how condensation theory works. Or, someone else could demonstrate a principle of broadcasting in a podcast. Professors can get creative with evaluation instead of relying on written tests. “I’m really enjoying seeing faculty take the bull by the horns,” said Johnson-Taylor. “When they learn something and use it, then have the students use it too, it’s really fulfilling.” Faculty members are finding it exciting, too. “Technology isn’t about changing the core of what we do in the classroom. It is about expanding the effectiveness of what we do,” said Humphrey. Cromwell said she is finding that class has become a lot more active and interactive. “The iPad is integral to the teaching pedagogy,” she said, “facilitating what we do in class.” Her Intro to Sociology course is currently creating an iBook, assembling content based on the subject matter and putting it all together as a digital book, and working to cite all video, photos, and text appropriately. “It makes the class more fun,” said Cromwell, “and students engage.” Adding technology creates new opportunities for extending what “classroom” means. Claudia Pouravelis, associate dean of graduate affairs and an adjunct professor, uses a hybrid format to teach a Co-Curricular Development in Higher education course, which is part of the College’s new Doctor of education (edD) in Higher education Leadership program. The majority of classes are online, augmented by four oncampus sessions each semester.
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By using online forums and a combination of apps, Pouravelis, her co-professor, and the students are able to present to each other and then discuss the content extensively. Because it’s all recorded, it’s easy to track how often students are participating, and ensure that everyone is getting enough feedback. “In a traditional class,” she said, “there are some students you don’t really get to know. With this class,
you’re almost interacting more, even though it’s not in-person.” And, for working professionals such as those in the edD program, the format better fits busy lifestyles. “It is the wave of the future,” Pouravelis said. “In five years, we’ll be thinking, ‘Can you believe we once met in class every single week?’ ”
A New Interdisciplinary Major in the Arts “The arts are humanity’s most eloquent means of understanding the world. Through the arts, we share the highest achievements of every culture and find a universal language that provides, promotes, and preserves a venue of communication among all peoples. As such, the arts are an essential component of a complete education.” So began a Regis faculty proposal for a new undergraduate program blending the aesthetic and the practical, the historical and the contemporary: an Interdisciplinary Arts major. The major is designed to provide students with a solid platform from which to pursue careers or graduate-level studies in any of the arts disciplines or other areas of interest. The program draws on the College’s traditional strengths in arts education to address society’s growing focus on applied learning and professional preparation to provide students with the essential skills and knowledge of music, theatre, dance, and the visual arts. “This new path of study was created in the understanding that arts professionals must be skilled in a variety of creative disciplines to be successful in the increasingly global arenas of arts-related professions, industry, and government,” said Associate Professor Frans Rijnbout, chair of the Department of Art, Music and Theatre. “Through this new major, students will acquire fundamental knowledge in the three main creative disciplines—art, music, and theatre,” he continued. “And, by specializing in one of six concentrations, students will gain more specific experLearn more about the tise in their chosen discipline, be it Arts Administration, Art History, new Interdisciplinary Dance, Music, Theatre, or Visual Arts.” Arts major at Count students Jessica Nguyen ’17 and Nicole DeRosa ’16—both regiscollege.edu/ia graduates of Pope John XXIII High School in Everett, Mass.—among the major’s enthusiastic audience. “I have loved to perform and entertain since I was little,” said Nguyen, who hails from Chelsea. “For my career, I have always wanted to be either involved with theatre as an actor, director, manager, prop maker, production designer, theatre teacher, or English teacher. This new major will help me get there.” “I am not entirely sure about a career just yet,” said DeRosa, a Saugus resident. “Originally, I really wanted to perform as a professional actress in musical theatre productions, but I want to have a college degree because the entertainment business is not very steady. I can't guarantee that I will always have a job performing, so I might want to teach voice lessons, dance, and theatre. I also am interested in working for or starting my own small theatre company.”
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