Paraprofessional Position

At the start of the academic year, we made a concerted effort to give our paraprofessional (Melissa Mañuel) greater autonomy, freedom, and voice in our program.  Realizing that some previous para-profs felt they had few opportunities to contribute their own perspective on the program’s day-to-day operations, we emphasized to Melissa that she had an equal voice to contribute and to take initiative. Melissa took full advantage of the opportunities, creating “Film Fridays,” a twice-per-block film screening, emphasizing contemporary films attuned to ADEI issues. We committed to providing catered meals so that students (not limited to FMS majors) and faculty could gather in an inclusive space to view and discuss films without academic pressures or expectations. With the success of Film Fridays in the 2021 – 22 academic year, we will be continuing the program and making it a core feature of Film and Media Studies for the future, emphasizing Film Fridays as a space for future para-profs, majors, and other interested students to curate screenings based on their interests.