Miami Student

Issue date: 8/28/07 Section: Editorials

Two days before fall classes began-Aug. 17-the department of communication notified seniors that the venerable Laws Hall and Associates capstone course would not be available for this spring. In the past, this capstone pooled communication majors, marketing majors, and graphic design majors together on projects for corporate clients. While it is appropriate that programs should be reevaluated from time to time, the last-minute notice afforded to students demands that the university be more flexible with seniors on pre-requisite requirements for other capstones, as well as offer substantive alternatives for the Laws Hall experience.

The explanation offered by university faculty and administration for the failure to notify students last spring about potentially having to cancel the capstone is poor at best. Citing the hope that there was potential for faculty to solve the issue, students were left out in the cold this fall. Rather, the respective departments should have been upfront about possible curriculum changes, and thereby given students who had spent several years accumulating prerequisite courses the chance to adjust their schedules this fall.

Additionally, once it was decided that curriculum restructuring was necessary, the changes should not have been implemented until the fall 2008. The Laws Hall capstone served not only to fulfill Miami's capstone requirement, but also to provide seniors with the opportunity to get a strong real-world experience that could be marketed toward potential employers. A capstone course is meant to be the pinnacle of Miami's undergraduate education, and now some communication seniors may have to settle for a course of which they have less interest. Thus, the sudden cancellation of the program is detrimental to their post-graduation planning and career advancement.

While there is certainly some merit to assertions that the program needed to be modified because of the changing needs of the program's corporate clients, the last-minute decision to scrap the program hints at detrimental interdepartmental rivalries. Such issues may be unavoidable, however, it is reprehensible that these differences are placing the burden on students. The cancellation of the program should have been handled with greater tact, communication and appreciation for students' interests. One good idea that has been suggested is to hold an emergency advising session for communications majors in order to discuss their options and help them plan for a capstone next semester. Currently there is talk that three or so replacement capstones are being considered to help fill the vacancy left by the Laws Hall experience. It is important that these courses are finalized promptly and that students are notified of the requirements and content. It is critical that faculty and departments remain lenient in allowing students to force add or bypass prerequisites so that they may enroll in another capstone.

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