Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Doesn’t anyone TALK with his or her spouse anymore?
I write this blog from row 27 of a Boeing 737 headed to the bright lights of Las Vegas. Yes, it’s NAB/BEA time once again, and I'm on my annual trek to the city of neon, 'free' alcohol and huge buffets to see the latest media equipment and to attend and present at the preeminent conference on media education. And while I'll comment on tech in this and coming blog entries, what I have to lead with is a simple question: are my wife and I unusual?
Now, I know that Kim and I are not your 'normal' couple in many ways. But I am amazed that in the recent months we in the RTV/EMB program had not one but TWO candidates verbally accept our offer for the documentary tenure position only to have that oral commitment forgotten when it came time to sign the contract. It seems that both candidates forgot to consider that accepting a position at NKU would mean that they and their spouse would have to MOVE TO ANOTHER CITY!
A free interviewing tip: if you’re interviewing for a position that is outside your current living situation, discuss with your spouse the possibility that you’ll be moving if/when offered the job. In my mind, two of the most troubling words in the English language are 'trailing spouse'. (A clarification: 'spouse' on it's own is a wonderful thing – I love my spouse. And I’m not just saying that since I'm on my way – solo – to the city that what happens there stays there…) But 'trailing spouse' SUCKS. One candidate actually had our contract in hand (and held on to it for a good while) before the candidate's (idiot) spouse realized that it wouldn't be possible to be a brand manager at P&G before upon finishing an MBA. News flash: the BIGGEST COMPANY IN THE WORLD DOESN'T ENTRUST THEIR BRANDS TO NEWBIE MBAs! And of course to this spouse Cincinnati doesn't have any other businesses – we’re just home to the headquarters of a about a dozen Fortune 500 companies and have an economy that supports around 3 million people. Whatever. Moron.
OK, vent over. On to GOOD NEWS. Yesterday the Governor of Kentucky signed the biannual budget that awards $35.5 million to build the Center for Informatics at NKU. Yes, this is the newly formed College of Informatics' building. The speed at which all of this is happening is amazing. We’ve gone from formation to over $35 million in commitment in less than one year. That’s unheard of for most large organizations, let alone a university. So now part of what I'll be doing out at NAB is meeting with Avid, Apple, Grass/Thompson and some others about starting long range plans for the construction of the new facility. And in the short term I understand that the CoI has a commitment for a Media Informatics lab in our current facility, so I'll be getting that ball rolling.
Other news: I recently received a substantial grant from the Scipps Howard Center for Civic Engagement to make the Alz project really happen. We’ll organize over the next couple of months and plan on shooting in July. Much more on that was we go along.
I'm off to finish my presentation. Got an hour left on the flight, then it's off to the equipment show floor. I'll try and blog again while out here in the pacific time zone.
CLS
Now, I know that Kim and I are not your 'normal' couple in many ways. But I am amazed that in the recent months we in the RTV/EMB program had not one but TWO candidates verbally accept our offer for the documentary tenure position only to have that oral commitment forgotten when it came time to sign the contract. It seems that both candidates forgot to consider that accepting a position at NKU would mean that they and their spouse would have to MOVE TO ANOTHER CITY!
A free interviewing tip: if you’re interviewing for a position that is outside your current living situation, discuss with your spouse the possibility that you’ll be moving if/when offered the job. In my mind, two of the most troubling words in the English language are 'trailing spouse'. (A clarification: 'spouse' on it's own is a wonderful thing – I love my spouse. And I’m not just saying that since I'm on my way – solo – to the city that what happens there stays there…) But 'trailing spouse' SUCKS. One candidate actually had our contract in hand (and held on to it for a good while) before the candidate's (idiot) spouse realized that it wouldn't be possible to be a brand manager at P&G before upon finishing an MBA. News flash: the BIGGEST COMPANY IN THE WORLD DOESN'T ENTRUST THEIR BRANDS TO NEWBIE MBAs! And of course to this spouse Cincinnati doesn't have any other businesses – we’re just home to the headquarters of a about a dozen Fortune 500 companies and have an economy that supports around 3 million people. Whatever. Moron.
OK, vent over. On to GOOD NEWS. Yesterday the Governor of Kentucky signed the biannual budget that awards $35.5 million to build the Center for Informatics at NKU. Yes, this is the newly formed College of Informatics' building. The speed at which all of this is happening is amazing. We’ve gone from formation to over $35 million in commitment in less than one year. That’s unheard of for most large organizations, let alone a university. So now part of what I'll be doing out at NAB is meeting with Avid, Apple, Grass/Thompson and some others about starting long range plans for the construction of the new facility. And in the short term I understand that the CoI has a commitment for a Media Informatics lab in our current facility, so I'll be getting that ball rolling.
Other news: I recently received a substantial grant from the Scipps Howard Center for Civic Engagement to make the Alz project really happen. We’ll organize over the next couple of months and plan on shooting in July. Much more on that was we go along.
I'm off to finish my presentation. Got an hour left on the flight, then it's off to the equipment show floor. I'll try and blog again while out here in the pacific time zone.
CLS
Thursday, February 16, 2006
The EMB Restructure has been approved!
I am very happy to announce that the Communication faculty voted - unanimously, no less - to approve both a major change in the Radio/Television curriculum and a name change to Electronic Media and Broadcasting. We literally have been working on this since my first semester on campus, and the structure that was approved is version 8.5. It has been a long time coming.
The reason for changing the curriculum is simple - the structure that RTV has had over the past number of years was created in hopes of focusing the student's attention on an aspect of media. However, media has become more "cross-platform" and less segmentized as the business has moved away from a strictly broadcasting model and toward more "democratized" methods of creating and distributing aural and visual information. Additionally, the eight tracks that RTV had made for huge graduation and staffing headaches. All that is gone with the adoption of the new structure, which can be seen here. I am very happy about this change.
The name change reflects the lessening role that traditional broadcasting (RTV) has in the world of media production. While we still have a multi-camera aspect to our program, just as there are multi-camera aspects to the major news and sports outlets, much more media is being created by/for single-camera outlets. DVDs, independent films, internet distribution, iPod video - these are the distribution methods of today, and to call the program "Radio/Television" is incorrect today.
I'll post more in the coming days (the Dean search is NEARLY complete - more on that as I can release details) but as life comes back toward "normal" I'm going to enjoy just having the time to grade projects this weekend.
Oh, one more thing. Next Saturday (February 25) from 2:00 until 6:00 we're going to hold a Halo2 LAN 'party' in our classrooms in Landrum. I'll be the guy running around the virtual world with a big target on his back and not really knowing what he's doing. Actually, Wes and I will probably both be doing that. Anyway, if you have an Xbox and want to join in, contact me. If you don't have my info, you probably don't really want to play with us EMB folks anyway. :-)
CLS
The reason for changing the curriculum is simple - the structure that RTV has had over the past number of years was created in hopes of focusing the student's attention on an aspect of media. However, media has become more "cross-platform" and less segmentized as the business has moved away from a strictly broadcasting model and toward more "democratized" methods of creating and distributing aural and visual information. Additionally, the eight tracks that RTV had made for huge graduation and staffing headaches. All that is gone with the adoption of the new structure, which can be seen here. I am very happy about this change.
The name change reflects the lessening role that traditional broadcasting (RTV) has in the world of media production. While we still have a multi-camera aspect to our program, just as there are multi-camera aspects to the major news and sports outlets, much more media is being created by/for single-camera outlets. DVDs, independent films, internet distribution, iPod video - these are the distribution methods of today, and to call the program "Radio/Television" is incorrect today.
I'll post more in the coming days (the Dean search is NEARLY complete - more on that as I can release details) but as life comes back toward "normal" I'm going to enjoy just having the time to grade projects this weekend.
Oh, one more thing. Next Saturday (February 25) from 2:00 until 6:00 we're going to hold a Halo2 LAN 'party' in our classrooms in Landrum. I'll be the guy running around the virtual world with a big target on his back and not really knowing what he's doing. Actually, Wes and I will probably both be doing that. Anyway, if you have an Xbox and want to join in, contact me. If you don't have my info, you probably don't really want to play with us EMB folks anyway. :-)
CLS
Sunday, January 15, 2006
NKU arts programs are in today's Enquirer
The Cincinnati Enquirer has a preview of arts in the Queen City in 2006, and NKU is spotlighted. I was interviewed for the article (about a 20 minute conversation) which is condensed to two paragraphs. There's even a photo! Unfortunately, there are a couple errors in the report - I'm not (nor do I want to be) the Chair (being coordinator of the RTV/EMB program is crazy enough) and the reporter makes it sound like the College of Informatics (not the Radio/Television program) is going to change to Electronic Media and Broadcasting. But it's great to be included with Art, Music and Theatre in a gushing article about what we're doing with digital cinema and documentary production!
OK, off to prep classes, make a list of Dean candidate reference calls, write letters of recommendation for three students, double-check the classes for Fall, write one-sheets for the two new Integrated Media classes I proposed and - oh yeah - write some more on "Forgetting" - my film for the summer. When anyone talks about the "free time" that college professors have smack them upside the head, please.
Oh, and I'm going to read more of "The World is Flat" - the book about how technology is changing the world: politically, socially, personally. I'm a couple chapters in, and I'm happy to say that I haven't been surprised by anything yet, but I anticipate some interesting correlations between how technology has developed and the direction the world is taking.
CLS
OK, off to prep classes, make a list of Dean candidate reference calls, write letters of recommendation for three students, double-check the classes for Fall, write one-sheets for the two new Integrated Media classes I proposed and - oh yeah - write some more on "Forgetting" - my film for the summer. When anyone talks about the "free time" that college professors have smack them upside the head, please.
Oh, and I'm going to read more of "The World is Flat" - the book about how technology is changing the world: politically, socially, personally. I'm a couple chapters in, and I'm happy to say that I haven't been surprised by anything yet, but I anticipate some interesting correlations between how technology has developed and the direction the world is taking.
CLS
Monday, January 09, 2006
Searching for a few GREAT people...
I'm currently participating in the College of Informatics Dean Search process. What an interesting process, and interesting candidates. Diverse too. We have real CS folks, real IFS folks, real Comm folks. Which is great, since the college is all about how these folks and the things they (we) do is interrelated.
I've been doing job searches for full days for over a week. Plus more from the end of December. It is SO MUCH WORK! But it's also so very valuable. We found some wonderful people to speak with. Really - we could make an offer to almost every person on the list (I'm talking about the faculty search here, not the dean search) but only have 5 open positions. And to be able to offer jobs - especially in RTV where we desperately need help - is INCREDIBLE. All three candidates with which we spoke could be hired, and that's a lovely position for us to be in - we can try and really match our needs. I wish we could hire all three.
This semester has something else going for it - a 48 Hour Film Project-like weekend moviemaking competition between the area college programs. I know that Brown Mackie College and NKU are in. I believe Cincinnati State and UC will join us. Teams of students will write, shoot and edit short films over the first weekend of April. My advanced class members (and the corresponding acting class) are very excited. What's going to be interesting is how the students take what we're looking at over the semester and consolidating that into a weekend of moviemaking.
I'll be blogging with more frequency this semester. Hope you all have a great learning experience over the next four months, whether you're a student or not!
CLS
I've been doing job searches for full days for over a week. Plus more from the end of December. It is SO MUCH WORK! But it's also so very valuable. We found some wonderful people to speak with. Really - we could make an offer to almost every person on the list (I'm talking about the faculty search here, not the dean search) but only have 5 open positions. And to be able to offer jobs - especially in RTV where we desperately need help - is INCREDIBLE. All three candidates with which we spoke could be hired, and that's a lovely position for us to be in - we can try and really match our needs. I wish we could hire all three.
This semester has something else going for it - a 48 Hour Film Project-like weekend moviemaking competition between the area college programs. I know that Brown Mackie College and NKU are in. I believe Cincinnati State and UC will join us. Teams of students will write, shoot and edit short films over the first weekend of April. My advanced class members (and the corresponding acting class) are very excited. What's going to be interesting is how the students take what we're looking at over the semester and consolidating that into a weekend of moviemaking.
I'll be blogging with more frequency this semester. Hope you all have a great learning experience over the next four months, whether you're a student or not!
CLS
Thursday, November 17, 2005
November? It can't be November already!
Well, we're almost all the way through the semester and I've done very little blogging. That seems to be my theme here. But there is an explaination, I suppose. And it's a good explaination - the school is doing too many good things. Now, I know that sounds like Dr. Proctor-like NKU rah-rah hyperbole, but hear me out.
We're in a new college that has a nice buzz about it. Not much has materialized, but it's going to shortly. There has been a ton of work being done - as my students will attest to, especially when they're looking for me. My schedule has filled incredibly over the past two months, but it looks as if I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully it's not a train. :-)
We have a new major in Integrated Media almost on the books. RTV is going to become EMB (Electronic Media and Broadcasting) in the fall. A restructure that is overdue and one with which I'm very happy. I'm on 5 (count 'em - 5!) search committees, including one for the inaugural dean for the College of Informatics. Now, one of the other four searches are for Speech, but the PR position needs to have a media interest. And the other two - one is for a "news-ish" media person for RTV/EMB and one in Integrated Media. That's what's exciting - that we're searching for a position for a major that we're still in the process of defining. OK, so "exciting" could be read as "slightly scary" but I'll just stick with exciting.
So, what's happening with digital cinema in Cincinnati? Well, the local winner of the 48 Hour Film Project is one of the top 5 in the nation and therefore is going to be shooting another movie-in-a-weekend, but this time with Panasonic's yet-to-be-released HVX-200 HD DVC-Pro direct-to-chip camera. I'm trying to get one of those cameras on campus to shoot my film this year too - and I'd love for it to be mine ... uh, I mean NKU's! ... soon. I want us to be the first program in town to move into HD. And then we'll start exploring the Internet2 connection we got hooked up over the summer.
Exciting times. Tiring times, but exciting. More soon.
CLS
We're in a new college that has a nice buzz about it. Not much has materialized, but it's going to shortly. There has been a ton of work being done - as my students will attest to, especially when they're looking for me. My schedule has filled incredibly over the past two months, but it looks as if I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully it's not a train. :-)
We have a new major in Integrated Media almost on the books. RTV is going to become EMB (Electronic Media and Broadcasting) in the fall. A restructure that is overdue and one with which I'm very happy. I'm on 5 (count 'em - 5!) search committees, including one for the inaugural dean for the College of Informatics. Now, one of the other four searches are for Speech, but the PR position needs to have a media interest. And the other two - one is for a "news-ish" media person for RTV/EMB and one in Integrated Media. That's what's exciting - that we're searching for a position for a major that we're still in the process of defining. OK, so "exciting" could be read as "slightly scary" but I'll just stick with exciting.
So, what's happening with digital cinema in Cincinnati? Well, the local winner of the 48 Hour Film Project is one of the top 5 in the nation and therefore is going to be shooting another movie-in-a-weekend, but this time with Panasonic's yet-to-be-released HVX-200 HD DVC-Pro direct-to-chip camera. I'm trying to get one of those cameras on campus to shoot my film this year too - and I'd love for it to be mine ... uh, I mean NKU's! ... soon. I want us to be the first program in town to move into HD. And then we'll start exploring the Internet2 connection we got hooked up over the summer.
Exciting times. Tiring times, but exciting. More soon.
CLS
Friday, August 26, 2005
School has begun...
The first week of school has come and gone, and everything seems to be functioning. So that's a Good Thing. The classes seem to be going OK. Had one student drop without telling me about it. Note to students: if you're going to see the professor again (as in "Chris is the only person who teaches Intro to Video") do the courteous thing and inform him or her when you're going to drop the class! It makes everything go more smoothly when we're not caught off guard by new people joining up and trying to figure out who left.
I'm taking Chinese 100 ... or 101, as the class seems to be numbered internally - even though there is another class numbered CHI101. Ni Hao! I find it valuable to be a teacher taking a class. If for no other reason than to just see another perspective on how to manage a classroom. The Chinese language is so different than English - in ways more simplified, but that simplification makes for a more difficult expression of thought.
Here's some insight into the Academic World - we're in the first week of class for Fall 2005 and had to have the first draft of Spring 2006 in by today. And NKU is later than some this year. Indiana State has already finalized their Spring schedule. Craziness!
Speaking of craziness, the growth of the Communication Department is making for "meeting craziness." I think I'm going to be meeting-ed out over the course of the semester. It's a good thing I'm starting to understand how to say "no" and to protect a bit more of my time, or else I'd never see Zoa. And if you know me you know that's not about to happen!
CLS
I'm taking Chinese 100 ... or 101, as the class seems to be numbered internally - even though there is another class numbered CHI101. Ni Hao! I find it valuable to be a teacher taking a class. If for no other reason than to just see another perspective on how to manage a classroom. The Chinese language is so different than English - in ways more simplified, but that simplification makes for a more difficult expression of thought.
Here's some insight into the Academic World - we're in the first week of class for Fall 2005 and had to have the first draft of Spring 2006 in by today. And NKU is later than some this year. Indiana State has already finalized their Spring schedule. Craziness!
Speaking of craziness, the growth of the Communication Department is making for "meeting craziness." I think I'm going to be meeting-ed out over the course of the semester. It's a good thing I'm starting to understand how to say "no" and to protect a bit more of my time, or else I'd never see Zoa. And if you know me you know that's not about to happen!
CLS
Monday, July 25, 2005
When is a Blog not a Blog?
So, when is a blog not a blog? When there aren't any entries! Wow, I can't believe it's been so long since I've written. And much has changed. Mainly ...
The new college at NKU is no longer the College of Computing, Information and Communication, it is now The College of Informatics: Computation, Information, Communication. Which was a possible name prior to our joining the college. Everything old is new again.
The 48 Hour Film Project has come and gone. We had over 300 filmmaking participants and over 1100 viewing patrons. The screen was 30 feet tall and GORGEOUS. I strongly recommend both the AMC Theatre at Newport on the Levee and Prestige Audio/Visual. Good people and good stuff.
The new semester begins in a month. Four weeks. And no movie yet. I have 3/4 of a script complete, but not a film! I have some folks in, but not everyone. I have GOT to get this thing done, and done well. There is so much need for the project - and I'm not just talking about for my professional future. I've got to nail this - it can make a difference to so many people, so many families, who are dealing with Alzheimer's Disease. More on that when it's not so late.
CLS
The new college at NKU is no longer the College of Computing, Information and Communication, it is now The College of Informatics: Computation, Information, Communication. Which was a possible name prior to our joining the college. Everything old is new again.
The 48 Hour Film Project has come and gone. We had over 300 filmmaking participants and over 1100 viewing patrons. The screen was 30 feet tall and GORGEOUS. I strongly recommend both the AMC Theatre at Newport on the Levee and Prestige Audio/Visual. Good people and good stuff.
The new semester begins in a month. Four weeks. And no movie yet. I have 3/4 of a script complete, but not a film! I have some folks in, but not everyone. I have GOT to get this thing done, and done well. There is so much need for the project - and I'm not just talking about for my professional future. I've got to nail this - it can make a difference to so many people, so many families, who are dealing with Alzheimer's Disease. More on that when it's not so late.
CLS
Thursday, March 10, 2005
The start of something ... well, something!
I've set this blog up to try and make an even easier line of communication between the RTV faculty and students. I'll try and make it a weekly thing - something new, but who knows how large each will be. I have just a ton of time on my hands, as you all know. :-)
One thing that you may have been hearing something about is the creation of a new college on campus. That's a true rumor. It's also where I've been spending a significant amount of time this academic year. Starting in the Fall the Department of Communication will move from the College of Professional Studies to the newly created College of Computing, Information and Communication.
What does this mean to the current RTV student? Not much. What did being a member of the College of Professional Studies mean to you? But to incoming students it may mean something huge. What we want to do is create an environment that will encourage communication, computer science and information systems students to collaborate on new ways of transferring information, stories and meaning using the latest technologies.
While the college technically starts up in the Fall, and our department will immediately join, for the most part we’ll be operating in “business as usual” mode. We will not move to the new space in the AS&T building. Now, there may be some changes coming in terms of space – and if there are it’ll be for the Very Good, I assure you. I'll let you know what those are as soon as I can.
Keep on working, studying and creating this semester. I'll blog back as soon as I can!
CLS
One thing that you may have been hearing something about is the creation of a new college on campus. That's a true rumor. It's also where I've been spending a significant amount of time this academic year. Starting in the Fall the Department of Communication will move from the College of Professional Studies to the newly created College of Computing, Information and Communication.
What does this mean to the current RTV student? Not much. What did being a member of the College of Professional Studies mean to you? But to incoming students it may mean something huge. What we want to do is create an environment that will encourage communication, computer science and information systems students to collaborate on new ways of transferring information, stories and meaning using the latest technologies.
While the college technically starts up in the Fall, and our department will immediately join, for the most part we’ll be operating in “business as usual” mode. We will not move to the new space in the AS&T building. Now, there may be some changes coming in terms of space – and if there are it’ll be for the Very Good, I assure you. I'll let you know what those are as soon as I can.
Keep on working, studying and creating this semester. I'll blog back as soon as I can!
CLS
