School of Communication

Welcome from the Dean

Dean Barbara J. O’Keefe Dear SoC Admitted Student:

I was very pleased to learn that you are among those admitted to the Northwestern School of Communication (SoC) class of 2016.  Congratulations!

The NU School of Communication is entering a very exciting period of growth in faculty and programs.  Already pre-eminent in its fields of study, the School is building on its tradition of excellence in the communication arts and sciences and extending its impact through a set of innovative, cross-disciplinary, and international programs.

  • We dramatically expanded opportunities for students to study writing for media, playwriting, and songwriting, and we offer abundant opportunities for students to create new work in theatre, dance, film, video, and interactive media, both as part of formal studies and through student activities.
  • We expanded student services:  we created a new Undergraduate Resource Center; implemented a new undergraduate advising system;  created a national internship program; and added a career services office. 
  • We expanded existing co-curricular programs for students, such as debate and speech team, and we added exciting new programs like Arts in the City, which provides SoC majors with opportunities to explore the Chicago arts and entertainment scene, and Leadership Journeys, which gives students the opportunity to interact with successful alumni and industry leaders.
  • New grant programs support undergraduate research, media projects, and theatre productions.   

In addition, during the past two years we evaluated the programs we offer first year students and developed new programs specifically for our freshmen.  When you enter next fall as a freshman your department will offer opportunities that are specifically designed to help you enter into the life of the department, get to know faculty members and more advanced students, and work on projects outside of class that connect with your studies.  Three departments will be offering seminars taught by senior faculty members, and designated specifically for first year students:

  • Communication Studies will offer four seminars, including “Slum Cinema,” taught by Professor Dilip Gaonkar, “Truthiness,” taught by Professor Charles Whitney, and “How the Media Frame Reality,” taught by Professor James Ettema.
  • Radio-Television-Film will offer one seminar, on the “Rise and Fall of Politicians”
  • Performance Studies will also offer at least one first year seminar.

All of the above seminars will be open to all first year students in the School of Communication, regardless of major.

All this growth has meant adding many exciting new faculty and staff.  In each of our five departments our esteemed senior faculty have been joined by many new colleagues who bring state-of-the-art knowledge and skills to our classrooms and out-of-class activities.  You can learn more about them by visiting the SoC website:  www.communication.northwestern.edu.

We look forward to interacting with you and your family as you decide whether to attend Northwestern.  Please feel free to write to me or the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, Dr. Sally Ewing, if you have questions or need help in making other contacts at Northwestern.   The telephone number for our Undergraduate Resource Center is 847-491-7214; you can reach Dr. Ewing or her staff through that number or email her at sally-ewing@northwestern.edu.  My email address is b-okeefe@northwestern.edu. 

I also want to encourage you to visit us if you can.  I have found NU to be the most beautiful and welcoming of all the universities I’ve been associated with.  This year’s Wildcat Days program looks quite interesting and I’m sure you would enjoy seeing the campus. If you are on campus, feel free to drop by and introduce yourself—my office is just around the corner from the Undergraduate Resource Center in the Frances Searle Building.

Sincerely,

Barbara J. O’Keefe
Dean, School of Communication
Annenberg University Professor