Whenever I talk to faculty and students about the use of social media in the academy, I advocate for a community building approach. The idea is relatively simple: communication has the power to enrich or impoverish our relationships with one another...
African American Language (AAL) may be one of the most misunderstood languages and often is dismissed as slang, improper, or incorrect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr1kbwELDPU&feature=emb_title In order to bring a better understanding to this language, Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures Ph.D. Candidate Shenika Hankerson is working to dispel some of the misconceptions associated with AAL. Focusing on the sociocultural, historical, and political dimensions…
Women directed only 9 percent of the top 250 domestic grossing films in 2015. However, as an ongoing count managed by #DirectedbyWomen catalyst Barbara Ann O’Leary proves, close to 10,000 women have directed films since the inception of the moving image. The agnès films video team, comprising MSU alumnae Savannah Smith, Sarah Shaw, Lindsey Spitzley, Jenna Ange, and Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures (WRAC)…
Six out of ten college students are clinically lonely, which can lead to increased anxiety and depression—but what if a smartphone app could help? In January 2015, an app quietly appeared to do just that. Through the support of Michigan State’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, professional writing senior Zoe Zappitell co-created, launched and marketed Conecter. The app links students to one another through interest-based…
Dear College of Arts & Letters Class of 2020, Welcome to Michigan State University! As you begin your journey in the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University, let me tell you a secret.
In today’s fast-paced world where the Internet is the go-to research tool and information on any topic is just a click or tap away, one’s own digital presence is more important than ever. The College of Arts & Letters recognizes this, and starting this month, will offer all its graduate students and faculty a new kind of web hosting support.…
Have you ever regretted not taking more “just for fun” classes during your time at MSU? Peter Glendinning, a longtime professor from the Department of Art, Art History, and Design, wants to give lifelong learners of all ages a chance to take another class: Photography Basics and Beyond: From Smartphone to DSLR. The course has five different lessons that walk learners…
The College of Arts & Letters’ Citizen Scholars program, which kicks off this fall with more than 90 students enrolled, is at the center of a strategic initiative to enrich the undergraduate experience, diversify the student body, and ensure the retention and academic success of students within the College. Designed to prepare the next generation of diverse, high-achieving, and engaged citizen…
Transforming Student Experiences A newly energized commitment to robust collaboration is taking place between MSU’s College of Arts & Letters, College of Communication Arts and Sciences, and College of Music. It’s called the Media Arts Collaborative (MAC). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk18yxht5sE&feature=emb_title Dedicated to creative endeavors in integrated media arts, the MAC is a coordinated effort to promote collaborative projects that cut across disciplines to enrich the…
To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived at the headquarters of the Association of American Universities in Washington, D.C. early last week to take part in a discussion about a new model for open access digital monograph publishing in the humanities.