By Rebecca Burton
News Editor
The faculty of communication and design (FCAD) could be undergoing significant changes if a faculty name change and new undergraduate programs are approved by the university.
“I cannot deny we have considered a new name for FCAD but there has not been any significant level of decision making,” said Gerd Hauck, Dean of FCAD.
The idea of a name change spurred from a desire to make the faculty more understood nationally. Hauck said FCAD is not known for its faculty name but rather for the strength of its individual schools.
“I would like to see all eight schools represented under one umbrella,” said Hauck.
Ryerson President Sheldon Levy said he never looked at the faculty as a name that tried to be inclusive of all the different interests within FCAD. The school is very strong but with such an eclectic group of programs with a strong individual identity it’s not your typical coming together of departments, he said.
FCAD has also been working on the implementation of a new program in creative industries. The program would comprise every school in the faculty to combine a business component with creative work that would lead to careers in fields such as film, web, digital projection, video game development, etc. The program has been in the works since 2008 and if approved, would still not come to fruition until at least 2013.
Letter of intents have also been sent out regarding an undergraduate degree program in professional communication and sports media management.
The cost for implementing new programs is a factor of government funding but also based on what existing programs and resources they already have to concoct a new program, said Hauck.
“It’s certainly a candidate for consideration should the university decide to expand its undergraduate numbers,” said Levy.
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