Documentary Storymaking Minor

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Director: Dr. Lora Taub, Professor of Media and Communication and Dean of Digital Learning
Muhlenberg College Affiliated Faculty: Romberg, Taub
Lehigh University Affiliated Faculty: Kramp, Lule
Lafayette College Affiliated Faculty: Sikand, Smith

Documentary Storymaking is a multi-campus, multidisciplinary program that provides students an opportunity to integrate documentary making into their undergraduate studies. The study of documentary histories, theories, and practices is a way for students with diverse academic interests to develop digital literacies that complement the research and writing skills they are developing in their majors. It is designed to provide a foundation in the theory, ethics, and practice of documentary storymaking. Courses in the minor provide students hands-on experience in documentary storymaking methods, tools, and practices that will develop their capacity to communicate to broad audiences. While it develops students’ individual capacities for creative and artistic expression, it is also deeply community-based and therefore connects students’ learning to the issues, concerns, and stories of broader community life within the Lehigh Valley.

Minor Requirements

A minimum of five courses are required, including a sequence of three CORE COURSES and a minimum of two electives, one of which must be a media production course. Courses applied to the minor can also count towards the fulfillment of major requirements.

DOC 150 is normally taken in the sophomore year and offered every Fall semester. It must be completed before enrolling in DOC 250, offered each Spring semester. DOC 370, the Capstone, is normally taken in the Spring semester of the senior year.

Core Courses

DOC 150 - Introduction to Documentary Storymaking Course unit(s): 1
DOC 250 - Rights and Responsibilities in Documentary Inquiry Course unit(s): 1
DOC 370 - Capstone in Documentary Storymaking Course unit(s): 1

Electives

Students must complete a minimum of two electives, one of which must be a course that emphasizes documentary production in any media type. In selecting their elective courses, students can choose from a list of courses provided and updated each semester by the LVAIC Documentary Storymaking Governing Committee. The list of electives is representative of the interdisciplinary basis of documentary, spanning film and media, communication, journalism, American studies, history, English, art, and philosophy. Elective courses are drawn from these programs and departments. Currently, elective course options are drawn from a number of programs and departments at the founding campuses, Lafayette, Lehigh, and Muhlenberg. Faculty members of the program’s Governing Committee will maintain, publicize, and distribute to all minors information on the current availability of courses fulfilling minor elective requirements, including via the program website.

Many of the upper level elective courses that count towards the minor carry prerequisites and students will work closely with a minor program advisor on their home campus to plan their schedules accordingly. Courses taken to fulfill institutional requirements may also be used to meet minor program requirements when appropriate and according to the rules of the home campus (rules for double counting vary across LVAIC institutions).