Familiar face leads mass comm rebuilding

Dr. Peggy Ratliff

With the Claflin Department of Mass Communications undergoing changes and a revision, Dr. Peggy Ratliff has stepped in as interim department chair, hoping to change the narrative as time passes.

Ratliff, who has been with Claflin University for four decades, has served in numerous capacities as a faculty member, department chair and dean, bringing a wealth of experience to her new role -- something that she is not unfamiliar with.

Dr. Isiah McGee, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, asked Ratliff to become acting chair of the department after Dr. Luis Almedia stepped down.

“When Dr. Almedia stepped down, he knew I had experience with mass comm because when I first came here, mass comm was with English, and the department was called the Department of Communications and Modern Languages,” Ratliff said.

With the university looking to fill the department chair position by the 2026-27 semester, Ratliff said she would like the new chair to be innovative. “It would be good if we could bring a well-rounded person … who has the journalism side, but also the technology side.”

She also would like the chair to have connections with media outlets and the ability to motivate students and make better use of the studio.

One of the biggest challenges the department is facing is finding qualified faculty, which has contributed to canceled courses for the current fall semester.

“We used to have many more students, but now we are down to 80 students – “so we must bring in more students,” Ratliff said.

To address this, the university plans to add more instructors or professors, including the department chair, to the faculty pool.

“We all have to become recruiters and tell our story. One way is to connect with our alumni  in the schools and visit the schools, churches, do more on social media,” Ratlifff said.

Despite the challenges, Ratliff said after 40 years of working in higher education, she still loves coming to work and serving students.

“It’s the students, the family atmosphere that keeps me here. It’s something I enjoy. I enjoy sharing what I know with others because I’ve been fortunate that I’ve had good mentors,” Ratliff said.

The university is currently advertising to expand the staff and is optimistic the positions will be filled by 2026 -27 school year.