Audio Visual studio inaugurated in varsity

CHENNAI: The Department of Journalism and Communication in the University of Madras upgraded its course infrastructure with the inauguration of an Audio Video Studio and Online Media Lab here on Friday.The AV studio has a shooting floor, and audio and video editing rooms, equipped with state-of-the-art iMacs and software. The online media lab has six iMacs to aid the students in their new media studies. The entire project was done at a cost of `45 lakh.Mayor of Chennai Corporation Saidai S Duraisamy, former vice chancellor of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University Dr V Vasanthidevi and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Madras Colonel Dr G Thiruvasagam inaugurated the labs. The Mayor also launched the department website. One student of the department said, “The home page will have news updated every day. We have a specialisation on the slum beat, where we will bring out stories which will otherwise never be heard.”An automated student information access system (ASIAS) developed by Sathish Kumar, an employee of HCL, was initiated. Head of the Department of Journalism and Communication Gopalan Ravindran said, “A student who wants to apply for leave can do so by sendingan SMS from a mobile phone to a particular number. An e-mail will be sent to the professor in a set format. To confirm that the mail has been sent, the sender will receive two confirmatory messages on his or her phone.”He said this method would increase communication among teachers and students and promote transparency and accountability while creating a record of communications. A similar channel of communication exists between the professors and heads of departments.Mayor Duraisamy said that he was already thinking of ways in which to implement something like the ASIAS in the Corporation. He urged the students to gain knowledge of all things as this was vital in the profession they had chosen. VC Thiruvasagam appreciated the perseverance of the department in getting space, funding and material to improve the course. “For so many years we have been teaching only the theory in this department. With these facilities we will produce a much better standard of journalists,” he said.