Today Baylor University announced a $2-million gift that would help make the Film and Digital Media program its own standalone department.
Currently the program is a division of the Department of Communication. Chris Hansen, who is the program’s director, says that making the Film and Digital Media program its own department has been a priority since long before he arrived.
“In becoming a department we’ll have more of a voice for our own specific needs, which in terms of curriculum and programs and other things we’re developing, becoming a department was basically step one in achieving some other big things that we’re trying to put into place," Hansen said.
The 2-million dollar gift – from Baylor grad Matthew Lindner and his father Carl Lindner III – creates an endowment which gives the program funding each year for films of larger scope which Hansen says will help increase the visibility of the program.
“Add all those things up and other things that the fund will enable us to do, you know we’re going to be continuing to rise as a program," Hansen said.
In 2011, Carl Lidner and his wife Martha donated 3.6 million dollars to support the Global Mission Leadership Initiative in Baylor’s School of social work. Film and Digital Media becomes its own department effective June first.