Overall, the academics at Ithaca College are rewarding. The majority of my professors know my name and say hello when I see them, even years after I have taken their course. One of the benefits of the college is the emphasis on smaller class sizes. It is easier to get to know the professors due to smaller classes and they are more likely to care about their students as individuals.
I am a Documentary Studies & Production major in the Park School of Communications. I am also in the Honors program, which is based out of the school of Humanities & Sciences. Through my major and the Honors program, I have had two very different learning experiences.
In the Park School a lot of emphasis is placed on 'doing.' I have taken several production courses where the main focus of the course is to make one large project. These courses can be frustrating because they favor the students who are already technically savvy. Students learn how to tweak their skills, but as far as deep learning, it is absent. Extracurricular opportunities are emphasized, because a lot of the experience students gain comes from such outlets. So, as far as the classes for my major, if you want to go into the production part of 'Documentary Studies and Production' the curriculum is well suited for such a path. If you are interested more in the 'studies' part and analyzing documentaries then you may become frustrated with the curriculum.
To be clear, I have not been completely disappointed with my major. I entered college as a Journalism major and switched to the new Documentary Studies and Production major when it was introduced. Unlike other majors in the Park School, 'Doc Studies' as it is referred, consists of courses from different academic areas. For my core requirements, I have taken photography, film, television and radio, and journalism courses. Without my major, it is difficult to get into such a range of classes. I chose the major because I like the breadth of experience I will have by the time I graduate. Going out into a high demand, multimedia work field, I want my resume to be as strong as possible.
In regards to the Honors program at Ithaca College, I could not be more pleased with the courses and the overall curriculum. What sets these classes apart from others I have taken at college has been the discussion based seminar style. Students are rarely lectured at, but rather engage with the professor to talk about subjects being covered. There are usually high levels of reading and writing involved with the courses, but it is well worth it. I am really glad I decided to go into the Honors program and I would say it is one of the best experiences I have had at Ithaca College.
The Park School of Communication is geared more towards getting a job, while the Honors program consists of learning for its own sake. Observing the juxtaposition has been interesting for me throughout my college experience.