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Weber State film‑studies program reports rapid enrollment growth; student work wins state award
Summary
Faculty said the film studies program grew from 18 to 106 students in its first years, has rising graduation rates and student projects that connected to local theaters and festivals; a student speaker described hands‑on opportunities that led to internships and paid roles.
Andrea Baltazar, associate professor and director of the Film Studies program at Weber State University, told trustees the program uses an interdisciplinary approach to teach both creative and critical aspects of film and media, and that it has expanded rapidly since its first year.
Baltazar said enrollment rose from 18 students in the program’s first year to 106 students in the 2023–24 academic year. She told the board the program’s graduation rate rose from about 3.9% to 10.6% and highlighted several examples of student achievement: a student, Xander Cooper, won a best‑music‑video award at a Utah film festival and later enrolled in a Master of Fine Arts program; students collaborated with Visit Ogden and the Egyptian Theatre Foundation on a documentary for the theater’s 100th anniversary; and a student-run international film festival in Ogden will return in the spring.
Baltazar described hands‑on learning in classes and community projects as central to the program’s strategy and said graduates pursue careers in film production and in adjacent fields such as marketing and corporate media. She cited recent graduates who received internships or work in production and commercials and noted industry connections through the Utah Film Commission.
A film‑studies student, Mitch Fisher, addressed the trustees about his experience. Fisher said participation in the program gave him “incredible opportunities” he did not expect, including working on sets, making a short film with other students, using a green‑screen studio and taking on roles with Studio 76 that led to directing live events for local clients. Fisher said the program’s resources and peer support helped him develop professionally and creatively.
Baltazar and the student presenters urged continued cultivation of industry ties and said more engagement would increase internship and career‑placement opportunities for graduates.
