“The problem we face right now is the need to replace some equipment, badly. It is getting worse by the day,” he said. Because the warranties have run out on one lab full of computers, any repair costs from now on will have to come from the Department’s tiny budget. “The University has no money, and I have been to every funding source on campus to find the money to replace 16 computers.” Rushing said. “Unless we can replace these 16 computers, we are going to fall behind the curve.” He estimates the cost of replacing them at $32,000. But additional technology funding is nowhere to be found.

Rushing believes that “the solution is to have some pool of money that we can count on regularly to upgrade this equipment and to upgrade the software on a regular basis.”

The Department offers several courses centered on multimedia skills. Media Writing II incorporates computers more each semester. Web design, audio and video production, a new documentary video course, and computer skills courses are other examples of classes designed to teach majors multimedia skills. According to alumni feedback, many graduates of the program feel that they would have been more competitive at the entry level had they developed more technology skills in college. “The core of our program is writing, but with a heavy emphasis on technology,” Rushing said.