IOWA SJMC ACCREDITATION (2010-2011)
The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) is the agency responsible for the evaluation of professional journalism and mass communications programs in colleges and universities.
In October 2010, an accreditation site team visited the School of Journalism and Mass Communication to perform a regular inspection on the "Nine Standards":
Standard 1. Mission, Governance and Administration
Standard 2. Curriculum and Instruction
Standard 3. Diversity and Inclusiveness
Standard 4. Full-Time and Part-Time Faculty
Standard 5. Scholarship: Research, Creative and Professional Activity
Standard 6. Student Services
Standard 7. Resources, Facilities and Equipment
Standard 8. Professional and Public Service
Standard 9. Assessment of Learning Outcomes
The inspection covered The School's performance from 2003, when the previous inspection was conducted, to 2009.
UNDERGRADUATE ACCREDITATION
In its evaluation of the undergraduate program, the team found many strengths in the School and its curriculum, teaching and research, including:
- An attractive, well-equipped building
- A commitment to teaching rigorous reporting and effective writing as fundamental to the craft of cross-platform journalism and communication
- A faculty that cares about the academic and professional development and wellbeing of its students
- A continuing record of excellence in scholarship diverse in perspective, method and presentation
- Admirable contribution in public service, particularly in high school journalism
They also cited two main areas of lack of compliance with accreditation standards.
First, in the standard of assessment, the School had not been conducting regular, purposive and comprehensive assessments of students' learning for many years.
Second, in the category of curriculum and instruction, the School had not been adequately keeping track of student compliance with the "80/65 rule," whereby a majority of student credit hours outside of J/MC should be in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
The School agreed with the recommendations of the report for the undergraduate program and immediately instituted several compliance plans.
Iowa SJMC accreditation response on "curriculum & instruction" standard:
Read our plan for compliance here.
Iowa SJMC accreditation response on "assessment" standard:
Read our plan for compliance here.
At its March 26-27, 2011 meeting in Chicago, the Accrediting Committee voted to confirm the Site Team's recommendations.
At its April 29-30 meeting in Portland, the Accrediting Council voted to confirm the recommendations.
In two years (approximately February 2013), Iowa SJMC will be re-inspected on the undergraduate standards of "Assessment" and "Curriculum and Instruction."
PROFESSIONAL MASTER'S PROGRAM
For the professional master's program in journalism, the site team recommended denial of accreditation because the School had for many years not been offering enough graduate-only classes and had been attracting only a few students. The team did praise the high quality and high satisfaction of students in the program but basically felt it was too small and too dilute to warrant accreditation. The School agreed with these conclusions and did not contest the recommendation of
denial of re-accreditation.
The following actions will be taken in response:
1. The School will be closing the non-thesis track in the master's program and focusing on the thesis track. The School will be increasing recruiting efforts, focusing on students who are interested in continuing toward a doctoral degree—possibly even creating a "straight-to-Ph.D." track. The School also foresees, in this era of the digital humanities, attracting students who will create innovative, multi-media, research-driven theses. The School will be allocating additional funds for MA support.
2. In Fall 2011 and winter 2011-12 the School will investigate the possibility of proposing a second and new program, a Master of Strategic Communication. Two prototype classes are being offered this fall at The University of Iowa's John & Mary Pappajohn Educational Center in Des Moines. The program would be, if approved, delivered by distance education designed to accommodate working communications professionals anywhere and thus fully available online. Some "hybrid" classes may be taught on site in locations of major potential student populations like Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, St. Louis, Chicago, Des Moines, and Cedar Rapids.
For information, contact:
David D. Perlmutter, Ph.D.
Director
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Professor & Starch Faculty Fellow
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
The University of Iowa
319.384.3383
david-perlmutter@uiowa.edu