The Media Production, Management, and Technology (MPMT) department within the College of Journalism and Communications (CJC) was once called the Telecommunications department at the University of Florida before reshaping its identity in 2021. The department chose to rebrand in the hopes that its new identity could more clearly express how telecommunications has evolved in the past decade after student enrollment began to slow within the department.

However, the MPMT major had continued to struggle compared to other departments within the CJC and other departments within UF. The MPMT major saw high turnover rates, with students often switching out of the program after a semester or year enrolled.

During the 2024 Fall semester, four students and I were tasked with researching the MPMT Department, students’ opinions of the department, and developing insights and recommendations for the department to put in place moving forward. I researched the department’s brand touchpoints, including its website and social media, while developing and sending out a survey for students enrolled within the department. Using the data gathered, we were able to recommend solutions for the problems students consistently noted.

I developed the white paper to be submitted to the department which detailed the solutions to be used for the foreseeable future.

Solutions included using email as a focal point for information within the college, updating the content posted on social media, and updating the information presented on the website to improve clarity on what each track within the department offered. Since its updates, the department has seen a decrease in student turnover, although specific numbers were never provided by the college.