The Murrow College is partnering with the sport management department by offering a sports communication minor at WSU.

Doug Hindman, the department chair for journalism and media production, helps coordinate the new minor. It was an expressed need communicated by students in the Murrow College, he said.

In a joint effort, Hindman worked closely with sport management professors and Tammy Crawford, sport management program coordinator. The two programs came together to meet the demands of their students.

It was necessary to maintain relevance, Hindman said. Offering students options they desire makes the college more attractive.

“Those students who don’t want to minor in sport management can still get a taste of the sport management offerings,” Hindman said.

The sport management department will benefit, too.

“I think that [sport management students] will love it because it fits both needs,” Crawford said. “I have to imagine it’s going to be a good partnership because it will meet the needs of the students.”

The sports communication minor requires students to choose a portfolio course. Students will develop a physical portfolio at the end of their minor, similar to the sport management major requires.

Practicum is the next step in the process, Hindman said. Again, sport management already requires students to build their resumes through practicum experiences before graduation.

Having a high GPA is one thing, but Hindman agreed that having a resume to showcase after college is another.

“One area that we’re showing a lot of interest in is field production,” Hindman said. “Within our media production major, we want to get [students] out in the field. In fact, they’re already doing that.”

To be accepted into the minor, students must have already certified into their major, taken 60 credits and hold a minimum of a 2.7 GPA. The minor is already attracting students from the communication and sport management departments, Hindman said.

“We’ve had people from life sciences who are taking some of our sports communication classes,” Hindman said.

The minor is broken down into two sections. Students must choose three 100 to 200 level courses and three 300 to 400 level courses. The lower-level courses can either be specific communication or sport management classes.

Cooperation between the communication and sport management departments is something both Hindman and Crawford believe the university is looking for more of.