The University of Rhode Island will establish a School of Communication by merging several existing departments and programs, a move designed to heighten the profile of popular writing and media majors and help increase student enrollment. University officials also say the new school will help attract money from private donors.

The state Board of Governors for Higher Education approved the proposal at last night’s meeting, held at Rhode Island College.

The proposal will consolidate URI’s College Writing Program, the departments of communication and journalism, the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, a public relations concentration and a rapidly growing film media program under an umbrella School of Communication.

Communication studies is among the most popular majors at the university, with 749 majors this year. A film media program that began offering bachelor degrees in 2005 already has 111 majors. In all, more than 1,200 URI undergraduates and 300 graduate students major in writing, journalism, communication, library, public relations or film media.

“I’m very excited about the possibilities that exist today, due to the incredible influence technology has had on the way we communicate and the way we form communities and stay in touch with them,” said Winifred Brownell, dean of URI’s College of Arts and Sciences, where the School of Communication will be located...