DANA ADDS THREE MAJORS FOR FALL

An iMedia major and two different accounting majors will join Dana College’s diverse academic offerings starting with the Fall 2004 semester.

The addition of the new programs of study will help Dana students better prepare for the workplaces of today and tomorrow, said Dr. Brian Viets, provost and dean of the college.

“Both of these majors are built largely with classes we already offer,” Viets said. “In a way it is a repackaging of our programs made to better suit the needs of our students.”

The new iMedia major’s innovative approach to instruction will give Dana graduates an advantage in the workplace. Although the major is offered by Dana’s art department, it provides students with a broad background in interactive media and its uses in business.

“In the past you could find people in the workforce who were purely graphic designers or managed a business,” Viets said. “Increasingly employers tell us they need people who can get involved in web generation, hosting and managing sites, the graphic design end, the database end and even back-end integration with other aspects of the business. There’s also a movement in the artistic world toward digital forms of expression.”

The major capitalizes on the interdisciplinary strength of a small, liberal arts school, where programs are already designed to cover multiple areas of study.

“This cross-disciplinary program offers students with interests in technology and/or art a flexible major based on a sequence of web-based design courses, traditional art support courses, and a concentration in an academic area,” said Starla Stensaas, professor of graphic design and the impetus behind the program’s creation.

“Graduates seeking web-design positions in many organizations will have a competitive edge based on their liberal arts experience combined with study in an area of concentration. Other applicants with a narrow technical preparation will not have this breadth.”

The accounting majors are an extension of an existing program within the business administration major. The Accounting major will replace the old emphasis within the business administration major. The Public Accounting major adds extra courses that will make it easier for Dana’s students to become certified public accountants. The CPA examinations require applicants to have taken certain kinds of classes as well as more classes than the average college graduate. The new Public Accounting major will completely prepare students for this testing process.

“Many prospective students show an interest in accounting as a separate major,” said Dr. James Smith, professor and chairman of the business administration department. “Dana College strives to provide the best program of instruction for its students, and we have the faculty resources to offer this major.”