Reflections Magazine Issue #78 - Spring 2013 | Page 10

Campus Feature A New Media Mix Digital Communications Program To Take Full Advantage of Today’s Technology Innovations 10 Reflections Spring ’13 I n the age of user-generated content, a new program at Siena Heights University is tapping into the innovation of its students to drive the curriculum. The Digital Communications program was approved in fall 2012 and will be offered as a new major and minor beginning in fall 2013. According to program director Dr. Davin Heckman, Digital Communications is a combination of old and new concepts. However, the ultimate outcome is to equip students to discover new approaches to communication in a digital age. “The program is built around the strength of Siena’s fine arts curriculum,” said Heckman, who is a considered a leader in the emerging field of electronic literature. “There are many digital media programs built around studio arts, but this one is designed to basically draw its strength in the interests, energy and abilities that students bring to the major from their areas of concentration. If there is something uniquely Siena about the program, I’d say that it is built around the tradition of Studio Angelico (SHU’s art program) and much of the program is driven by the particular contributions of the student as an individual.”