The 5 W’s and the H

Most of us remember the “5 W’s” and that pesky “H” from elementary school. These simple questions – Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? – were useful back then, and I’ve come to realize how important they are when tackling a new project.

In fall 2014, a Division of Undergraduate Affairs was created in the College of Media & Communication. This new structure coordinates the college’s Academic Advising Center and the Center for Student Success, Outreach and Engagement. The primary goals are to assist the college in achieving the first two strategic priorities of the university: Increase Enrollment and Promote Student Success, and Strengthen Academic Quality and Reputation.

Although we’ve got an outstanding internal team, we are looking to enlist some passionate Red Raiders to help us accomplish these goals, and some of it is as simple as sharing the CoMC story.

Who
Who can share the CoMC story? We are looking for current students, alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends of the college and Texas Tech. As a CoMC Red Raider (BA Journalism 1988), I have always heard about how strong the Red Raider community is. On a recent recruiting trip to Houston-area high schools, we were told that the principal wanted to meet some fellow Red Raiders! He was very proud to be a Red Raider!

What
What is the CoMC story? It’s about the past, present and future. You’ve actually helped craft the story. Our faculty seek and use new knowledge to teach and explain real-world phenomena in media and communication. Our students are in the process of writing their stories. Each year, we graduate hundreds of advertising, communication studies, electronic media and communications, journalism, media strategies, and public relations majors who are effective communicators who can think critically, solve problems, and bring that unique Red Raider passion into the workplace.

When
Here’s the great news: almost any time is the right time to share the CoMC story! There’s no doubt that our alumni already do a fantastic job sharing their stories – we hear it all the time when we host an event, travel to a recruiting visit, or just get e-mail from a former student. Our current students really appreciate learning about all of the interesting careers. Whenever you see The Masked Communicator, our college’s branded vehicle donated by McGavock Nissan, headed to your city, please let us know. In fact, you can contact our recruiters, Emily Balke (emily.balke@ttu.edu) and Candace Trevino (candace.trevino@ttu.edu), and see what their schedules are like. They would love to come and share the CoMC story with prospective students at high schools!

Where
CoMC graduates are literally living and working around the world. From Lubbock, Texas to literally living on a ship called “The World” cruising the globe, our graduates are landing those “first jobs” to leading major companies and media organizations. For the next five years, you will read and hear about the university’s new Quality Enhancement Plan, “Bear Our Banners: Communicating in a Global Society.” The college is well positioned to help the university achieve the goals and objectives of this university-wide initiative.

Why
It’s all about our students! We want our students to know they have professionals who work tirelessly on their behalf. Whether it’s one of our advisers, a member of our student success staff, or an alumnus from one of our fantastic academic programs, we are all dedicated to helping students find and achieve their learning goals and objectives. Here in the College of Media & Communication, it really is all about #MyAdventure #MyDegree #MyCoMC!

How
This is the easy part: I’d like to encourage you to share your CoMC story with us. Send me an email at todd.chambers@ttu.edu and let us know what you have been up to. Another way to share your story is to like us on Facebook (College of Media and Communication, Texas Tech University) and keep us updated about what you are doing. Feel free to follow, like, tag and post your stories at any of our social media sites and use #CoMC, #TTU, #WeAreCoMC, and #MyCoMC.

I’m excited about the future here in CoMC. As someone who gets to spend time with our talented students, I can promise you – there are many more fantastic #MyCoMC stories headed our way!