MacBook Pro Requirement Opens Doors to Media Success
Profiles in Success: University of Cincinnati,
College-Conservatory of Music
Cincinnati, OH — Creating art can be a messy proposition, requiring an intimacy with paint spatters, lumps of clay, and charcoal dust. Assistant Professor Richard Cawood, of E-Media (electronic media) at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), relishes his students’ exposure to such a creative canvas, specifically in the digital domain. With a required purchase of MacBook Pro notebook computers and the use of Apple’s iLife digital authoring suite, Cawood says his students have the chance to get “digitally dirty” early on in their college careers. Most importantly, Cawood and his colleagues believe that a familiarity with core Apple technologies will enable students to make a clean sweep of the creative media industry in the future.
CCM’s E-Media major offers students a broad, liberal arts education that provides a foundation on which to build careers in media. E-Media graduates typically work in audio and video production, radio, broadcast journalism, new media, and related areas. In 2005 E-Media faculty members assessed the long-term direction of their program. Cawood felt strongly that an immersion in industry-standard technologies was critical to students’ future success.
“I saw that the majority of today’s college students are either going to have a computer purchased for them, or they’ll buy one before they’re even in college,” Cawood says. “I’d rather have them have the correct machine for our specific industry. The MacBook Pro allows us to leverage the iLife software suite. This gives students an entire tapestry of tools for video, audio, web, and photographic work. And, it opens up the stage for students to discover their areas of interest.”
iTunes and Podcasts Keep Students Apprised of Program Developments
“With the MacBook Pro, not only is the operating system stable and easy to use, it allows us to leverage the iLife software suite. This gives students an entire tapestry of tools for video, audio, web, and photographic work.”
— Richard Cawood,
Assistant Professor of Electronic Media,
University of Cincinnati,
College-Conservatory of Music
E-Media’s Mac notebook requirement went into effect in the fall of 2006. That mandate prompted faculty members to pay close attention to students’ needs and experiences. Initially, Cawood and Associate Professors Thomas Haines and Dr. John Owens gave Keynote presentations about the new technology-infused curriculum. Then the trio recorded podcasts about the E-Media program every three weeks, delivering the content to students via iTunes.
Says Owens, “We decided that we were going to ‘shepherd’ this first year of classes, because there was the new notebook requirement. Podcasting and iTunes offered a great point of contact with the students, and helped personalize the discussions. Our students understood that we are committed to the hardware and software, and the storytelling tools that we have, just as much as they are.”
Next Page: Apple Authoring Tools Enliven Digital Productions
