Implications
Fourteen unduplicated courses were offered at the 800 level in the two year period since the implementation of the doctoral program. However, only three of those courses explicitly offered new media composition opportunities (and each required digital projects). Interestingly, the most often duplicated course number was ENGL 891 (Special Topics) which repeated eight times during the time period studied. However, none of those special topics courses expressly offered digital composition options.
There may be several factors contributing to this dearth. Given the nascent state of the doctoral program, the English Department may not be staffed appropriately to offer more new-media related courses. Additionally, more than one-third of the 800-level courses (five out of 14) are core courses for the doctoral program and the current emphasis may be placed on ensuring availability of those core requirements.
Despite these challenges, if an institutional priority is to be demonstrated regarding the production of new media scholarship, opportunities to produce digital compositions must be increased. This is underscored by the comments of graduate students participating in the doctoral program.New media opportunities • An unduplicated count • Unequal opportunities • Implications • Home