African American studies is now offered as a major, while journalism was added as a new minor at the start of the 2016–2017 school year, bringing the number of combined majors and minors offered by the College to 57.
The African American studies major was established after Lake Forest College received a $600,000 Mellon Foundation Grant to be used over the next six years. The funds are allocated to tenuring a faculty member, supporting the program’s guest speakers, and hosting readings, forums, lectures, and seminars. Additionally, the grant helps fund summer research opportunities for students in the major.
Associate Professor of English Judy Dozier, who is chair of the Department of African American Studies, was contacted for further information regarding projects the Mellon Grant funding was subsidizing for the 2016–2017 school year. While Dozier declined to share details about the Mellon funding, she confirmed in an email that a search for a tenure-track professor is “under way this semester.”
While African American studies has been offered as a minor, the creation of the major has opened up more opportunities for students interested in the field. “I took a few AFAM [African American] classes out of interest to learn more about my own history and to supplement the lack of AFAM education I received during high school, and [I] really enjoyed them,” Miwa Lee ’18 said. “I was also fortunate to be a part of the process that helped AFAM become a major. Once the major became available, I changed my minor to a major.”
Likewise, the journalism minor was established based on students’ interest in the field and to provide students with more applicable skills. Professor and Chair of Communication David Park said the importance of journalism to democracy is what prompted the addition of the minor. “Reflection concerning how important journalism is to the sustenance of an informed public—if you don’t have journalism you don’t have a democracy, a journalism minor is a way for Lake Forest to support a more democratic way of life,” he said.
Park said he believes journalism is important in our current times and emphasized that it is not a dying field. “Actually, in the last few months, we’ve seen evidence that there is still tremendous demand in fact-based journalism in the U.S.A. and around the world,” Park said. “The world of journalism has seen some challenges in how to provide fact-based journalism, but the demand has always been strong.”
Two students are enrolled in the journalism minor, although Park said the numbers are expected to rise within the next two years as more students are made aware of the minor and requirements.
Elizabeth Chapman ’18 is a journalism minor. She said the creation of the minor afforded her the opportunity to study what she has always wanted. “When I was deciding to go to college, I always wanted to major in journalism, but it wasn’t offered here,” she said. “When my advisor told me about the minor, I jumped at the opportunity to pursue what I originally came to college for.”
Chapman encourages other students to pursue the minor. “If you have any remote interest in journalism, you should really pursue the minor. It’s the only thing offered in the realm of journalism besides the Stentor. You also learn how to read the news,” Chapman said.
News literacy is one of the major components that Lecturer in Communication Stan Zoller incorporates into the journalism curriculum. Students can find additional information of the requirements for the African American studies and journalism minor on the sidebar or at lakeforest.edu/academics/programs.
Written for JOUR320
