german A Cordial Welcome!
The greeting formula "A Cordial Welcome!" may seem inappropriate
within the context of a selection procedure for studies at the Institute for
Journalism and Communication Science, but we mean it! In spite of widespread
preconceptions, you have chosen a future-oriented profession and a study that
will endow you with the competencies required for successful professional performance
in the media society.
This is anything but a "hip study" (a label that has been slapped
on journalism by its critics for more than 30 years, which only shows they
know just as little about what is hip, as about journalism) and it is anything
but unlucrative, as well. Labour market statistics and analyses show that the
employment prospects of our graduates are comparatively good. Not least of
all, this is due to the fact that this study is far more than just a "journalists’ education",
offering a solid foundation for a broad range of professions in communication,
e. g. public relations, advertising, market analysis and polling, communication
counselling and also – but not only – journalism in print, electronic
and digital media. In the past, the preconception of "hip study" brought
about a fatal fallacy: for a long time (too long), science policy thought that
inadequate endowment (rooms, staff) would eventually throttle the afflux of
students. The opposite occurred: consistently rising student numbers, disastrous
and – by international comparison – unacceptable student-to-teacher
ratios, in short: unsatisfactory conditions for teaching, research and study.
The university board has taken initiatives to rectify the lapses of the past
few decades.
The introduction of the baccalaureate has significantly relieved the pressure
on students; more financial means allocated to teaching brought about less
numerous student groups in the lecture halls, thus enabling the completion
of studies in the minimum time. Even heavily frequented courses have improved
due to tutorial support and eLearning. A very important step in the right direction
is provided by the prospect of new institute premises. The move, planned for
August, 2010, will make incomparably better work and study conditions possible.
At the end of their studies, those who sign up today will not belong to the
largest “migrating class” in Europe any longer. However, this should
not conceal the fact that room capacity and faculty headcount set natural limits.
We would wish for every person who wants to study to be able to do so, but
objectively insurmountable hurdles exist: the current capacity of the institute
does not allow for more first-year students. For clarification, here is just
one figure: if one wanted to match the average student-to-teacher ratio of
Austrian universities, namely 113 students for each teacher, one would have
to increase tenfold the number of professorships at our institute. Not even
supplementary financial means could improve the situation overnight. The fact
that an understaffed institute, whose premises burst at the seams and are divided
between three distinct locations can attain international renown, enjoy the
benefits of research networking and receives increasing funding from third-party
donors has not brought us much recognition. But make no mistake: it makes us
proud and you will not hear us complain! On the contrary: we are delighted
that you are signing up for studies at our institute! Try to concentrate on
the subject matter and do not bemoan your fate that brought you to our institute
in a year in which we are forced to carry out a selection procedure.
So, in spite of everything: we wish you a good semester and welcome you cordially!
Hannes Haas Klaus
Lojka
Chairman Degree
Programme Director