roughly two years. 

The Leadership Lab has decided to file a proposal to the school’s administrators in an effort to acquire a new office. In charge of this proposal is Communication Studies student Trevor Jones. “My understanding of the situation is that the office space currently used by lab assistants will be given to an engineer that is being hired to assist with the Mass Communication production facilities. I don't have an actual date or time for when this action will take place, but it will occur within the upcoming semesters.”  

Trevor Jones

The loss of the office for the Lab is inevitable and news like this can be somewhat problematic as Trevor states, “I feel as though taking away the office space for the Leadership Lab would be fairly inconvenient for students enrolled in the capstone and for faculty, particularly the site supervisor, when it relates to keeping track of time sheets and meeting with lab assistants.” 

 “I have been working on a project/proposal, which involves achieving new office space for lab assistants to utilized in the future.” 

Trevor has decided to acquire the support of the Student Government Association. Trevor believes the help of the SGA will provide stronger support in submitting the proposal. 

“The proposal is going well. I have met with James Kirk, the current VP of SGA, who will be transitioning into the President next semester. After meeting with James, he's in support of our proposal for gaining new office space and agreed to work with me to ensure this request is granted.” 

- Trevor Jones

Trevor Jones isn’t the only student sharing his concern, Shavonne Hamilton, a Leadership Lab student, also finds the situation concerning.  

 “As a current lab assistant, I feel disappointed that our designated office is going to be taken away."

-Shavonne Hamilton

"This office is close to the offices of our Communication Studies professors, which makes the lab feel like a true internship. Knowing that we have an office that we can meet and work in with the other lab assistants boosts the morale. Also, being in the office gives a glimpse of what it is like to be working in a professional setting, which is beneficial to the lab assistants because we gain experience working in a professional setting.” 

Shavonne Hamilton

“If denied, I believe that the Communication Studies students will be discouraged from doing on-site internships and the department will be even more overworked and understaffed. It is more than just an office that we will lose. We lose the opportunity to truly learn how to function in a working professional environment.” 

The proposal for an office is set to go in motion sometime this semester. Professor Willingham advocated for the need of an office space and stated, “The Lab is important for tools, spaces, and software. Many projects involving the Communication Leadership Lab requires specific software on Mac computers. Taking away the office essentially means taking away the general requirements for the lab assistants to continue working.”  

With the arrival of an engineer, more issues involving space and resources are at hand. The loss of office 348P could mean a period of adversity for the lab. The question remains, will the Leadership Lab gain a new office or be denied?

Merging Communications

By James Whittington, Patrick Broussoul, and Amanda Freeman 

 

Communication Studies and Mass Communication office entrance

“We have a situation here that’s pretty complex.” 

- Dr. Ruminski

This was a comment made by Dr. Elesha Ruminski, a Communication Studies professor at Frostburg State University, concerning the department merger between Communication Studies and Mass Communication.

Dr. Ruminski

Students at Frostburg may like to think that behind closed doors everything runs perfectly, but this is very often not the case. In the fall of 2014, the two departments were merged.
They now share both a budget and office space.

Mergers rarely are something that goes without a hitch, and in the case of the department merger between Communication Studies and Mass Communications, things even got a little more complicated. In the merger, there have been challenges concerning budgeting, tenure-track positions, resources, turn-over rate, office space, and rather ironically, communication. Dr. Melinda Farrington, a Communication Studies professor*, is leaving after this 2017 spring semester. “I think there were more expectations for the integration,” she said.

Why merge the two departments in the first place? What exactly is the difference between the two majors? According to Dr. Marcus Hill, a Mass Communication professor, “The feeling is (for a lot of students) is if you’re not going into production, then you are wasting your time in Mass Communication. Which is not true, but it’s what they think.”

Dr. Hill

 “I feel like students who do go into Communication Studies have a misunderstanding of Mass Communication because unfortunately most of the resources of Mass Communication are production focused (video production). So, students who aren’t in the Mass Communication program, they feel, ‘Well if I don’t want to go into production, there are no resources for me.”

-Dr. Hill

In an FSU “Fast Facts” report for the year 2016, there were 180 students in the Mass Communication program of study, while only 47 students were in Communication Studies (out of a total school-wide enrollment of 4,884 students) is clear that between the two departments, Mass Communication is the powerhouse for enrollment.

Considering that the two disciplines are very much related, even sharing some of the same courses for their majors, a department merger considering recent budget cuts seemed to some like a good idea, especially considering the circumstances.

According to professor Christine Willingham, a Communication Studies professor, “The pressure on enrollment is causing budget cuts.” Students live in an age now that pushes for STEM majors over the humanities due to job opportunities that a field presents and enrollment numbers in certain humanities majors are diminishing.

Professor Willingham

 Dr. Sheri Whalen, a Mass Communication professor and Chair of the Department of Communication, agreed by saying that, “The reason for (the merger) is budget. Most of the time it comes down to the numbers.” However, she also continued by saying that, “We spend a lot of time hiring” and “Every year we apply to tenure-track a faculty.” So, despite issues with budgeting, there are still frequent opportunities (though is this due in part to turn-over rate?)

Dr. Whalen

Between the two departments, there are fourteen professors/lecturers/instructors. Mass Communications has five tenure and tenure-track professors while Communication Studies has only one.

Amongst multiple discussion, there was a recurring topic: faculty turn-over rate. In 2017, there has been two confirmed faculty leaving, and two that are possibly departing in the near future.

Dr. Melinda Farrington, who is leaving for another position after the spring 2017 semester ends, stated, “I think there were more expectations for the integration.” She went on to explain her own situation for leaving.

Regarding her departure, Dr. Farrington stated that “There are no professional opportunities for me here, now or future” and that “There’s a lack of permanent positions.” Dr. Marcus Hill did not comment specifically about his departure.

On the subject of attaining tenure-track, there is a little ambiguity present in the department. Dr.  Farrington stated, “I’m not aware of how to go from contractual to tenure track.” Problems of clarity on this issue were expressed by professor Willingham as well. “There’s an inconsistency in the process.”

Dr. Ruminski expressed her own opinion on this issue.

“The Provost is not communicating with the tenure-track faculty.” 

 - Dr. Ruminski

According to Dr. Ruminski, “We need to do better with communication.”
Before the merger happened, Dr. Ruminski and her colleagues requested that a consulting service should be used, but that never came to fruition. “As early as 2014, my Communication Studies colleagues and I were requesting that administration support an organizational change process, including external consulting assistance… since I could foresee challenges and wanted the program merger to serve as a constructive model for change management. My hope is that as the new provost arrives we will get more support, but we are not sure how to proceed or what to expect.”  

Dr. Whalen, who is the Chair of the Department of Communication, said, “Contractual faculties don’t have the benefits” but tenure/tenure-track faculty take on a heavy workload. “A lot of work falls under a few people.” On her own experience with acquiring tenure-track, she stated that “I was non-tenure track for five years before converting (to tenure-track).”

Another issue that the merged departments face is the problem of resources. According to Dr. Marcus Hill, “With any department merger, there is always potential for tension… (in) Mass communication, we have a T.V. studio which requires way more financing in terms of equipment than say what Communication Studies may need on their end. So sometimes there is tension with that. Cameras are expensive. Monitors are expensive. Cables are expensive… all this stuff is very expensive.”.

Considering the differences in equipment used by the majors, there would be some obvious differences in the distribution of the budget, but can two former departments always be "objective" about who “deserves” what amount of resources under one budget? According to Dr. Ruminski, there is a particular situation where “Mass Communication’s need for an engineer is overstepping Communication Studies’ need of a PEN (tenure-track) staff.”

In describing “possible” tensions from the merger, Dr. Farrington stated, “I don’t think there’s any tension.” However, Dr. Farrington also stated, “I feel like there’s a lack of transparency."

Despite the difficulties, Dr. Farrington did still conclude by saying, “I have true gratitude for the school.”

All that said, are these issues only limited to internal departmental challenges from the merger? On the difference between the two disciplines, Dr. Hill commented, ““Mass communication studies and Communication studies has a long history of people saying, ‘no they should be the same thing’ or ‘no they should be separate.’ So that’s just a huge conflict in and of itself, not just in the university, but in the field, period.”

Despite their differences and similarities, another common discussion was campus-wide faculty and student “morale.”

“Campus-wide faculty morale is low.” 

- Professor Willingham

 “Morale is low in the department and campus,” Dr. Ruminski said. “There is no campus-wide unity,” Dr. Farrington said. Clearly, there is a problem here that extends beyond just the merger.

In a “Strategic Planning Process” (SPP) report released by Frostburg State University in the Fall of 2016, it detailed some of these problems that Frostburg State University faces. One portion of the report titled “Truth Trends” stated that concerning the perceived academic reputation of the university, FSU was considered a “Pretty good second choice.”
Throughout SPP report, “low morale” was a prevalent phrase in describing both students and faculty.

So maybe mergers at Frostburg State University brings about some added problems to other issues already present. Department mergers certainly can be a “pretty complex situation” … but the two former departments now under one roof might be able to better communicate to each other in order to deal with these challenges.  

*"Professor" is being used throughout the article in the colloquial sense; it can mean instructor/lecturer/associate professor. 

Local Business in Down Town Frostburg : Students Vs. Locals

What are downtown Frostburg businesses doing to attract students as customers? To what extent are students a priority, especially for the new businesses? 

By: Malik Embree, Ryan Miller, and Rosemary Wehberg  

During the past couple of weeks, our group took the time to go visit various local businesses located here on Main Street in Frostburg, MD. During the visits we took to different businesses, we were able to compose a list of questions to ask owners and workers. These questions gave us insight as to how local businesses are affected by students versus locals. The following were responses from the different owners of the various businesses that we were able to interview, which include Gianni’s, A Place To Eat, Main Street book store, J-R`s, and Wild Things.

    On Tuesday May 9^th, the interviewing process began at Gianni’s Pizza located on Main Street. Our group was lucky enough to be able to interview David, a long-term employee of Gianni's. Mr. David knew a lot about the business and the ways Gianni's has been running the past several years. During the interview, Mr. David stated that the customer ratio regarding locals vs. students is  “50/50”. 

Mr. David emphasized that each customer of Gianni’s is just as important to the rest and they prioritize every single customer and order. Gianni’s target market is equal to students and locals. Mr. David mentioned that Gianni’s delivery cars used to be the primary source of marketing, but most recently Gianni’s has been sending out coupons in the mail as part of their marketing strategy. In the summer time, Gianni’s business tends to slow down. Since half of their customers are students, they lose half of their business during the off seasons. Most of their employees are also students so not only does business slow down but also work shifts are being cut. Luckily, Gianni’s has steady local and loyal customers who make up for the slow business during the summer.

Website link- http://www.giannisfrostburg.com
           

            The next interview took place at J-R’s, a local business that provides custom screen printing & embroidery. The owner of the business, John Robinson, was kind enough to share some of the different aspects of his day-to-day business. Mr. Robinson began by stating that although he is located in Frostburg, MD, most of his business is done out of town. Mr. Robinson informed that his business often ships out more orders than orders made in store. Mr. Robinson next shared that J-R’s main area of business is with Shriners Hospital groups. Since the Shriners Hospital has several groups located across the country, J-R’s actually made a shipment all the way out to California to complete an order. Since this particular company provides something that people wear, their customers can be seen as part of their marketing strategy. “When people that have worked with us reach out to another organization and they see our work and like it, that’s the best marketing we can do for this type of business”, said Mr. Robinson. Personal interaction and word of mouth are the biggest ways J-R’s get their business. Although word of mouth is the most effective, J-R’s does advertise on radio, TV, and newspaper. Mr. Robinson next stated that the majority of his in-store orders are mainly for local businesses. Not many students use J-R’s services unless they are a part of an organization. Since many of their customers are from out of town and generally locals, business stays steady even throughout the summer season when school is not in session.

           

            The next local business we visited is popular bar located at the bottom on the hill on Main Street. Wild Things Restaurant and Bar is a popular business that is a favorite spot to many students and local. Allison Yommer, a bar tender and current student, shared many of the “ins and outs” of Wild Things. Ms. Yommer is also currently a bar tender at the Moose Lodge in Cumberland, MD. Ms. Yommer stated that Wild things main customers are definitely students compared to Moose lodge which their customers are almost all older locals. The difference in marketing strategies for both bars is significantly different. Wild Things advertises its business by giving special discounts on certain drinks that college students may enjoy, such as a trashcan. To compare, Moose has more of an older atmosphere so they are going to promote drinks that older customers may enjoy, such as Seagram’s 7and 7. “The customers from Moose would probably shit their pants if they were to ever taste a trashcan”, Ms. Yommer stated jokingly. Since most of Wild Things customers are students, clearly that business is going to slow down significantly during the summer, compared to Moose, which is steady year round.

             Fred Powell is the owner of the Main Street book store located just outside of the Frostburg State campus. Mr. Dowell has been in business for 28 years, and seen a lot of businesses come and go. While meeting with Mr. Dowell we took the time to ask him some questions to know more about his business. During the interview, Mr. Dowell explained to us that his main customers are locals due to the fact that students order books online. He also attributed his reputation of his business to his longevity, which helps him get the word out. Apparently his business flourishes during Christmas, and the school year due to the other gifts he has in his store. There is also tourist season that sees a lot of businesses for the book store. Every customer is important to Mr. Dowell, as he has been in business for years striving to provide a service to the people of Frostburg, student or local.   

Website Link - https://www.mdmountainside.com/attraction/main_street_books

            The next shop we interviewed at was a “A Place To Eat” ran by Chris Aguilar. A Place To Eat is a wonderful restaurant that serves a variety of foods. When we interviewed Mr. Aguilar about his business, he had this to say, “I make everything from scratch, it’s a lot of work and sometimes it is hard finding people who can keep up” referring to the hardworking nature of the fast-food industry. Mr. Aguilar is always on the move. He also was willing to share that his business does suffer a bit of a drop off during the summer once students go home, however as similar to the book store the business picks back up during tourist season. Surprisingly, his customers are comprised of more locals as he says, “everybody up on the hills are more local, and down the hill more student based”. He was one of the few to tell us that he has no marketing strategy, due to the fact that he does everything from scratch. However, he shared with us the importance of the locals due to the fact that “they keep coming back”, and the students due to the fact that the “students talk” and the word spreads. Like Mr. Dowell, Mr. Aguilar is another business owner committed to providing a wonderful service to the people of Frostburg!

            It’s evident that the students make up a significant amount of local business customers, but it's also noteworthy that many businesses here in Frostburg also depend on their local customers. It all comes down to loyalty, and many small business owners rely solemnly on loyal customers returning to use their service. Profit is important, but after interviewing many different businesses, we have concluded that loyalty and acceptable services is the major key.

Side Story: Deeper into the campus of Frostburg State University, we found many young business people who have been promoting their own brand. We talked to three individuals in three different fields who have been making a good and selling to their supporters. We found these businesses while talking to people, searching social media and attending expos at Frostburg.

            The first entrepreneur we spoke to was Ben of Big Ben Vision’s. Ben is a Frostburg Senior who has been using his camera to impact Frostburg. He has covered multiple events on and off of campus, worked with multiple musicians, and is working on his own films. Ben believes that with hard work and dedication he can make not only an impact on Frostburg, but also the world. He uses his creative ideas and experience from film classes to create a story to depict an artist’s idea and bring it to life. Ben discusses how he has been saving his money to keep up with the new technology and stresses how important it is to with other creative who are serious with their work. He has done a lot of work and can view some of his work on YouTube.

            After a great interview with Ben, we spoke to a multi-faceted music group by the name of Against the Grain. Not only does Against The Grain make music, but they make clothes and their brand has been rapidly expanding on the campus of Frostburg. Against The Grain explained how they closely focus on college students by doing raffles, give always, and keeping them updated through social media. They explain how they have been getting a lot of support from fellow students and even locals in the Frostburg Area. With their bright colors and stylish clothes, they are able to connect to more of the campus and to also spread their music. They are able to perform in front of student at on and off campus events and sell their clothes, providing a service to many.  

Website link- https://www.againstthegrain410.wixsite.com/beamup

 

Here against the grain shows off their new “Spring Pack” shirts that they just released. These shirts can be found in magazines and online. Against The Grain sells their fashionable clothes at an affordable price because they say,“ We understand the struggle of college.”

Lastly, we interviewed Taishi and her dinner business. Every few days, Taishi releases a menu filled with dinner options at the affordable price of $6. Taishi makes meals with two entrée options and 4 side options. She began her business because she felt that “there was a lack of good food in Frostburg.” You can see Taishi’s flyers all over social media and on bulletin boards on campus. She does not want her business to become a local thing but has noticed with her popularity on campus, that her business is falling into the interest of locals. She loves the fact that she can help her fellow students while enjoying one of her favorite hobbies.

All in all, these small businesses are having a strong impact on Frostburg and its culture. With such diversity in the talents and so many other businesses, Frostburg has begun to make a melting pot of various businesses and services.