Professor Wickham: Integrating Change One Class At A Time

By: Bridget Greene

ONEONTA, NY – Gary Wickham, a professor within the Communication and Media Department at SUNY Oneonta allows his students to gain hands on knowledge in their field of study in order to prepare them for a career of their choosing. “I’d like to think people will leave here and get jobs, and so my attempt in class is practical experience. I kind of feel if you know what you’re doing when you leave here, its not just theory; you have a better chance of landing a job.”

Professor Wickham understands what it is like to be a student at Oneonta, being an alumnus himself. He joked, "There was the Dean's List, and then there was the Dean's List," admitting he was not much of a student. Although Wickham was a history major during his time at SUNY Oneonta, he gained experience in the media field by working at a radio station while attending college. While working at the radio station, he created commercials and even wrote for the newspaper.

Gary Wickham sits down for an interview

Wickham gets pleasure from being a professor and has been a part of SUNY Oneonta’s faculty for the last ten years. Although, he hesitated to pick just one of his favorite classes to teach, his audio production class had to be his top. “I get to see students think outside the box and create different projects, it’s a lot of fun to listen to.”

Tracey Cheek, a student in Professor Wickham’s audio production class, acknowledged that he allows for “a lot of creative freedom with projects. He sets the big criteria and allows you to have fun and do whatever you want with it.” Wickham also acted as a mentor according to Cheek stating, “I really focused in on what I wanted to do from his classes and he taught me a lot about them.” Senior, Helena Rabin feels that Wickham is always there to lend a helping hand stating, “He’s always super accommodating and willing to help out whenever you need him to.” During class Rabin likes that he “invites discussions into his class” and is definitely one of her favorite professors on campus.     

Professor Wickham instructing his audio production class

Wickham has seen the many changes that have occurred throughout all forms of the media and even SUNY Oneonta’s campus noting, “What we do here today is a lot different then what was here 50 years ago. Communication wasn’t much, it was a part of speech and theater,” said Wickham. Today, the college’s Communication Arts and Mass Communication departments contain various concentrations and major tracks depending on your interest.  

Professor Wickham’s educational philosophy has aided the evolution of the mass communication department. His way of teaching has encouraged students to try new things, which has helped bring the department up to its full potential, and what it is today. “There is work on the curriculum constantly, the reason for that is the media changes constantly,” said Wickham. These values allow for students to acquire the technology and tools needed for success in the classroom and in the work force.