Online course work should be emphasized during the summer so that students will be encouraged to continue their degrees during their three month break, said Communication Council president Patrick White during a Town Hall meeting Monday night.

The 4th Annual Communication Council Town Hall Meeting invited College of Communication faculty from all departments to hear and discuss survey results regarding the areas of four-year graduation rates, online courses and academic advising. An annual survey conducted in October revealed the major issues students wanted to discuss and change.

Roderick Hart, dean of the College of Communication, also discussed the financial status of the College and the opening of the Belo Center for New Media.

“We’ve been under very difficult circumstances budget-wise, and the University itself has been under financial stress in recent years so we hope things will perk up,” Hart said. “Our current financial priority is a proposal to try to move faculty to handle online courses, add more advisors to the advising staff and try to support online courses with more assistance.”

Hart said offices located in the CMA building will start moving into the Belo Center in June and students will have access to the building beginning July 30. White, also an advertising senior, said more than 700 responses to the October survey fueled a lot of the insights that were discussed at the meeting.

“So many changes that students will see in the coming months within the different departments are really coming as a result from the survey and appointed questions the students had for faculty,” White said.

Online coursework has become a hot-button topic, and faculty and students discussed it at the meeting.

“I’ve seen it go from being hated by students four years ago, but now graduating, there are students who are really on board and see that technology has improved enough to make online coursework happen,” White said. “It’s important to make sure we’re investing in quality forms of education.”

White also said academic advising and chances for students to be able to speak with faculty need to improve.

“It’s extremely important, especially in the College of Communication, to have access to a person that can help you and be able to communicate face to face,” White said.

Communication studies sophomore Jannah Deis, student issues and advisory chair for the council, said the four-year graduation rate is always a major concern.

“We want to get people out in four years, but students are so intent on double majoring or doing certificate programs and, as a college, we need to help them get their degrees on time in order to make room for new students,” Deis said.