This thesis seeks to analyze current perceptions of the study of the classics from an integrated marketing communication perspective with the goal of shifting misconceptions into the contemporary ideology of those in the field. The field of classics faces challenges arising from the abuse of the field itself, and there is a current debate about the decline in the number of classicists in this field and the number of undergraduate students studying classics. One faculty member compared the use of Spartan iconography to the use of the swastika in Nazi Germany.
Changing the perception of the field is essential to combating these groups, and that starts with gaining insight into why people choose classics in the first place. In the 21st century, the study of the classics faces the very real and pressing issue of finding a foundation in a postmodern society where rising political tensions and dwindling funding for educational programs are limiting the growth of the field and. Identifying the roots of the problem within the field of classics is an important first step in changing them.
Classicists themselves have debated the state of the field for centuries, often depicting the bleak decline of the classics. This is one of the reasons why many believe that the end is near for the field as a whole. The debate has continued throughout history since the time of the Romans and Greeks, but there was a shift in the topic beginning in the 20th century.
One of the many changes Pope John XXIII recommended was the change to the vernacular in the traditional Mass.
METHODOLOGY
The research is mostly qualitative, gathered from those with first-hand experience with the Department of Classics and the University of Mississippi. The main question that will be constant throughout the research is how the Department of Classics should develop as time goes on. For example, asking how a student came to the Department of Classics is a simple question that will yield a simple answer.
The participants in this case study include students and faculty at the University of Mississippi, specifically those within the Department of Classics. Focusing on the Department of Classics at the University of Mississippi provides a practical way to find useful insights, which can also provide insight into the field as a whole. Nevertheless, because it is the Department of Classics at the University of Mississippi in particular that is being studied, some insights can be gained that apply only to this university.
The classical department has been around since the beginning, and the sheer amount of history it carries also carries negative connotations in certain ways. The university has always been involved in political and social issues involving race, and the classics department has its own special ties to this.
THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI & THE CLASSICS
Although Latin is no longer required for the degree, according to the Department of Classics at the university, “between 1893 and 1908, 84% of students who received any B.A. The first chair of the Department of Classics, newly renamed in 1937 from the Department of Greek and Latin, was Alfred W. Evelyn Lee Way, began her teaching career which eventually led her to become chair of the Department of Classics.
In the last 20 years, however, the number of students in the department who obtain a diploma has been steadily increasing. The actual increase in the number of graduates is what is most telling when it comes to the overall growth of the department, as shown in Table 1. 29 The gap in the chart refers to the range of years when the Office of Institutional Research, Effectiveness , Planning has no data on to the number of degrees awarded in the Department of Classics.
In total, 30 hours had to be completed in the Department of Classics to receive one of these degrees, and it was mostly up to the student to decide which of these courses would work best for them. Effective Fall 2018, the Department of Classics completely changed the degree requirements to graduate with a bachelor's degree. When it comes to inclusivity and the Department of Classics, there is definitely potential for growth.
The Department of Classics houses a long-standing chapter of the national classics honor society, Eta Sigma Phi. Eta Sigma Phi promotes its events much like the Department of Classics, via email and Facebook. The Classics Department does not have a strong social media presence to promote to prospective students or prospective faculty.
The only social media that the Department of Classics currently uses is a Facebook group page. In the past semester, the Department of Classics in collaboration with the College of Liberal Arts has released a video that teaches students about the department and. The video itself is posted on both the department's website and a group Facebook page.
Those visiting the Department of Classics website will be able to view the video from the main screen and it is easily shareable via Facebook and other social media platforms. The Classics Department offers a variety of events that are open to all students across campus.
FINDINGS
However, all these "problems" were overshadowed by the faculty's desire to persevere and pass on their knowledge to the students of the university. Members of the faculty felt that the museum's association with the Department of Classics gave students a glimpse of the ancient. While some faculty work with the actual artifacts in the museum, the faculty has no role in running the museum.
The Classics department, as well as the field of classics in general, occupies a small niche. According to some faculty members, it is this niche that drew them to this field in the first place. The central theme among the students was the overwhelming passion for the program and the Classics department.
The students did not report widespread knowledge of the department before they arrived at the university as students. The students all mentioned the tradition behind the Department of Classics and how this tradition led to the importance of the department for the university.53 These students see. This is consistent with the picture of the Classics major as an intellectually driven overachiever.
The Classics department attracts the same type of students as at the Croft Institute of. Probably the most surprising response from students was their fervently positive reaction to the size of the department. According to them, the department's presence was very noticeable on campus, especially considering the small size of the department itself.
Students look up to the faculty, and this sense of admiration fosters their own love for the department and for the field. One student considered the study abroad opportunities at the university, specifically at the Department of Classics, as one of the best parts of the entire department. In 2017, the Department of Classics released a self-study for the university consisting of a program overview and SWOT analysis of the department. A SWOT analysis identifies the internal strengths and weaknesses of the department, as well as the opportunities and threats that the department faces in the coming future.
Capitalizing on this low student-to-faculty ratio would be very beneficial to the department. It is an excellent branding tool for the department and the university in its own right.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
The target audience for the department is, of course, incoming and current students at the University of Mississippi. The department can create a safe haven for those who are different in an academic, political and social sense. The diversity that the department focuses on can be brought into focus on the target audience.
They apply the same thirst for knowledge of today to the ancient past, and the Classics department can benefit from this broad curiosity. Although the School of Accountancy is very different from the Classics Department, there is valuable information to be found about educating students beyond their degrees. The Faculty of Classics shows a genuine interest in the success of the individual student, which does not seem to exist in many departments, and the Department of Classics can benefit from the size that contributes to this success.
Streamlining the department's small size would be advantageous to the Classics Department because students appreciate the low student-faculty ratio. The website itself has a wealth of information about the department and the Classics field, but making it easily accessible to incoming and current students is imperative to the department's brand awareness. With the rise of social media and the ever-changing evolution of how human beings obtain information, staying ahead of the game is imperative for the department to continue to stay relevant in the eyes of students, faculty, and the university itself.
Since most of the students are dual students, it would be very smart for the department to start thinking about dual enrollment programs for students to obtain multiple degrees in the usual four-year degree program. It is very easy to declare a double major in liberal arts and this can be encouraged for students within the department to expand their. The student ambassadors would act as a club that would raise the perception of the department by showcasing its best students.
For Classics, this program would operate on a smaller scale and could focus more on social media outreach for the department. By including Eta Sigma Phi, the program can be tailored for smaller department sizes. Eta Sigma Phi officers can act as ambassadors for the department and encourage other members of the honor society to be spokespersons for the department and the principal.
This type of ideology perfectly represents the current culture of the department and is what the target audience is looking for in higher education. The Department of Classics at the University of Mississippi is a program rich in history and tradition and is poised to take the next step toward fully embodying progressive inclusiveness while maintaining well-known historical credibility.
