School of Communication Fact Sheet

Background

Established under the leadership of former New York Times education writer and Pulitzer
Prize winner Dr. Benjamin Fine, Point Park University’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication officially became the School of Communication in fall 2009. The School of Communication distinguishes itself as a program rooted in hands-on learning opportunities and faculty with real-world experience.

Some key achievements:

Launch of the region’s first graduate program in journalism and communications in 1981.
Enrollment growth of 146 percent over the past decade, from 227 students in undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 558 students in both programs.
Investment in a $2.5 million television studio and control room.
Development of one of the region’s first integrated marketing communications programs.
The Innocence Institute of Point Park University, which has ceased operations as of academic year 2012-2013, provided educational training in investigative reporting and examined wrongful convictions in western Pennsylvania and the surrounding region.
Launch of U-View, Point Park’s student-run news and entertainment television network.
The Point Park News Service, a wire service operated by faculty and students, which allows student articles to be distributed for publication through newspapers, Web sites and broadcast outlets.

Website

www.pointpark.edu/communication

Enrollment (Fall 2011)

Undergraduate: 462
Graduate: 67

Bachelor of Arts degree

Advertising
Broadcast Production and Programming
Broadcast Reporting (On-air)
Journalism
Mass Communication
Multimedia
Photojournalism
Public Relations

Bachelor of Fine Arts degree

Photography

Post-Baccalaureate Bachelor of Arts degree

Journalism and Mass Communication

Master of Arts degree

Journalism and Mass Communication

An M.A./M.B.A. degree program is offered in conjunction with the School of Business.

Facilities

Computer classrooms

Two convergence newsrooms
Mac and PC multimedia labs

Photojournalism

Black and white and color darkrooms
Digital photography lab

Radio Station: WPPJ 670 AM

All digital production equipment and operation system

TV Studio/Newsroom
U-View: Campus Television Station

24-by-72 foot studio/soundstage
10-foot high lighting grid
Three Sony digital studio cameras (with teleprompters)
A seamless two-wall hard cyclorama
Four-seat news desk with a painted backdrop mural of Pittsburgh’s breathtaking skyline
A video/engineering control room
Live announcer’s booth
40-channel audio board
Grommetted green-screen

Point Park Student Media

The Cavalcade – The University’s literary magazine
The Globe – A student-run independent newspaper
The Pioneer – A class-produced news magazine
To The Point - A website/bi-monthly magazine
WPPJ Radio
U-View – Point Park University Student Broadcast Network

Faculty

Ronald Allan-Lindblom, Acting Dean
Steven Hallock, Ph.D., Director of the School of Communication
Heather Starr Fiedler, Ph.D., Chair of Faculty
Thom Baggerman, Ph.D.
Robin Cecala, Ph.D.
Tatyana Dumova, Ph.D.
David J. Fabilli
Helen Fallon
Stephen Grebinski
Timothy Hudson, Ph.D.
Anthony Moretti, Ph.D.
Bill Moushey
Bob O’Gara
Christopher Rolinson
Johan Yssel, Ph.D.

Point Park University