After producing 10 books, yesterday was my last day as a collegiate yearbook adviser.
It’s strange to know that it’s not time for the staff to begin planning another book. We usually start work on the next year’s book the week after distribution of the current year’s book. Distribution was Wednesday, but no planning meeting is necessary this year.
The small, private liberal arts university where I teach and advise underwent a complete budget review this academic year. Part of that review resulted in the cabinet recommending a cut of more than half of the student media’s budget. The budget funds student staff salaries, newsroom operations, the yearbook, newspaper, website, and app. The yearbook is our largest expense, making the decision of what to cut obvious to the editorial board. They voted unanimously last week to discontinue printing of the yearbook.
I know we’re not the only university to cancel our yearbook. Tennessee, Mississippi State and Purdue are among the universities to cancel their books. The price tag typically is the primary reason for cancellation. As they say, I guess things are tough all over.
I have mixed feelings about discontinuing our book. Of course I did not want the student media budget to be cut. That is not a question. But budgets in many areas throughout the university were cut. It needed to happen. Few, if any, areas were left unaffected.
Funding is not my greatest cause for reflection.
Our yearbook also was not unpopular, as is the issue at many universities where students say they’re not worth having. Our book made a renaissance during the 2005-06 academic year when I became the adviser and my events class hosted the first ever yearbook distribution event. We went from having boxes of leftover books to running out before 4 p.m. each year on distribution day. The events got smaller as a big hoopla was no longer needed, but the students kept coming for the books.
Popularity is not my biggest cause for concern.
I am sad that my students will no longer get the unique publishing experience that comes from spending a year planning and implementing a book for their peers. Yearbooks require feature writing, design and content planning, cover design and material decisions, and an understanding of the printing and binding process. Students won’t get these hands-on learning experiences, which can be used throughout the media industry, with the newspaper as their only printed product.
Missed student training and education opportunities are a concern.
I also am sad that our university will no longer have a book to represent each year. As I wrote earlier, our school is small. There aren’t others publishing about university happenings. Without the yearbook, there will be no hardbound documentation of the school’s history.
A lack of documented history is a loss.
From a personal perspective, I am sad because our book was really good. No, really, it was. The students won many awards each year for the book. I will miss the notoriety my students received and their excitement when being honored for their work. I’ll also miss bragging about them on campus.
And, of course, I’ll miss the amazing yearbook friends I’ve made at Herff-Jones and through College Media Association.
There is a lot to miss and plenty to be sad about in canceling the book. There also is a lot to be grateful for and excited about.
I am grateful we still have a budget large enough to pay student salaries and newsroom expenses. I also am thankful we were able to save the newspaper, which has published on campus since 1907 and provides students with invaluable professional experience.
Moving forward with the staff and our other publications makes me grateful.
I am excited that the student staff can focus on three products instead of four. The newspaper, website and app all are tied together, creating a logical flow of content. I’m excited to see the level of work the staff produces next year, without the added production of a book with totally separate content.
The potential of a refocused staff makes me excited.
Sometimes the end of something isn’t bad, it just creates opportunities for the future. I don’t know if this is one of those times, but I look forward to finding out.
copykelly says
Indeed the end of what was a great era! Sad to see the yearbook go. I was doing some cleaning over the weekend and was thrilled to stumble across mine. It truly was valued at OCU because you could flip through and name someone on every page, the university being so cozy. Congrats on 10 years, Kenna!
profkrg says
copykelly Thank you, Burke. 😉 You’ll still be the only student with her handwriting throughout the book. That’s pretty cool, huh?