Speakout

Editor's Note: "Speak Out" is a forum for MSU's 15 deans to share their thoughts and their vision for the future. Today, this occasional feature spotlights James Spaniolo, dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

Photo by Bruce Fox

James Spaniolo, Dean College of Communication Arts and Sciences

Q: You're into your fifth year as dean of MSU's College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Please reflect on the direction you've taken the college and on your goals for the college as the millennium dawns.

As an MSU alumnus and former assistant to MSU President Clifton Wharton in the early 1970s, I feel honored to have the opportunity to be the sixth dean of the oldest and one of the most highly respected colleges of communication in the country. What we have begun over the past four years is not the result of one person but reflective of a shared vision. It is a vision that builds on an established level of excellence and actively engages us with other academic units on campus and professions associated with our fields of study. We are aggressively seeking opportunities to collaborate with other units and to enhance educational and career opportunities for our students. For example, in the past five years we have created interdisciplinary programs in health communication, public relations, and law and communication studies. Four newly formed or expanded centers – the M.I.N.D. Lab, Center for Health and Risk Communication, Quello Center for Telecom-munication Management and Law, and the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism – are attracting top faculty and students to campus. Given the many dramatic innovations in virtual reality, e-commerce, the Internet, assistive technologies for hearing and speaking, and other developments that are revolutionizing the way we communicate, this is truly an exciting time to be in the field of communication arts and sciences.

Q: How do you see the world's revolutionary technological advances affecting the professional fields for which you prepare students?

Two primary instruments of change have transformed much of how we live and operate our business organizations and institutions. The first is the World Wide Web, a novelty less than a decade ago, which is now a pervasive vehicle for information, knowledge and communication, and commercial transactions. The second is digital technology, which enables rapid transmission of enormous volumes of content in various media. The world of media convergence is at our doorstep with the most significant impact in advertising, journalism and telecommunication, which have strong linkages to professions and industries in these fields. For example, the traditional distinctions between print and broadcast are dissolving as the Internet and digital technology converge. How-ever, technology alone should not dictate our future because as a college and a university, we are committed to inventing and learning about that future in order to humanize communication technologies for the benefit of society. Still, there is no doubt that changing communication media will shape and transform the execution and delivery of our academic mission.

Q: The field of telecommunication, in particular, is becoming ubiquitous in the media and throughout society. Talk about the Quello Center's role in this fast-paced and ever-changing field.

No doubt about it. The field of telecommunication is in constant flux and rapidly changing. New technologies have been and continue to be the major catalyst. The non-stop mergers and acquisitions within the telecommunication industry are in the news almost daily. The Quello Center, which was established a year ago after a successful $3.5 million fund-raising effort, will be a major force in telecommunication research and policy analysis. Already, we've co-sponsored an important symposium in Washington, D.C., with MSU-Detroit College of Law and are planning a second symposium in April.

Q: Sound communication skills are cited as imperative for new hires at companies in all fields. Why are they so important?

Good oral and written communication skills have always been important to success in the workplace. They are even more crucial in today's fast-paced, rapidly changing environment, which is heavily influenced by technology. To be able to write clearly, to be able to speak with both clarity and understanding, to be able to make oral presentations utilizing technology are all essential skills to becoming an effective professional and citizen. To use the power of the written and spoken word wisely also requires all of us to read widely, not only within our specialties but in the sciences and arts and humanities. Strong communication skills are indispensable to all college graduates, not just those majoring in one of the communication fields.

Q: Tell us about your family and what you like to do in your free time.

My wife, Sally, who is an academic adviser in the Honors College, and I were students together more than 30 years ago, so MSU has always been an important part of our lives. Our daughter is in her second year at MSU in James Madison College. Our son recently graduated from Furman University and is living in Washington. He, too, is a big MSU fan. Since being back on campus, we have delighted in MSU sports, particularly basketball and football, and attending performances at the Wharton Center. I enjoy playing golf, listening to classical music, collecting political campaign buttons and reading political biographies.