1.We propose the addition of a new Specialized Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Video Games, Creative Industries and Society to the Communication and Digital Media Studies (CDMS) program in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSH), developed in partnership with the Game Development and Interactive Media (GDIM) program in the Faculty of Business and Information Technology (FBIT). This new specialization will be added to the Ontario Tech University Academic Calendar for the 2026–2027 academic year, expanding undergraduate program offerings and advancing the university’s strategy for cross-faculty integration, interdisciplinary teaching and research, and enrollment growth.

2.Introduce a new specialization for Communication and Digital Media Studies (CDMS) program in FSSH called AI for Professional Communicators.

3.Clean up the notation asterisks: the note for “general electives” currently is marked via 4 asterisks – this should be changed to 2 asterisks wherever general electives are noted.

4.Add a note to the calendar copy under “FSSH electives” that describes an opportunity for high achieving 4^th year students to take a graduate seminar in the Master of Arts in Social Practice and Innovation (MSPI) to fulfill one of the program requirements.

5. Adding COMM 3751U to the list of electives for the major.

Communication and digital media technologies have become ubiquitous, permeating every aspect of our lives, in work, play, politics, leisure, social life and more. Journalists, public affairs officers, content creators, TV and movie makers, branding experts, digital storytellers, social media managers, consumers, citizens, and activists all use various digital media daily to produce, share, receive, and shape messages and images about the world, with the goal of informing, entertaining and influencing. Our Communication and Digital Media Studies (CDMS) program at Ontario Tech University is a 120-credit degree program in which students learn about the fast-changing communication and digital media environment in which we live, work, play, vote and engage; analyze the social dimensions and impacts of many media forms; and hone professional communication and digital media knowledge and skills linked to thousands of new 21st century careers. The program aims to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of how communications and digital media technologies intersect with society and social change. Also, as the modern economy is replete with communications and digital media-related careers, our CDMS program is an ideal choice for students seeking to hone their professional knowledge and skills in this dynamic field. Graduates from our program go on to communication and digital media-relevant careers across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Our program’s high-quality and socially relevant curriculum is designed to provide learners with a strong foundation in the theory, research, analysis, creation, and professional practice of communication and digital media. From a look at the global creative and entertainment industries to immersion in new developments surrounding the Internet and social media platforms, our curriculum explores the fast-changing world of communication and digital media technologies in relation to the dynamics of the broader society and culture that shape and are reshaped by them. Students learn about the uses, roles, goals, arts, industries, audiences, policies, technologies, practices, messages, and effects of communication and digital media in relation to the pursuit of social justice and a good life for all. Throughout the program, students develop their civic and professional knowledge and skills, analyze and apply strategies, tactics and best practices, hone creative and critical media literacies, and assess the impacts of the professional application of communication and digital media in modern society and culture. The program aims to empower students to thrive both as informed and critical-thinking citizens in our digital democracy and as professionals and creators in a wide range of occupations across the growing digital economy.

Students can earn their Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree by completing the comprehensive four-year Honours program in Communication and Digital Media Studies, one of two four-year BA specializations in Creativity, Digital Arts & Entertainment Industries or Strategic Communication, Social Media & Society, or a customized two-year program in Communication and Digital Media Studies – Advanced Entry. The CDMS program also plays a significant service role at Ontario Tech University by offering seven minors: Communication and Digital Media Studies Open Minor; Creative Industries and Popular Culture; Online Creators: Digital Entrepreneurship, Work and Society; Social Media Advocacy, Activism, and Social Change; Digital Media, Politics and Policy; Professional Communication; and AI and Content Creation. The CDMS program teaching and research actively contributes to both the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSH) and the university as a whole. Its curriculum is open and accessible to students enrolled in BA programs within the FSSH, and its six minor programs are available to students from faculties across the entire university. The CDMS minors are particularly appealing to students in FED, FBIT, and Computer Science who are seeking engaging minor programs and interesting elective course options.

The CDMS program boasts numerous strengths that contribute to its success and the success of its students. Our program comprises world-class researchers and teachers. Our core faculty is the source of hundreds of scholarly publications. The CDMS program courses incorporate educational technologies in purposeful and innovative ways, supported by faculty who are leaders in digital pedagogy. Moreover, program members are deeply involved in community-facing work and knowledge mobilization activities, using various media to reach out to and engage publics outside of academia. Our graduates are successfully securing jobs related to their degrees, with the majority working in communications and media fields. The expansion of professionally oriented courses has led to numerous career opportunities for our graduates in communications and media fields.

The CDMS program’s core faculty is small, but the source of over 500 publications, presentations and works spanning the gamut of research, teaching, knowledge mobilization and creative activities in the field. CDMS program faculty members have been advancing “tech with a conscience” about the drivers, uses, and impacts of myriad media in society for over two decades.

CDMS academic courses cover topics such as GenAI content generation, AI ethics, media inclusion and exclusion, and global media platforms.

The CDMS program in FSSH is concerned with the fast-changing communication and digital media environment, preparing students to learn, work, and thrive as Professional Communicators. Students learn to be proficient writers as well as proficient creators of all modes of communication, such as audio, oral, video, graphic, and immersive genres.

Distinguishing it from a purely business or marketing communication program, the current curriculum and courses equip students with the knowledge and skills to critically analyze communication and AI digital media in relation to social justice, equity, and cultural diversity. Students explore how media and communication systems can both reflect and perpetuate inequities, and they are encouraged to engage with media ethically, as a tool for positive social change.

Augmenting CDMS with GDIM: The Video Games, Creative Industries, and Society specialization will augment the CDMS program by adding a unique interdisciplinary curricular option for students. It will formally integrate the complementary researching and teaching strengths of the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities’ (FSSH) Communication and Digital Media Studies (CDMS) program and the Faculty of Business and IT’s (FBIT) Games Development and Interactive Media (GDIM) program. This will enhance the CDMS program by augmenting one of its core areas of focus in the creative industries with GDIM’s video game expertise. It will provide students with an innovative curricular map that blends the strengths of CDMS and GDIM.

Recommended by the CDMS 2024-2026 Program Review - Self-Study: This specialization is a recommendation in the CDMS program’s recent self-study, which notes: “The previous decades lack of cross-faculty program development and integration resulted in silos, prevents professors working in related areas from collaborating and inhibiting students from fully benefiting from the diverse yet related course offerings across these programs. Consequently, students have been unable to fully explore interdisciplinary learning opportunities, limiting the potential for innovative educational experiences that could arise from combining the strengths of two or more faculties, and two or more programs….To enhance the CDMS program, it is recommended to explore the development of purposeful curricular integrations with other programs (e.g., FBIT programs in Marketing, Game Development, and Interactive Media...there is a need to establish formal, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial relationships between CDMS and other programs. This could involve creating joint or integrated specializations, or even new joint BA programs that combine the expertise and resources of both faculties.”

A New CDMS Enrollment Option / Growth Strategy: This specialization will be a new enrollment pathway to the program in support of its (re)growth strategy, This program will add a distinctive offering to Ontario Tech, providing a unique enrollment option for prospective students. Its interdisciplinary, joint appeal may positively impact recruitment for both FSSH and FBIT, potentially increasing overall enrollment in both faculties.

This BA specialization will enhance Ontario Tech University by supporting the “tech with a conscience” mission by fostering a hybrid curriculum that combines game design and development with an analysis of the cultural, social, and ethical dimensions of digital games and creative industries in society.

A Uniquely Differentiated BA Specialization: this BA specialization addresses a gap in Ontario’s higher education landscape, as there is no program that currently offers courses from game development and design, business, digital media, creative industries, social media, communication, cultural studies, and critical game studies. Currently, there are only two game studies programs in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA): the “Game Studies” Minor at the University of Toronto-Mississauga and the Digital Media – Game Arts Stream at York University. University of Toronto – Mississauga – Games Studies MINOR: The University of Toronto’s Game Studies Minor, developed through the Department of English and Drama, offers an analysis-based approach to games as cultural, artistic, and narrative forms. This program emphasizes a social science and humanities (SSH) perspective, examining the historical, theoretical, and rhetorical aspects of games and their role in storytelling. Students gain critical analytical skills and experience what it’s like to play and interpret tabletop, role-playing, and digital games. However, as a minor, this program does not offer a comprehensive degree in game studies, nor does it integrate the business, technology, design, creative industries, narrative, play, and socio-cultural studies of interactive games that our proposed joint program would. In this way, our program would be the first of its kind in the GTA, offering a uniquely comprehensive approach that bridges business insight, technical skills, and critical socio-cultural analysis. York University - Digital Media – Digital Media Game Arts Stream: At York University’s Keele Campus, the Digital Media Game Arts Stream within the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design provides a primarily technical and hands-on experience in game design and production. Students explore game development from concept to production, using various professional game engines across platforms like mobile media, web applications, gallery installations, and urban gaming. The program also examines emerging themes, such as alt-gaming, queer games, Not Games, and urban gaming. While innovative, this stream does not offer a full undergraduate degree, but rather serves as a pathway within the broader Digital Media program. In contrast, our proposed joint program will offer a unique, comprehensive curriculum integrating business, technical design skills, industry insight, interactive narrative storytelling, and the socio-cultural and ethical implications of video games. The proposed program bridges technical skills and theoretical and socio-cultural analysis within a full BA or BComm structure, providing students with both hands-on experience in game creation and critical perspectives on games as socio-cultural artifacts and storytelling mediums, in relation to a wide range of other digital media products, from TV series to social media to movies. In sum, our BA specialization addresses a gap in Ontario’s higher education landscape.

This new specialization meets Ontario Tech University’s vision for helping students develop professional AI skills. CDMS students are the ideal cohort to create AI content, analyze it, assess it, and help mitigate its potential ethical harms in professional industries as professional communicators.

Skills-based curriculum in AI and content generation. Generative AI has altered the job market and prospects for students. “AI can generate and analyze text, recommend ideas, identify user sentiments, develop interface prototypes, and create user personas from scratch, [and] we can expect the integration of AI in various stages of content creation.”^[1] Ontario Tech lacks a focus on AI content generation as a professional skill.

Skills in ethical assessment. The AI for Professional Communicators specialization is geared to the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities social justice mandate, “Pursuing social justice through learning, research, community outreach, and innovation”. With this specialization, CDMS students will be equipped with a critical skillset to identify harms in AI generated content (e.g., harms related to intersectionality, misinformation/disinformation on platforms, social media, etc). Comm 4120U AI, Ethics, and Communication has been taught three times (Fall 2021, Fall 2023, & Fall 2024) and it has become clear that students would be interested in specializing in an AI for Professional Communicators program.

AI industries. Teams of professionals hired for emergent AI industries are requiring new communication and media skills. Since 2022, most professional industries have adopted generative AI for content creation and encouraged its use. In an American context, “the first nationally representative U.S. survey of generative AI adoption at work and at home [was conducted]. In August 2024, 39 percent of the U.S. population age 18-64 used generative AI. More than 24 percent of workers used it at least once in the week prior to being surveyed, and nearly one in nine used it every workday. Historical data on usage and mass-market product launches suggest that U.S. adoption of generative AI has been faster than adoption of the personal computer and the internet.”^[2]

Relevant to work contexts, AI adoption as a general-purpose technology is rising. Following research by the U.S. Census Bureau, AI adoption^[3] “is likely to soon cross the 10% threshold that took US e-commerce 24 years to reach.”^[4] Traditionally, CDMS students are contextualized in modern technology trends.

People are using GenAI apps like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or DeepSeek to create professional communication content. However, regular internet browsers, including Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Co-pilot integrate LLMs in processes for summarizing, searching and creating information for users. Apple’s Safari offers users the choice to use ChatGPT for results, for example. Gemini AI is integrated with Google services like Gmail and YouTube to help people write and create graphics.

Applied focus. Professional Communication, as a discipline, has an applied focus that includes AI content generation. Using generative AI (GenAI) video clips, sound compositions, and/or automated writing tools requires a critical skillset. Relevant work domains for professional communicators include (but are not limited to) technical communication, health communication, marketing and strategic communication, communication work for public service, civic engagement and advocacy, and communication for social media campaigns and/or work in the creative industries. Students can also work on ethical AI compliance teams.

Disclosure of AI tools. An important aspect of pedagogy involving Generative AI is disclosing usage. To assist with integrating this program, is The Artificial Intelligence Disclosure (AID) Framework[5]. It was developed by Kari D. Weaver, Learning, Teaching, and Instructional Design Librarian at University of Waterloo. It is already used in FSSH for undergraduate and graduate courses to help students disclose how AI functional applications, AI tools, and methods are used in course assignments.

The Communication and Digital Media Studies (CDMS) program?s Specialized Bachelor of Arts in Video Games, Creative Industries and Society is deeply aligned with Ontario Tech University?s mission, vision, values, and strategic goals, as outlined in the Integrated Academic-Research Plan (2023?2028). CDMS has long exemplified the university?s commitment to ?tech with a conscience,? and the new BA specialization extends this commitment by combining technical, creative, entrepreneurial, and critical approaches to the study and practice of interactive media, digital storytelling, and the global creative industries.

The new BA program specialization is included in the FSSH?s Academic Plan / Strategy: a New CDMS Enrollment Option and Growth Strategy: This specialization will serve as a new enrollment pathway that supports the ongoing growth strategy of the Communication and Digital Media Studies (CDMS) program. It offers a distinctive addition to Ontario Tech?s academic portfolio by providing a unique, interdisciplinary option for prospective students. Its joint appeal?bridging the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSH) and the Faculty of Business and Information Technology (FBIT)?has the potential to enhance recruitment efforts and increase overall enrollment across both faculties. The specialization is expected to attract students with an interest in both the technical, creative and socio-cultural aspects of video gaming and digital media, including those who seek careers in game development, creative industries, digital storytelling, social media communication, and cultural analysis. Graduates from high school or diploma programs in areas like creative entrepreneurship, digital arts, IT, and communications (including PR, marketing and advertising), as well as current OTU students from various disciplines, are expected to find this program highly attractive. Please see here for a profile of creative industries / information and cultural industries in Canada, here for video games or interactive entertainment in Canada, and here for an overview of the interactive digital media (IDM) industry in Ontario. The global gaming industry is rapidly growing, with job opportunities increasing across the division of labor, including research and development, design, social media communication, news and publicity, esports competitions, and more. Ontario?s investment in creative industries and the rise of interactive digital media (IDM) as a key sub-group in Ontario?s overall creative industries underscore the relevance of this program. Over the next 5-10 years, demand for skilled professionals in game design, interactive storytelling and social media communications is projected to increase, driven by advancements in technology and the growing importance of digital engagement. Graduates of the specialization will be well-prepared for professional roles in game design, social media and digital communications about games, content creation, socio-cultural analysis, and more. Graduates of the specialization will have a wide range of career options, reflecting the program?s interdisciplinary strengths in business, game design, technical skills, socio-cultural analysis, and written, oral, and digital communication. Potential career paths include roles such as Game Producer, overseeing the entire lifecycle of game development and coordinating teams across design, development, and marketing, or Interactive Narrative Designer, crafting immersive story experiences for games and interactive media. Graduates might also pursue positions as User Experience (UX) Designers, enhancing player engagement through intuitive design, or as Esports Managers, managing events, partnerships, and sponsorships within the growing esports industry. For those interested in EDID considerations, roles like EDID Consultant provide opportunities to guide the integration of equity, diversity, inclusivity, and decolonization in game content. Other potential careers include Gaming and Tech Policy Analyst, developing policy recommendations for digital games and media, and Community Manager, fostering engagement and addressing player feedback within online gaming communities. Roles in social media creation and communication are also expanding, such as Games Publicist, Social Media Strategist, and Content Creator (e.g., YouTube or TikTok gaming content creator). Graduates interested in educational applications may pursue roles like Learning/Game-Based Instructional Designer, focusing on developing educational games and interactive learning tools. Additional career paths include AR/VR Specialist, Interactive Media Researcher, and Scriptwriter. These diverse career options reflect the program?s holistic approach, equipping graduates to apply their skills across the creative, technical, business, and social dimensions of the gaming and digital media industries.

Vision: Embracing ?tech with a conscience? to advance knowledge and promote sustainability. We aim to understand the social and ethical implications and applications of technology to improve the lives of humans and the planet. The new specialization embraces this vision through research, teaching, and engagement that foregrounds the ethical, social, and cultural dimensions of video games and related technologies. The Video Games, Creative Industries and Society specialization enables students to ethically and critically assess the implications of video game technologies and the global creative industries, while also providing them with the professional skills to harness these new and emerging technologies for creative expression, storytelling, innovation, and social good. Faculty and students examine the ways digital media technologies?especially social media and games?can be both harmful and transformative, promoting values such as democracy, equity, sustainability, and cultural inclusion. The specialization directly supports the development of a social conscience about the role and application of video games in society.

Mission: Equipping future leaders to solve complex problems; responding to student and societal needs; telling our story through innovation, ethics, and engagement. The CDMS program exemplifies the university?s mission by cultivating student capacity to critically engage with complex social and technological issues, while building creative and professional skills for success in a rapidly evolving media landscape. The new specialization in Video Games, Creative Industries and Society extends this mission in the following ways: it bridges design, technical and business knowledge (from FBIT) with sociocultural and ethical understanding (from FSSH), offering students a well-rounded interdisciplinary education. It responds directly to growing student, industry, and society interest in video games and interactive media as dynamic sites of employment, work, creativity, and critical inquiry. It prepares students to work across sectors?as designers, entrepreneurs, communicators, storytellers, and researchers.

Tech with a Conscience

Ontario Tech?s Vision statement is directly relevant to this Specialization: ?Innovating to improve lives and the planet by incorporating technology-enhanced learning strategies and promoting the ethical development and use of technology for good through intensive research and inquiry.? The Specialization focuses on using AI in ethical alignment with Canada?s values.

Ontario Tech?s Values: ?Innovation?

Inspiring world-changing ideas by re-imagining learning and in so doing, fostering an environment that provokes curiosity, creativity, ingenuity and failure while stimulating growth.? The Specialization involves learning skills to use innovative tools in appropriate contexts.

Digital Life Institute (2020-present)

Ontario Tech University hosts one of the country?s first academic-led research institutes dedicated to the social, ethical, and political implications of AI technologies, with three research clusters involved in research on generative AI content.

• AI Implications goal: Investigate the social implications of artificial intelligence and autonomous agents in a global sphere.
• Building Digital Literacy goal: Investigate how people learn about, adapt to and understand emerging technologies.
• AI in Education goal: Investigate how people learn about, adapt to and understand emerging artificial intelligence technologies in education.

The specialization is co-led by Tanner Mirrlees (FSSH–CDMS) and Andrew Hogue (FBIT–GDIM), with support from a joint sub-committee composed of faculty members from both programs. Full-time faculty from CDMS and GDIM—with expertise in game development and design, communication and digital media teaching and research, and the socio-cultural study of games—will form the core instructional team for the specialization. As student interest and enrollment to the specialization grow, additional instructional support may be needed through limited-term faculty appointments, academic associates, and sessional instructors. To ensure smooth program delivery, ongoing coordination between Budget and Planning Officers and Academic Advisors in both FSSH and FBIT will be essential—particularly in relation to annual course scheduling and annual academic pathway mapping for students enrolled in the specialization.

No new academic or non-academic human resources are required.

No new physical resources are required, as the BA specialization will utilize the existing infrastructure and facilities of both the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSH) and the Faculty of Business and Information Technology (FBIT). The specialization will be supported by Ontario Tech’s current resources.

No new funding is required initially, as the BA specialization draws on existing courses offered by FSSH’s Communication and Digital Media Studies (CDMS) and FBIT’s Game Development and Interactive Media (GDIM) programs. Should enrollment in the specialization increase, additional funding may be required to support new course sections in each program (and costs related to new sessional instructors, etc.)

The existing resources are adequate to support the launch of this BA specialization. The program draws on existing and regularly scheduled courses from the CDMS program in FSSH and the GDIM program in FBIT. Should enrollment in the specialization grow, additional budgetary resources may be required on an annual basis to support the offering of additional course sections in both faculties.

• Planned Launch Date: The new specialization will launch in the 2026–2027 academic year.
• Marketing and Promotion: The Registrar’s Office and Marketing team should develop dedicated promotional materials for the specialization, including web pages, postcards, and a feature in the Ontario Tech viewbook. The specialization should also be promoted at standard Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSH) recruitment events. Marketing pitch: Join Ontario’s first-ever Video Games, Creative Industries and Society specialized BA at Ontario Tech University! Integrating business, creativity, technology, and critical thinking, this program is ideal for those looking to learn how to make games and analyze their social and cultural dimensions. Gain hands-on skills and deep insights into game industries, design, interactive storytelling, and societal impact, and become part of a new generation of games makers with a conscience. Marketing Outlets: Ontario University Fair; Social Media platforms (LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok); Partnerships with local gaming companies and tech hubs; OTU Open Houses and webinars; Promotion at key academic conferences, including the Canadian Games Studies Association (CGSA), Canadian Communication Association (CCA)
• Admissions and Registration: The specialized BA must be added as a distinct enrollment option on the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) platform.
• Planning and Scheduling: Budget, planning and scheduling officers from both FSSH and the Faculty of Business and Information Technology (FBIT) should coordinate planning and scheduling.
• Academic Advising: Advisors from both faculties must be informed of the specialization’s specific requirements and how they differ from the general CDMS BA. Advisors will be responsible for ensuring that enrolled students’ course selections align with the specialization’s academic pathway.
• Program Oversight: A cross-faculty subcommittee should be established to oversee the specialization. This committee will include at least one representative each from CDMS (FSSH) and GDIM (FBIT) and should meet at least once per revie to review curriculum, enrollment trends, and student feedback. If the specialization results in massive enrollments, it may be beneficial to convert it to a full undergraduate degree program, overseen by a dedicated UPD.

This modification will not negatively impact current students. It will provide an additional choice for current students to achieve a Specialization, starting in 2026.

No major communication plan is required, as the addition of the new program specialization will not impact current students. The overall degree requirements and curricular pathways for both new and existing students remain unchanged. The specialization functions primarily as an enrollment mechanism within the existing program structure. Academic Advising will be informed of the students enrolled in the specialization and will ensure that their annual course planning aligns with the specialization’s requirements.

The MSPI program will add information regarding the opportunity for 4^th year undergraduates in Legal Studies, Political Science, and Communication and Digital Media Studies at Ontario Tech who meet the minimum requirements to take a graduate course in MSPI. This option will also be promoted in Fall recruitment efforts targeting those Ontario Tech undergraduates.

This BA specialization has been in development for the past three years and is the result of sustained consultation among Tanner Mirrlees (CDMS UPD) and Andrew Hogue (former GDIM UPD), James Robb (GDIM UPD), faculty members in the Communication and Digital Media Studies (CDMS) and Game Development and Interactive Media (GDIM) programs, as well as with deans, administrative staff, and academic support units. The core developer team shared ideas and plans on a Miro board (https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVN2r3zPA=/). The specialization proposal has the full support of both faculty and program teams. Dean Peter Stoett (FSSH) and Dean Carolyn MacGregor (FBIT) fully endorsed the idea. As part of the development process, Tanner Mirrlees and Andrew Hogue held a substantive meeting with Kimberley McCartney and Darryl Papke (CIQE), Joe Stokes (Registrar?s Office), and Dana Reeson (Institutional Research and Analysis) to discuss the Notice of Intent (NOI) for a joint CDMS?GDIM program in Video Games, Creative Industries and Society. Following the December 2024 Academic Resource Committee meeting, it was determined that the best path forward would be to structure the offering as specializations within each faculty?s program, rather than as a standalone joint degree. Dean Stoett also presented the specialization to the FSSH Faculty Council in Fall 2025.

From: Tanner Mirrlees
Date: Thursday, January 9, 2025 at 5:45 PM
To: Peter Stoett , Carolyn McGregor
Cc: Andrew Hogue
Subject: Update: FSSH-FBIT Games, Creative Industries & Society (Specialization?)

Dear Peter and Carolyn,

Andrew Hogue (cc?d here) and I met for a substantive discussion with Kimberley McCartney and Darryl Papke (CIQE), Joe Stokes (RO), and Dana Reeson (IRA) regarding our NOI for the joint CDMS-GDIM - Games Creative Industries and Society program (as required, following December?s ARC meet). After today's discussions with Kimberley and Joe, there is now a very strong preference to build specializations, not a new program. The rationale provided was that this approach represents the "path of least resistance," offering the highest likelihood of success while still retaining the primary differentiated growth and enrollment benefits to both faculties and programs of a new joint program.

Here is the gist of the justification for building the specializations instead of a new joint program:

1. Efficiency in Curricular Proposal Process: a specialization requires only a major program modification by CIQE, which is far less resource and time-consuming than developing a full new program proposal. A new program involves extensive curricular documentation; the specialization does not.
2. Efficiency in Curricular Approval Process: the specialization proposal is likely to be approved more swiftly than a full new program, which involves many many more governance steps. Unlike a new program, the specialization does not require the resource-intensive and 2-year steps of formal proposal development, external reviews, or ministry approval.
3. Efficiency in New Specialization Launch / Enrollment Potential: if completed and approved by April 2025, the specialization could be marketed in the Fall / Winter recruitment cycle, with first cohort starting in Fall 2026. In contrast, a full new program, subject to development, external review, and approval timelines, might not be ready to launch until AY 2027 or even 2028.

Other benefits of specialization:

• Andrew and Tanner have already designed / put together specialization curricular maps, so this is near complete. Each curricular map represents parity in CDMS and GDIM course sharing, an even split, meaning this is a true collaboration, for mutual benefit.
• Specialization supports OTU Strategic Plan: differentiated growth via two new offerings (support enrollments to faculties).
• Curriculum: comprised of existing CDMS and GDIM courses
• Enrollment: the specialized BA and BIT will be two new and ideally successful enrollment mechanisms for FSSH and FBIT. Students can enroll in either the FSSH version or the FBIT version.
• Marketing: the specialized BA and BIT will be marketed on The Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC), and through distinct public materials (postcards, web pages, and so on)
• Teaching / course service: credited to both faculties regardless of the student?s home faculty; FSSH and FBIT are both credited by upper Budget and Planning administration, for teaching contribution.
• If these specializations succeed and enroll many students, there is option to upscale to full new program. In short term, there is no requirement for new undergraduate program director (UPD). Existing UPDs could continue to communicate with each other, and the specializations can be communicated about by CDMS and GDIM leads at Open House / University Fair, in the same fashion that the existing program specific specializations are marketed.

From: Peter Stoett
Sent: Thursday, January 9, 2025 6:18:56 PM
To: Tanner Mirrlees; Carolyn McGregor
Cc: Andrew Hogue
Subject: Re: FSSH-FBIT Games, Creative Industries & Society (Specialization?)

Thanks Tanner and Andrew, this is all fine with me. We can always convert to a program in a few years if numbers warrant (one downside: it will be very difficult to justify new hire(s) based on specializations alone).
As for the timeline scenarios, I?d say blast forward with number 1. I see no gain in waiting another year for this to start up and would love to be able to advertise it next fall.
Over to Carloyn.

Peter

From: Carolyn McGregor
Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2025 11:54:46 PM
To: Tanner Mirrlees; Peter Stoett
Cc: Andrew Hogue
Subject: RE: FSSH-FBIT Games, Creative Industries & Society (Specialization?)

Hi Tanner,

You have my support with pursuing this route. This makes sense to me to be responsive more quickly than the time it would take to develop out and receive approval for a new course.

Warmest regards

Carolyn

____________________________________________________________

1. In Spring 2025, Isabel Pedersen sent a description for the AI for Professional Communicators to all CDMS members, and a subcommittee was formed, and including Isabel Pedersen, Sharon Lauricella, Zenia Kish, Andrea Braithwaite, and Tanner Mirrlees.
2. A description was sent to FSSH Dean Peter Stoett and FSSH Associate Dean Alyson King requesting feedback in March 2025, and it received positive feedback and encouragement. Development of a new specialization was announced in the April 2025 at Faculty Counsel meeting.
3. A review of the AI pedagogical component for each course in the specialization was conducted. Discussion led to edits and improvements.
   
   With guidance from School of Ethical AI, the Faculty will continue to collaboratively develop, refine, and expand AI-focused curricular offerings that advance responsible innovation and interdisciplinary learning.

Students in the Faculty of Business and Information Technology (FBIT) already enroll in a number of Communication and Digital Media Studies (CDMS) courses as electives, and Game Development and Interactive Media (GDIM) students have frequently expressed interest in greater integration between the two programs. Similarly, CDMS students have expressed a strong desire to take more GDIM courses and to see increased curricular flexibility that would allow them to combine the strengths of both faculties—merging the creative, critical, and sociocultural focus of CDMS with the entrepreneurial and design expertise of GDIM. Current students will not be impacted by the new specialization.

This specialization was discussed with students in Fall 2024 in the COMM 4120U – AI, Ethics and Communication class.

Students discussed ways that they engage these tools in their employment, e.g., summer jobs or internships. They have been required to use AI communication tools, which indicates a need for the specialization.

The proposed specialization has considered interdisciplinary perspectives from business, technology, social, and cultural studies to interweave Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Decolonization (EDID) ideas in gaming and creative industries research, development and education into the curriculum. The integrated curriculum addresses complex dynamics of power, labor force inclusion/exclusion, representation, and the communities within and surrounding the digital gaming and creative industries. This interdisciplinary approach enables students to not only develop professional knowledge and technical design skills for the games industry, but also, to critically examine and challenge inequities and oppressions embedded in the wider creative industries, media design and development, narratives and play experiences, and within digital communities and digital cultures. By blending business insights, technical skills and critical socio-cultural analysis, students will learn to create and evaluate digital games “tech with a conscience,” in line with EDID principles. This commitment is reflected in both the curriculum and the faculty’s research expertise. GDIM courses will focus on the business, technical, and design aspects of games, while CDMS courses will engage students in examining digital games within the broader creative industries, social mediatized, and cultural and societal problems and contexts, addressing intersecting issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, and ability within the games industry, and beyond. Additionally, CDMS courses will explore themes of colonialism, environmental sustainability, ethics, and power. Students will also engage with decolonial approaches to game studies, exploring real-world developments in Indigenous gaming industries and digital cultures. In this way, the specialization offers a comprehensive approach games and the creative industries in society, preparing students for the professional world as it undergoes rapid social and cultural change.

This Specialization specifically draws on FSSH faculty members and their courses that are designed to dismantle ideologies, with an effort to continually examine the problems and harms of re-enforcing historical biases or stereotypes for various communities in the development of technology and its unintended consequences.