Jacksonville State University

JACKSONVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY

Self-Study for 2013-14 Re-accreditation

Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications

Undergraduate site visit during 2013-2014

Name of Institution: Jacksonville State University ______

Name of Journalism/Mass Communications Unit: Department of Communication______

Address: 700 Pelham Road N. Jacksonville, AL 36265 ______

Date of Scheduled Accrediting Visit: January 26-29, 2014 ______

We hereby submit the following report as required by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications for the purpose of an accreditation review.

Journalism/mass communications administrator:

Name: Dr. Kingsley O. Harbor ______

Title: Department Head ______

Signature: ______

Administrator to whom journalism/mass communications administrator reports:

Name: Dr. John B. Hammett ______

Title: Dean, College of Education and Professional Studies ______

Signature: ______

PART I: General Information

This general information section will be included in its entirety in the site team’s report, and it must present the most current information available. Before the site visit, the unit should review its responses to the questions below (especially 13 – 19) and update them as necessary. The unit then should print a copy of this updated section for each team member when they arrive on campus. A digital copy in Word document format of the updated responses also must be provided to the team chair to be included in the digital team report sent to the ACEJMC office.

In addition, if any significant changes not covered in this section have occurred since the original self-study report was submitted, the unit should describe and document those changes and present this new material to the team when members arrive.

Name of Institution: Jacksonville State University______

Name of Unit Department of Communication______

Year of Visit: _____2014______

1. Check regional association by which the institution now is accredited.

___ Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools ___ New England Association of Schools and Colleges ___ North Central Association of Colleges and Schools ___ Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges _X_Southern Association of Colleges and Schools ___ Western Association of Schools and Colleges

2. Indicate the institution’s type of control; check more than one if necessary.

___ Private _X_ Public ___ Other (specify)

3. Provide assurance that the institution has legal authorization to provide education beyond the secondary level in your state. It is not necessary to include entire authorizing documents. Public institutions may cite legislative acts; private institutions may cite charters or other authorizing documents.

Jacksonville State University’s legal authority to operate as a university is provided for under The Code of Alabama 1975, Title 16, Section 52.

That code gives the board of trustees power to operate Jacksonville State University by appointing the faculty of the University and other personnel necessary to operate the university. It also gives it power to retain or terminate personnel, fix their salaries or compensation; and increase or reduce the same at its discretion. Furthermore, it is authorized to regulate, alter or modify the government of the University as it may deem advisable; to prescribe courses of instruction, rates of tuition and fees; to confer such academic and honorary degrees as are usually conferred by institutions of similar character; and to do whatever else it may deem best for promoting the interest of the university.

4. Has the journalism/mass communications unit been evaluated previously by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications? __X_ Yes ____ No If yes, give the date of the last accrediting visit: _ February 3-5, 2008______

5. When was the unit or sequences within the unit first accredited by ACEJMC? May 2008

6. Attach a copy of the unit’s mission statement. Give date of adoption and/or last revision.

MISSION OF DEPARTMENT

Date of adoption: August 2003

The purpose of the Department of Communication is to provide students with a professional education, within the context of a broad liberal arts and sciences curriculum, which will enable them to compete effectively in a variety of fields of communication. The concepts of learning to read, write, speak, think critically, reason quantitatively and qualitatively, use technology, and apply theory are inherent in the BA in communication. Within this context, four major goals guide the operation of the Department of Communication: 1) To impart to students the practical skills appropriate for their communication disciplines of interest; 2) To develop in students an understanding of research and quantitative applications relevant and appropriate to journalism and mass communications; 3) To develop in students an understanding of the history and theories of mass communications and how to apply them to the journalism and mass communications profession; and 4) To imbue students with the skills that enable them to apply the principles and laws of freedom of speech and press and practice ethical principles in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity.

7. What are the type and length of terms?

Semesters of __16___ weeks Quarters of _____ weeks Summer sessions of __12___ weeks Intersessions of _____ weeks

8. Check the programs offered in journalism/mass communications:

_X_ Four-year program leading to Bachelor’s degree ___ Graduate work leading to Master’s degree ___ Graduate work leading to Ph.D. degree

9. Give the number of credit hours required by the university for graduation. Specify semester-hour or quarter-hour credit. 128 Semester hours

10. Give the number of credit hours students may earn for internship experience. Specify semester-hour or quarter-hour credit. 3 semester hours required

11. List each professional journalism or mass communications sequence or specialty offered and give the name of the person in charge.

Name of Sequence or Specialty Person in Charge

Broadcasting Dr. J. Patrick McGrail Digital Journalism Mr. Jerry G. Chandler Public Relations Dr. Augustine Ihator

12. Number of full-time students enrolled in the institution: Full-time students in fall 2013 = 5982 Full-time and part-time students, fall 2013 = 8693 13. Number of undergraduate majors in the unit, by sequence and total (if the unit has pre-major students, list them as a single total):

Name of Sequence or Specialty (Fall 2012) Undergraduate majors Broadcasting 65 Print Journalism (Prior to Digital Journalism) 20 Public Relations 62 Pre-major/Undecided 127 ______Total 274

Name of Sequence or Specialty (Spring 2014) Broadcasting 86 Print Journalism (Prior to Digital Journalism) 7 Public Relations 71 Pre-major/Undecided ----- ______Total 164

14. Number of students in each section of all skills courses (newswriting, reporting, editing, photography, advertising copy, broadcast news, etc.). List enrollment by section for the term during which the visit will occur and the preceding term. Attach separate pages if necessary. Enrollment

Skills Course Fall 2013 Spring 2014 COM 205 Intro to Broadcast Writing 18 18 COM 301 Intro to TV Production 16 19 COM 302 Intro to Audio Production 16 15 COM 315-01 Intro to News 18 15 COM 315-02 Intro to News 19 16 COM 320 Video Production and Editing 16 13 COM 325 Publication Design 18 18 COM 340 Public Relations Writing 12 15 COM 375 Internet Production 14 8 COM 420 Advanced Reporting 3 5 COM 440 PR Campaign Management 7 15 COM 470 Advanced Electronic News 6 15

15. Total expenditures planned by the unit for the 2013 – 2014 academic year: Percentage increase or decrease in three years: Amount expected to be spent this year on full-time faculty salaries:

Our annual budgets for 2010-2011 = $560,452.39; 2011-2012 = $560,383.39; 2012-2013 = $583,486.49; and 2013-2014 = $603,002.96. This amounts to a budget decrease of 0.0001 percent in 2011-2012; an increase of 4.1 percent in 2012-13; and another increase of 3.3 percent in 2013-14 (Please see Table 10, Budget and Expenditures, in Standard 7, #1). Our full-time faculty salaries for the 2013-2014 session are expected to be $346,364.00.

16. List name and rank of all full-time faculty. (Full-time faculty refers to those defined as such by the university.) Identify those not teaching because of leaves, sabbaticals, etc.

*Dr. Jeffrey Hedrick, Assistant Professor *Mr. Jerry Chandler, Asst. Professor *Dr. Augustine Ihator, Professor *Dr. Kingsley O. Harbor, Professor *Dr. J. Patrick McGrail, Assistant Professor

*None of our faculty members is on leave or sabbaticals now.

17. List names of part-time/adjunct faculty teaching at least one course in fall 2013. Also list names of part-time faculty teaching spring 2013. (If your school has its accreditation visit in spring 2014, please provide the updated list of faculty at time of visit.)

Part-time/adjunct faculty in spring 2013 Mr. Mike Stedham, part-time faculty and manager of the student media Ms. Pamela Hill, adjunct faculty Ms. Anita Stiefel, adjunct faculty

Part-time/adjunct faculty in Fall 2013 Mr. Mike Stedham, part-time faculty and manager of the student media Ms. Pamela Hill, adjunct faculty Ms. Anita Stiefel, adjunct faculty

Part-time/adjunct faculty in Spring 2014 Mr. Mike Stedham, part-time faculty and manager of the student media Ms. Pamela Hill, adjunct faculty Ms. Anita Stiefel, adjunct faculty Dr. Stacey Mann, Assistant Professor

18. Schools on the semester system: For each of the last two academic years, please give the number and percentage of graduates who earned 80 or more semester hours outside the major and 65 or more semester hours in liberal arts and sciences.

65 or more 80 or more semester semester hours in hours outside the major liberal arts/sciences Total Year Graduates Number Percent Number Percent 2012-2013 academic year __32___ __31___ _96.9__ _32____ _100_

2011-2012 academic year _44______44___ _100__ __44___ _100_

19. Schools on the quarter system: For each of the last two academic years, please give the number and percentage of graduates who earned 116 or more quarter hours outside the major and 94 or more quarter hours in liberal arts and sciences.

94 or more quarter 116 or more quarter hours in liberal hours outside the major arts/sciences Total Year Graduates Number Percent Number Percent 2012-2013 academic year ______

2011-2012 ______

PART II: Supplementary Information

1. Complete and attach in the main body of the self-study report the following tables: Table 1, “Students” Table 2, “Full-time Faculty” Table 3, “Part-time Faculty”

Table 1. Students

List below each of the separate programs of study in the unit. These may be called emphases, concentrations, sequences, or majors; please identify each program with a separate set of requirements. Give the number of students by class (year in school) in each of these programs at the end of the 2012 – 2013 academic year. If all of your students technically come under one major but you subdivide those majors into sequences or tracks, please list students by those sequences or tracks. Please be sure to list separately all subsidiary programs of study even if not formally identified by computer or register codes. Show the number of undergraduate degrees conferred during academic year 2012 – 2013. Please include all semesters or quarters. If the unit has a formal pre-major status, list the number of such students.* Add additional lines as needed.

Number of Students Degrees Conferred 2012-13 Undergraduate Total programs of study frsh soph jr sr students bachelor’s

Pre-majors, if any*

1. Broadcasting 20 19 23 23 85 14

2. Print Journalism 1 4 4 7 16 6

3. Public Relations 6 18 19 34 77 20

Total students 27 41 46 64 178 40

* Students who have declared their intention but have not completed the requirements for admission to the major.

Table 2. Full-time Faculty

List names of full-time journalism and mass communications faculty members assigned to the unit and provide requested information for the quarter or semester immediately preceding the accreditation visit. Add additional lines as needed. (As part of the updated General Information Section, faculty lists will be updated to reflect the academic term when the visiting team is on campus. For more information, see the “General Information” section of the Self-Study report form.)

Semester or Quarter: Fall, 2013 years years years years full-time full-time on at highest professional college this present earned tenured number of classes % of time experience teaching faculty rank degree (y/n) taught per week tchg. rsch. svc. Unit Administrator Name: Kingsley O. Harbor 4 21 11 8 Ph.D. y Release Time(RT) RT 20 80

Professors Name: Kingsley O. Harbor Same as above Name: Augustine Ihator 10 22 10.5 7 Ph.D. y 4 50 20 30

Associate Professors N/A

Assistant Professors Name: Jerry G. Chandler 29 26 26 20 MPA y 4 50 35 15 Name: Jeffrey B. Hedrick 4 8 7 7 Ph.D. no 3 50 30 20 Name: J. Patrick McGrail 5 11 5 10 Ph.D. no 3 50 35 15

Instructors/Lecturers N/A

Table 3. Part-Time Faculty List names of part-time faculty paid from journalism and mass communications funds and provide requested information. List should include personnel, including laboratory instructors and teaching assistants, who taught any regular course during the year preceding the accreditation visit. Present the names in groups by semester or quarter. Put an X under the appropriate teaching responsibility. Add additional lines as needed.

Semester or Quarter: Fall 2012-Spring 2013 years now working credit hrs. teaching responsibilities: full-time years highest full-time working teaching assists professional teaching earned as professional toward degree this in charge assists teacher experience experience degree (y/n) (y/n) semester of course lectures in lab in charge Name and Rank Name: Mike Stedham* 22 27 MA N N 12 X X Rank: Mgr. of Student Media Name: Pamela Hill 3.5 1.5 MA Y N 3 X X Rank: Adjunct faculty Name: Anita Stiefel 14.5 17 MA Rank (ABD) N N 6 X X

* Mr. Mike Stedham is a full-time JSU employee who is the manager of our student media (25%) and also teaches for us on a part-time basis (75%). One of his courses is COM 315—Intro to News, a course with two sections. This semester, he is teaching more than his usual load because he was gracious enough to cover the second section of 315 which used to be taught by our Ayers chair, who left at the end of 2012-2013 academic year. A new adjunct instructor will take over that section in the spring of 2014.

2. Describe the history of the unit in no more than 500 words.

The Department of Communication began in 1986 under the leadership of Mr. John Turner. Initially, it focused on broadcasting with print as an ancillary concentration.

In 1987 Dr. Ralph Carmode assumed leadership at the department. A veteran television journalist, he made television production the department's forte—with radio production being a close second. Again, print was ancillary. There was no public relations program.

During this time, the department offered a BA in Communication, and it was part of the College of Communication and Fine Arts, headed by Dean Dan Marsengill. To underscore the importance of the department, his offices were located in Self Hall, the location of the Department of Communication.

In the early 1990s, student enrollment in the department hovered around 150. Most of the students then were in the broadcast sequence, referred to then as radio/television production. In the early 1990s, the department began to trifurcate into broadcasting, print, and new media.

To supplement the on-going teaching in the department, WLJS, the university's campus radio station, and The Chanticleer, a weekly, student-run newspaper, continued to actively recruit students as on-air personalities, reporters, and editors. During this period, both the station and the newspaper won numerous state and national awards.

The Society of Professional Journalists Chapter at the university also saw its greatest success during this period. Under the leadership of Dr. Robyn Eoff, the organization won the Best Chapter Award for the Southern Region of the United States, and one of its members—Jamey Cole—received a national award for his broadcast piece concerning the 1994 Palm Sunday Tornado that devastated the Goshen United Methodist Church, killing a large portion of its congregation. The tragic episode proved a real-world learning experience for JSU's communication students.

From its inception, the Department of Communication has been supported not just by the university, but by a special fund endowed by the Ayers family, owners of The Anniston Star, the city’s major newspaper. The endowment came from proceeds derived from the sale of the university’s television station, WJSU. That fund has helped underwrite scholarships, equipment, facilities, an endowed chair, and the Ayers Lecture series.

The Ayers Lecture series has proved a resounding success in terms of attracting regional and national attention to the department. Over the years, it has attracted people such as Harrison Salisbury of The New York Times, Edwin Newman of NBC, Judy Woodruff of PBS, Alberto Ibargüen of the Knight Foundation, and a host of others. Our students have responded well to the series, and our university’s intellectual life has been enriched.

In the mid-1990s, Dr. Carmode stepped down as chair, and was succeeded by Mr. Joe Langston, a Birmingham TV personality, who was later succeeded by Dr. Robyn Eoff in the late 1990s. Upon her departure, Dr. Carmode again assumed temporary command of 11 the department. He was succeeded in spring 2002 by Dr. Kingsley O. Harbor.

At about the time Dr. Harbor became head of the department, WJXS TV-24 set up shop in the department’s television studios. The station, a UHF, unaffiliated station, employed Department of Communication’s students both as part-time staff and as interns. This greatly enhanced our students’ learning experience.

Dr. Harbor grew the program, formalizing the PR track, and eliminating the New Media track. He professionalized the public relations course sequence by hiring Dr. Augustine Ihator, from Western Kentucky University in the fall of 2002.

Dr. Harbor began in earnest to plan for professional accreditation—implementing records keeping, teaching, and institutional changes to prepare for accreditation visit. By 2004, the department had stabilized with approximately 200 undergraduate majors.

Under Dr. Harbor's leadership, the department has initiated several annual traditions— Alumni Reunion, Summer Journalism Institute, Communication Week, The Jacksonville Communicator (Communication alumni newsletter), Communication Advisory Board, and other community outreach programs designed to acquaint local and regional audiences with the accomplishments of Jacksonville State University's Department of Communication.

In May 2008, Dr. Harbor had one of his signature achievements here at Jacksonville State University by successfully leading the department through its initial accreditation by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. The department was accredited with all standards in compliance.

3. Describe the environment in which the unit operates, its goals and plans, budgetary considerations, and the nature of the parent university.

Jacksonville State University began in 1883 as a state teacher’s college. Now, 130 years later, teaching continues to be the university’s primary role. Located in Jacksonville, Alabama (Calhoun County), and snuggled in the foothills of the beautiful Appalachian Mountain range in Northeast Alabama, JSU’s main campus sits on a 459- acre campus with more than 59 buildings. The University operates off-campus centers at JSU-Gadsden and JSU-McClellan.

At the undergraduate level, JSU offers B.A., B.F.A., B.S., B.S. in Education, B.S.W., B.S.N. degrees, in addition to basic engineering and pre-professional training for medicine, law, veterinary medicine and pharmacy. At the graduate level, it offers the M.A., M.S., M.S. in Education, M.B.A., M.P.A., M.S.N., Ed.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Emergency Management.

JSU is a public institution that caters to the interest of a diverse student population including international students from various continents across the globe. As a comprehensive institution, JSU supports scholarly and service activities consistent with its academic and professional strengths.

The Department of Communication resides in the College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS) as a part of the professional studies component. With the central administration of the college located in Ramona Wood building, the college occupies four major buildings (including Self Hall, where the Communication Department is located) on the main campus. The college consists of 10 units, seven of which are academic departments. The Department of Communication enjoys full support from the college dean and associate dean as well as from other faculty colleagues in the college. Communication faculty members serve on one or more college committees. The Communication Department head serves on several college committees, and chairs the College Advisory Committee whose charges include: (a) reviewing all aspects of college operation and making recommendations to the dean as deemed appropriate, and (b) overseeing the college’s grade appeals.

The city of Jacksonville, with approximately 10,000 permanent residents, is sandwiched between two major metropolitan cities—Birmingham (about 65 miles West) and Atlanta (about 92 miles East). Thus it offers the ideal residence for individuals who prefer small-town living, yet occasionally desire to visit major metropolitan areas.

Admission to Jacksonville State University (JSU) is moderately selective. Students are admitted based on acceptable high school record and the ACT or SAT scores. For unconditional admission, a student must possess a minimum of a standard high school diploma (a GED is acceptable in lieu of a high school diploma); an ACT composite of 20 or above, or SAT Combined Critical Reading and Math of 950 or above. On the other hand, a student with an ACT composite of 17-19 or a SAT Combined Critical Reading and Math of 830-940 will be offered a conditional admission. Such a student must continuously enroll in prescribed developmental skills courses, participate in prescribed counseling and advisement activities, and remediate all deficiencies within a year.

JSU’s student enrollment has steadily increased, with a few annual fluctuations, most of the past six years, and currently (fall, 2013) stands at 8,693. Of that number, 42 percent are male and 58 percent female. Full-time students account for 69 percent, while 31 percent are part-time students. There are 87 percent undergraduates and 13 percent graduate students. Excluding “other race,” the minority student population is 30.23 percent (for details, please (see Table 5—Undergraduate Student Populations in Standard 3 of this self-study). As at fall 2013, JSU has 204 international students from 61 nations.

While the University serves both national and international constituencies, as a public, comprehensive institution, JSU has a special commitment to provide service to a multi-state region of Northeast Alabama and Northwest Georgia, both of which comprise its primary service area. That area is also serviced by a number of junior/community colleges. Some of those within close proximity to JSU are listed below.

Snead State Community College------45 miles from JSU. Georgia Highlands College------60 miles 13

Jefferson State Community College------65 miles Lawson State Community Colleg------65 miles Southern Union Community College------70 miles Northeast Alabama Community College------70 miles Wallace State Community College ------75 miles Central Alabama Community College------85 miles

Listed below also are several four-year colleges that are within a three-hour driving distance of JSU. Several of these also offer degrees in Communication, and some are ACEJMC accredited.

University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa: a doctoral/research institution, it offers baccalaureate, Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Communication. ACEJMC accredited.

University of Alabama in Birmingham: a doctoral granting institution, it offers baccalaureate and Master’s degrees in Communication.

Alabama State University: a comprehensive University, it offers a Bachelor’s degree in Communication.

Auburn University, Auburn Alabama: a doctoral granting institution, it offers BA and MA degrees in Mass Communication. ACEJMC provisional accreditation.

Auburn University, Montgomery Alabama: a Master-degree granting institution. Offers BA in Communication.

University of West Georgia: a comprehensive University that offers a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication.

Miles College; a four-year private college. Offers a BA in Communication

Georgia State University: a doctoral granting institution. Offers Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. in Communication.

Troy University: a comprehensive University. Offers a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism.

Sanford University: A comprehensive University that offers a Bachelor’s degree in Communication.

University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama: A public doctoral/Research University. It offers a BA in Communication.

JSU has had little or no budget increases for most of the past six years, and, as would be expected, this has likewise affected departmental budgets. The department has, however, managed to find ways of meeting its annual goals and objectives. The goals of the department are to recruit quality and diverse students, retain a high percentage of them until graduation, promote exemplary teaching and scholarship, and, through

job placement programs, assist our students to successfully enter the workforce as well as graduate school, for those who may choose that route. Consequently, the department strives to retain and recruit quality and diversified faculty, and maintain a quality and diversified program that recognizes the importance of, and implements, The JSU 4+7.

4. Describe any recent major changes in the mission, goals, or programs and activities of the unit.

In 2002, the department had a major change of mission as it decided to seek ACEJMC accreditation. The new mission is distilled into four major goals: 1) to impart to students the practical skills appropriate to their communication disciplines of interest; 2) to develop in students an understanding of research and quantitative applications relevant and appropriate to journalism and mass communications; 3) to develop in students an understanding of the history and theories of mass communications and how to apply them to the journalism and mass communications profession; and 4) to imbue students with the skills that enable them to apply the principles and laws of freedom of speech and press; protect the right to assemble and to petition for redress of grievances; and practice ethical principles in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness, and diversity.

The above four major goals branch out into 11 departmental objectives in consonance with the former 11 professional values and competencies established by the ACEJMC.

Change of Goal/Objective As described in detail earlier, recent changes by the ACEJMC—increasing the professional values and competencies from 11 to 12—led to the Department of Communication increasing its objectives from 11 to 12 by splitting the diversity objective into two components—domestic diversity (D-Dive) and global diversity (G- Dive). Thus, our twelve objectives/outcomes now are: law, history, domestic diversity, global diversity, ethics, theory, Critical thinking, research, writing, editing, basic statistics, and technology. The JSU 5+7 conceptual framework became effective in fall 2013.

Change of Program Another major change in our program deals with the deletion of our print journalism concentration and its replacement with a new concentration in digital journalism. This programmatic change is in response to the ongoing technological revolution that is sweeping through, especially, the media world. This new curriculum also became effective in the fall of 2013. For details of the new program, please see Appendix II. Supplementary Information, #4, “Curriculum Advisement Sheet.”

5. If the unit was previously accredited, summarize each deficiency noted in the previous accreditation report, followed by a response to each, explaining actions taken to address the problems and the results. If the unit was in noncompliance in the same standard(s) on the previous two visits, identify these standard(s), the reasons cited, and how these problems have been addressed.

During our initial accreditation visit in 2008, along with a finding of compliance in all standards, there were several deficiencies observed by the team. We took them seriously and responded as indicated in the table below.

DEFICIENCIES NOTED BY THE 2008 VISITING TEAM & OUR RESPONSE

Visiting Team’s Verbatim Comment Department’s Response/Result

1. To ensure both part-time and regular faculty implement The JSU All faculty—part and full-time—now 4+7, team encourages department to continue developing its course- have and utilize the complete Course- objective handbook making it available to all faculty. Objective Handbook 2. The “critical thinking” objective appears in the list of objectives for Faculty in each concentration came up almost every course; however, it is stated almost the same way each with their definitions of critical time: “think critically, creatively and independently.” Few procedures thinking which informed our are identified for accomplishing that goal in ways particular to the assessment measures. This seems to different courses. have been effective as shown by our 2013 assessment results (see table of Benchmarks and CDM on p. 170). 3. Knowledge of mass media history is listed as one of the four values History is taught in all the courses that in the JSU 4+7, and the outcome maps indicate it is taught in COM 200 are identified for history in the Introduction to Mass Communication and in a number of other courses outcome map (please see outcome in each concentration. While learning about history is clearly indicated maps—pp. 48-50 of Self-Study; see in the COM 200 syllabus, it is not indicated in syllabi for all the other our syllabi as well). courses in which the outcomes map says it is being taught.

4. Students generally indicated satisfaction with the preparation they We added four new elective courses— receive in their courses. However, several said they would appreciate editing, opinion writing, community the opportunity to take more skills courses to emphasize writing or journalism, advanced audio—to our editing or online journalism, perhaps in lieu of research or media curriculum. literacy courses or at least as electives.

5. Syllabi vary greatly in the amount of detail included. Some make it Department head went through all clear to students why the subject matter is important to someone syllabi several times providing studying to be a media professional; others are merely descriptive. feedback to faculty. All syllabi have Some clearly list outcomes (awareness, understanding and application); been revised to meet The JSU 5+7 others do not. Some syllabi present a detailed outline of topics to be standard (see files of syllabi) addressed and even list assignments; others do not.

6. The site visit team encourages faculty (especially new and adjunct) Senior-faculty work with junior ones to use the resources available to improve classroom teaching. The as mentors. Participation in annual team also encourages the senior faculty members to continue to mentor faculty development workshops is and work with new and adjunct faculty to improve the overall quality mandatory for all faculty members. of teaching.

7. Students raised concerns about the effectiveness of an adjunct with We did not re- hire that adjunct. no recent media experience and about the appropriate level of the Adjuncts are evaluated every semester instruction and assignments in that adjunct’s class. as are full-time faculty.

8. The department offers two methods by which students may gain Media workshop is now a required practical experience: media workshop (an internal practicum) and course, and as such is included in our internship external to the department. The manager of student media advisement sheet (see our Faculty supervises the media workshop that includes the student newspaper and Advising Worksheet at Appendix II. radio station. Students may earn credit (up to 6 hours) for work on Suppl Information, #4, ) student media: the newspaper or radio station. However, these “media workshops,” COM 404 and 407, are not included on the advising sheets.

9. In addition, TV 24, which is situated in Self Hall along with the Our students have always received communication department, welcomes student help. However, credit for working with TV 24 as students are not permitted to receive media workshop credit for interns. Media workshop used to be working at TV 24, and the site visit team observed very few students at optional, now it’s required. the station. The team encourages the department to consider adding work for TV 24 to the list of “media workshops” for which students may earn credit.

10. The team expresses concern about the timing of the COM 491 The department revised its internship Internships. Students seem to believe that they may not do a 491 policy and curriculum. Students can internship until they have completed all the course work in the major, now do their internship any time from which means many will not get practical experience outside the the summer of their sophomore year department until the summer after their senior year. (See Communication course schedule The team encourages the department to consider revisions in its on page 158 of the 2013-2014 JSU curricular model to take into account both the consultant’s report and catalogue) the concerns expressed by the site visit team.

11. Each concentration’s outcome map that displays implementation We revised our syllabi to ensure of The JSU 4+7 shows that nearly every course includes “diversity” as consistency between syllabi and a major objective. However, increased awareness of and knowledge outcome maps. about diversity is not specifically listed in most syllabi.

12. The department is currently changing the way it evaluates part- All part-time/adjunct faculty members time (adjunct) faculty. With six adjuncts as of fall 2007, down by just undergo the IDEA evaluation system one in previous semesters, the department will conduct a more at the end of every semester just as do comprehensive evaluation of teaching in semesters to come. the full-time faculty, and dept. head meets with them at the end of each year just like the full-time faculty. 13. With its reliance on adjunct faculty and the location of the campus SACS requires us to hire only people in a small community, the department seems to have problems always with at least a master’s degree in their finding the most highly qualified professors for some specific required field or a master’s degree with 18 skills courses. The department needs to be ever mindful of the graduate hours in their field. In potential disconnect between the students’ needs and the abilities of its addition, we require them to have adjunct instructors pool. A close eye on student evaluations and a professional experience, especially if review of course syllabi by full-time faculty is probably in order to they are to teach a skills course. All make sure the best materials (textbooks) and exercises (goals, our hires must meet that minimum appropriateness) are being planned and used by adjunct instructors. standard. Further, we conduct student The faculty handbook currently being developed will also help to evaluation every semester and the address this concern. head of department evaluates adjunct every year. We also provide them with our course objective handbook.

14. The department noted in its self-study plans to develop a Department developed and distributed departmental student handbook. No progress on this plan has been a student handbook to communication made as of our visit, but the department is encouraged to put this plan students and encouraged those without into action to give students another source in which to find one to pick up a copy from the requirements, policies and procedures. departmental office.

15. Also in the same building is WJXS TV-24, an 11,200-watt UHF The department has always had a station that reaches a potential audience of 600,000 people in northeast good relationship with TV 24. Quite Alabama via antenna and another 250,000 via cable. While not often, it offers internship to our formally affiliated with the university, the station does produce a live students. As a commercial station, it nightly newscast and other programming that could represent great can only use a limited number of opportunity for department students. This potential is not being interns, and it gets to decide how realized. many. Further, it hires our graduates quite often. Currently more than four of its staff members are our graduates. 16. Professional opportunities are supported and enriched by the department through sponsorship of two key organizations; The Society Budgetary constraints have precluded of Professional Journalists and the Public Relations Organization. The our department from joining PRSSA latter, in particular, seems quite active on campus with an established thus far, but we hope to accomplish list of officers and an impressive record of singular and co-sponsored that in the near future. activities throughout the year. The site visit committee would like to encourage this group to consider affiliation with the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) although the team understands that the cost of such affiliation may prohibit such a move in the near future.

17. According to Jacksonville State’s Office of Institutional Research Department’s retention rate for first- and Assessment, the university-wide retention rate for first-time full- time full-time freshmen from fall time freshmen from fall 2005 to fall 2006 was 69 percent. In the 2007 to fall 2008 was 77.50%, while Department of Communication that figure was 65 percent. The that of the university for the same department is currently looking at ways to improve retention to equal period was 70.29%. or surpass that of the university. The team encourages them to stick with this effort.

18. The six-year graduation rate for the university for the 1999 cohort The department’s six-year graduation is 36 percent, while that of the department is 44.4 percent for the same rate for the 2007 cohort was 33%, cohort. While currently maintaining a level above that of the while that of the university for the university’s, the department is also looking to improve its graduation same period was 31%. We consider rate. Again, the team encourages them to do so. retention and graduation rates as work in progress, and will continue to seek ways of improving on our record on them. Following our 2008 assessment 19. Using the assessment plan, the department has been able to results, we made several changes in identify strengths and weaknesses. With the information gained from different areas of our program in order assessment, curricular and personnel changes were made in the to close the loop, and those changes department. Faculty were able to quantify achievement on tests, in appear to have been effective in most courses and on the capstone project. Faculty members were pleased to areas of our program, as evidenced by discover that one of the department’s strengths was in the instruction of our 2013 assessment results. Among writing; areas to work on included ethics, diversity, critical thinking those areas of progress are the four and technology. outcomes mentioned here by the team—ethics, diversity, critical

In the broadcast sequence, faculty learned the exit exam needed to thinking, and technology. count toward the student’s final grade; there was ambiguity between the definitions of technology and editing; there was no universal Our 2013 self-study findings revealed definition of critical thinking; there was a low knowledge of that in all four areas—ethics, communication history and statistics. The quality of the broadcast diversity, critical thinking, and instruction required a change in personnel (Note: A position description technology—our students scored a has been approved and is waiting for the approval and funding by the “B” average both within individual university president). concentrations and as a department as a whole {please see Table of Means In the print journalism sequence, there was a low knowledge of and Grand Means on p.164 (for communication history and statistics. Both related were identical for broadcasting); p.167 (for print the public relations program; similarly, courses have been tweaked to journalism); and p. 171 (for PR) of strengthen these areas. this self-study}; and p.170 (Benchmarks and Cross-Discipline In the senior exit survey, students were asked to rate the quality of the Means (CDM) department on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being outstanding. The respondents’ means on the four indicators were higher than 4 out of 5. The mean response of the overall quality of the program was 4.25; while the faculty strength mean was 4.2; enhancing intellectual growth . was 4.41 and preparing you for your career was 4.21. Clearly, this is a program with promise.

(Infosource:Response—2008 Teams Comment/Delof/Acejm Accred/Assmt 2011-12-13)

6. Describe the process used to conduct the self-study, including the roles of faculty members, students and others. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the program discovered during the process, and describe any changes undertaken or planned as a result.

Transition from The JSU 4+7 to The JSU 5+7: The 12 Values and Competencies As a prelude to describing the process of the self-study, it seems appropriate and elucidatory to describe here our transition from The JSU 4+7 to The JSU 5+7, and how we are addressing the recent change from 11 to 12 values and competences by the ACEJMC.

Prior to its 2008 accreditation visit, our department adopted the 11 values and competences required by the ACEJMC as its major objectives, and personalized them to the department as The JSU 4+7—denoting four values and seven competences as we see them. The ACEJMC, as you know, later made two major changes in its values and competences: (1) the expansion of the definition of the objective we designate as Law by requiring that a program teach students the principles and laws of freedom of speech and press both in the domestic society and around the world; and (2) the bifurcation of diversity into domestic and global components. While the former did not alter the number of required values and competences, the latter increased that number from 11 to 12. Our faculty responded to the official publication of these two changes—first appearing in the 2010-2011 Journalism and Mass Communications Accreditation manual (pp. 42-43)—by revising our curriculum in two ways: (1) splitting diversity into two, thus creating what we call D-dive (for Domestic diversity) and G-dive (Global diversity); and (2) agreeing, 19

after much discussion, that developing and requiring a course in international/intercultural communication would be necessary if we are going to adequately address the global components of these two changes. Consequently, we also changed our slogan from The JSU 4+7 to The JSU 5+7—denoting five values and seven competences.

Developing a course in international/intercultural communication would require hiring another faculty with that expertise. Currently our Ayers chair position is vacant and may provide the opportunity to hire a faculty member with that expertise. However, because of budgetary constraints, the administration is delaying filling that position. Consequently, our faculty decided, as a stop-gap measure, to revise three existing and required courses—introduction to mass communication, communication law, and communication ethics—to include international components addressing global diversity and systems of freedom of expression around the world . We expect these revised courses to be taught no later than fall 2014 following approval, in fall 2013, by the different curriculum committees in the university.

In view of this transition, our activities and documents beginning from fall 2013 will reflect The JSU 5+7 in those areas where 5+7 is appropriate. On the other hand, the descriptions/narratives here concerning our learning outcomes assessment and self-study will be based on The JSU 4+7, as those were the objectives/outcomes in place prior to fall 2013 (i.e., during our self-study).

THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The Department of Communication offers a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with three concentrations—broadcasting, digital journalism (formerly print journalism), and public relations—all conforming to a conceptual framework we designate as The JSU 5+7.

This underpinning framework for the operation of the Department of Communication derives from the 12 professional values and competencies defined by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) as basic to the training of all future journalism and mass communications professionals. These values and competencies, in the words of the ACEJMC, are to: * understand and apply the principles and laws of freedom of speech and press for the country in which the institution that invites ACEJMC is located, as well as receive instruction in and understand the range of systems of freedom of expression around the world, including the right to dissent, to monitor and criticize power, and to assemble and petition for redress of grievances; * demonstrate an understanding of the history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping communications; * demonstrate an understanding of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and, as appropriate, other forms of diversity in domestic society in relation to mass communications; * demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of peoples and cultures and of the significance and impact of mass communications in a global society;

* understand concepts and apply theories in the use and presentation of images and information; * demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity; * think critically, creatively, and independently; * conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to the communications professions in which they work; * write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences, and purposes they serve; * critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness; * apply basic numerical and statistical concepts; * apply current tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions in which they work and to understand the digital world.

The JSU 5+7

The Department of Communication took ownership of the aforementioned 12 principles, interpreting them as consisting of five values and seven competencies, and hence creating the expression, “The JSU 5+7.” We adopted The JSU 5+7 as our major departmental objectives, whose implementation in our curriculum became a way to internalize these concepts in the daily life of the department. For functionality, we assign a mnemonic to each of the 12 objectives—law, history, domestic diversity, global diversity, ethics, theory, critical thinking, research, writing, editing, statistics, and technology. Next are the configuration and definitions of the five values and seven competencies, followed on the next page by an emblem of The JSU 5+7.

Five Values * Law. Understanding and applying the principles and laws of freedom of speech and press for the country in which the institution that invites ACEJMC is located, as well as receiving instruction in and understanding the range of systems of freedom of expression around the world, including the right to dissent, to monitor and criticize power, and to assemble and petition for redress of grievances. * History. Demonstrating an understanding of the history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping communications. * Domestic Diversity (or D-Dive). Demonstrate an understanding of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and, as appropriate, other forms of diversity in domestic society in relation to mass communications. * Global Diversity (or G-Dive) Demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of peoples and cultures and of the significance and impact of mass communications in a global society. * Ethics. Demonstrating an understanding of professional ethical principles and working ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity.

Seven Competencies * Theory. Understanding concepts and applying theories in the use and presentation of images and information. * Critical thinking. Thinking critically, creatively and independently. * Research. Conducting research and evaluating information by methods appropriate to the communications professions in which they work. *. Writing. Writing correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve. * Editing. Critically evaluating their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness. *. Basic Statistics. Applying basic numerical and statistical concepts. * Technology. Applying current tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions in which they work.

THE SELF-STUDY

The department’s self-study began officially on September 5, 2012 during a faculty meeting in which self-study committees were formed, and responsibilities assigned. The department created five committees as shown below:

Standards 1, 2, 4, & 9 Committee Standard 3 Committee Kingsley O. Harbor, chair Augustine Ihator, chair Mike Stedham Jeffrey B. Hedrick

Standards 5&6 Committee Standards 7&8 Committee Jerry Chandler, chair Jeffrey B. Hedrick, chair Augustine Ihator J. Patrick McGrail

Editing Committee Director of self study Mike Stedham Kingsley O. Harbor (dept. head) Kingsley O. Harbor

Each committee was charged with studying its respective standards and developing ways of gathering relevant information and preparing appropriate responses to those standards. The editing committee’s responsibility was to edit the self-study. Mr. Mike Stedham, a member of the editing committee, has been an adjunct college English instructor for more than 20 years and was a writer and editor at The Anniston Star, the city’s major newspaper, for more than a decade. A deadline for the first draft was agreed upon—February 28, 2013. Committees met later to assign specific standards to individual members. Committee chairs met with the self- study director formally and informally and as frequently as necessary to review the progress made and to know if there were areas of difficulty that we could collectively resolve.

February 28, 2013—Due Date for First Draft First drafts were submitted to the self-study director on February 28, 2013. He reviewed and returned comments to the committee members who went back and revised their copies. Revised copies were resubmitted to the director by July 31, 2013. The director who is also the head of department received a release time from his 50 percent teaching assignment in order to supervise both the learning outcomes assessment and the self-study. Learning outcomes assessment began a year earlier and continued concurrently with the self-study in 2012-2013.

Data collection Assessment Data. While the department administered two assessment methods—one indirect (senior exit survey) and one direct (internship)—on a regular basis, it formally began its comprehensive outcomes assessment for the January 2014 visit in 2011-2012 by implementing four direct methods of assessment—exit-exam, capstone project, course- embedded assessment, and internship. We have three capstone courses, corresponding to the three concentrations in the department, and they provide the forum for conducting most of our direct methods of assessment done in fall and spring.

Other Self-Study Data. Collection of other data for the self-study involved several other departments across the university—JSU’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment,

Alumni Office, the Houston Cole Library, Admissions Office, the Department of Human Resource, the Scholarship Office, and the Bursar’s Office.

Data Analysis. Data gathered in the self-study were analyzed jointly by the Department of Communication and the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. Specifically the senior exit survey, the student advisement survey, and the alumni survey were analyzed by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, while data from the direct methods of assessment were analyzed by our department. We also wrote the report.

Student and Faculty Involvement in Data Collection. Students were involved in all aspects of the data collection—the capstone project had students as the respondents/subjects; the exit exam had students as the respondents; the course-embedded used students’ class assignments; the internship had students as the subjects; and the surveys, except the alumni survey, had students as respondents. For the surveys involved in the study, we sought and obtained approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Jacksonville State University.

Similarly, all our faculty members participated in the study design, administration of tests, and data analysis.

STUDY FINDINGS

As listed below, results from our self-study suggest several areas of strength as well as weakness in the department.

STRENGTHS

Program strengths are reported here under three categories: (1) learning outcomes (The JSU 4+7), (2) operational outcomes (the non-JSU 4+7), and (3) anecdotal areas of strength—those not based on systematic, self-study data.

The JSU 4+7—the Learning Outcomes With respect to the eleven values and competencies (The JSU 4+7) which constitute the department’s learning outcomes, results of this self-study suggest eight areas of strength for the Department of Communication. They include, in a descending order: writing, diversity, technology, law, editing, ethics, critical thinking, and statistics, with their cross-discipline means (the average of students in all the three concentrations) ranging from 85.8 percent (for writing) down to 81.8 percent for statistics (for findings reported in this section, please see the “Tables of Mean and Grand Mean” in Standard 9, #3 of this self-study).

* Writing. Results from both direct and indirect methods of assessment suggest that our students are strongest in writing. The grand mean score from four direct methods shows that, among The JSU 4+7, broadcasting students obtained their highest score in writing; print journalism students obtained their second highest score in writing; and public relations students obtained their third highest score in writing. When the cross-discipline mean is calculated, writing again comes up as the outcome in which our students obtained their highest score.

Data from indirect measures further support this finding. The senior exit survey data show that our graduating seniors ranked writing as number one among The JSU 4+7 in terms of usefulness (see the table, “Perception of the Usefulness of The JSU 4+7” in standard 9, #3 of this self-study); and our alumni survey also shows writing as having the highest mean (see the table, “The Usefulness of my JSU Training,” in standard 9, #3. of self-study under alumni survey). Thus, there seems to be a consensus, in terms of both performance (direct measures/tests) and perception (indirect measures/surveys) that writing is our program’s strongest offering.

This finding also agrees with our 2007 self-study finding in which writing also ranked as number one. In support of this view, one of our alumni in 2007 wrote: “Located in Raleigh, NC and as an account supervisor at a PR firm, I interview and hire graduates of UNC-Chapel Hill. The program at JSU appears to be as comprehensive with the writing courses, and more diverse with the extent of the radio experience, as the program at UNC.”

* Diversity. The grand mean of the direct methods shows that public relations students scored highest in diversity among the 11 values and competencies (The JSU 4+7); print students scored second highest in diversity; and broadcasting students had their fourth highest score in diversity. However when the cross-discipline mean (CDM) is calculated, communication students as a whole received their second highest score in diversity (85.5%).

* Technology. Our students have made a significant progress in their knowledge of technology from our previous assessment to the present. Technology has the third highest cross-discipline mean (CDM) score in this assessment. It increased from 77 percent in our 2007 assessment to 85.1 percent in the 2013 assessment.

* Others. A similar case can be made for each of the remaining five outcomes—law, editing, ethics, critical thinking, and statistics. Thus, without becoming repetitive by describing each of them separately, it is accurate to report that data from this study suggest that each of these eight outcomes has a strong CDM that is not less than 81.8 percent. This suggests eight areas of strength in terms of The JSU 5+7 (see the CDM row in the Broadcasting Concentration Table of Means and Grand Means--Standard 9, #3).

Non-JSU 4+7—the Operational Outcomes These areas of strength discovered by our self-study, although not among our learning outcomes (The JSU 4+7), are germane to the accomplishment of those outcomes.

* Faculty strength and cohesiveness. Thirty-six of the 77 graduating seniors who responded to exit survey (46.8%) provided additional comments: 2.78 percent of the comments were criticism; 38.9 percent were suggestions; 55.6 percent were praises toward the department’s programs, faculty, and staff; and 2.78 percent were mixed. By far the most frequently cited program strength by our graduating seniors was our faculty—their experience, supportiveness, and concern for students.

of these seniors (82.19%) indicated an interest in attending graduate school here should the department develop a graduate program in Communication, a challenge we take seriously.

Furthermore, our faculty has moved from one that was divided in 2003—when Professor Lattimore, an ACEJMC consultant, visited us—to one that is cohesive and focused, much like a family. We attribute much of our success with our initial accreditation to faculty cohesiveness, which, according to these data, remains true today.

* Job placement. Results from senior exit survey suggest that our job placement is strong. Nearly half (48.68%) of the graduating seniors surveyed reported that they had accepted or were considering a job offer prior to graduation. Those without a job offer by graduation time estimated their likelihood of a job offer within six months of graduation to be 3.76 on a scale of 5 (see graduating senior results in Standard 9, #3).

* Internship/Practical experience. Results from our alumni survey conducted during this self-study showed that more than half of the respondents—71.9%—reported internship as being the most beneficial course during their training at JSU (see the alumni survey report— Standard 9, #3 of this self-study). Our students’ performance in their internships—as shown by data from the direct method (internship)—bears out this alumni survey result (see Tables of Mean and Grand Mean in the three concentrations—Standard 9, #3).

In addition to internship, our students are exposed to extensive amount of in-house practical training prior to both internship and graduation. The student newspaper, the radio station, and JSU’s Television Services—all provide in-house opportunities for students. Following our previous accreditation visit, we instituted a mandatory media workshop and all of our students must work in at least one of the student media for at least two semesters before their internship and three semesters before their graduation. Students put in three to six credit-hour work (three hours required, another three hours optional) at the student media. Many have resorted to obtaining cross-media experience—radio, newspaper, and television—while they are still working on their degrees.

Anecdotal areas of strength * Facilities. Our facilities are state of the art—computer lab, radio lab, television studios, and edit bays—all with new equipment. We also have multi-media/smart technology equipment in all our classrooms. We have a relatively new communication library for our students’ use in our building (Self Hall), although we are continuing to seek books and other materials to fill the racks. The table below shows newly purchased items for our broadcast program.

* Strong Administrative Support. The university and the college are solidly in support of the Department of Communication as demonstrated by their willingness to provide resources in support of the progress of the department. As any unit administrator knows, this is an essential ingredient for success. We have a university administration that is fully committed to the notion of quality as demonstrated by its goal of having all units with accrediting agencies become accredited. Obviously our becoming accredited in 2008 has heightened the administration’s appreciation and support of our department.

Field Equipment Studio Equipment

Number Maker Model Type Number Maker Model Type

6 Sony HXR-NX5U Video camera 3 JVC GY-HM790U Studio camera

6 Varizoom Tripod 3 Prompter Flex D17 Teleprompter VZ-TK75A People

6 Pearstone DVC-777 Digital Video 1 Tricaster 855 (upgradeable Production video Camera Bag to 860) switcher

4 (licenses) Adobe Production Video Editing 1 Blackmagic Hyper Deck Disk recorder Premium CS6 Software

2 Blackmagic (attached to 480 Gb Hard drive Hyperdeck)

WEAKNESSES

Since no program is perfect, the success of a self-study is measured not by the absence of a weakness but by the ability of the study to discover and rectify those weaknesses that a unit might otherwise not recognize. Thus, we consider the ability of our self-study to discover our weaknesses as a sign that the study did accomplish its goal. Our ultimate responsibility, therefore, is to correct those weaknesses. The weak areas of our program are listed below.

The JSU 4+7 * Broadcast deficiency in theory—understanding concepts and applying theories. Results from four direct measures showed a low knowledge of theory among broadcasting students (see the grand outcome mean in the table of means). While print journalism and public relations students scored 82.7 percent and 81.7 percent respectively in theory, broadcasting students scored 74.3 percent which is significantly lower than any of the former two. Secondly, a review of our assessment process showed that the definition of theory was ambiguous and needed some clarity, and that the score on knowledge of theory, in the exit exam alone, was quite low within the broadcast sequence (a score of 66%).

* Print and PR deficiency in research—conduct research and evaluate information. While broadcasting students scored above average (81%) in research, print and public relations students scored 76 percent and79.7 percent respectively. While these are no failing grades, we believe that they could be better, and hence we consider it a deficiency. A review of the data suggests that the less-than-above-average score (78.9%) obtained in research, as shown by the cross- discipline mean (CDM) of 78.9 percent, is traceable to the exit exam scores in all three concentrations (see the Broadcasting Table of Means and Grand Means, Standard 9, #3).

communication history across the three concentrations. History was one of two outcomes, among The JSU 4+7 elements tested, that students obtained a consistently low mean score (below 75%) in all three concentrations (see Tables of Mean and Grand Mean for the three sequences).

* Inability to reach students of all learning styles. Data from this study suggest that despite the above-average scores obtained in a significant majority of the outcomes (9 out of 11), there are still some broadcasting students who are not doing well. For instance, a look at the range statistics (see the Broadcasting Table of Means and Grand Means—Standard 9, #3) reveals that within the capstone method, there is at least one student with a score of 40 percent in the seven outcomes measured by the capstone project; within the course-embedded method, there is at least one student with a score of 38 percent in statistics; and within the exit exam method, there is at least one student with a score of 10 percent in history. We recognize that with majority of students doing very well, it is easy to overlook the few that are not, and our faculty wants to avoid that.

* Deficiency of exit exam. We recognize that exit exam is not one of our learning outcomes, but we also know that learning cannot be effectively managed if it cannot be measured or measured accurately. This is why we include exit exam deficiency here as a program weakness. Based on the row averages (average of all outcomes measured by each direct method), our students consistently made the lowest score in the exit exam as compared to the other three direct methods, and this is true for all three concentrations in the department (see Tables of Mean and Grand Mean for the three concentrations).

Additionally, senior exit survey result revealed that students feel that the time for exit exam preparation was inadequate, and should be extended to allow them to put their best efforts into the exam.

* High number of internship hours. Both our senior exit survey and our alumni survey contained comments, albeit by a minority of respondents, asking for a reduction in the number of hours we require for internship. Currently that stands at 350 hours.

* Student knowledge of graduation requirements. The student advisement survey we conducted during this self-study revealed that some students are still having problem with information on graduation requirements despite our inclusion of such information in every syllabus and our requirement that all faculty review that information along with their course syllabi at the start of every class each semester.

CLOSING THE LOOP: DATA-DRIVEN CHANGES

Our faculty is pleased with the overall results of our self-study and wants to build on this record by continuing to seek ways to improve our students’ performance. As discussed above, our students’ weakness in history was evident in all three concentrations, as was the weakness of our exit exam across the three concentrations.

In response to the seven weaknesses found above, we have seven changes listed below—some of which have been implemented, while others await implementation in 2014-2015.

I. Improving students’ knowledge of theory. Because broadcast students’ performance in theory was average (74.3%), lower than any of the other two concentrations, we reviewed our assessment of theory and found its definition to be ambiguous. We redefined theory to encompass social scientific theory, as well as theoretical concepts found in theory classes such as law, ethics, history, introduction to mass communication, and others. The new definition will also be applied to our measuring instruments including the exit exam.

II. Improving Print and PR deficiency in research. A review of the data suggests that Print and PR low scores in research may be tied to a deficiency in our exit-exam, which consistently registered the lowest scores in research among all three methods used to measure research and across all three concentrations in the department. Thus improving the exit exam (as proposed here in closing the loop) might hold the key to improving performance in research.

III. Improving students’ knowledge of JMC history. Because our students, based on results of the direct methods, received their lowest scores (a low ‘C’) in history consistently across the three concentrations in the department, we reviewed our teaching of history in the department and found that while we had made some changes in history as a result of our 2007-08 outcomes assessment, those changes were not fully implemented, and this may have led to the repeated low performance in history. In 2008, we established that history research papers would be assigned in three required courses, but only one research paper was actually done. Our faculty has reiterated that those three research papers have to be fully implemented henceforth, and that the respective course instructors will take the responsibility to do so. The head of department will monitor its implementation. See the table of “Post Assessment Emphasis on History,” next page, which shows the courses in the three concentrations where a history research paper will be required.

IV. Improving teaching to reach students of all learning styles. Our self-study data revealed that there are some students in our program who are falling through the crack in several skills that we teach. As a consequence, we have decided to adopt a 21st Century teaching/learning model so as to be able to reach all students enrolled in our courses, regardless of their learning styles. The 21st Century learning model is characterized by collaborative learning that is student-centered, flexible and dynamic in structure, while at the same time challenging to students in terms of creativity and innovation. There is significant data attesting to its effectiveness in reaching otherwise unreachable students. This is an idea that both our college and the university have willingly embraced. By the end of the spring semester of 2014, most of our classrooms will have been redesigned with the 21st Century model classroom in mind. Thus we estimate that this concept will be operational within the 2014-2015 academic year.

POST-ASSESSMENT EMPHASIS ON HISTORY—RESEARCH PAPERS

BROADCASTING DIGITAL JOURNALISM PUBLIC RELATIONS

HISTORY HISTORY HISTORY Core Post- Core Post- Core Courses Post- Courses Asmt Courses Asmt Asmt COM 200 - COM 200 COM 200- Intro Mass RP Intro Mass RP Intro Mass Com RP Com Com

COM 205 RP COM 315 - RP COM 315 - Intro to RP Intro B/cast Intro to News Writ. News COM 380 COM 380 - COM Law RP COM Law RP COM 380 - Com. Law RP

Legend RP = Identifies courses where a history research paper is required of students. Post-Asmt. = Post-assessment.

Note: Based on assessment result, we now require students to do three research papers by time of graduation.

V. Improving teaching by improving our measuring instrument (the exit exam). Our exit exam was found to be weak in the areas of history, theory, and research. Improving the exam will improve how we measure student learning, which in turn should improve our teaching. Based on self-study findings, we will review and revise—in 2014-2015—our exit exam contents, especially those dealing with history, theory, and research. We will also extend the student preparation time for taking the exit exam from one week to three weeks following the refresher lectures. Furthermore, we will administer the exam earlier, rather than later, in the semester. These actions are expected to contribute to the solution of two weaknesses noted above— “Broadcast deficiency in theory” and “Print and PR deficiency in research.”

VI. Improving students’ knowledge of graduation requirements. Informed by assessment results, we developed and included a one page form—Graduation Requirements Form— in all syllabi in the department in fall 2007 (see a sample of this form below) to improve student knowledge of graduation requirements. 2013 self-study data show that some students are not using the form. At the beginning of each semester, a course instructor, as s/he introduces the course syllabus, devotes some time to discuss that page of graduation requirements. While students may not read their syllabi frequently, we expected that by calling attention to the content of this page in every communication class and over several semesters, there would be a noticeable difference in their level of knowledge of graduation requirements. We said at that time that we will rely on future study to confirm or disconfirm this expectation, and would respond in accordance with results of such a study.

As results of the student advisement survey done during this self-study suggest, there is still some concern among our students concerning graduation requirements (see Standard 6, #11—Student suggestions of advisement improvement). Although, this concern is expressed by only eight percent of the respondents, we consider it necessary that we take action to

improve their knowledge of information in the department. The information is there, but obviously they do not read it. So, our task now is to get them to read and utilize it, and hence the procedure that follows.

(a) Have students bring the Graduation Requirements form to each advisement session. (b) Discuss with them what they think about the form. “Is it clear? How could we improve it so that you know more about graduation requirements?" (c) On the column for "Expected Completion," have the student indicate the semester during which he or she plans to fulfill that requirement. That will give the student a realistic estimate of when he or she will be able to graduate. (d) Place a copy of the Graduation Requirements form on department’s website so that students will have another way to access the form. (e) Record each advisement meeting in the regular advisement form which you and the student normally sign at the end of each meeting. (f) Include Graduation Requirements form in the department’s Student Handbook.

VII. Improving curriculum by reducing internship hours. In response to (graduating students’ and alumni’s) survey data, indicating the desire to reduce the number of internship hours required by the department, our faculty has deliberated and decided to reduce our internship hours from 350 to 250, and this will go into effect beginning in summer, 2014.

Department of Communication Graduation Requirement Form

Dear Communication student, this form is for your own record. We want you to use this form to evaluate yourself to assist you in knowing how far or how close you are to graduation. Note that this form is not a substitute for the university catalog, the student handbook or for consultation with your advisor regarding your graduation status. Keeping your own record here facilitates that process.

Student______Concentration ______Date ______

YES NO EXPECTED COMPLETION 1. Completed 32 residency hours (i.e., at JSU)? 2. Has no more than 12 hours of correspondence work? 3. No more than 12 semester hours (or equivalent) in journalism transferred from jnr college? 4. Completed General Studies? 5. Completed Remedial courses (if applicable)? 6. Has a minor area of study? 7. Completed the required 128 hours with 2.0 average on all work? 8. Has “C” or better on each minor & major course? 9. Has 36 hours of courses in 300 or above level? 10. Has 12 hrs. advanced work in major at JSU? 11. Has 6 hrs. advanced work in minor at JSU? 12. Has the required 39 or 45 hrs in communication? 13. Has passed the ECE? 14. Has taken the CBASE? 15. Has taken the exit-exam? 16. Has met the 72/50 or 72/53 requirement? (Consult with your advisor on this) 17. Has passed appropriate capstone course? 18. Has had exit interview? 19. Has completed & submitted a portfolio? 20. Has satisfied all departmental requirements? (Consult with advisor) (Graduation requirements revised: 2/7/13) Important notes, please • There will be no early exams. Exams will be taken at university scheduled times, except under extraordinary circumstance. • Graduation is not automatic. Student must apply in order to graduate, and to do so, please go to the department secretary to obtain necessary papers and directives.

WISHING YOU A VERY SUCCESSFUL SEMESTER!!

7. Provide copies of pages of the undergraduate catalogs and other publications that describe the mission and scope of the unit, its curriculum, administrative and graduation requirements. (These items may be presented in the appendices binder.)

Please see Appendix II. Supplementary Info., #7. “Catalogue Pages—Mission and Scope.”

Part II, Standard 1. Mission, Governance and Administration

Self-Hall—Home and Administrative Building of the Communication Department

During the visit, the unit should provide the following documents in the workroom: • internal reports on curriculum, educational policy, etc. • files related to searches and hiring decisions regarding administrators • files related to concerns and complaints expressed by faculty, staff or students

Executive summary (optional).

The Department of Communication enjoys a collegial atmosphere that encourages innovation and exchange of ideas among its faculty, staff, and students. Administration of the department relies on participatory governance, involving faculty, staff, and students as much as possible. This process is achieved through, among other strategies, the use of departmental committees to accomplish the goals and objectives of the department. We have five standing committees in the department—activity planning, publication and publicity, diversity, student grievance, and curriculum committees—each chaired by a faculty member. Four of the five committees have at least one student member in each. Each faculty member either chairs one or more committees or holds another leadership position in the department. This process allows for faculty and students to have active participation in departmental governance. Our department’s policy manual specifies the role of faculty in departmental governance. See Appendix II.1.0. Executive Summary. “Communication Policy Manual.”

Departmental operation follows the department’s mission statement, which has been translated into our strategic long-range plan document that guides the department’s regular activities.

The department head is a member of several committees both at the college and at the university levels, and chairs some of those committees. His membership on committees external to the department enables him to ensure that the department’s interest is both represented and protected college-wide as well as university-wide.

Please respond to each of the following instructions:

1. Describe the administrative structure of the unit, including to whom the unit administrator reports to within the university. Include names and titles. The information should extend from the lowest level of administrative responsibility within the unit to the institution’s chief executive officer.

Department Head--Dr. Kingsley O. Harbor. This position is recognized as a primary leadership position in the university. The head manages five budgets—department, newspaper, radio station, endowed chair, and Foundation accounts. He oversees faculty hiring, class scheduling, curriculum development and management; and he represents the department to the higher administration and the outside public. The head interprets university policies and procedures to faculty, staff, and students, and participates in their implementation. The occupant of that position, Dr. Kingsley O. Harbor, has served as the head of this department since spring 2002.

He came to Jacksonville State University with more than eight years of experience as a department chair. He has a strong work ethics that demands a fair treatment of all faculty, staff and students, and he enjoys the respect of faculty, staff, students, and the higher administration.

Secretary—Mrs. Tammy Mize. The secretary maintains the department head’s office calendar, schedules faculty meetings for the department, and helps students within the department. She is responsible for departmental records and maintains the budgets. She types and word-processes documents, and keeps track of departmental activities making sure they are executed timely.

Manager of Student Media—Mr. Mike Stedham. The manager oversees and ensures effective operation of both student media—radio station WLJS and newspaper, The Chanticleer— which are in the department. He also advises the student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). He teaches for the department on a part-time basis.

Ayers Chair (Vacant). The Ayers Chair teaches half-time and engages half-time in professional activities that link the department to the professional world of communication. S/he brings prominence to the Department of Communication.

Internship Coordinator—Mr. Jerry Chandler. The internship coordinator organizes and oversees the department’s internship program. Assistant Professor Chandler is a journalism

educator as well as practitioner, and that enables him to cultivate and develop additional internship sites for placement of our students.

Advisor, Public Relations Organization (PRO)—Dr. Augustine Ihator. The advisor oversees and advises the Public Relations Organization student chapter at Jacksonville State University. As the major professor in the public relations sequence, he engages students in the practical aspects of public relations so as to complement what he teaches them in class. For instance, the PRO is responsible for much of the department’s publicity and promotional activities for communication week, alumni reunion, and other events held by the department.

Tech Master—Dr. Jeffrey Hedrick, assisted by Mr. Stedham, is in charge of technological innovation in the department—updating and maintaining the department’s technological infrastructure.

The College Dean—Dr. John B. Hammett is the dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies. The Communication Department is a part of the professional studies arm of the College of Education and Professional Studies, and the Communication department head reports to the dean of that college. The dean administers the second largest college on campus. It offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in education. The dean articulates the needs of both the education as well as the professional studies components of the college to the university administration, and ensures equitable distribution of resources to the various departments making up the college.

2. Describe the unit’s process for strategic or long-range planning. Attach a copy of the unit’s written strategic or long-range plan. This plan should give the date of adoption/revision and any timeline for achieving stated goals.

The Department of Communication’s strategic plan derives from the mission and goals of Jacksonville State University—as expressed in the institution’s strategic plan—and extends in the areas of the department’s disciplinary interests that conform to the University’s mission. The department’s strategic plan begins with the department identifying and articulating its purpose—constituencies, geographic location, market niches, as well as its products—and how to achieve such a purpose. The department faculty meets and develops specific and measurable objectives that can be accomplished within a period of time, say, five years. Then the head of department, with continued faculty input, expressly develops these five-year goals into a step-by-step, carefully articulated plan aimed at achieving the goals. The resultant long- range (in this case, five-year) plan then goes into implementation following its schedule or timeline. The department’s five-year plan (see Appendix II.1.2. “Strategic Long-range Plan.”) follows a process of: a) breaking down each goal into its component objectives, each of whose method of accomplishment is stated in a measurable term; b) describing a step-by-step process for accomplishing each objective; c) assigning responsibility for each task to a specific party; d) determining and assigning a specific date for each task’s accomplishment; e) providing intermittent progress report between the begin-date and the end-date of a task; and f) specifying the metric or benchmark for successful completion of each objective.

As the process progresses, each task, based on its intermittent progress reports, is discontinued upon accomplishment. At the end of the period, if any task remains incomplete, it is analyzed (to determine the reason for non-accomplishment), revised, and reinstituted into the plan for ultimate accomplishment during the next cycle of the plan. That next cycle of the strategic plan usually consists of new goals and any revised old ones that may remain from the previous cycle.

PRISM is Jacksonville State University’s information management system that facilitates strategic planning at the University. Annual reports and continuous documentation of improvements are made possible through the use of PRISM. Currently the university is replacing the current version of PRISM with Compliance Assist, a new planning system, for its strategic planning.

3. Describe the unit’s policies and procedures for faculty governance. Provide copies of faculty policy manuals, handbooks or other documents specifying policies, procedures and the roles of faculty and students in governance and in development of educational policy and curriculum. (These may be included in the appendices binder or in a digital file.)

Sources of departmental policies include the university catalog, student and faculty handbooks, as well as direct faculty and student inputs. See Attachment II.1.3. “Copies of Faculty Policy Manual and Handbooks.” All full-time faculty members participate in faculty meetings. While part-time faculty members are not required by university policy to attend faculty meetings, they are welcome to participate in departmental meetings and other functions, and some do. The Department of Communication has five standing committees— Activity Planning, Publicity and Publications, Diversity, Student Grievance, and Curriculum Committees (see a table of Committees in the Department of Communication, below). Students serve on most departmental committees, and the department seeks and obtains their input into educational policies through these committees and senior exit surveys.

To initiate a change, any faculty member may propose a change to the head of department who reviews the proposal with respect to its possible conflict with existing University policy. If such a conflict exists, but is minor, and the department head views the change as necessary for the department, the head takes it up with the Council of Department Heads chaired by the college dean for discussion, and the head will relay the result of such a presentation back to the department faculty. If, on the other hand, the proposal is within the provisions of the university’s policies and procedures, the department head will table such a proposal before the full (department) faculty meeting for discussion. Should the issue require additional information, the head of department, who chairs the department meeting, appoints an ad-hoc committee to study the matter further and come up with a recommendation for the full faculty meeting to consider. All committee and faculty meeting decisions, except administrative ones involving budgetary restraints, are decided by majority votes of members. Thus, policy changes are approved or disapproved based on the results of such votes.

At the University level, there are communication faculty representatives on numerous college and university committees. Many college committees have a communication faculty representative, and there is a communication faculty member of the University Faculty

Senate. These representatives, by liaising between department faculty and the respective university committees, become a conduit for policy formulation and/or revision.

Curriculum management—development of new courses, deletion or changes in existing courses, initiation of new programs, and program modifications—is the responsibility of the Curriculum Committee. As much as it is possible, we try to have as members of this committee representatives from each of the three concentrations in our department.

4. How often did the faculty meet during the most recent academic year? Traditionally the department meets once a month, except during the summer months when meetings are called as the necessity arises. This schedule, however, changed during our self- study year—2012-2013—when we met as frequently as it was necessary to do the work. Specifically, we held department faculty meetings during the 2012-2013 session on July 13, 2012; October 8, 2012; October 29, 2012; March 1, 2013; and June 6, 2013. These did not include emergency/called meetings or meetings held during the fall of 2013.

5. List faculty membership on and responsibilities of the unit’s standing and ad hoc committees. (The list should include the names of faculty serving on each committee.)

As the table on the next page shows, the department has five standing committees and one ad hoc committee. The ad hoc committee is the department’s search committee. See table (below) for details.

STANDING COMMITTEES Committee Responsibility Membership Activity Plans and executes 1. Mr. Jerry Chandler, chair Planning all departmental 2. Mr. Mike Stedham, co-chair activities 3. Dr. Augustine Ihator 4. Dr. Patrick McGrail’ 5. Zach Tyler, student member 6. Claire Jacobs, student member Publicity & Oversees and produces all 1. Mr. Mike Stedham, chair Publication departmental publicities 2. Dr. Kingsley O. Harbor and publications 3. Editor of The Chanticleer (student member)— Kara Coleman 4. Program director of WLJS (Student member)— Curtis Holman Diversity Plans and implements 1. Dr. Augustine Ihator, chair departmental 2. Dr. Jeffery B. Hedrick diversity policies 3. Eassey Kayla (student member) 4. LaTonya Bowie (minority & student member) 5. Brandon Bush (minority & student member) 6. Justin Johnson (minority & student member) 7. Mara Mattison (student member) 8. Benjamin Puckett (minority & student member) 9. Kaylen Simmons (student member) 10. Jacob Smith (student member) 11. Ellori White (minority & student member) 12. Kalina Durr (minority & student member) 13. Brianna Chester (minority & student member) 14. LaTonya Pyant (minority & student member) Student Oversees and adjudicates 1. Mr. Jerry Chandler, chair Grievance students’ appeals 2. Dr. Augustine Ihator 3. Seth Cain, student member 4. Haleigh Tibbs, student member Curriculum Oversees and manages 1. Dr. Augustine Ihator, chair department’s curricula 2. Dr. Jeffery Hedrick 3. Dr. J. Patrick McGrail 4. Dr. Kingsley O. Harbor, ex-officio

ADHOC COMMITTEE Search Recruiting faculty for the 1. All full-time faculty members Committees department 2. Student member

OTHER LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT

Represents the department Faculty at the University Faculty Dr. J. Patrick McGrail Senator Senate Library Overseas department’s Liaison library acquisitions Dr. Jeffrey B. Hedrick 38

6. Describe the procedures for selecting unit administrators.

Jacksonville State University uses the term, “department head” rather than “chair,” to denote its departmental leaders. Authorization for all academic employments—new or replacement positions—emanates from the office of the provost and vice president for academic and student affairs.

The procedure for selecting a department head begins with the dean obtaining approval for such appointment by completing and sending the necessary forms to the provost and vice president for academic and student affairs requesting to advertise such vacancy. Prior to submitting a request to the provost, the dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies (where the Department of Communication resides), with communication faculty input, develops an appropriate job description for the position. That job description is a part of the request forms sent by the dean to the provost for approval. The provost approves the request by signing and forwarding the relevant personnel forms to the university’s Department of Human Resources, which then advertises the vacancy in several national job-advertising outlets. These outlets will include those suggested by the dean and the communication faculty as well as others identified by the Human Resources Department. Usually such outlets would include the AEJMC, the Broadcast Education Association (BEA), The Chronicle of Higher Education, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Chronicle.com, HigherEDJobs.com, HBCU CareerCenter.com, InsideHigherEd.com, Alabama Job link, as well as the university’s website.

The dean then forms a search committee and appoints its chair (usually the associate dean). The committee will comprise a number of communication faculty members, an outside member from across the campus, and a student member. Under the tutelage of the search committee chair, each of the committee members will rank the applications received based on agreed-upon criteria, which will include the desired as well as required qualifications for that position. Committee members’ rankings will be aggregated by the search committee chair, and, usually, the top three applications are selected by the committee. The committee chair appoints three committee members who will call the three candidates to ascertain their continued interest in the position. Following the confirmation of candidates’ continued interests, the callers would also inform them that the committee wishes to proceed with reference check.

Upon a successful reference check, the three candidates are invited to campus—one at a time—for interview. The names and complete files of the top three candidates are forwarded to the dean, the provost, and the president whose schedules would already have been checked to ensure they could meet with the candidates for interview.

Candidates’ interviews include meeting with search committee members as a group at breakfast, lunch, and supper; meeting with the dean one-on-one; meeting with the provost one-on-one; meeting with the president one-on-one; teaching a class; meeting with students informally; touring departmental facilities, the campus, and the town; and meeting with the communication faculty for a question-and-answer session. At the end of each candidate’s lecture session with students, students are immediately asked to complete a survey evaluating the candidate’s performance. Upon completing all interviews, the search committee meets

again to evaluate candidates’ overall performances within and outside the department—with the dean, the provost, and the president.

Committee members will finally rank the three candidates. The top candidate is slated for an offer. But before an offer is made, the decision to make an offer will be sent to the dean again with the candidate’s file. The dean concurs or revises the offer and forwards it, with her/his comments, to the provost, who similarly concurs or revises it and forwards it with his/her comments to the president. The president makes the final decision to hire or not. Concurrent with this process of recommending an offer, the candidate is notified that a recommendation to hire has been made and that a criminal background check of candidate is required at this time. Candidate completes appropriate form and returns it to the Department of Human Resources for background check.

Upon a successful background check and presidential approval to hire, the dean calls the candidate to make her/him an offer. If the offer is rejected, this process is repeated with the next candidate in the hierarchy until an offer is accepted. Upon candidate accepting an offer, JSU sends the candidate a contract form to sign and return by a specific date. As soon as the completed contract is signed and returned to the office of the provost, the process is complete and that unit head joins the university and the unit on the date specified in the contract.

The hiring process is entirely online now. No paper is submitted at any point, except for the letter of appointment and contract.

7. Describe the process for evaluating unit administrators and summarize the results of the most recent evaluation.

Evaluation of department heads in the College of Education and Professional Studies here at Jacksonville State University has three components—teaching evaluation by students (this includes advisement), administrative evaluation by faculty, and overall evaluation by the college dean.

Teaching evaluation of all faculty, including the department head, is conducted toward the end of every semester including summer. In the last three academic years, the teaching evaluation system in the university has changed from classroom evaluation of instructors to an online system known as the IDEA CENTER. The IDEA, as it is generally known, is an evaluation system that sends out evaluation instruments to students electronically toward the end of each semester. Following that, students are reminded on several occasions to complete the questionnaire. Results of this evaluation are distributed to all faculty, including unit administrators—each receiving the results of the evaluation of each course the instructor taught during that semester.

Administrative evaluation of unit head by faculty is anonymous, and conducted directly by the dean’s office. The dean confidentially sends out an evaluation instrument to all full-time faculty members in the department indicating a deadline for the return of completed questionnaire. The questionnaire solicits faculty responses in four areas—the department head’s role as a mediator between the administration and faculty; department head’s handling of budgetary matters; her/his leadership ability; and her/his professionalism. Questions

measuring these skills are quantified and tallied to produce a quantitative assessment of the head’s performance on a scale of 1 to 5.

In academic year 2012-2013, Jacksonville State University added a university wide annual evaluation for staff that included department heads. The instrument requires department heads to develop personal goals and objectives for the upcoming academic year. At the end of the academic year, department heads are evaluated by their supervisor on performance criteria related to 1) Accomplishments, 2) Service and Relationships, 3) Accountability and Dependability, 4) Adaptability and Flexibility, and 5) Decision Making and Problem Solving. The rating system is 1 (Rarely Achieves Expectations) to 4 (Consistently Exceeds Expectations).

The third component of department head’s evaluation—evaluation by the dean—is scheduled at the end of each academic year. The dean utilized the college level evaluation of department heads to score the new university-wide evaluation. The department head meets with the dean to discuss the outcome of the evaluation. At that time, goals and objectives are discussed. Job duties and professional growth goals are discussed. If necessary, appropriate performance improvement strategies are discussed.

A Summary of Department Head’s Most Recent Evaluation

Presented below is a report of the 2012-13 evaluation of the head of the Department of Communication—Dr. Kingsley O. Harbor—reported verbatim in the dean’s words.

Dr. Kingsley Harbor Department Head Evaluation 2012-2013 July 2, 2013

Administration Dr. Harbor continues to develop and maintain regular departmental reports that include the five-year plan, annual report, annual budget planning, scheduling, and monthly faculty meetings. He leads the department with the knowledge, skills, and abilities that reflect progress the department has made under his direction. Dr. Harbor’s efforts in seeking ACEJMC re-accreditation are to be commended. Through much effort the department will be visited January 26-29, 2014, for its first re-accreditation review. The department has continued to collect data for the assessment report, and is currently undergoing a self-study in readiness for the 2014 visit by the ACEJMC. Dr. Harbor and his faculty have revised the departmental curriculum to reflect the new focus of the department. In compliance with recent changes in ACEJMC accreditation standards, the department’s conceptual framework, The JSU 4+7— representing 4 values and 7 competencies that graduates accomplish while enrolled in the department—has been revised to five values and seven competencies or The JSU 5+7.

The Department continues its focus on Communication Week for students enrolled in the various programs. Emphasis during this week focuses on professionalism in the field of communication and is highlighted with a luncheon to honor graduating seniors and other outstanding communication students. An impressive list of guest speakers is always scheduled to provide motivation and encouragement for attendees. In addition, the Summer Journalism Workshop was offered to high school students interested in careers in communication. Students

from several surrounding public and private school settings attended. Responses from high school students, faculty, and parents were very positive. Dr. Harbor and his faculty devoted their personal time to hold the conference and provided various communication experiences for those enrolled. The department also sponsored the Ayers Lecture Series, held March 3-5, 2013. The speaker for this lecture series was the Civil rights historian and Pulitzer Prize winner, Diane McWhorter.

Teaching Dr. Harbor’s focus this past year has been on the ACEJMC re-accreditation review. Because of this focus and emphasis, he received a course reduction. He will resume full teaching responsibilities in 2014-2015.

Scholarship In the years before the self-study, Dr. Harbor had presented at professional conferences, published in professional journals, and obtained grants for scholastic journalism. His most recent grant was from the Alabama Press Association (APA) for the June 9-13, 2013 Summer Journalism Institute here at JSU. He continues to review papers for the African Studies Review, an international journal on African studies.

Service Dr. Harbor served on university (7), college (4), and departmental (1+) committees in 2012- 2013. He holds membership in six professional associations. Committees include: Enrollment Management, Communication Board, Committee for Recruitment and Retention of African- American Faculty and Staff, Institutional Effectiveness Committee, Tuition Remission Committee, Printing and Publication Committee, Council of Department Heads, Communication Advisory Board, College Curriculum Committee, College Faculty Hearing Committee, College Advisory Committee. Memberships include: AEJMC, International Communication Division of AEJMC, Minorities and Communication Division of AEJMC, Ethics Div. AEJMC, Small Programs Interest Group of AEJMC.

Dr. Harbor participated in Preview Days and advised current and prospective students in the Department. He represents the Department of Communication well, serving as a leader for faculty within his department. He brings fresh ideas to the Council of Department Heads and should be considered a strength to the department, college, and university as a whole.

Professional Growth His scholarship had slowed down during the past year, and understandably so given the ongoing self-study that he directs. He should continue to seek scholarly involvement through professional presentations and publication in the field of Communication, and resume full teaching responsibilities in fall 2014.

8. Describe the unit’s process for timely and equitable resolution of complaints and concerns expressed by faculty, staff or students.

Faculty and staff will usually channel their complaints to the department head, and the nature of the issue involved will determine how the department head approaches the resolution. If it is a complaint against another faculty or staff, the head will hold separate meetings with each party to listen to each side of the story. He comes up with what he considers a reasonable solution, and convenes a meeting of the two parties together to lay before them his proposed solution. The matter ends there if both agree to the solution, but if not, the three parties in the meeting will discuss the matter further until an agreeable solution is found.

If the complaint is by a student against a faculty member, but not about grade, the department head holds separate meetings with each party, weighs the faculty member’s action against relevant University policies as well as against stipulations in the faculty member’s syllabus for that class. (Dr. Harbor always encourages faculty members to regard their course syllabi as a form of contract with students in the sense that a course syllabus should guide that course’s operation). The head then comes up with what he considers a reasonable solution, invites the faculty member separately to advise her/him of this possible solution to the problem. The head also relays that proposed solution to the student. If both parties are satisfied, then the instructor will carry out the proposed solution in the class and the matter ends there. However, should any of the parties not agree to the solution, then alternative solutions would be explored until the matter is resolve. The student is, however, advised of other available options should s/he decide to pursue the matter beyond departmental level.

Grade appeals follow a different process. The student appealing a course grade is required first to consult with the course instructor to clarify the reason for the grade. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of that meeting, the student then can proceed to the department head—submitting to the department head a written letter, along with all supporting documents, protesting the assigned grade. The department head sends the documents to the department’s Student Grievance Committee which also oversees grade appeals. The committee reviews the matter, invites the student to present her/his case before the committee, and later invites the instructor for the instructor’s version. Based on the presentations, the committee deliberates and comes up with a recommendation for the department head regarding the appeal. The department head can endorse the recommendation or suggest to the committee a revision to the recommendation. If the head endorses the recommendation, he will advise the student of the result of the appeal as well as the student’s right to accept or reject the recommendation. In the event of a rejection, the student is advised of her/his option to appeal that decision to the College of Education and Professional Studies Advisory Committee, which handles grade appeals at the college level. This committee reviews grade appeals, makes a recommendation to the dean who can accept, reject or modify the recommendation. The dean advises the appellant of the final decision and the appellant’s right to accept or reject and proceed with further appeal beyond the college. The course instructor is also apprised of the outcome of the appeal.

Part II, Standard 2. Curriculum and Instruction

During the visit, the unit should provide the following documents in the workroom: • a complete set of syllabi for all courses offered by the unit during the current term, the immediate past regular term, and the immediate past summer and special session (including interim terms and courses offered by correspondence or distance education).

Executive summary (optional). It is important to note that while we have transited from 11 to 12 values and competencies, this self-study is based on the 11 values and competencies of the ACEJMC for reasons explained in detail earlier in this self-study. (This is in spite of the fact that we fully support the changes made by the ACEJMC). Consequently, the narratives here will be referencing, as appropriate, either 11 or 12 values and competencies.

The department recasts the 11 professional values and competencies established by the ACEJMC in a way that gives its faculty ownership of those 11 outcomes. The concept that describes these outcomes for us is The JSU 4+7 (now 5+7, denoting five values and seven competencies), as we interpret them. In order to facilitate our working with these outcomes, we adopted a mnemonic for each of the outcomes. Based on our interpretation, we designate the five values as law,

44 history, ethics, domestic diversity, and global diversity, while interpreting the remaining seven— theory, critical thinking, research, writing, editing, basic statistics, and technology—as competencies.

Further, we adopted The JSU 5+7 as our major course objectives or learning outcomes in the department. To make this pragmatic, we infused our curriculum with The JSU 5+7 by developing outcome maps (shown in #2 below) that delineate where in each curriculum (broadcasting, digital journalism, and public relations) we teach each objective. Our faculty consensually made that determination, and we developed a Course Objective Handbook (described in details later) containing the objectives of all core courses where The JSU 5+7 is promoted, thus facilitating its dissemination and inculcation in our students via course instruction. Every classroom and lab in the department has a large poster displaying The JSU 5+7.

Concerning the 72 rule, we require that 72 credit hours of a student’s work be taken outside the communication area, and 53 (based on JSU’s liberal arts and sciences requirement) of those must come from the liberal arts and sciences area. Our curriculum has been revised to reflect that in the upcoming 2013-2014 university catalogue as well as in our departmental advisement sheets.

Please respond to each of the following instructions:

1. Discuss any testing of language competence required of students entering or graduating from the program.

Jacksonville State University admits students on the basis of acceptable high school transcripts and the ACT or the SAT scores. For unconditional admission, a student must possess a minimum of a standard high school diploma (a GED is acceptable), an ACT composite of 20 or above, or SAT combined critical reading and math of 950 or above. Placement in the English classes is determined by a student’s sub score on the ACT or SAT.

A sub score of 18 or above in ACT (or 430 or above in SAT) will place a student in EH 101, English composition; and a score of 25 or above in ACT (or 610 or above in SAT) places a student in the honors English class.

Any student admitted to JSU may elect to major in Communication by completing a one-page declaration of major form. A student must make a grade of “C” or better in all major and minor courses in order to graduate. Any student who makes a grade of “D” or “F” twice in the same communication course is no longer allowed to continue as a communication major or minor.

To graduate, an undergraduate student must successfully complete the English Competency Exam (ECE) conducted by the university. Upon successful completion of EH 101 and 102— the English composition courses—and earning 60 semester hours, a student is eligible to take the ECE. Students are strongly advised to take the ECE during their junior year as they must pass this exam at least one semester before filing for graduation.

2. Describe the unit’s curricular efforts to develop in its majors the professional values and competencies established by ACEJMC.

As explained in detail earlier (in Part I, General Information, #6, “Transition from The JSU 4+7 to The JSU 5+7”), while we have transited to ACEJMC’s 12 values and competencies and our framework revised (from 4+7 to 5+7) to reflect that transition, it is important, as a reminder, to note that this self-study is based on the previous 11 (not 12) values and competences because of the reasons explained earlier.

In 2006, the department developed and adopted a framework to describe the curricular offerings that promote and inculcate in its students the 11 values and competencies established by the ACEJMC. That framework was titled, The JSU 4+7 denoting four values and seven competences as we (the department) see them. Following a revision by the ACEJMC in 2011, which ultimately increased the values and competences to 12, the department recast its nomenclature from 4+7 to 5+7 in order to accommodate the 12th member of the values and competences—global diversity, as we term it.

The JSU 4+7 In order for “The JSU 4+7” to form the bedrock of its operation, the department adopted them as its major objectives. For functionality (identification and brevity), the department assigns a specific mnemonic to each of the 11 objectives. Such suggestive labels include: law, history, diversity, ethics, theory, critical thinking, research, writing, editing, statistics, and technology. The definition of each objective, as shown earlier in this self-study as well as in the assessment plan, follows that of ACEJMC.

Curricular Implementation of The JSU 4+7 The three outcome maps that follow—corresponding to the three concentrations in the department—show how the department promotes and emphasizes The JSU 4+7 within its curricula and among its students. As can be seen, the outcome maps display our 5+7 curricula, and since the 4+7 curricula are naturally absorbed within the 5+7 framework, it is unnecessary to show both maps (4+7 and 5+7) separately. Thus the description below presents the 5+7 and will particularize narratives to 4+7 when necessary.

Broadcasting Concentration The broadcast Outcome Map showing the infusion of The JSU 5+7 into the broadcasting curriculum displays 15 core courses: 13 taught in the department, and two—MS 108, and CS 315, basic statistics and numbers for non-science majors, and web design respectively—taught by the Math and Computer Science Department. Each of the 15 core courses required of broadcasting students has specific objectives (selected from The JSU 5+7) assigned to it by the faculty, and those serve as the course’s major objectives. For example, while COM 200, introduction to mass communication, generally touches on as many of The JSU 5+7 as feasible, its major objectives, as listed in its syllabus, are critical thinking, history, theory, law, ethics, domestic diversity (or D-Dive), and global diversity (or G-Dive). Each objective is identified on the map by the letter “E” for emphasis. The process is similar for each of the remaining core courses in the map. As indicated in the map, items in red indicate revisions (courses and/or objectives) made in fall 2013, and as a result, such revisions will not be found in syllabi used prior to fall 2013, except for COM 345, social media and society, which began in fall 2012, but not as a required course. In other words, these revisions are not a part of The JSU 4+7.

Level of learning and assessment The ACEJMC requires that assessment be conducted at three levels—awareness, understanding, and application. The outcome map shows the level of learning at which each objective is emphasized. For example, critical thinking, history, theory, law, ethics, and diversity are promoted at the awareness level in the entry-level courses such as COM 200 and COM 205. As the student progresses to higher level courses such as COM 301, COM 302, and 320, promotion of these objectives deepens to the understanding level. Advanced courses such as COM 380, 415, 390, 470, and 491 require students to demonstrate application of the objectives. The objectives are also assessed at this level.

Digital Journalism Concentration The digital journalism Outcome Map shows the infusion of The JSU 5+7 into the digital journalism curriculum. Digital journalism has 14 core courses taken by its students. Twelve are taught in the department, and two—MS 108, and CS 315, basic statistics and numbers for non-science majors, and web design respectively—are taught by the Math and Computer Science Department. Each core course has its major objectives identified in the outcome map with an “E.” Again, all core courses in the digital journalism area touch on as many of The JSU 5+7 as possible, but emphasize their major objectives.

Public Relations Concentration Public Relations Outcome map shows the promotion of The JSU 5+7 within the public relations curriculum. There are 15 core courses required of all PR students. Similar to the two concentrations above, two of them—MS 108, and CS 315, basic statistics and numbers for non-science majors, and web design respectively—are taught by the Math and Computer Science Department.

BROADCAST CONCENTRATION OUTCOME MAP--2013 CURRICULAR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JSU 5 +7 (Fileinfo: Revised O-Map-BR 2011/Delof/acejAccred/Assmt)

Core Courses Writing Editing Tech Res Stat C-Think Hist Theory Law Ethics D-Dive G-Dive COM 200 Intro Mass Com E E E E E E E

COM 205 Intro B/cast Writ. E E E E E E E

Awareness

MS 108 Exploring Math E COM 301 E E E E E E E Intro TV Prod. COM 302 Intro Audio Prod E E E E E E E

Understanding COM 320 Video Prod/Edit E E E E E E E E

COM 380

COM Law E E E E E E E E COM 390 Com Ethics E E E E E E E E E

COM 404, 405, 406 Media W/shop E E E E E 415 Mass Com Res E E E E E E E E Com 470 Adv. Elect News E E E E E E E E (Capstone) Application COM 491 Internship E E E E E E E CS 315 Intro Web Des. E COM 345 Soc. Media & Soc E E E E E E E E E E COM 385 Multimedia Des. N O T O F F E R E D

Legend (Please read the red below) Levels of Learning E = Emphasized objective (i.e., major course objective) Awareness: Familiarity with specific information, including facts, concepts, theories, laws Tech = Technology and regulations, processes and effects. Res = Research Understanding: Assimilation and comprehension of information, concepts, theories, and ideas. Stat = Statistics and Numbers C-Think = Critical Thinking Application: Competence in relating and applying skills, information, concepts, theories and ideas to Hist = History the accomplishment of tasks. D-Dive = Domestic Diversity; G-Dive = Global Diversity Red = Fall 2013 revisions. These will not be found in syllabi prior to fall 2013 except for COM 345 which (Note:The D-Dive column represents what was formerly began in fall 2012, but not as a required course. (Note: CS 315 is offered by Math & Computer known as Diversity). Science Dept.)

DIGITAL JOURNALISM CONCENTRATION OUTCOME MAP--2013 CURRICULAR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JSU 5+7 (Fileinfo: O-Map—JO—2011/Delof/acejAccred/Assmt)

Core Courses Writing Editing Tech Res Stat C-Think Hist Theory Law Ethics D-Dive G-Dive

COM 200 E E E E E E E Intro Mass Com COM 315 Intro to News E E E E E E E Awareness

MS 108 Exploring Math E COM 325 Publication Des. E E E E E Com 410 Feature Writing E E E E E E E E E Understanding

COM 380 COM Law E E E E E E E E

COM 390 Com Ethics E E E E E E E E E

COM 404, 405, 406 MediaW/Shop E E E E E E E 415 Mass Com Res E E E E E E E E COM 420 Advanc Rpting E E E E E E E E E

Application (Capstone) COM 491 Internship E E E E E E E CS 315 Intro Web Des. E COM 345 Soc. Media & Soc E E E E E E E E E E COM 385 Multimedia Des. N O T O F F E R E D Legend (Please read the red below) Levels of Learning E = Emphasized objective (i.e., major course objective) Awareness: Familiarity with specific information, including facts, concepts, theories, laws Tech = Technology and regulations, processes and effects. Res = Research Understanding: Assimilation and comprehension of information, concepts, theories, and ideas. Stat = Statistics and Numbers C-Think = Critical Thinking Application: Competence in relating and applying skills, information, concepts, theories and ideas to Hist = History the accomplishment of tasks. D-Dive = Domestic Diversity; G-Dive = Global Diversity Red = Fall 2013 revisions. These will not be found in syllabi prior to fall 2013 except for COM 345 which (Note:The D-Dive column represents what was formerly began in fall 2012, but not as a required course. (Note: CS 315 is offered by Math & Computer known as Diversity). Science Dept.)

PUBLIC RELATIONS CONCENTRATION OUTCOME MAP--2013 CURRICULAR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JSU 5+7 (Fileinfo:Revised O-Map—PR—2011/Delof/acejAccred/Assmt)

Core Courses Writing Editing Tech Res Stat C-Think Hist Theory Law Ethics D-Dive G-Dive

COM 200 Intro Mass Com E E E E E E E COM 315 Intro to News E E E E E E E MS 108 Awareness Exploring Math E COM 325

Publication Des E E E E E COM 330 Intro to PR E E E E E E E E COM 340 PR Writing E E E E E E E E

Understanding COM 400 PR Case Study E E E E E E E E E E COM 380 COM Law E E E E E E E E COM 390 Com Ethics E E E E E E E E E

415 Mass Com Res E E E E E E E E COM 440 PR Camp Mgmt E E E E E E E E E (Capstone) COM 491 Application Internship E E E E E E E CS 315 Intro Web Des. E COM 345 Soc. Media &Soc E E E E E E E E E E COM 385 Multimedia Des. N O T O F F E R E D Legend (Please read the red below) Levels of Learning E = Emphasized objective (i.e., major course objective) Awareness: Familiarity with specific information, including facts, concepts, theories, laws Tech = Technology and regulations, processes and effects. Res = Research Understanding: Assimilation and comprehension of information, concepts, theories, and ideas. Stat = Statistics and Numbers C-Think = Critical Thinking Application: Competence in relating and applying skills, information, concepts, theories and ideas to Hist = History the accomplishment of tasks. D-Dive = Domestic Diversity; G-Dive = Global Diversity Red = Fall 2013 revisions. These will not be found in syllabi prior to fall 2013 except for COM 345 which (Note:The D-Dive column represents what was formerly began in fall 2012, but not as a required course. (Note: CS 315 is offered by Math & Computer known as Diversity). Science Dept.)

Again, all the communication courses generally touch on as many of The JSU 5+7 as possible, but emphasize on those designated as their major objectives. The department has a Course Objective Handbook that spells out the major objectives of core courses that promote The JSU 5+7 (please see Appendix II.2.2. “Course Objective Handbook.”). The handbook ensures that major course objectives are adhered to by all instructors—whether they have just joined the department or have been here for several years.

With the above curricular arrangements, our students are expected to have developed these professional values and competencies by their time of graduation, and we assess their learning outcomes to determine the disparity between what we expect them to learn and what they have actually learned. With the results of such assessment, we revise our curriculum in an effort to enhance future development of these professional values and competencies in our undergraduate majors.

3. If the unit has a core curriculum, briefly list and describe the courses required.

Listed below are the department’s core communication courses. Currently the core curriculum is made up of 18 credit hours, but in fall 2013, our core courses will increase to 24 credit hours due to the most recent curriculum revision that we have made in an effort to enhance our capacity for digital communication instruction.

Prior- Fall 2013 Fall 2013______COM 200 COM 200, Introduction to Mass Communication (3 hrs.) COM 380 COM 380, Communication Law (3 hrs.) COM 390 COM 390, Communication Ethics (3 hrs.) COM 415 COM 415, Mass Com Research (3 hrs.) COM 491 COM 491, Internship (3 hrs) COM 404 COM 404, Media Workshop 1 (1 hr) COM 405 COM 405, Media Workshop 2 (1 hr) COM 406 COM 406, Media Workshop 3 (1 hr) --- COM 345, Social Media and Society (3 hrs.) --- COM 385, Multimedia Production (3 hrs.) ______Total: 18 hours 24 hours

4. Describe the ability of students to plan individualized programs of study to meet their special interests and needs.

The University requires each student to choose a minor area of study that complements the student’s area of specialization. Some choose two minors or double majors in an effort to satisfy their desires to acquire individualized knowledge in other interest areas.

The department also offers an independent study course with a dual purpose. One is to offer students an opportunity to design a special project of interest to them. This enables a student to gain a special knowledge in a communication area of interest. To take this course, a student designs the project that s/he is interested in, consults with an instructor with expertise in that area and requests for that instructor’s supervision of the project. Upon the instructor’s acceptance, the request is submitted to the head of the department for approval so as to award

credit for the project. Usually, this is a three credit hour course, and can be extended beyond three credit hours should that become necessary.

5. Describe the unit’s involvement in service courses to non-majors.

The department offers two service courses—media literacy and introduction to news writing. Our media literacy course attracts enrollment from across the campus. Several disciplines recommend it to their students as an elective, and the department now offers this course more often than it did in the past—every fall and spring as opposed to every summer.

Introduction to news writing is the department’s second service course to non-majors. It has two sections, and section two is devoted mainly to Secondary Education students, who are required to complete it before graduation.

6. Describe the teaching of ethics, law, history and theory of journalism and mass communications. If these subjects are taught as separate courses, describe instructors’ qualifications. If these subjects are included in skills or other courses, tell how the faculty regularly evaluates the effectiveness of the teaching of these subjects.

Each of ethics, law, history, and theory is a part of The JSU 5+7 described earlier, and thus a major course objective of the Department of Communication. As a consequence, each is given major attention in the department’s curricula. The following description will focus on each of those areas.

Ethics and Law Communication ethics and law are both free-standing and required courses for all communication majors. Both are also emphasized within the department’s curricula. For instance, in the broadcast curriculum, ethics serves as a major course objective in 12 and law in seven, of the 15 core courses (see Broadcast Outcome Map above). For the digital journalism curriculum, ethics serves as a major course objective in 11, and law in seven, of the 14 core courses (see Digital Journalism Outcome Map above); and ethics serves as a major course objective for 12, and law for eight, of the 15 core courses in the public relations curriculum (see PR Outcome Map above).

Communication ethics is taught by Dr. Kingsley O. Harbor and sometimes by Dr. Augustine Ihator. Dr. Harbor is a full professor and head of the Department of Communication. He has a master’s in broadcasting from Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a Ph.D. in Journalism from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He has four years of fulltime professional experience in telecommunication, several years of part- time experience as a media generalist, 21 years of college-level teaching, and 19 years as a JMC administration. He has taught ethics for 11 years. Dr. Ihator is a full professor in the Department of Communication. He has a Ph.D. in mass communication from Howard University. He has an extensive industrial experience in public relations, and print journalism, and has been teaching in higher education for more than 20 years. He has taught ethics for at least the last nine years.

Law is taught by Dr. Jeffrey Hedrick. Dr. Hedrick obtained his master of journalism degree from Temple University in 2002, and his Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University in 2005. His MJ from Temple was on media and constitutional law; and his Ph.D. area of emphasis was on the First Amendment. He completed his dissertation on The New York Times v. Sullivan. He has taught law for about seven years.

History The department does not have a separate course in media history, but teaches it as a part of other courses. For example, COM 200—introduction to mass communication—deals with a lot of media history and is a required course for all majors. We utilize this course as a major source of journalism history for our students. Disciplinarily speaking, broadcasting students get an additional dose of history from one of its core courses—COM 470—Advanced electronic news (see Broadcast Outcome Map); and public relations students receive an additional dose from COM 330, introduction to public relations, as well as from Com 440, public relations case study (see PR Outcome Map). The department, following its self-study findings, has increased emphasis on history by requiring three history research papers by each student prior to graduation. This takes place in three designated courses.

Theory The department offers a separate, elective course in communication theory that deals purely with the social scientific theory aspect of mass communication. However, the department defines communication theory beyond this social science realm to include the basic operations of journalism and mass communication entities such as equipment operations— the TV camera operations, production and editing, radio production, newspaper design, news development, public relations policies and procedures, mass media law, ethics, and others. Thus our conceptualization of theory encompasses both the empirical as well as normative theories of communication. With this definition of theory as a backdrop, theory is widely promoted within the communication curricula as seen in the three outcome maps of the three concentrations in the department. The theory course is taught by Dr. Harbor.

The unit’s performance in all four areas above is evaluated as a part of the department’s learning outcomes assessment. Results of such assessments are employed in closing the loop in our pedagogy.

7. Tell how the unit ensures that the objectives of courses with multiple sections are achieved in all sections.

The Department of Communication is a small unit that has only one course—COM 315, introduction to news—with two sections. One section is for print journalism and public relations students, while the second section is devoted to Secondary Education majors for whom that course is a requirement. As a part of the College of Education and Professional Studies, the Department of Communication offers this as a service to the college.

The goal of the Secondary Education Department in choosing COM 315 is to enhance the writing skills of their students, while our goal is to train prospective journalists who will write for the converged media. Both sections follow the determined objectives of that course as specified in the department’s Course Objective Handbook.

8. List achievements in teaching in the past six years: awards or citations for high-quality teaching; grants or other support for development of curriculum or courses; publications and papers on teaching; etc.

Kingsley O. Harbor: Papers on teaching & teaching-related subjects

Harbor, K. O. (2011). Assess or Perish: Fulfilling Learning Outcomes Assessment in Higher Education, a Case Study of Direct Measures of Assessment, Intellectbase International Consortium peer-reviewed conference, Atlanta, GA, USA, October 13- 15. Harbor, K. O. (2010). “Curriculum Revision and Entry Placement: Cornerstones of an Ethics Model for Journalism and Mass Communication.” Invited paper on the development of curriculum to enhance ethics in JMC. Presented at the Oxford Round Table, the 21st Anniversary of the Oxford Round Table, Oxford University, Oxford, England (March, 25). Harbor, K. O. (2009). “The AristoLeslian Model for Ethical Decision Making: Proposing a Model for Teaching Ethical Decision Making in Communication.” Intellectbase International Consortium peer-reviewed conference, Atlanta, GA, USA, October 15- 17. Grants for Developing a Teaching Workshop APA GRANT: (2013). Received a grant from Alabama Press Association to conduct Journalism workshop to teach high school students journalism skills—writing, production, editing, etc. Summer 2013. Jacksonville State University. Project Title: “Summer Journalism Institute: A Workshop for high School Students.”

APA GRANT: (2012). Received a grant from Alabama Press Association to conduct Journalism workshop to teach high school students journalism skills—writing, production, editing, and so on. (Summer 2012). Jacksonville State University. Project Title: “Summer Journalism Institute: A Workshop for high School Students.” Please see Appendix II.2.8, “APA Grants for Scholastic Journalism Teaching Workshops.”

Jeffrey B. Hedrick: Achievements in teaching & teaching-related subjects Highest Teaching Evaluations, top 10 to 20 percent for all ratings in course by IDEA, by term. 4.7/5.0 overall rating - COM 200 Intro to Mass Communication, July 2008 term 4.6/5.0 overall rating – COM 330 Intro to Public Relations, Fall 2008 term 4.7/5.0 overall rating – COM 375 Internet Production, Spring 2012 term 4.7/5.0 overall rating – COM 380 Communication Law, Spring 2009 term 4.5/5.0 overall rating – COM 380 Communication Law, May 2009 term 4.5/5.0 overall rating – COM 380 Communication Law, Fall 2009 term

J. Patrick McGrail: Achievements in teaching & teaching-related subjects

Teaching achievements in the last six years: Five of the last six teaching years have been at this institution, Jacksonville State University. In 2011, I was selected by Faculty Row as a “SuperProfessor” for my blogs and posts on higher education. During this time, I have also received good teaching evaluations a summary of which exists in chart form below. I have enclosed selected quoted comments from the IDEA student evaluation documents.

Semester Course Class IDEA Course Size Summary/Mean Evaluation* Spring 2013 COM 320: Video Production & Editing 9 4.6 COM 305: Advanced Audio Production 10 4.5 COM 301: Intro to TV Production 18 4.5 Fall 2012 COM 470: Advanced Electronic News 14 3.9 COM 301: Intro to TV Production 15 4.2 Spring 2012 COM 301: Intro to TV Production 15 4.8 COM 305: Advanced Audio Production 13 4.6 COM 320: Video Production & Editing 13 4.5 COM 350: Announcing 12 4.5 Fall 2011 Radio, Television, and Digital Communications 17 4.4 Fall 2010 COM 320: Video Production & Editing 13 4.9 COM 301: Intro to TV Production 17 3.8 Spring 2010 COM 301: Intro to TV Production 15 4.7 COM 320: Video Production & Editing 10 4.8 COM 470: Advanced Electronic News 13 4.2 Fall 2009 COM 470: Advanced Electronic News 4 4.5 COM 301: Intro to TV Production 16 4.6 COM 320: Video Production & Editing 12 4.7 COM 350: Announcing 11 4.6 July 2009 COM 307: Media Literacy 10 4.6 May 2009 COM 350: Announcing 4.6 Spring 2009 COM 470: Advanced Electronic News 8 4.0 COM 301: Intro to TV Production 15 4.7 COM 320: Video Production & Editing 6 4.8 Fall 2008 COM 470: Advanced Electronic News 6 4.8 COM 301: Intro to TV Production 12 4.2 COM 320: Video Production & Editing 4.4

Positive Comments from Students. Dr. McGrail did a fantastic job teaching this class (COM 301). I was skeptical at first with taking this class, and I have completely fallen in love with television. He stresses how important attendance is in this class, and it’s completely true when we get to doing our hands on activities in the studios; Dr. McGrail is an excellent professor; Dr. McGrail is awesome!!!!; Love Dr. McGrail; had fun, learned something useful, cool as ice water in hell (COM 301); Of all the souls I’ve encountered in my travels, his was the most…human. (COM 301); Really fun class! (COM 350); finally, an enlightening professor! Keep him around JSU! (COM 307); He is a very good instructor and very knowledgeable. I would recommend him to anyone. (COM 307); This course was much different than I expected before beginning. It was much more enjoyable and very informative. Excellent course (COM 307); In my opinion, Dr. McGrail is a wonderful teacher. He tries to develop close WORKING relationships with all of his students. He encourages students to interact in class. He also makes students feel comfortable in asking questions. Even if the question is somewhat simple and most everyone knows the answer, Dr. McGrail does not make the student feel less intelligent for asking the question. He also works with the student and makes sure that the student understands the answer to the

question he/she asked before moving on (COM 320); This class needs to be required for broadcast majors (COM 350).

Publications on my teaching: I have published several works that directly involve and impact teaching. In two book chapters I, with my research partner address using the concepts of narrative and audience awareness when using digital tools to create:

McGrail, E., & McGrail, J. P. (in press). Blogging and the tool of story: Getting young writers to notice and connect to their audience. In T. Rasinki, R. E. Ferdig, & K. E. Pytash (Eds.). Technology and writing: New approaches to literacy competency. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

McGrail, E., & McGrail, J. P. (2013). Preparing young writers for invoking and addressing today’s interactive digital audiences. In K. E. Pytash & R. E. Ferdig (Eds.). Exploring technology for writing and writing instruction. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

I have also published two works on teaching techniques for instilling the values of copyright into today’s students in communication and English education classrooms:

McGrail, E., & McGrail, J. P. (2010). Copying right and copying wrong with Web 2.0 tools in the classroom. Contemporary Issues in Technology & Teacher Education, 10(3), 257-274 [Online series]. Retrieved from http://www.citejournal.org/vol10/iss3/languagearts/article1.cfm and

McGrail, J. P., & McGrail, E. (2010).Navigating the murky waters of copyright in English andcommunications classrooms. Adviser Update [the Dow Jones Newspaper Funds' Quarterly], 51(1).21A.

Augustine A. Ihator: Achievements in teaching & teaching-related subjects

TEACHING RESEARCH PRESENTATION

Augustine Ihator. “Constructing and Teaching Global Diversity Across Curriculum at Higher Education Levels in the U.S.” Auburn University Diversity Research Initiative, March 11-12, 2010.

TEACHING AWARD BY STUDENTS “Teaching Certificate of Appreciation” awarded by PR capstone students in 2007. PR campaign students signed card for teaching recognition – Spring 2013

DEPARTMENT ALUMNI TEACHING RECOGNITION The following students wrote to express thanks for education received: -Jennifer Bacchus – 2010 -Kristin Shives -- 2008 -Abbey Adams – 2007

ANNUAL FACULTY EVALUATION Good.

9. Describe professional development programs, workshops in teaching, or other methods used to stimulate and encourage effective teaching.

Each faculty member in the Department of Communication is required to prepare and submit an annual proposal of her/his activities for the following year. Upon submission of the proposal, the faculty member and the department head meet to discuss and approve the proposal. One of the requirements of such a proposal is that the faculty member provides a detailed plan for improving teaching, service, and scholarship. The department encourages faculty members to utilize external as well as internal professional development programs and workshops in enhancing their professional skills. External agencies include, but are not limited to, communication organizations such as the AEJMC, BEA, SPJ, Poynter Institute, and CMA, among others. Internal opportunities exist within the College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS), the home of the department. Between September 2011 and May 2013, the college organized a total of 99 workshops for its faculty and staff and one or more communication faculty attended 37 of them—dealing with topics such as Digital Measures, Online Development and Support, iPad Training, Blackboard Collaborative, Smart Board Interactive Workshop, and many others. Workshops are led by internal JSU personnel as well as hired outside agencies depending on the workshop topic. Please refer to the following appendix for an eight-page document detailing these workshops (Appendix II.2.9. “2011- 2013 Professional Development Workshops by CEPS” .

10. Describe the importance of teaching in promotion and tenure decisions.

As a teaching institution, Jacksonville State University requires that, “Evaluation procedures must properly reflect that teaching is an important activity of faculty members” (JSU Faculty Handbook, 2013, p. 22). Consequently, this philosophy is evident in all university policies and procedures dealing with academic affairs, which include promotion and tenure. Promotion and tenure decisions are based on overall faculty performance, and faculty performance, in turn, is based on annual assessment of faculty by the department head.

As shown in our college faculty evaluation rubric, four major criteria guide faculty annual assessment in the college, and the number of sections devoted to each criterion in the rubric may provide an indication of their relative importance. Along with their respective sections, those criteria are:

Annual Faculty assessment criteria Number of sections of the assessment rubric devoted to each criterion a) Teaching & Advising ------14 b) Scholarship ------6 c) Service ------8 d) Collegiality ------6

As seen above, teaching and advisement, by far, seem to have a greater emphasis placed on them than on any other criterion for faculty evaluation. Thus, it is not feasible for a faculty member to receive tenure or promotion without a significantly high performance in the teaching and advisement category (see Appendix II.4.5. “Faculty Appraisal Forms.”

11. Describe any special recognition that the unit gives to outstanding students. Exclude scholarships, which are summarized in Table 9, “Student Aid.”

The department gives special recognition to its students in several different ways including, but not limited to, appointment to serve on faculty committees, leadership of the student media, and public awards of certificates and plaques. Several faculty committees have student members, and those students are chosen on the basis of academic standing, leadership potential or both. Selection of student media leadership—editor-in-chief of the newspaper and program director of the radio station—is done on the basis of students’ demonstration of academic and leadership skills.

Each year during its Communication Week, the department holds an awards luncheon in honor of its communication students. The department’s outstanding students are publicly recognized at that luncheon and awarded varying certificates and plaques. There are six categories of awards given to students during the luncheon—academic, practical skill, character, leadership, peer-to-peer, and John S. Turner awards. These meritorious awards are based on specific criteria.

General criteria for all awards A. Good academic standing B. No major disciplinary infraction Criteria for individual Awards A. Academic award Selection Criteria: Students must have a minimum of 3.0 (on a four-point scale) on all courses; 3.5 on specialty courses; must have taken at least 9 hours in specialty area, and 27 hours in overall communication areas. B. Practical skill award Selection Criteria: Course instructor selects the best student in practical skill in the particular skills class. Winning selections must be of such quality that they will be: 1. presented to the audience during our award ceremony, and 2. submitted for an external competition (new requirement). C. Leadership award Criteria: 1. Service to department, University, & the profession and/or 2. Leadership of the student media--Mimosa, Chanticleer, Radio station. D. Character award Selection criteria & method 1. Nominations by faculty (two by each faculty). 2. Discussion of nominees—accepted or rejected 3. A measuring instrument, designed for that purpose, is used to select the highest four E. Peer Awards Selection criterion: Student media leaders select their top staff for award. F. John S. Turner award Selection criteria --CGPA, character, service to department, and leadership. This is the highest award the department gives to a student (or sometimes two students when there is a draw).

12. Attach a copy of the unit’s internship policy. Please see Appendix II.2.12. “Communication Internship Policy.”

13. Describe the methods used to supervise internship and work experience programs; to evaluate and grade students’ performance in these programs; and to award credit for internships or work experiences. Provide copies of questionnaires and other instruments used to monitor and evaluate internships and work experiences. (These documents can be placed in the appendices binder.) The Department of Communication advocates and encourages opportunities for professional experience to supplement and reinforce classroom experience. Two kinds of professional experience opportunities exist in the department—media workshop (an internal practicum) and internship, which is external to the department. Communication faculty fully supervises the media workshop, which involves students working with the student media—the campus radio station, and student newspaper—as well as Television Services Department. Television Services is an affiliated department which serves as the engineering staff for the communication department’s radio and television facilities and also does an extensive amount of campus-wide, on-air and off-air broadcast work. It is JSU-owned, and operated by professional staff employed by JSU. The external internship is supervised by communication faculty in partnership with the internship employer. Each of these two—practicum and internship—receives a three-hour credit. The practicum is a one-hour course taken thrice, while the internship carries a one-time, three-hour credit.

The media workshop is supervised by Mr. Mike Stedham, manager of the student media, who also teaches journalism part-time. Mr. Stedham has an M.A. in English, 14 years of experience as a newspaper writer and editor, and eight years as a radio station news director. Students receive a grade upon successful completion of the workshop.

The (external) internship—COM 491—is required of all communication majors. Before starting an internship, all relevant Communication courses (as identified in the internship application form) must have been completed or are being taken concomitantly with COM 491. A student must be in good academic standing (a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4-point scale both in communication and overall) in order to be eligible for internship.

Evaluation of Internship. Internship in the department currently consists of 350 hours of supervised work in a student’s area of interest—broadcasting, public relations or print journalism (soon to become digital journalism in fall 2013). As a result of the changes that we are making following our 2013 self-study findings, the number of internship hours will change to 250 beginning in summer 2014.

The student is evaluated based on 12 objectives—ability to learn, initiative, judgment, attendance/punctuality, quality of work, writing, editing, tools and technology skills, critical thinking, first amendment knowledge, media ethics, and diversity—the last seven of which come from The JSU 4+7, discussed earlier. As indicated in the internship syllabus, course evaluation is based on: (a) a daily activity log kept by student, (b) a two-page critique by student of a current article on a subject related to the internship—all papers typed—and (c) internship site supervisor’s evaluation of the intern. Fifty percent of a student’s grade is derived from employer/site supervisor’s evaluation, while the remaining 50 percent comes from journal and daily activity log evaluations by the internship coordinator. The coordinator also conducts on-site visits with as many internship sites as possible during interns’ tenure with their employers. Beyond that, the coordinator also contacts employers during the course of the internship to help guide the students and respond to any problems they (the interns) or the employer, may have encountered.

Part II, Standard 3. Diversity and Inclusiveness

Award Recipients at the 2014 Communication Week Luncheon

Executive summary (optional).

Headed by a minority faculty member, the Department of Communication sees itself as a natural leader on issues of diversity across JSU’s campus. In terms of full-time faculty, we are among, if not, the most racially diverse academic department on the campus of Jacksonville State University. Currently, of the five full-time faculty members in the department, three are minority. As a member of the Committee on the Recruitment and Retention of African American Faculty and Staff (R&R Committee), and of the Joint Committee of R&R and Affirmative Action (AA), the department head notices that most departments on campus do not come close to the above percentage. Further, we were the first and remain the only unit in the history of this university to hire a female and a minority endowed Chair (although both were found in one faculty member, who is no longer with the university).

Most of our curriculum is diversified, and while there are no data at hand to show that our curriculum is among the most diversified on campus, a cursory survey of the university’s catalog would suggest that it is. Also, our minority student enrollment as well as graduation rates are both competitive as compared to the general university statistics in those areas.

Dr. Kingsley Harbor, head of the Communication Department, is actively involved in diversity issues both within the department and across campus. As mentioned above, he serves on the two university- wide committees that deal with diversity issues. In 2003-04, Dr. Harbor chaired the subcommittee that designed and produced the first university brochure for the recruitment of African American faculty and staff titled, JSU---Reaching Out to African Americans (see Appendix II.3.9. “JSU . . . Reaching out to African Americans”. In 2007, he also served on the committee that developed and produced the university’s Diversity Strategic Plan. Please see Appendix II.3.0B. “Jacksonville State University Diversity Strategic Plan 2007.”

Dr. Harbor is a member of the AFORE—the African American Faculty Organization for Responsive Education, which monitors and responds to issues pertaining to African Americans, and advises the administration on those matters. In 2005, all communication faculty members participated in a campus-wide diversity workshop conducted by a nationally known diversity guru—Dr. Jerome Rabow.

The above tone characterizes most of the department’s activities. Since 2002, when Dr. Harbor took over the leadership of the department, our curriculum has undergone extensive revisions. Similar to all changes, the process of diversifying the department’s curriculum was gradual, but extensive. Prior to 2002, there were 0 percent female, 0 percent minority, and 0 percent curriculum diversification in the department; today, as indicated above, that situation has improved significantly.

JSU has a reputation for high retention rate among minority faculty and staff, and the Department of Communication’s faculty retention statistics appear to fit that mode. In the past six years, the department has retained all except one of its faculty members. All three minority faculty members in the department are retained; two are tenured full professors, and the third is working toward tenure and promotion to associate professorship.

Please respond to each of the following instructions:

1. Complete and attach the following tables: Table 4, “Area Population” Table 5, “Student Populations” Table 6, “Faculty Populations” Table 7, “Full-time Faculty Recruitment” Table 8, “Part-time/Adjunct Faculty Recruitment”

Table 4. Area Population Service Area: Describe here the unit’s geographic service area as far as student enrollment is concerned (region, states, counties, etc.).

Jacksonville State University’s geographic service area consists of mainly Northeast Alabama with the largest percentage of students living in Calhoun County, Alabama. The 2010 Census Bureau shows a population of 118,572 residents in Calhoun County, 12,548 residents in Jacksonville, Alabama and 9,161 students enrolled for the Fall 2012 semester. Students from counties located in Northeast Alabama (Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Dekalb, Etowah, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Marshall, Saint Clair, Shelby, and Talladega Counties) constitute 68 percent of JSU’s enrollment.

Based on the most recent Census figures, what percentages do the following groups represent of the population of the unit’s geographic service area as described above?

Group % of population

Black/African American 20.9

White 76.2

American Indian/Alaskan native 0.5

Asian 0.8

Hispanic/Latino (any race) 3.4

Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander 0.1

Two or more races 1.6

Other race 0.0

Female 51.9

Table 5. Undergraduate Student Populations

Show numbers of male, female, minority, white and international students enrolled in the unit, the percentages they represent of total journalism and mass communications enrollment, and the percentages these racial/ethnic groups represent of the total institutional enrollment. Use figures from the most recent academic year for which complete data are available

Academic year: 2012 – 2013 % of total % of total Group Male Female in unit in institution

Black/African American 53 44 35.40 27.42

White 73 88 58.76 66.14

American Indian/Alaskan native 0 0 0.00 0.48

Asian 0 0 0.00 0.85

Hispanic/Latino (any race) 2 2 1.46 1.48

Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander 0 0 0.00 0.00

Two or more races 0 0 0.00 0.00

Other race 5 7 4.38 3.55

International students (any race) 2 2 0.01 0.02

Table 6. Faculty populations, Full-time and Part-time Show numbers of female, male, minority, white and international faculty members and the percentages they represent of the unit’s total faculty. (Report international faculty the same way the university reports them.)

Academic year: 2012 – 2013 Full-time faculty % of total % of total Group Female faculty Male faculty

Black/African American 0 0 2 31

White 0 0 3.5 54

American Indian/Alaskan native 0 0 0 0

Asian 0 0 1 15

Hispanic/Latino (any race) 0 0 0 0

Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander 0 0 0 0

Two or more races 0 0 0 0

Other race 0 0 0 0

International students* (any race) 0 0 0 0

Academic year: 2012 – 2013 Part-time/adjunct Faculty % of total % of total Group Female faculty Male faculty

Black/African American 0 0 0 0

White 2 100 0 0

American Indian/Alaskan native 0 0 0 0

Asian 0 0 0 0

Hispanic/Latino (any race) 0 0 0 0

Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander 0 0 0 0

Two or more races 0 0 0 0

Other race 0 0 0 0

International faculty (any race) 0 0 0 0

University’s definition of International faculty: Jacksonville State University defines international faculty as those faculty members who require sponsorship through the United States Immigration Office for the purpose of living and working in the United States.

2. Attach a copy of the unit’s written plan for achieving an inclusive curriculum, a diverse faculty and student population, and a supportive climate for working and learning. This plan should give the date of adoption/last revision and any designated timelines for reaching goals.

Please see Appendix II.3.2. “Communication Diversity Plan and Procedure.”

3. Describe how the unit assesses its progress toward achieving the plan’s objectives.

The department assesses progress toward its objectives by analyzing and comparing its diversity status at three different periods of time: (a) pre-2002, (b) 2002-2007 or pre-accreditation, and (c) 2008-2013 or post-accreditation. The rationale for choosing these three time periods is this: prior to 2002, the department had not shown any serious intention to embrace diversity. For instance, prior to spring 2002, the department had zero percent minority faculties or staff members (even though it had minority students), and zero percent curriculum diversification. The first time the department showed any serious intention toward diversification was in spring of 2002 when it hired a new department head—Dr. Kingsley Harbor—who is African-American. Under Harbor’s tutelage, the Department of Communication developed and adopted this diversity plan in the fall of 2002, thus embarking upon diversification of the department. From 2008 to 2013 was a period when the department became accredited for the first time. It would, therefore, seem appropriate to assess the department’s progress toward achieving the plan’s objectives by comparing the department’s statuses at the above different stages.

DEPARTMENT’S MILESTONES

Pre-2002 Percent minority fulltime faculty = 0 percent Percent minority adjunct faculty = 0 percent Percent female fulltime = 0 percent (although there was a female faculty in the Department at about 1998) Percent female part-time = 0 percent Curriculum diversification = 0 percent

2002-2007 or Pre-Accreditation Percent minority fulltime faculty = 73 percent Percent minority adjunct faculty = 0 percent

Percent female fulltime = 18 percent (In fall 2004, the department became the first at JSU to ever hire a female and minority (African American) endowed chair.

Curriculum diversification In 2007, department curriculum is diversified in race, gender, and life-style (see Outcome Maps of the three concentrations in our department’s self-study report).

Minority Faculty Retention From fall 2004 to spring 2007, minority faculty retention was 100 percent. With the departure of our female (African-American) faculty in summer 2007, it fell to 75 percent. From fall 2008 to present, minority faculty retention has gone back to 100 percent.

Each of the two African-American associate professors in the department became tenured and promoted to full professor, after teaching at JSU for two years.

The female African-American endowed chair was successfully recommended by the department head for the RTNDA summer fellowship.

The female African-American faculty was encouraged to use university support to pursue a doctorate, but she chose not to.

Use of Adjuncts In 2007, the department hired five adjunct faculty members to supplement fulltime faculty. Three of the five adjuncts were female, and one of the males was African American.

Student Recruitment In 2003, the department held its first ever Minority High School Journalism workshop and has since then mounted an aggressive minority recruitment program that culminate in bringing high school students (including minorities) to campus every summer for a four- day intensive workshop.

2008-Present (i.e., Post-Accreditation) Faculty diversification Percent minority fulltime faculty = 54.5 percent Percent female fulltime = 0 percent Percent female adjunct faculty = 100 percent (2 females)

Curriculum diversification Department’s curriculum continues to be diversified in race, gender, and life-style (see Outcome Maps of the three concentrations in our department‘s self-study report).

Minority Faculty Retention From 2008 to the present time, our minority faculty retention rate has remained at 100 percent.

4. Describe the unit’s curricular efforts to foster understanding of issues and perspectives that are inclusive in terms of gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation.

The department’s curricula—broadcasting, digital journalism, and public relations—contain a significant amount of issues and perspectives that address diversity. Each concentration in the department has an outcome map (see Standard 2, #2 above, pp.48-50), that displays curricular implementation of The JSU 5+7, the 12 professional values and competencies. For instance, the map for the broadcasting concentration shows that of the 14 core communication courses that the department offers and identified in that map, 12 have “diversity” as their major objective. That is 87 percent infusion of diversity (content) into the BR core curriculum.

For digital journalism concentration, the outcome map shows that of the 14 core communication courses offered and identified in that map, 10 have “diversity” as their major objective (71 % infusion). For the PR concentration, the outcome map shows that of the 14 core communication courses identified in the map, 11 have “diversity” as a major objective (79 % infusion). For more information on this, please see our course syllabi.

5. Describe efforts to establish and maintain a climate that is free of harassment and discrimination, accommodates the needs of those with disabilities, and values the contributions of all forms of diversity.

The Department of Communication aspires to have a friendly workplace for all its constituencies, and one of the ways it attempts to do this is by establishing and maintaining a climate that is conducive to learning and working.

Listed below are several actions the department takes in order to achieve this objective among its faculty members and staff.

* The department head has an open-door policy.

* Faculty conducts an annual, anonymous evaluation of department head.

* Faculty is encouraged to present papers at conferences and workshops, and publish in academic journals and/or publish creative works through other outlets. The department pays 100 percent for the cost of such trips.

* The department head recommends all faculty members with paper presentation and/or publication for annual faculty research award by the university. The university currently accords this recognition to academic scholarships only. The department, however is planning to include other creative activities for recognition. That will have to be on departmental level, since the university does not do that.

* The department pays annually for faculty membership in professional organizations in journalism and mass communication. This includes both academic scholars and faculty members that engage in creative work.

* The Disability Accommodation Statement. All syllabi in the department must contain this language, “Any individual who qualifies for reasonable accommodations under The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 should contact the instructor immediately.”

Upon their review of syllabi, those students who qualify for the above preference will approach the course instructor with a written paper from the Disability Support Service certifying that the holder of such a letter is authorized to receive such a service. The faculty member will then adjust class policy as much as it is reasonably possible to accommodate the student(s) with disability. Such accommodations, in the past, had included, but were not limited to, allowing more time for a student to take tests, sending a test to the Disability Support Service to administer (without compromising such exam), providing an interpreter, and providing a note taker.

The department has ramp access to the building for people using wheel chair. Other facilities for the handicap in the building where the department resides (Self Hall) include an elevator on the second floor that goes back and forth to the basement, handicapped parking spaces, and handicapped restrooms.

* The department supports faculty progress toward tenure and promotion through mentoring and advisement. Through evaluation and advisement of faculty, the department steers junior faculty in the right direction for tenure and promotion. Thus, it becomes easier for the faculty member to apply and obtain tenure when it is time for that. This approach proved effective for one of our minority faculty members—Dr. Augustine Ihator—who received tenure and promotion to full professor a few years ago.

* Faculty is given reduced load to enable them engage in scholarly activities and service. For instance, Dr. Jeffrey Hedrick (Asian America) and Dr. Augustine Ihator (African America) both have a reduced load of 3-4.

* The department promotes the university’s junior minority faculty program that assists junior faculty to obtain doctoral education.

* The university has a mentoring program for minorities, directed by Dr. Derby Curry, Assistant Professor of Nursing. That program, specifically designed for African American faculty, employs a program that pairs new faculty members with older faculties with comparable personalities as mentors and mentees. The department subscribes to that mentoring program.

* The departmental has a Diversity Committee, chaired by a minority faculty—Dr. Augustine Ihator. This committee is charged with the responsibility of advising the department on matters of diversity and inclusiveness in the department. Membership includes faculty and students.

6. Describe the unit’s efforts to recruit and retain a student population reflecting the diversity of the population eligible to enroll in institutions of higher education in the region or population it serves, with special attention to recruiting under-represented groups.

The department mounts aggressive recruitment efforts directed at seeking out, recruiting, and retaining minority students. A major component of this effort involves the department’s scholastic journalism activities.

The department holds its Summer Journalism Institute—a workshop designed to recruit high school, especially minority students—annually. It is a four-day intensive workshop given free-of-charge to qualified high school students. While the workshop is open to all students from Alabama, its regular attendees tend to be high school students from the immediate service area of the university.

The workshop is open to 11th and 12th grade students (with opportunity for exceptional 10th graders) with a cumulative grade-point-average of a “B” in their school work. Other requirements include a 500-word essay on “What I would do if I were a Journalist” (please see Appendix II.8.6A. “Summer Journalism Institute Program”. Subjects covered in the workshop include: television production, internet production, radio production, electronic newspaper production, public relations and advertising, and overview of the communications field and career prospects.

The department used to hold a separate minority workshop sponsored by a grant from Alabama Press Association. However, that workshop was later merged with the general workshop. Instead of two separate summer workshops, we now hold one general workshop for all races. This action was a result of the court case affecting the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Journalism workshops. In spite of this, the department still conducts aggressive recruitment for minority students to attend the workshop. The 2013 workshop, for instance, was made up of 50 percent minority and 50 percent white; 75 percent female and 25 percent male.

Listed below are other student recruitment efforts made by the department.

* Faculty members serve as pro-bono resource persons to high school student newspapers, or as speakers or consultants.

* Minority students are part of our team of chaperones for Summer Journalism workshops.

* The department participates in the university’s year-long recruitment drive. We provide them with our brochure as well as written advertisement for our department each time they are out on recruitment. This provides another viable avenue for minority student recruitment.

* The head of department occasionally visited minority schools in the area to initiate and sustain a relationship with them. The department also uses surrogates—minority faculty members from other departments who are from our service area—to recruit for the department. Currently such surrogates include faculty as well as non-faculty members. For instance, instructors Lynetta Owens, Sandra Sudduth (both from the College of Education and Professional Studies), and Ms. Valerie Rimsey Hamilton, from the English Department (all minority faculty and professionals).

* The university has a slogan—the friendliest campus in the South—and the administration truly believes in that. That perception seems to produce a realism of friendliness that trickles down from the administration to the rest of the university community. Projected to the external community, this perception becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that has recently manifested itself in data collected by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment showing that students believe that JSU is indeed the friendliest campus in the South. This does contribute positively toward student enrollment.

Retention of students The department employs several strategies aimed at facilitating student retention. Listed below are some of them.

* The department provides opportunities for minority students to participate in departmental governance—serving on faculty committees, and participating actively in student organizations. Several have served in leadership positions in these organizations. For instance, Jimmese Warren (African American) served as the president of the Public Relations Organization; she also served as the student representative in the department’s Faculty Search Committee in 2004-05. Constance Glen (African American) served as vice president of the Public Relations Organization in 2005-06. Deshunn. Johnson (African American) served as the vice president of the Public Relations Organization in 2006-07; and as student member of the Faculty Search Committee. Gerhard Mathangani (African American) worked in the newspaper as sports editor. Before him was Anthony Hall (African American) who also worked at the newspaper as sports editor. Also, Shundretta Adamson and Brittany Pearson (booth African American) worked for the department as chaperones during our Summer Journalism Institute—2005 and 2013 respectively.

* Avenue for student feedback is provided and the procedure enforced. Students are made aware—orally and in writing—of the availability of a Student Grievance Committee and directed to the chair of that committee. For instance, this is announced at student-faculty meetings, and every syllabus in the department contains a statement indicating the availability of such a committee, its chair and her/his phone number.

* The department assists students, including minorities, in acquiring internship positions.

* The department assists students, including minorities, in securing permanent jobs.

* The department offers scholarships to qualified students, and occasionally explores opportunities for other kinds of financial assistance to struggling students, including minorities. Several times the department head had interceded (with the International Student House at JSU) on behalf of students, such as Katja Sunnaburg and Elizabeth Maduka, (female, minority, international students) in order to secure financial assistance for them to complete their studies, and both have successfully graduated.

* Faculty determines if a need exists for additional advisement for students who may be struggling to succeed academically.

* We ensure that we include minority speakers (from outside the department) among the visiting lecturers during workshops, Communication Week, Summer Journalism Institute, and other such events, and those efforts have yielded positive results over the years because minority students will emulate those as role models.

7. Units in which admission is selective or varies from general university admission requirements should describe considerations given to the effects of selective requirements on minority enrollment.

N/A (Admission to the department does not vary from the general university’s.)

8. Assess the unit’s effectiveness in retaining minority students from first enrollment through graduation. Describe any special program developed by and/or used by the unit in the retention of minority students. Note the role of advising in this process

In the past several years since the Department of Communication shifted its focus toward improving its status on diversity, attracting, retaining and graduating minority students have remained a priority for the department, as shown in its diversity plan (Appendix II.3.2. Communication “Diversity Plan and Procedure”).

Minority Enrollment Rate The department’s first minority-enrollment record since after 2002, when it shifted its focus toward improving its record on diversity, was 37 percent—recorded in 2003. Since then, with the exception of 2005-06, our annual minority enrollment has steadily surpassed that seminal figure, yielding a four-year average of 38 percent during that period—2003-2007—(see Table W below). Even better are our recent minority enrollment statistics, which have gone from 48.08 percent to 51.8 percent, yielding a four-year (2009-2013) average of nearly 50 percent (see Table X below).

Minority Graduation Rate Our graduation rate, while not as high as our enrollment figures, has basically followed a trend similar to that of our enrollment. In the period between 2003 and 2007, it had gone from 21 percent to 33 percent with a four-year average minority graduation rate of 26 percent (see Table Y below). More recently (2009-2013), our graduation rate has gone from 28.9 percent to 47.5 percent with a culminating four-year average of 40.1 percent (see Table Z below).

Table W--Communication Department Enrollment: 2003-2007

2003- 2004- 2005- 2006- Average Average Percent

2004 2005 2006 2007 Majority Minority Minority

(Average)

Total Minority 98 94 84 98 94

Total

Majority 170 137 162 152 155

Percent Minority 37% 41% 34% 39% 38%

Data from JSU’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment

Table X--Communication Department Minority Enrollment: 2009-2013 2009- 2010- 2011- 2012- Average Average Percent 2010 2011 2012 2013 Majority Minority Minority (Average) Total Minority 100 122 143 139 126 Total Majority 108 127 133 135 125.8

Percent Minority 48.08 49 51.8 50.7 49.9 Data from JSU’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment

Table Y--Communication Department Minority Graduation: 2003-2007 Percent 2003- 2004- 205- 2006- Average Average Minority

2004 2005 2006 2007 Majority Minority (Average) Total Minority 8 7 11 10 9 Total Majority 28 27 27 20 26 Percent Minority 22% 21% 29% 33% 26% Data from JSU’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment

Table Z--Communication Department Minority Graduation: 2009-2013

2009- 2010 2011- 2012- Average Average Percent 2010 2011 2012 2013 Majority Minority Minority

(Average) Total

Minority 13 13 19 19 16 Total

Majority 32 18 21 26 24.3 Percent

Minority 28.9 41.9 47.5 42 40.1

Data from JSU’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment

We are pleased with the improvements we have made over the years since our change of direction toward diversification, although we are not complacent, and will continue to seek ways of improving on where we currently are.

As is commonly known, among the reasons for lack of student retention are academic, socio- cultural, as well as motivational factors. In order to address the academic dimension of this problem, and given the small size of his department, the department head took it upon him to monitor communication students with signs of academic difficult, especially minority students who are usually at a higher risk. The head requested from the college, and now receives, at the end of each academic year, a list of students with Ds and Fs in communication courses. This allows him to determine when and where intervention may be necessary to avert potentially serious academic problem for a student. Such inspections are very useful in view of our policy that a student cannot continue as a major or a minor in communication if s/he makes a D or an F twice in the same course. Further, it (the inspection) had in the past led to sending students for special advising, counseling, or in a few cases, advising such students to change major so as to avert dropping out of school completely because of repeated failure to meet the standards set for communication majors and minors.

The department has also tried to address the socio-cultural and motivational dimensions of minority retention by establishing a diversity committee headed by a minority faculty member. This committee must include minority students as members. The charge of this committee is to monitor minority issues in the department, innovate and make recommendations to the department for improvements. Further, the department encourages minority students to become members of student organizations in the department. They are encouraged and supported to run for offices in the department. Several have successfully done so and successfully held leadership positions in the department. The department head ensures that appointment to faculty search committees include minority and female students as often as possible.

9. Describe the unit’s efforts to recruit women and minority faculty and professional staff (as enumerated in Table 7, “Full-time Faculty Recruitment”).

The department recognizes the importance of diversity in the work force, including the academy, and makes all efforts to recruit women and minorities at any given opportunity. We utilize several channels to reach out to minorities and females with job advertisements. Such avenues include the AEJMC newsletter, the Minorities and Communication (MAC Division of AEJMC) list-serve, the Broadcast Education Association, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Chronicle.com, HigherEDJobs.com, HBCU CareerCenter.com, InsideHigherEd.com, Alabama Job link, as well as the university website. Another very important avenue is networking. As a member of several minority organizations/committees, the department head networks with other members in order to recruit women and minorities.

Since after 2002 when the department became very involved in diversification, we have had periods of high activity—2002-2003, 2004-05 and 2006-07—in recruiting women and minorities, most of whom we have also been able to retain thus far. In 2002-2003, we hired two African-American faculty members (males); in 2004-2005, we hired our first African-American female endowed chair; and in 2006-2007 we hired our first Asian- American faculty (male). However, in the last three academic years—2010-2011, 2011- 2012, and 2012-2013—we have not, as Table 7 shows, had any activities in full-time hiring because we have not had any openings.

Table 7. Full-time Faculty Recruitment

Provide the following information for any searches for full-time faculty members conducted by the unit within the past three years. Academic years: 2010 - 2011 2011 - 2012 2012 - 2013

Openings 0 0 0

Total applicants in hiring pool 0 0 0

Females in hiring pool 0 0 0

Female finalists considered 0 0 0

Offers made to females 0 0 0

Offers accepted by females 0 0 0

Minorities in hiring pool 0 0 0

Minority finalists considered 0 0 0

Offers made to minorities 0 0 0

Offers accepted by minorities 0 0 0

International faculty in hiring pool 0 0 0

International faculty considered 0 0 0

Offers made to international faculty 0 0 0

Offers accepted by international faculty 0 0 0

10. Describe the unit’s efforts to provide an environment that supports the retention, progress and success of women and minority faculty and professional staff.

Following a conscious decision in 2002 to improve its credentials on diversity and inclusiveness, the Department of Communication has continued to make serious efforts not only to recruit women and minorities, but also to retain them after hiring. We use several methods in order to achieve this objective.

The department encourages and supports efforts by faculty, especially members of the minority, to engage in traditional research (for those with terminal degrees) and/or creative activities (for the professional staff). For example, we have, in the Department of Communication, a tradition of paying 100 percent for both faculty conference presentations and faculty professional organization membership. Although we have not been able to do both for the last two years because of budgetary constraints, we have resumed that practice since 2013.

As a minority faculty, the department head recognizes that one of the complaints or perceptions that minority candidates have against historically white institutions is that they may hire minorities, but they find it difficult to promote or tenure them. Against this backdrop, the department ensures that once a faculty member is hired, the department begins the process of grooming that new faculty in preparation for tenure and promotion. This is accomplished through frequent advisement and instructions that steer the faculty in the right direction that will eventually result to successful tenure and promotion application. For example, we recommend JSU’s minority mentoring program to minority faculty members. Dr. Augustine Ihator, an African American who came here as an untenured associate professor, was a graduate of that mentoring program. He successfully went in for tenure and promotion after his second year at JSU. The head of department, Dr. Kingsley Harbor, also an African American, was mentored by several people, and especially Dr. T. Allen Smith, former dean of College of Arts and Sciences (now retired). Dr. Harbor also applied successfully for tenure and promotion after two years at JSU. Currently, Dr. Jeffrey Hedrick, our newest minority faculty member (Asian American), is being prepared for his tenure and promotion.

The department gives faculty members reduced load to enable them conduct research that will aid them in their bid for tenure and promotion. Faculty members in the college carry 4-4 teaching load per academic year, but our department is the only one that offers this incentive of 3-4 teaching load to its faculty, a situation that we were able to achieve because of ACEJMC accreditation.

The head of department encourages African-American faculty members, both in and outside his department, to utilize the JSU scholarship program designed for minority graduate education in order to further their education. The Grow-your-own scholarship program is an example. It allows African American faculty members who wish to obtain a doctorate degree to pursue such endeavor while they retain their tenure as faculty members at JSU. That program is a result of a settlement in the case, Knight and Sims v. The State of Alabama, which charged the state of discrimination against African American faculty and staff in Alabama universities.

As stated earlier, the departmental has a Diversity Committee, chaired by a minority faculty, which looks into and makes recommendations to the department on matters affecting minorities—faculty and student alike—in the department.

We were the first and only department in this University to hire a female and a minority (African American) as a distinguished chair. We are also the first and only academic department in the university to have a minority as a department head. The retention rate of our minority faculty since fall 2007 has remained at 100 percent. Despite all this, we are continuing to work toward improving our gender diversity by getting at least one female on our full-time faculty. We have a full-time faculty opening at present, and that will provide us an opportunity to accomplish that goal.

11. If the unit hires adjunct or part-time faculty members, describe the unit’s effort to hire minority and female professionals into these positions (as enumerated in Table 8, “Part- time/Adjunct Faculty Recruitment”) and list those who are minority and female professionals.

The department has not had a tradition of using adjunct faculty members a great deal mainly because of the location of the university vis-à-vis large media markets. Located about 110 miles and 80 miles from Atlanta and Birmingham respectively (the two metropolitan cities in the area with larger media presence), the department has not had an easy time attracting professional adjuncts to teach here because of prohibitive commuting distance. Similar to the situation of the professional media, there are no nearby universities where we could draw potential adjuncts from. Thus, the use of adjuncts had never been a strategy the department could count on in terms of staffing its faculty. This situation, however, has begun to improve over the past several years for two reasons. As fledging media outlets, especially electronic media, that have come to the area grew stronger and more stable, the propensity for the department to align itself with them grew. The second reason relates to the relationship which the department had begun to cultivate with already-existing media outlets, such as The Anniston Star and The Jacksonville News. As that relationship matured, both sides saw the need for a closer collaboration in producing future journalists and other mass communicators. This improvement manifests itself more prominently in the areas of news editorial and public relations and less so in the electronic media, which have much fewer outlets in this area.

In summary, while the last three academic years in the department have seen no activity in full- time hiring, part-time employment by the department has not been as dormant. Prior to 2010, we lost four adjunct faculty members (three females and one African-American male). One of the females went back to school—changing her career from journalism to nursing after working many years as a journalist; another went back to school to obtain a master’s degree in secondary education; the third left because of the heavy load of holding a full-time job as a journalist, teaching adjunct for us, and expecting a baby; and the male minority adjunct moved to a new job in Huntsville, Alabama. Soon after that we embarked upon replacing the lost faculty and, as Table 8 below shows, in 2011-2012, we hired two adjunct faculties (females), and a third one to follow in January, 2014. Below is a list of these adjunct faculty members.

Minority: None

Females Ms. Anita Stiefel Communication instructor, Troy State University Ms. Pamela Hill Web-based and Computer-based Training Developer, SAIC/EAI Corporation, Anniston, Alabama Dr. Stacy Mann Assistant professor of emergency management, and former instructor of journalism and veteran news woman.

Table 8. Part-time/adjunct faculty recruitment

Provide the following information for any searches for part-time or adjunct faculty members conducted by the unit within the past three years.

Academic years: 2010–2011 2011–2012 2012 –2013____

Openings 2 2 0

Total applicants in hiring pool 2 5 0

Females in hiring pool 0 3 0

Female finalists considered 0 2 0

Offers made to females 0 2 0

Offers accepted by females 0 2 0

Minorities in hiring pool 0 0 0

Minority finalists considered 0 0 0

Offers made to minorities 0 0 0

Offers accepted by minorities 0 0 0 __

International faculty in hiring pool 0 0 0 __

International faculty considered 0 0 0 __

Offers made to international faculty 0 0 0 __

Offers accepted by international faculty 0 0 0 __

12. Provide examples of professionals, visiting professors, and other guest speakers invited or sponsored by the unit during the past three years whose background or expertise served to introduce students to diverse perspectives.

The following professionals and/or professors have been invited by the department at various times to share their experiences, knowledge, and expertise in Communication with our students.

2010 Monday, April 5, 2010: Public Relations Day - Miranda Myrick, Anniston Army Depot [White, female] Tuesday, April 6, 2010: Print Journalism Day - Chris Foshee, Sports Editor, St. Clair County News [White, male]

Wednesday, April 7, 2010: Broadcasting Day - Jamie Langley, Co-anchor, CBS 8 News, Montgomery Alabama [White, female] Thursday, April 8, 2010: Awards Day Luncheon Keynote Speaker: Mr. Trebor Banstetter, Corporate Communication Specialist, Delta Airways [White, male]

2011 Monday, April 11, 2011, Broadcasting Day - Ms. Hollie Thrasher, Reporter/Producer, TV 38, Georgia [White female] Tuesday, April 12, 2011: Print Journalism Day - Mr. Jon Alred, Publisher, Jacksonville News & Piedmont Journal [White male] Wednesday, April 13, 2011: Public Relations Day - Mr. Brandon Glover, Alabama Power Company [White, male] Thursday, April 14, 2011: Luncheon Keynote Speaker: Ms. Geni Certain, Managing Editor, The Daily Home [White, female]

2012 Monday, April 2, 2012 Public Relations Day – Mr. Tom Potts, Jr., Potts Marketing Group [White, male] Tuesday, April 3, 2012 Broadcasting Day - Mr. Mike Mote, News Director, WHMA radio [White male, Blind] Wednesday, April 4, 2012 Print Journalism Day - Mr. Justin Thurman, Regional Manager, Advance Digital [White, male] Thursday April 5, 2012 Luncheon Keynote Speaker: Mr. Mike Abrams, Public Affairs Officer, US Army Chemical Materials Agency [White male]

2013 Monday, April 1, 2013 Digital Journalism Day – Mr. Anthony Cook, editor of AL.com [African American, male] Tuesday, April 2, 2013 Broadcasting Day - Mr. Mike Parris, voice of the JSU Gamecocks [White, male] Wednesday, April 3, 2013 Public Relations Day – Ms. Jessica Brown, Marketing Director of United Way of Etowah County [White, female] Thursday April 4, 2013 Luncheon Keynote Speaker – Mr. Lantz Croft, Operations Manger of WBRC Fox-6 TV in Birmingham [White, male], [com. Alumnus]

June 9, 2013 Summer Journalism Institute keynote speaker—Mr. Roy Williams [Male, African American], Marketing Director, Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School, Birmingham, Alabama. Also a newspaper journalist for 23-years at Birmingham News. [Also com. Alumnus]

Ayers Lecturer March 25, 2010 Mr. H. Brandt Ayers [White, male], publisher of the Anniston Star and chairman of Consolidated Publishing Company February 24, 2011 Ms. Jackie Northam [White, female], Washington, D.C. based foreign correspondent for National Public Radio March 8, 2012 Ms. Connie Schultz [White, female], American writer and journalist; nationally syndicated columnist based at The Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper March 14, 2013 Ms. Diane McWhorter [White, female], Civil Rights historian and Pulitzer-Prize winning author and commentator who has written extensively about race and the history of Civil Rights.

Guest Speakers in classes

COM 440 Public Relations Campaign Management taught by Dr. Augustine Ihator • FALL 2012 - Jessica Brown [White, female], Resource Development & Marketing Director, United Way of Etowah County, AL.

• SPRING 2012 - Sandy Knight [female] and Dev Wakeley, Owners of Wake & Bake Pizza Restaurant, Jacksonville, AL.

• SPRING 2012 - Kristy Farmer [female], Owner/General Manager of Peerless Grille and Saloon, Anniston, AL.

• FALL 2011 - Vernon Thomas [African American], General Manager of Sunny King Toyota, Oxford, AL.

• FALL 2011 - Mrs. Jill Waters [White female], Owner of Jillybean's Cupcakes & Ice Cream Restaurant, Jacksonville, AL.

• SPRING 2011 - Cindy Young [female], Owner (2nd time). Java Jolt Coffee House, Jacksonville, AL.

• FALL 2010 - Brandon Glover [White male], PR Officer: Alabama Power – A Southern Company, Anniston, AL.

• SPRING 2010 COM 440 Campaign Management - Cindy Young [female], Owner Java Jolt Coffee House, Jacksonville, AL

COM 315 Intro to News, taught by Mr. Chris Waddle.

Larry Amerson, Calhoun County sheriff, [White male], for COM 315, fall and spring semesters, 2010 and 2011

COM 330 Intro to Public Relations, taught by Dr. Jeffrey Hedrick From Fall 2009 through Spring 2012, the following guests visited EVERY semester: • Andy Green[White male], Director of Enrollment Management, JSU Admissions office • Angie Finley [White female], Public Relations Specialist, Jacksonville State University • Patty Hobbs, [White female] Public Relations Director, Jacksonville State University • Tim Garner [White male], Director of Marketing & Communications, JSU From Fall 2009 through Spring 2012, the following visited two or three semesters: • Susan Williamson, Vice President Advancement at Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama in Anniston; former PR director at Anniston Regional Medical Center [female] • Alison Ortiz, Admissions Counselor, JSU Admissions [Latin American, female] • Meredith Harvey, Admissions Counselor, JSU Admissions [female] March 8th, 2012 Connie Shultz [White, female] Q & A session in COM 330, Intro to Public Relations, open to all students March 14th, 2013 Diane McWhorter [White, female] Q & A session in COM 330, Intro to Public Relations, open to all students

Part II, Standard 4. Full-Time and Part-Time Faculty

Anita Stiefel, ABD Dr. Stacey Mann

Dr. J. Patrick McGrail Dr. Jeffrey B. Hedrick

During the visit, the unit should provide the following documents in the workroom: • curriculum vitae of each full-time faculty member (Full-time faculty refers to those defined as such by the unit.) • résumés of adjunct or part-time faculty, and of graduate students serving as teachers of record, teaching during the fall 2013 semester • records on faculty promotion and tenure

Executive summary (optional).

Department faculty comprises instructors with terminal degree and professional experience as well as others without terminal degree, but with extensive professional experience; and course assignments take into consideration each faculty member’s background. Those with terminal degrees teach conceptual/theoretical courses mostly, while skills courses are taught by instructors with extensive professional experience in the relevant fields. The department uses part- time/adjunct faculty, although full-time faculty have primary responsibility for teaching, advising, research/creative activity and service.

Job advertisements stipulate both minimum and desirable qualifications for each advertised position, and applicants for faculty position in the department—full or part-time—must meet at least those minimum criteria set by the university.

While student evaluation of course instruction is done each semester, comprehensive evaluation of faculty performance is done annually. Such evaluation is based on three major criteria: (a) teaching effectiveness and advisement, (b) scholarly activities and/or research, and (c) professional, institutional, and community services.

Please respond to each of the following instructions:

1. Describe how the unit selects full-time and part-time faculty and instructional staff.

The department adheres to the employment policies and guidelines developed by the University. The head of department, working closely with the department faculty, identifies a vacant or new position, and develops a job description which stipulates minimum as well as desired qualifications. He discusses this with the dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies. Upon the dean’s verbal approval, necessary paper work (“permission to post position”) is completed and sent to the higher administration through the dean. Upon approval, a national search ensues.

The paper work completed and sent to the higher administration (which includes the job description) is sent to the Department of Human Resources by the provost and vice president for academic and student affairs. Human Resources places advertisements in several outlets– regional and national, professional/trade publications. They include The Chronicle of Higher Education, HigherEd Jobs, Inside HigherEd, HBCU, Divers, and Al.com. Our department also requests that the Human Resources include the AEJMC News and AEJMC website. The department further supplements HR postings with its own direct mailings that go to individual members of the AEJMC including members of the Minorities and Communication Division through its list serve. All advertisements encourage women and minority to apply.

The department head sets up a search committee. Because we are a small department, this always involves every full-time faculty, a part-time faculty who is also the manager of our student media, and a Communication student. Ms. Rosalynn Martin, Director of Human Resources, and Dr. Joe Delap, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, visit the committee during its first meeting to brief the committee on the necessity for a search that includes and considers diverse applicants. Upon receipt of applications, the committee reviews the pool of applicants, and

develops a short list. Applicants in the short list are invited for a telephone interview. Three finalists are selected, following the telephone interview, for an on-campus interview.

All candidates must meet minimum standard before being considered for a position at Jacksonville State University. That minimum standard is a master’s degree in the discipline of interest or a master’s degree in a closely related area, but with a minimum of 18 graduate hours in the discipline of interest. Depending on the course(s) to be taught, consideration is given to outstanding professional experience in lieu of degree. Selection of full-time faculty candidates who have met the minimum qualifications is based on: (1) the quality of their teaching credentials, (2) the quality and quantity of their research and/or creative activities, (3) the quantity of their public and professional service activities, (4) quality of their reference checks, and (5) the needs of the department, such as balance in degree, professional experience, gender, and race. The interview, which usually lasts for two days, includes classroom teaching; question and answer session with department faculty; meeting with the dean, the provost and vice president for academic and student affairs; and campus as well as city tours.

Finally, upon conclusion of the campus interview of the three finalists, the search committee meets, deliberates, and finally votes on the first, second, and third choices. The head of department sends the committee’s recommendation, through the dean, to the provost and vice president for academic and student affairs. Upon the provost’s approval of the committee’s recommendation, the department head contacts and makes an offer to the first candidate, and if s/he accepts, the search closes. If not, the department head makes an offer to the second candidate, and if necessary, to the third.

Part-time faculty employment is less rigorous. However, similar to full-time faculty, part-time applicants must also meet minimum requirements. After ensuring that a prospective part time faculty member meets all the requirements, the head of department presents his recommendation to the dean and the provost. All final faculty employment decisions are made by the president of the University.

2. Provide examples of published advertisements for faculty openings in the past six years (before the self-study year) that show required and preferred qualifications of candidates. Please see Appendix II.4.2. “Published Faculty Searches.”

3. Describe the unit’s expectations of faculty members in teaching, research, creative and professional activity, and service.

The Department of Communication expects all full-time faculty members to remain active in terms of faculty development, research and/or creative activities, and service. As stated earlier, faculty advancement—tenure, promotion, and raises—is closely tied to annual faculty evaluation, which itself is predicated upon performance in three major areas: teaching and advisement; research, creative and/or professional activity; and public and professional service.

Both during and after the process of hiring, faculty members are thoroughly informed of the above three requirements via orientations, faculty development, and annual evaluation. Each year, the university conducts an intensive faculty orientation for new faculty members, and it lasts for about one week. A part of this orientation deals with information on university

requirements for continuation and advancement as a faculty member. Along with this orientation, each faculty member receives a faculty handbook that clearly enunciates these standards and procedures. Also, faculty annual evaluation forms clearly show these three major areas, delineating the weight (percentage-wise) of each area in determining a faculty member’s overall score (please see Appendix II.4.3. “Faculty Expectations in Teaching, Research, and Service”).

In terms of specific indicators of teaching expectation, our department’s full-time faculty members currently have a 3-4 (i.e., three courses in fall, and four in spring) teaching load with the exception of one professional faculty who specifically requested to continue with 4-4 teaching load, the fourth course being internship.

On research, creative and/or professional activity, the university sets its general expectations while each college provides more specifics to those expectations. The College of Education and Professional Studies requires, for tenure and/or promotion to associate professor, that a faculty member must have a minimum of five (5) major scholarly activities to include at least three (3) publications within the five years preceding the application for tenure and/or promotion. For promotion to full professor, a faculty member must have a minimum of six (6) major scholarly activities to include at least four (4) publications within the five years preceding the application.

As always, service, defined by the university as, “activities related to the University, the profession, and the community when related to the discipline” (JSU Faculty Handbook, 2013, p. 25) is also a component of this process. Although there is no specificity on the part of the university as to the quantity or quality of service, but the college does provide details as to what constitutes university service, professional service as well as community service (see Appendix II. 4.3 above).

4. Describe the normal workload for a full-time faculty member. Explain how workloads are determined. If some workloads are lighter or heavier than normal, explain how these variations are determined.

As stated earlier, the normal workload for full-time faculty members across College of Education and Professional Studies is 4-4, with the exception of our department. This adoption followed a 2003 recommendation by an ACEJMC consultant, Dr. Dan Lattimore (then vice provost at the University of Memphis), who reviewed our program and recommended, among others, a reduction of load for our faculty so as to free up some time for faculty research, creative and/or professional activity. The chart below shows our normal teaching assignments for the five full-time faculty members in the department. Assistant Professor Jerry Chandler has 4-4 because one of his classes is internship, and he has asked to retain the 4-4 structure given that internship is not a regular class. So far, it has not affected his creative activities. Kingsley Harbor, as the department head, teaches 50 percent, and performs administrative duties 50 percent.

Department of Communication Workload for Full-time Faculty

Full-time Faculty* Fall Spring

Jerry G. Chandler (MA) 4 4

Augustine Ihator (Ph.D.) 4 3

J. Patrick McGrail (Ph.D.) 3 4

Jeffery B. Hedrick (Ph.D.) 3 4

Kingsley O. Harbor (Ph.D.) 2 2 head of department

* The department had six full-time faculty members up till the end of May, 2013,when one of them—The Ayers Chair—left, now leaving the department with five full-time faculty members.

5. Describe the unit’s processes and criteria for evaluating the performance of full-time and part-time faculty and instructional staff. Provide course evaluation forms, peer review forms or other documents used in evaluations.

All teaching faculty—full-time and part-time—are evaluated at the end of every semester, but a comprehensive evaluation of full-time faculty is done once each academic year—at the end of the spring semester. Semester evaluations are limited to student evaluation of faculty and instruction, while the annual, comprehensive evaluation includes both student and department head’s overall evaluations. This end-of-year assessment looks at all work—teaching and advisement, scholarship and/or creative activity, and (department, university, professional, and community) services done by a full-time instructor throughout the year.

Criteria for evaluating full-time and part-time faculty Two years ago, the College of Education and Professional Studies discarded its former evaluation instrument for a new one that is significantly different from the previous one. It consists of two major parts: (1) a portfolio which elaborately defines teaching effectiveness, advisement, scholarship and/or creative activities, and (departmental, university, professional, and community) services; and (2) a rubric which details the set of criteria as well as scales for measuring those qualities defined by the portfolio.

Teaching effectiveness is measured in terms of course preparation and delivery (which itself is a composite of several other criteria such as quality of syllabi, use of technology, pedagogical innovations, etc.), professional development, and advisement (measured by quality of advisement sheet, accessibility, and student evaluation, among others). For the past three to four years, the university has transited from classroom student evaluation of instructor to online evaluation using the IDEA program.

Scholarship is measured in terms of publication, conference presentation, and grants activities. Service has four dimensions—departmental, university-wide, professional, and community activities. Each of the above measures has three to four levels of performance-rating—exceeds expectation, meets expectation, below expectation, or in some cases, not applicable (please see Appendix II.4.5. “Faculty Appraisal Forms”) Similar to full-time faculty, adjunct faculty members undergo student evaluation every semester using the IDEA program, and they also undergo an annual evaluation. The only difference is that while full-time faculty members are evaluated on four major criteria (as detailed above), adjunct faculty members are evaluated only on teaching effectiveness because they do not advise and do not have service or scholarship expectations by our university.

The entire evaluation criteria are significantly informed by the department’s goals and student learning outcomes, among others.

Process of evaluating full and part-time faculty Each year, on or before May 1, each full-time faculty member submits to the head of department, via Live Text online system, a report of her/his activities for the past year. The report comprises a self-evaluation narrative of how the faculty member has met the requirements for teaching, advisement, scholarship, and service for that year, as well as that faculty member’s goals for the next year. These materials and their supporting evidences are submitted electronically (vial Live Text) to the head of department. The department head reviews the whole submission and responds to the faculty member by May 15 or the first business day following May 15th. This is a formative feedback to the faculty.

Next, the department head and the faculty will meet to discuss the evaluation. This meeting will include feedback by the department head to the faculty on the faculty member’s proposed goals for the next year. At the end of the meeting, both will sign the evaluation form signifying their participation in the conference. There is a space for signatures at the end of the form. The faculty member has 10 days to provide a written comment about the conference, if any, to the department head and the dean. At the end of this, each party gets a copy of the entire document. The original document is submitted electronically to the dean of the College. That brings the annual evaluation to an end.

6. Describe the process for decisions regarding promotion, tenure and salary. Provide relevant faculty handbook sections and any supplementary promotion and tenure criteria and procedures adopted by the unit.

According to JSU Faculty Handbook (2013), all faculty members employed under tenure track are eligible for tenure and/or promotion. Such faculty members have the responsibility to attain the standard listed in the Faculty Handbook (2013, pp. 15-30) as pre-requisites for tenure and promotion (T&P). In most cases, tenure and promotion will apply only to faculty members with professorial ranks—assistant professors and upward. To move from assistant to associate professor, the assistant professor must have: (a) a terminal degree or outstanding performance in the creative arts in lieu of an advanced degree, (b) taught for five years at the rank of assistant professor, (c) evidence of sustained noteworthy teaching effectiveness, and (d) evidence of noteworthy research—scholarly, creative, or professional activities, and (e) credit for the minimum number of hours of graduate work required by the relevant regional accrediting body.

To move from associate professor to full professor, the associate professor must have: (a) a sustained excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service, (b) an appropriate, earned doctorate or a widely acclaimed accomplishments in the creative arts or business, (c) a minimum of 10 years of full-time teaching, five as an associate professor, and (d) credit for the minimum number of hours of graduate work required by the relevant regional accrediting body (see Appendix II. 5.5. “ JSU Faculty Handbook—Tenure and promotion.” A faculty member applying for tenure and/or promotion has the responsibility of preparing an adequate and standard portfolio. The office of the provost and vice president for academic and student affairs has a list of guidelines that directs the applicant on how to assemble the portfolio. The dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies holds seminars and conferences every year on how to prepare for tenure and/or promotion, and aspirants are encouraged by the department head to attend such seminars/workshops which are publicized college-wide.

Each year in September, the provost and vice president for academic and student affairs sends out a campus-wide call for applications for tenure and/or promotion specifying deadlines for the applications to reach her office. The decision making process begins as soon as the applicant turns in her/his application/portfolio to the department head. Departments in the College of Education and Professional Studies do not have separate departmental tenure and promotion committees, but the college has a standing tenure and promotion committee that all departments under the college go through for tenure and promotion purposes. Although there are no separate tenure and promotion committees within departments, department faculty participates actively in the process.

It is the university’s policy that upon receipt of a tenure and promotion application from a candidate, the department head will invite all faculty members in the department, who have the same or a higher rank than that of the applicant, to review the document and submit letters to the department head regarding the application. The department head then submits his recommendation, letters from those eligible department faculty members, and the candidate’s portfolio to the dean. The dean in turn, invites faculty members in the whole college who are at the same or higher rank as the applicant to review and submit letters regarding the application. The dean submits her/his recommendation, letters from eligible faculty members, and the portfolio to the provost and vice president for academic and student affairs who eventually makes her recommendation to the president of the university, who finally approves or disapproves the application. The provost and vice president for academic and student affairs notifies the applicant of the action. For successful applicants, the promotion and/or tenure becomes effective on October 1 of the following academic year. Unsuccessful applicants may file an appeal in writing to the president of the Faculty Senate and the provost and vice president for academic and student affairs within seven days of the letter of denial.

Salary recommendations are based on faculty evaluation as discussed above. The department head makes recommendations to the dean of the college based on faculty performance during the relevant academic year. The dean, on the strength of the department head’s recommendation as well as other factors (such as comparison with other units in the college and the amount of money earmarked for salary increase), makes her/his recommendation to the provost and vice president for academic and student affairs who makes her own recommendation to the president for his final decision. The above process relates to merit raises only. For across-the-board raises, they are just that: across the board—everyone receives the same percentage.

7. Describe faculty members’ activities outside the unit in service to the campus or university.

Assistant Professor Jerry G. Chandler

Committee Responsibility Period of service______Co-chair, Disciplinary- Student discipli- 2007 – Present Action Committee -nary issues

Chair, University Ethical Issues 2007-Present Integrity Committee in communication

Univ. Media Manager Hire Univ. PR staff 2007 – Present Search Committee

Dr. Augustine Ihator, Professor

Committee Responsibility Period of service__ Faculty Senate Represents faculty—academic 2004-date and other pertinent issues

Faculty Senate Review University policies 2004-2005 Policies Committee relating to faculty

Board of Directors, Foundation seeks ways and 2005-date Jacksonville State means to enhance University University Foundation

Dr. Jeffrey Hedrick, Assistant Professor

Committee Responsibility Period of Service College Curriculum College curriculum matter within the 2009-2013 Committee College of Education & Professional Studies CEPS Information Information dissemination with emphasis on 2006-Present Committee content & updating of CEPS websites Faculty Senator Represents COM faculty-- Fall 2008-present Academic and other pertinent issues Faculty Senate Considers faculty welfare issues within the 2010-present Welfare Committee university Library Liaison Interacts with University librarians in 2007-present acquisition and maintaining of library resources related to Communication

Dr. J. Patrick McGrail

Committee Responsibility Period of service__ Curriculum Committee Implements requests made 2008-present by departments for new and revised courses; make changes in prerequisites for courses College Evaluation Committee Deals with faculty rank, 2010-present advancement, promotion and salary for faculty Student Recruitment Committee Involved in getting word out to 2008-2011 students by keeping them informed of JSU successes Mentoring Committee Connected junior faculty with 2010-2012 more senior faculty and created a handbook and survey to assist with and assess the experiences of new faculty TV-24 ad hoc committee Met to discuss the smooth 2012-2013 transition of TV-24 from Self Hall and the nature of its relationship with the university CEPS public relations committee Worked on a promotional video 2010-2011 for CEPS PSU LiveWire committee Online radio committee for 2007-2008 Penn State University, Altoona.

Dr. Kingsley O. Harbor

Committee Responsibility Period of service__ Faculty Hearing Committee Faculty evaluation 2002-present processes and issues Chair, CEPS Advisory Committee 1. Reviews and 2003-present recommends issues of potential importance to the college. 2. College Grade-appeals

Council of Department Heads Academic, administrative, 2002-present regulatory issues College Curriculum Committee College curriculum 2002-present matters NCATE Diversity Committee College Diversity issues 2002-2006 Enrollment Management Managing JSU 2003-present Committee (EMC) enrollment.

Chair, Persistence Subcommittee Student retention 2005-2006 of the EMC .

Committee on Recruitment & Study, manage, and 2002-present Retention of African-American make recommendations Faculty and Staff to the administration on (R&R Committee) black issues

Chair, Brochure Subcommittee Design, produce and 2003-present of the R&R Committee maintain brochure for R&R committee

African-American Org. Oversees overall black 2002- present for Responsive Education issues on campus (AFORE)

JSU Printing and Publications University printing, 2004-present Committee publication, website & Other promotional media

Institutional Effectiveness Program review, assessment 2006-present Committee PRISM system improvement

Tuition Remission Review Review and revise JSU 2006-present Ad-hoc Committee tuition assistance program

Faculty Handbook Committee Review & revision of 2007-2008 Faculty Handbook

Dean Search Committee Recruit dean of library 2007-2008

8. Units should demonstrate that full-time tenured, tenure-track and fixed-term faculty have taught the majority of courses for the three years before the site visit.

Percentage of courses taught by full-time faculty: These data are based on JSU’s catalogues that were current during the school years listed below. Each of those catalogues contained 29 communication courses, and the figures stated below represent the percentage of courses taught by full-time tenured, tenure-track and fixed-term faculty.

2012-13 school year: 89.7% (We had two adjuncts: one taught one course, and the other taught two) 2011-12 school year: 89.7% (We had two adjuncts: one taught one course, and the other taught two) 2010-11 school year: 100% (We had no adjunct faculty during the 2010-2011 academic year).

9. In cases where full-time tenured, tenure-track and fixed-term professional faculty are not teaching the majority of courses, the unit should explain how its staffing plan accomplishes the goal of reserving the primary responsibility for teaching to the full- time faculty.

N/A

Part II, Standard 5. Scholarship: Research, Creative and Professional Activity

Kingsley O. Harbor Presenting at the Spring 2010 Oxford Round Table, Oxford University, Oxford, England

Executive summary (optional).

As already stated, faculty annual evaluation in the College of Education and Professional Studies and in the Department of Communication is based on three major criteria, one of which is research, creative and/or professional activity. From the time of employment, a faculty member is made aware of the importance of this to promotion, tenure, and merit raises in Jacksonville State University. Because our department comprises faculty with a terminal degree and others with a master’s degree and extensive professional experience, we adopt a broad definition of scholarship that takes into consideration faculty members’ professional as well as scholarly specializations.

To emphasize the importance of research, creative and/or professional activity, the department supports faculty presentation at professional conferences by paying for the total cost of conferences. We also pay for the total cost of membership in professional organizations. Further, we assign fewer course loads to faculty in order to facilitate research, creative and/or professional activities.

91 To foster a climate that supports intellectual curiosity, we host and participate in several annual programs that bring distinguished professionals and intellectuals to campus to lecture and interact with our students, faculty, and staff. For instance, we host the Ayers Lecture Series annually; we host the Communication Week annually; and we participate in The Anniston Star’s Community Journalism Week, when it is held. These provide significant intellectual stimulation for both the academic and the external communities within our area. Details of all these activities are provided in the report that follows.

Please respond to each of the following instructions:

1. Describe the institution’s mission regarding scholarship by faculty and the unit’s policies for achieving that mission.

As a teaching institution, Jacksonville State University places most emphasis on teaching effectiveness, but she also understands that pedagogy must be cushioned with scholarship in order for it to be factual, reflective of contemporary knowledge-evolution, and effective. JSU’s goal #3—“Increase student and faculty participation in research and service activities”—attests to this mission (JSU Faculty Handbook, 2013, p. 11).

JSU promotes scholarship in several ways. It offers different financial incentives—travel and self-improvement grants for faculty to present papers at conferences, research grants for faculty to develop and conduct their research—and holds an annual faculty research award forum where faculty members who have presented a scholarly research and/or published a peer-reviewed research during that year are recognized.

Furthermore, the College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS), the home of the Department of Communication, provides a more specific definition of scholarship and the criteria to guide its accomplishment. These are clearly spelled out in the college’s faculty evaluation instrument as well as well as in its promotion and tenure documents. For example, promotion from assistant to associate professor requires a “sustained scholarship with a minimum of five (5) major scholarly activities, to include at least three (3) publications.” Major scholarly activities are defined as a refereed journal publication, or book chapter with the faculty member as the first author on at least one journal article; or a book published by a refereed press; or a substantial monetary grant that provides a significant contribution to the field; or two refereed scholarly presentations. These same scholarship requirements apply to faculty seeking tenure. For those seeking promotion from associate to full professor, there are similar scholarship requirements, but with some higher level differentiation requiring six major scholarly activities to include at least four (4) publications. (See the section on research in Appendix II.4.3. “Faculty Expectations in Teaching, Research, and Service”).

To achieve this scholarship mission, the Department of Communication subscribes to the college’s scholarship requirement and holds its faculty accountable for this during annual faculty evaluation. It (the department) goes further to support faculty in accomplishing this goal by (1) paying faculty members’ annual (professional organization) membership dues, and (2) paying for faculty members’ expenses to present papers at professional meetings.

2. Define the group of faculty whose work is included in this section and state time restrictions used to incorporate activities of faculty who were not employed by the unit during all of the previous six years (for example, new faculty and retired faculty).

Our department has not lost any full-time faculty member in the past six years from fall 2007 to May 2013, but has added two new faculty members—Dr. J. Patrick McGrail, assistant professor of broadcasting, and Mr. Chris Waddle, the Ayers Chair of journalism—although the latter left at the end of May, 2013.

Because of our faculty’s varying backgrounds, our definition of scholarship—traditional research (or scholarship of discovery, as it is often termed) or creative activities (scholarship of application)—is broad, thus making accommodation for both categories of faculty colleagues. Faculty members with terminal degrees (Ph.D.) are expected to engage in the scholarship of discovery, while those with extensive professional experience engage in the scholarship of application. Details of all faculty members’ status—including their ranks and periods of tenure— are shown in the table below. Period of tenure here in the past six years Scholarship-type Full-time faculty Rank (2007 - 2013) ______Mr. Jerry Chandler Asst. Prof. 2007 – 2013 Creative Activities Dr. J. Patrick McGrail Asst. Prof. 2008 – 2013 Traditional Dr. Augustine Ihator Professor 2007 – 2013 Traditional Dr. Jeffrey B. Hedrick Asst. Prof. 2007 – 2013 Traditional Mr. Chris Waddle* Ayers Chair 2008 – 2013 Creative Activities Dr. Kingsley O. Harbor Prof. & Dept. head 2007 – 2013 Traditional

Part-time/Adjunct faculty Rank Period of tenure ___ Ms. Pam Hill Instructor 2011 - 2013 Ms. Anita Stiefel Instructor 2011 - 2013 Mr. Mike Stedham Mgr., student media 2007 – 2013

* Mr. Waddle separated from the university at the end of his 2012-2013 contract (i.e., at the end of May, 2013), thus, the Ayers Chair’s position is currently vacant.

3. Using the grid that follows, provide counts of the unit’s productivity in scholarship for the past six years by activity, first for the unit as a whole and then for individuals broken down by academic rank. The grid should capture relevant activity by all full- time faculty. Provide the total number of individuals in each rank in place of the XX. Adapt the grid to best reflect institutional mission and unit policies and provide a brief narrative.

By Individuals Scholarship, Research, Creative By Full Associate Assistant Other Totals Unit * Professors Professors Professors Faculty** and Professional Activities (2) (0) (3) (XX) (5) Awards and Honors 19 8+4 4+2+1 5

Grants Received Internal 3 3 1

Grants Received External 2 2 1

Scholarly Books, Sole- or Co-authored

Textbooks, Sole- or Co-authored

Books Edited 1 1 1

Book Chapters 2 2 1

Monographs

Articles in Refereed Journals 8 2 6 2

Refereed Conference Papers 24 6+4 13+1 4

Invited Academic Papers 3 2 1 2

Encyclopedia Entries

Book Reviews 5 3 2 2

Articles in Non-refereed Publications >200 >200 1

Juried Creative Works

Non-juried Creative Works 2 2 1

Other (specified) 8 3***+5**** 2 *Co-authored work should be counted as a single publication in the unit totals, however if, for example, two members of the faculty are co-authors on the same journal article, it would be reported as a publication for both authors. **Includes all full-time faculty who do not hold listed ranks, such as instructors and others on term appointments. Many faculty in this category may hold teaching appointments without significant scholarship, research or creative requirements. *** Chandler’s 3 appearances on National Geographic Channel as aviation journalism expert ***** Hedrick’s 5 annual (2008-2012) coordination/management of health fairs at various sites in Jacksonville, Oxford, and Anniston

4. List the scholarly, research, creative and professional activities of each member of the full-time faculty in the past six years. Please provide a full list; do not refer team members to faculty vitae for this information. (Full-time faculty refers to those defined as such by the unit.) If including faculty who have since left the unit, please note.

The six-year period in consideration here is from 2007-2008 to 2012-2013, and, as the table in instruction #2 above shows, most of the full-time faculty members listed here cover that period. The two scholarship categories described above—discovery and application—are reflected in the list that follows.

Assistant Professor Jerry G. Chandler (M.A.)

Creative Activities 2008- Contributing editor, Overhaul & Maintenance Magazine; contributing editor Business Travel Executive Magazine; North American Correspondent, Cheapflights.com; writer, Air Transport World. 2009- Contributing editor, Overhaul & Maintenance Magazine; contributing editor, Business Travel Executive Magazine; writer, Air Transport World. 2010- Contributing editor, Overhaul & Maintenance Magazine; contributing editor, Business Travel Executive Magazine; writer Air Transport World. 2011- Contributing editor, Overhaul & Maintenance Magazine; contributing editor, Business Travel Executive Magazine; writer, Air Transport World; writer-on-assignment (medical news) for VFW Magazine. 2012- Contributing editor, Overhaul & Maintenance Magazine; contributing editor, Business Travel Executive Magazine; contributing editor, Business Traveler Magazine; writer-on- assignment (medical news) for VFW Magazine; writer, Cheapflights.com. 2013-Writer, Aviation Week MRO Edition; contributing editor, Business Travel Executive Magazine; contributing editor, Business Traveler Magazine; technology and safety editor, Airline Ratings.com; writer-on-assignment (medical news), VFW Magazine. In the past 25 years, Professor Chandler has written more than 2,000 articles, consulted for three screenplays, and published two books. The citations below are a partial recent sampling:

‘Attila Arrives,’ Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 14, 2013, pp. 42 - 43; ‘Parts Trend or Transition?,’ Aviation Week & Space Technology, December 17, 2012, pp. MRO10 – MRO12. ‘Rural Health Care Realities: There No Place Like Home,’ November/December VFW Magazine, pp. 40 – 42. ‘Moscow Airports,’ Business Travel Executive Magazine, November 2012, pp. 12 – 14. ‘A Class of Their Own,’ Business Traveler Magazine, November 2012, pp. 30 – 33. ‘Dubai Airport,’ Business Travel Executive Magazine, October 2012, pp. 12 – 14. ‘I Pledge Allegiance,’ Business Travel Executive Magazine, July 2012, pp. 28 – 30. ‘Tokyo Haneda International Airport,’ Business Traveler Magazine, July/August 2012, pp. 52 – 56. ‘Competitive Weave,’ Overhaul & Maintenance Magazine, April 2012, pp. 35 – 37. ‘Johannesburg O.R.Tambo International,’ Business Traveler Magazine, April 2012, pp. 54 – 57. ‘Paris Charles de Gaulle,’ Business traveler Magazine, March 2012, pp. 54 – 56. ‘Las Vegas McCarran,’ Business Traveler Magazine, February 2012, pp. 54 – 57. ‘Customs Challenges,’ Overhaul & Maintenance Magazine, November 2011, pp. 34 – 36. ‘Calgary International,’ Business Travel Executive Magazine, June 2011, pp. 38 – 40.

‘A New Frontier of Life,’ (National Mature Media Silver Award-winning story), VFW Magazine, February 2011, pp. 24 – 26. ‘Speed Saves: Combat Medicine Redefined,’ VFW Magazine, May 2011, pp. 32 – 34. ‘Persistence in Paradise,’ Air Transport World Magazine, February 2011, pp 48 – 51. ‘Allegiant: The Un-Airline,” Air Transport World, February 2010, pp. 60 – 62. ‘The Afterlife of the Northeast Shuttles,’ Air Transport World, December 2009, pp. 56 – 59. ‘The Perimeter Push,’ Air Transport World, September 2009, pp. 69 – 72. ‘Time Out at AirTran,’ Air Transport World, March 2009, pp. 40 – 45.

Kingsley O. Harbor. Ph,D. Professor and Department Head

Research

INVITED PAPERS--THE OXFORD ROUND TABLE Harbor, K. O. (2010). “Curriculum Revision and Entry Placement: Cornerstones of an Ethics Model for Journalism and Mass Communication.” Invited paper presented at the Oxford Round Table, the 21st Anniversary of the Oxford Round Table, Oxford University, Oxford, England (March, 25).

Harbor, K. O. (2009). “Postmodernism and the Decline of Ethics: Proposing a Model of Moral Restoration in the Media.” Invited paper presented at the Oxford Round Table, the 20th Anniversary of the Oxford Round Table, Oxford, England (March, 24).

PEER-REVIEWED SCHOLARSHIP Harbor, K. O. (2011). Assess or Perish: Fulfilling Learning Outcomes Assessment in Higher Education, a Case Study of Direct Measures of Assessment, Intellectbase International Consortium peer-reviewed conference, Atlanta, GA, USA, October 13- 15. Harbor, K. O. (2010). EL = K + D: A Theory of Effective Leadership in Higher Education Based on Ethical Principles, Intellectbase International Consortium peer-reviewed conference, Atlanta, GA, USA, October 14-16.

Harbor, K. O. (2010). EL=K+D+A: A Theory of Effective Leadership in Higher Education Based on Ethical Principles. Journal of Knowledge and Human Resource Management, 2(3),29-41.

Harbor, K. O. (2009). The AristoLeslian Model for Ethical Decision Making: Proposing a Model for Teaching Ethical Decision Making in Communication, Intellectbase International Consortium peer-reviewed conference Atlanta, GA, USA, October 15- 17. Harbor, K. O. (2009). The Systems Theory as an Approach for Rectifying the Contradiction between Globalization and the Marketplace of Ideas: A Focus on Africa. Journal of Information Systems Technology and Planning, 2(1), 40 51.

Harbor, K. O. (2008). “The Systems Theory as an Approach for Rectifying the Contradiction between Globalization and the Marketplace of Ideas: A Focus on Africa.” Paper presented at the Intellectbase International Consortium Conference. Atlanta, Ga; October .

Grants APA Grant: (2013). Received a grant from Alabama Press Association to conduct Journalism workshop for high school students in Summer. Jacksonville State University. Project Title: “Summer Journalism Institute: A Workshop for High-schoolers.” APA Grant: (2011). Received a grant from Alabama Press Association to conduct Journalism workshop for high school students in Summer. Jacksonville State University. Project Title: “Summer Journalism Institute: A Workshop for high-schoolers.”

Awards (2012) Faculty research certificate for the 2011-12 academic year. Presented by Jacksonville State University (2009) Faculty research certificate for the 2008-09 academic year. Presented by Jacksonville State University (2011) Faculty research certificate for presentation, chairing a session. Awarded by the Intellectbase International Consortium’s Academic Conference. October. Atlanta, Ga. (2010) Faculty research certificate for presentation, chairing a session. Awarded by the Intellectbase International Consortium’s Academic Conference. October. Atlanta, Ga.

Assistant Professor J. Patrick McGrail, Ph.D.

Book Chapters

McGrail, E. & McGrail, J. P. (2013, accepted; in revision). Preparing young writers for invoking and addressing today’s interactive digital audiences. In K. Pytash & R. Ferdig, (Eds.) Exploring Technology for Writing and Writing Instruction. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Scholarly Articles

Rieger, A., & McGrail, J. P. (under review). Relationships between humor styles and family functioning in parents of children with disabilities. Journal of Special Education. Rieger, A., & McGrail, J. P. (2013). Coping humor and family functioning in parents of children with disabilities. Rehabilitation Psychology, 58(1), 89-97.

McGrail, E., & McGrail, J.P. (2010). Copying right and copying wrong with Web 2.0 tools in the classroom. Contemporary Issues in Technology & Teacher Education, 10(3), 257-274 [Online series]. Retrieved from http://www.citejournal.org/vol10/iss3/languagearts/article1.cfm

McGrail, J.P., & McGrail, E. (2010). Overwrought copyright: Why copyright law from the analog age does not work in the digital age’s society and classroom. Education and Information Technologies, 15(2), 69-85. DOI10.1007/s10639-009-9097-9

McGrail, J.P., & McGrail, E. (2010). Navigating the rough waters of copyright in English and communications classrooms. Adviser Update [the Dow Jones Newspaper Funds' Quarterly], 51(1).21A.

McGrail, E., & McGrail, J.P. (2009). Copying right and copying wrong with Web 2.0 tools in the communications and teacher education classroom. CITE Journal 10 (3), 2010

McGrail, J.P., & McGrail, E. (2009). What's wrong with copyright: Educator strategies for dealing with analog copyright law in a digital world. Innovate, 5(3) [Online Journal]. Available at http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=630 . Spanish Translated Version: Lo que hay de malo con los derechos de autor: Leyes analogas de propiedad intellectual en un mundo digital.

Conference Presentations

Rieger, A. & McGrail, J. P. (2012, October). Coping humor and family functioning in parents of children with disabilities. Paper presentation at the 37th Georgia Educational Research Association Annual Meeting (GERA) (October 18-20, 2012), Coastal Georgia Center, Savannah, GA (Distinguished Research Award Finalist)

McGrail, E., & McGrail, J.P. (2012). Demystifying copyright in the age of the internet and social networking applications. Session presented at the annual meeting of the Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy, Savannah, GA. (International)

McGrail, J.P., & McGrail, E. (2012). Digitality: How a sea change in technology has led to obsolescence in current copyright law.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of International Communication Association, Phoenix, AZ. (Runner-up, top faculty paper, division of Law & Policy) (May 24, 2012) (International)

McGrail, E., & McGrail, J.P. (2012). Clarifying the copyright of creative work for teacher educators in the age of digitality. Session presented at the annual meeting of the GATE/GACTE/GAICTE Conference, Atlanta, Georgia.

McGrail, J.P., & McGrail, E. (2011). Digitality and the challenges it presents for evolving copyright law. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy, Savannah, GA. (International)

Rieger, A. & McGrail, J. P. (2011, December). Humor, coping strategies and functioning in families with children having a disability. Paper/poster presentation at the 36th Annual Conference of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps (TASH), (November 30-December 3), Hilton Atlanta, Atlanta, GA.

McGrail, E., & McGrail, J.P. (2010). Reading and speaking media-critically in the Digital Information and Communication Age. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), Orlando, FL.

McGrail, E., & McGrail, J.P. (2010). Making sense of copyright in the age of downloading and Web 2.0 applications. Workshop session presented at the annual meeting of Conference on Literacy, Urban Issues, and Social Studies Education (CLUES). Atlanta, GA.

McGrail, E., & McGrail, J.P. (2010). Critical literacy and today's online and digital media technologies. Workshop presented at the annual meeting of the National Council of Teachers of English, Orlando, FL.

McGrail, J.P. (2010). Advertising with Audacity: Bringing Contemporary Radio to the Classroom. Workshop presented at the annual meeting of the National Council of Teachers of English, Orlando, FL.

McGrail, E., & McGrail, J.P. (2010). Advertising with Audacity: Bringing Contemporary Radio to the Classroom. Workshop presented at the annual meeting of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), Orlando, FL.

Rieger, A., & McGrail, J. P. (2010, October). The relationship between humor styles, family cohesion and flexibility in parents of a child with a disability. Paper presentation at the 2010 Annual Conference of the Georgia Association of Teacher Educators/ Georgia Association of Colleges of Teacher Education/ Georgia Association of Independent Colleges of Teacher Education (GATE/GACTE/GAICTE), (October 6-8, 2010), Holiday Inn Select Atlanta- Perimeter/Dunwoody, Atlanta, GA

McGrail, E., & McGrail, J.P. (2009). Copying right and copying wrong with Web 2.0 tools in the communications and teacher education classroom. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Boston, MA. (International)

Awards Finalist, Georgia Education Distinguished Research Award, 2012. Runner-up, Top Faculty Paper, International Communication Association, May 2012. Faculty Research Award, Jacksonville State University, 2009-2010. Certificate of Appreciation, Task Force Viking, Fort McClellan Readiness Group, 2010. Creative Owner of 27 copyrights on musical compositions. Arranger and composer of popular music. Recording Engineer and Producer. Audio Consultant for Sacred Heart Basilica, Downtown Atlanta. Videographer for Sacred Heart Children’s Choir. Speech Consultant. Currently liaising on Civil War films made under the aegis of the Alabama Film Initiative. Published Poet. Award Winning Actor.

Assistant Professor Jeffrey B. Hedrick (Ph.D.)

Competitive Conference Papers “Student Perceptions of Campaigns, Political News Sources, and the Influence of Media Priming.” Eastern Communication Association, April 2011; Political Communication division.

JSU either in-progress or submitted for review/consideration for either an academic conference and/or publication. Two studies have received JSU Institutional Review Board approval and over two hundred surveys have been completed for either; both are in the statistical analyses phase of the research.

Study 1: “Survey of Readership Habits: Are College Students Truly Interested in Campus Newspapers and Political News?” Winter 2013.

Study 2: “A Survey of News Awareness & Technology Use amongst first- and second-year college students” Spring 2014.

Third Study (in-progress of accumulating data, will begin statistical analyses after Spring 2013 term ends):

Longitudinal Study exploring the effectiveness of pre-test/post-test when assessing student competence in statistics, research, and diversity (an in-process study that analyzes course embedded assessments administered in an upper-division mass communication research course of a program seeking ACEJMC re-accreditation) 2013-2014 academic year.

In-progress, will be submitted to an academic journal once completed: “A Content Analysis of midsize newspaper coverage of New York Times v. Sullivan from a regional perspective” (adaptation of dissertation research that analyzes data using a sociological approach not previously explored; intent to submit for publication in academic journal). Summer 2013.

Academic Publication “Communication Law and Regulation in the Digital Age” Second editor for Chapter 14 of newly revamped second edition to out-dated Textbook: Converging Media: A New Introduction to Mass Communication; Oxford University Press. 2011.

Professor Augustine Ihator (Ph.D.)

Presentations/Textbook Review

Augustine Ihator. “Impact of World Cultures on Strategic Crisis and Reputation Management.” Presented at the 14th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences, February 10-11, 2011, Las Vegas.

Augustine Ihator. “Constructing and Teaching Global Diversity Across Curriculum at Higher Education Levels in the U.S.” Presented at the Auburn University Diversity Research Initiative, March 11-12, 2010.

Reviewed textbook MediaWriting: Print, Broadcast, and PR, 3rd edition by W. Richard Whittaker, et al. Publishers: Routledge. Spring 2010.

Augustine Ihator. “A Look at PR Practice in English-Speaking African Countries.” Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Behavioral & Social Sciences, Las Vegas, February 5-6, 2009.

Awards • Jacksonville State University Foundation Service Award 2010 • Faculty Research Award, 2011, Jacksonville State University. • Faculty Research Award, 2010, Jacksonville State University. • Faculty Research Award, 2009, Jacksonville State University.

5. Provide relevant sections of faculty guides, manuals or other documents in which the unit specifies expectations for scholarship, research, and creative and professional activity in criteria for hiring, promotion and tenure. Describe how the unit’s criteria for promotion, tenure and merit recognition consider and acknowledge activities appropriate to faculty members’ professional as well as scholarly specializations.

For criteria for hiring, please see Appendix II.4.2. “Faculty Ads for Six Years (2007-2013).

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Criteria for hiring All faculty position advertisements by the department contain language that stipulates required as well as desired qualifications for employment as a faculty member. Minimally, a master’s degree in communication is required, or a master’s degree in a closely related area with 18 graduate hours in communication; or in the special case of a professionally accomplished candidate, a bachelor’s degree and a record of significant professional accomplishments in lieu of advanced degrees. Faculty position advertisements also contain expectations for teaching, scholarship, and service after a faculty member has been hired. These qualifications and expectations follow Jacksonville State University’s policy statement on faculty employment, tenure, and promotion. For promotion and tenure, please see Appendix II.5.5. “JSU Faculty Handbook—Tenure and Promotion”.

Tenure and Promotion In the Department of Communication, decisions for promotion, tenure, and merit recognition rely on faculty evaluation, which itself is a composite of three major components: (a) teaching effectiveness and advisement, (b) scholarly activities, and (c) professional, institutional, and community services. This is a model used across the College of Education and Professional Studies. While the criteria for fulfilling (a) and (c) above are fairly common across the college, the Department of Communication, in consideration of its professional faculty members, broadens the definition of scholarship to include creative activities. Thus, research refers to traditional scholarship of discovery, while creative activity refers to the kinds of work done by professional journalists.

The head of department applies this definition of scholarship in his annual evaluation of the department’s professional faculty members—Assistant Professor Jerry Chandler, and Mr. Chris Waddle, the former Ayers Chair. It is pertinent to clarify that while Mr. Chandler had been successful in the past in obtaining both tenure and promotion based on his creative activities, and while the department still employs this broad definition of scholarship in its annual evaluation of faculty, the university does not have a policy that extends tenure or promotion to faculty without terminal degree. Thus, the department’s continued definition of scholarship to include creative activities (for its professional faculty) is effective only as far as the department has power to influence decision-making, such as in recommending merit raises.

6. Describe the institution’s policy regarding sabbaticals, leaves of absence with or without pay, etc.

Professional Development Leave Any tenured faculty member may be granted a professional development leave after six years of service with the University.

Leave of Absence While the university encourages and supports faculty to pursue a terminal degree, it does not customarily grant leaves of absence to non-tenured faculty members, and when it does, the period for such leaves does not count toward tenure.

Leave of absence, with or without pay, may be granted a faculty member for appropriate reasons such as, further studies, research, visiting professorships, and others. Also a faculty

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member may be granted a leave of absence without pay for reasons of adoption, paternity, or extended maternity.

7. List faculty who have taken sabbaticals or leaves during the past six years, with a brief description of the resulting activities.

No communication faculty has taken sabbaticals or leaves of absence in six years.

8. Describe travel funding, grant support, or other methods or programs the unit uses to encourage scholarship, research, and creative and professional activity.

The department requires and supports faculty scholarship and professional activities. It funds 100 percent of all faculty travels dealing with scholarship—conference presentations—and also pays 100 percent for faculty professional organization membership. Currently that is limited to one professional organization per faculty, but that is likely to increase as more funds become available.

Another avenue the department follows in encouraging scholarship, research, creative and professional activity is annual evaluation where performance in each area serves as a criterion for assessing faculty members, thus providing an incentive for more scholarship. Furthermore, annually the department head recommends any faculty member who has a conference presentation or publication to the University Faculty Research Committee through the dean. Upon that committee’s recommendation, the president and his provost and vice president for academic and student affairs award a certificate to those faculty members during a public ceremony attended by members of the university and the outside community. The university also has a competitive faculty travel grant that is awarded annually to faculty members whose peer-reviewed papers have been accepted for presentation at professional conferences. Finally the department also assigns fewer course loads to enable faculty members engage in scholarly activities.

9. List faculty who have taken advantage of those programs during the past six years, with a brief description of the resulting activities.

Dr. Augustine Ihator Dr. Augustine Ihator, professor of public relations, has won the faculty travel grant by the university several times in the past six years. He has presented a paper to the American Behavioral Science Association conference in Las Vegas and at Auburn University. He has received Jacksonville State University faculty research award for his research. He also received departmental financial support for to present such papers.

Mr. Jerry Chandler Mr. Jerry Chandler, Assistant Professor of Journalism, receives time off from the department each semester to attend professional conferences. Professor Chandler, an expert in aviation journalism, travels to Europe and Asia often to attend meetings of aviation journalists.

Dr. J. Patrick McGrail Dr. McGrail has received the faculty travel grant by Jacksonville State University to present peer-reviewed paper at national conferences in the past six years. He has received JSU’s faculty research award for his research as well as departmental financial support to present

102 such papers at conferences. Several of these conference papers have eventually resulted in several publications (Please see his list of scholarship in the past six years in #4 above)

Dr. Kingsley O. Harbor For a number of times in the past six years, Dr. Kingsley Harbor, head of the department, has received research awards by Jacksonville State University for his peer-reviewed papers presented at national and international conferences. Those conference papers have so far produced two peer-reviewed publications (Please see his list of scholarship in #4 above).

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Part II, Standard 6. Student Services

During the visit, the unit should make the following documents accessible to the team: • advising records • other files related to student services

Executive summary (optional).

Academic advising is critical to student success, and without a systematic process in place, academic advising could suffer serious a set-back. The university places strong emphasis on teaching and advising and demonstrates that by assigning a significant weight to teaching and advising during annual faculty evaluation.

We adopt several different means for disseminating information to our students to facilitate advising and the graduation process. Our channels include faculty-student open, informational meetings, four bulletin boards (one at each of two entrances into the communication building on the second floor, another in the middle of the building on the second floor, and one in front of the Communication main office), class announcements, announcement through advisors during advisor-advisee conferences, announcement through faculty advisors during student organizational meetings, announcements during Communication Week (which is a four-day event), and most recently—since fall 2007—a one-page supplement to syllabi devoted to graduation requirements. Each instructor reviews this at the beginning of each semester as s/he

104 hands out syllabi to students. Starting from fall 2013, we have enhanced the means of imparting this information to students (See #11 below for details).

In the spring of 2013, we conducted a student survey regarding advisement in the department to determine its strengths and weaknesses. A result of that survey (see Section II.6.11 of this self- study) shows that 75.32 percent of the respondents rated the department’s advising as good, very good, or excellent.

Our department provides extra-curricular activities relevant to students’ educational disciplines to supplement classroom experience. Those activities include membership in professional organizations—Society of Professional Journalist, Public Relations Organization—internship, departmental committee assignments, and student media jobs. Efforts to develop our students intellectually include participation in our annual Communication Week, Ayers Lecture series and in The Anniston Star’s Community Journalism Conferences.

Please respond to each of the following instructions:

1. Complete and attach Table 9, “Student Aid.”

Table 9. Student Aid

Provide information for each of the two years preceding the accreditation visit.

SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN THE UNIT 2011 - 2012 2012 – 2013 A. Total amount of scholarship dollars from funds controlled by institution $13,728,737 $15,081,493 B. Number of students receiving scholarships from funds controlled by institution 2341 2348 C. Median individual scholarship from funds controlled by institution $5,864.00 $6,423.00 D. Total amount of scholarship dollars from funds controlled by unit (Communications Majors) $497,163.00 $465,374.00 E. Number of students receiving scholarships from funds controlled by unit (Communications Majors) 78 73 F. Median individual scholarship from funds controlled by unit $6,374.00 $6375.00

UNDERGRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS OR WORK-STUDY APPOINTMENTS

2011 - 2012 2012 – 2013 G. Number of students holding appointments 160 149 H. Range of stipends Range from 1 hour to 450 hours per year at $7.15 per hour (Courtesy of Jacksonville State University Financial Aid Office, 2013)

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2. Describe the academic advising process for ensuring that students are aware of unit and institutional requirements for graduation and receive career and academic advising. Attach advising guides, manuals, newsletters or other internal communication with students.

JSU’s student advising begins immediately upon a student’s admission to the university, which is several months before that student begins her/his first class at the university. This process is made possible through the university’s preview program. On a preview day, prospective students who had either been or hope to be admitted during preview, visit the university with their parents/guardians, browsing through all academic programs (at a central location) to decide or reconfirm their areas of interest. Following that, the students receive a one-on-one advising by instructors in their chosen disciplines. After advisement, they register for their classes before returning home with their parents/guardians pending the beginning of their matriculation semester.

Upon arrival to JSU campus, each new communication student is assigned an advisor within the Department of Communication. Before advisement sessions, students are instructed to bring with them their advisement folders. Those folders contain, among others, student academic transcripts and a degree evaluation document that chronicles a student’s academic track record—both at JSU and, if applicable, at the college or university from which the student transferred. At a glance, advisors can determine a student’s GPA, number of hours completed, courses completed, grades, and others.

The advisement folders also contain color-coded checklists (please see Appendix II. “Supplementary Information, #4, “Curriculum Advisement Sheet”) which correspond to the student’s specialty area: pink for public relations, yellow for print journalism, and blue for broadcasting. The sheets provide a quick, easy way for both student and advisor to monitor progress. The color-coded checklists are filled in as a student successfully completes core curriculum, major, and minor requirements.

Before scheduling a session with their advisors, students are asked to check two important documents: Jacksonville State University’s current catalog, and the forthcoming semester’s scheduling book. Departmental advisors check to determine that all pre-requisites have been met before permitting a student to register. Then, the university’s Banner computer system performs a double-check to ensure prerequisites have been met. Banner will not allow a student who has not met course-prerequisites to enroll in that course.

Career counseling regularly takes place during advisement sessions. Drawing on updated job files kept in their offices, and their own professional experiences, professors work with students to determine what areas within the field appeal to them, and how their academic performances (for example, in a news writing course) correlate with their goals.

Career counseling becomes most intensive about the time students plan their internships. This happens in their sophomore year and continues as far as it is necessary and up to their senior years. Before an internship is approved, both advisor and student are “on the same page.” They sit down together and determine an internship that matches not just a student’s career choice, but also fits her/his abilities and temperament, bearing in mind that an internship can often become the gateway to an initial full-time job (as has been demonstrated by many instances when our students had moved directly from internship to permanent full-time jobs).

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3. Describe availability and accessibility of faculty to students.

All department faculty members are required to keep regular office hours: at least ten hours per week during fall and spring, and five hours a week during short semesters. They are available to students either on an “open door” basis during those times, or by appointment at other times.

To ensure that students can contact faculty when needed, office numbers, office hours and phone numbers are included in syllabi and posted on faculty office doors. The department secretary has all faculty members’ home telephone numbers should students need to call them at home. Many faculty members provide upper division students with their cell phone numbers, and all faculty members have their business cards displayed in the main office for students’ use.

4. Describe student records kept in the unit office and measures taken to assure appropriate security and confidentiality.

Every student at JSU is now assigned a distinct student number – separate from her/his Social Security Number. This is how students are identified, and it’s the key to securing their files.

Several sets of records are physically kept in the departmental office: * Degree evaluation document which chronicles what courses students have taken, their quality points, their academic status (i.e., clear, or probationary); * Student advisement forms—the color-coded hand-transcribed records prepared by a student’s advisor that separately shows what core, major, and minor courses a student has taken; * Portfolio material—a compilation of a student’s best print, broadcast, or public relations product; * Internship material – the work scripts, press releases, audio and video projects, and other work produced by students during their COM 491 Internship course. * Supervisor’s and internship coordinator’s (instructor) assessment of a student’s internship is also stored with this material; * College Basic Academic Subjects Examination (CBASE) and English Competency Examination (ECE) scores are also kept in the office – but not the tests themselves. All this material is kept in locked files. The keys to the files are in the possession of two people: the department head and the department secretary. Faculty have access to this material as needed.

5. Describe resources for academic and career counseling that the unit or institution offers to students.

Our students are counseled on a regular basis by their academic advisors—most of whom are either currently active in the media, or have had extensive professional experience in their subject field. Advisors write recommendations for students, call prospective employers, and act as go-betweens – bridging the academic and professional worlds. Career counseling is assiduously practiced in a student’s senior year, just before her/his internship.

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It is earlier in the process, however, that professors work with students to help determine optimal career paths. The old adage, “Do what you love to do,” comes into play here. Students are encouraged to find a niche early, then explore it. If it is print, they are advised to work with the school newspaper, The Chanticleer – especially the online edition. They are advised to keep their best clips, and send them out to prospective employers. The same kind of rationale applies to public relations and broadcast students. Recently all our communication students are required to take at least three courses that deal with digital journalism—web design, multimedia production, and social media.

Career counseling is sharpened each April during the department’s communication week, when high-profile professionals from print, public relations, and broadcasting meet with students, exchanging both business cards, and ideas. Media practitioners interact with students in this setting to help them develop their skills – and find that all-important niche.

JSU’s Career Placement Office assists both prospective graduates and alumni in procuring employment in the field. It also opens up valuable co-op experience for students. Once they have earned 24 hours overall, students are helped by career placement to find jobs in their fields. This is not a formal internship, but it aids in developing the skills students need to apply for many highly-competitive internships.

Career placement provides employability skills—teaching students to dress for success, teaching business etiquette, and interviewing skills. The placement office also assists students in writing resumes.

Career placement does not track students in terms of where they are ultimately employed, the alumni office does track employment, and our department, to a limited degree, also tracks its alumni through both its exit interview done every semester and its alumni survey done once every few years to update its alumni record.

6. Describe the unit’s methods and procedures to keep students informed about its activities, requirements and policies.

The department’s requirements and policies are spelled out in the current university catalog. There’s a semester-by-semester breakdown of courses students are required to take. That breakdown is based on the number of semester hours they have accumulated, and is pegged to freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior status.

The department’s requirements and policies are further reinforced by strict adherence to color- coded advisement worksheets, which recapitulate—in unambiguous fashion—the courses students are required to take (see Appendix II. Supplementary Information, #4, “Curriculum Advisement Sheet).

The department utilizes its annual faculty/student meeting to inform and explain to students issues pertaining to changes in curriculum, graduation requirements, and other university/departmental policies and procedures. Instructors regularly communicate important material—such as the imperative that portfolio material be regularly refreshed—in the course of regular classroom lectures, and via handouts.

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In an effort to ensure that students and faculty are “on the same page,” any changes in methods, policies, and procedures are communicated to students directly via their e-mail accounts. Posters are also prominently displayed throughout Self Hall, where the department is located, detailing meeting times during which major announcements are made. Such occasions include internship meetings, Public Relations Organization meetings, and Society of Professional Journalists meetings.

To further disseminate material concerning upcoming activities—such as speakers and seminars—the department works closely with the campus radio station (WLJS) and newspaper (The Chanticleer) to run relevant public service announcements, notices, and articles. The department also ensures that the University Web site gets, and posts, material in a timely fashion. Students are encouraged to regularly check the site.

In fall 2007, the department added an additional method of information dissemination by inserting a one-page matrix in all syllabi in the department. This one page is a synopsis of graduation requirements put in a matrix format which allows a student to check-off all requirements s/he has met. This allows a student to keep track of her/his own progress toward graduation. Each faculty member is asked to discuss this one page, among others, each semester as that faculty member reviews course syllabus with students at the beginning of class. Hopefully, by repeating this action every semester, in all communication courses taken by a student, that student would at some point be forced to look at and complete that form to ascertain her/his status. Not only would this page provide students with a quick and readily available graduation-reference, but it would further facilitate advisor/advisee meetings. When a student keeps track of her/his graduation requirements, advisement meetings become smoother and more efficient.

Additionally, the department has developed a departmental student handbook—similar to the university’s—detailing all requirements and policies pertaining to students in the communication department. This handbook is handed out to all students in classes and in the departmental office as a student visits the office.

7. Describe student media, student professional organizations or other extra-curricular activities and opportunities provided by the unit or the institution that are relevant to the curriculum and develop students’ professional and intellectual abilities and interests.

JSU offers in-house professional-enhancement opportunities for print, broadcast, and public relations students. * The Chanticleer is the university’s weekly student-run campus newspaper. Co-located in Self Hall with the department, newspaper students—many of them paid—learn the niceties of real-world journalism—replete with deadlines, legal issues, and ethical decisions. They write, edit, and sell advertising space –with the advisement of the manager of student media, Mr. Mike Stedham.

* WLJS-FM is JSU’s radio station. The 6,000-Watt National Public Radio affiliate is a 24- hour, seven-days-a-week operation. It is run, and staffed, by students—again with advisement by the manager of student media. Over the years WLJS has played a vital role in the welfare of the Jacksonville community, warning it of devastating tornados, helping residents cope during

109 paralyzing snowstorms, and providing it with nationally, as well as locally-produced programming. That local programming is student-generated.

* WJXS TV-24. The 11,200-Watt UHF Station reaches a potential audience of 600,000 people in northeast Alabama via antenna, and another 250,000 via cable. While not formally affiliated with the University, WJXS’ studios used to be co-located in Self Hall, with the department for well over ten years until 2012 when it moved to a new location in Oxford, Alabama—15 miles from JSU’s location. WJXS provided and still provides broadcast students a convenient opportunity to work in a real-world environment. WJXS uses JSU’s communication students as paid part-timers. Media professionals work to help students sharpen their skills, readying them for larger market opportunities.

* JSU’s Television Services department is a professional organization that does all television work dealing with JSU’s athletics—football, basketball, softball, soccer, baseball, hockey, etc., graduation ceremonies. It also produces and airs—via WJXS TV-24—a live show, JSU Today. This organization co-habits Self Hall with the Department of Communication and uses our students extensively for all its work. Some—upon graduation—now work for the organization on a fulltime basis.

* JSU’s News Bureau, the University’s public relations organ, often works with PR students, allowing them to research and write press releases covering university activities.

Professional opportunities are supported and enriched by student membership in two key organizations:

* The Society of Professional Journalists enjoys a robust, active presence within the department. Students meet regularly – both in a campus setting, and on a regional basis. During these meetings they interact with print and broadcast journalists, people working in the profession. The SPJ chapter also sponsors visits by JSU communication students to area high schools to discuss journalism topics.

* JSU’s Public Relations Organization is the PR cognate of SPJ. The in-house public relations organization acts to bring real-world practitioners to campus, giving students an opportunity to interact with professionals.

* Communication Week. In April of each year, the Department of Communication brings to campus accomplished communication professionals, including our alumni, to speak to our students, faculty, and staff on a topic of interest to journalism and communications. Each day of the week is devoted to one of the three communication disciplines—broadcasting, print journalism (now digital journalism), and public relations—in our department. On the fourth day we hold an awards banquet to publicly recognize and present awards to outstanding communication students. The week’s events provide an opportunity for enhancing students’ intellectual ability as well as their understanding and appreciation of the profession of journalism and communications.

* The Ayers Lecture Series. Each year the department presents, in conjunction with The Anniston Star—northeast Alabama’s internationally recognized regional newspaper—the Ayers Lecture Series. Over the years the series has brought to campus a list of luminaries in the

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field of journalism: author Gay Talese, Harrison Salisbury and Johnny Apple of The New York Times, Edwin Newman of NBC, Judy Woodruff of PBS, and Alberto Ibargüen of the Knight Foundation, to name only a few.

The Ayers Lecture Series provides more than just an opportunity for students to see and hear high-profile journalists: it offers communication students an opportunity to interact with them in an informal setting, over breakfast.

8. Discuss retention and graduation statistics. Describe the unit’s (and, where applicable, campus-wide) policy on academic good standing and dismissal for poor scholarship, including the grade-point average required to remain in the program.

According to Jacksonville State’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, the university-wide retention rate for first-time, full-time, freshmen for the past three years—2010, 2011, and 2012—were 67.82, 66.76, and 87.94 percents respectively, while those of the department for the same period were 68.29, 77.27, and 87.88 percents respectively. While the retention rates of the two entities have fluctuated in terms of which leads the other, the post- accreditation (2008 and upward) retention rate for the Department of Communication has consistently been on the increase (see retention table below).

Retention Rate Table

First-Time/Full-time Retention (%) Enrollment Fall Cohort Communication JSU Communication JSU Dept. Dept

2007 40 1252 77.50 70.29 2008 27 1243 55.56 68.06 2009 29 1220 62.07 67.95 2010 41 1246 68.29 67.82 2011 44 1384 77.27 66.76 2012 33 1302 87.88 87.94 Courtesy of the JSU Office of Institutional Research & Assessment

Similarly the six-year graduation rate for the university for the 2004 through 2007 cohorts have also fluctuated in terms of which entity leads the other (see Graduation Rate table below).

Our department faculty is continuing to seek ways of improving our retention and graduation rates at least to consistently surpass that of the university. One of the ways we are considering is to send our faculty to retention and graduation workshops to learn more strategies that can be infused into our program. Another strategy is to improve on our advising, and to do so, we conducted an advisement survey in 2012. We are studying the results of that survey so as to draw some insights from survey results (see Standard 6, #11 for results of that survey).

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Graduation Rate Table

Fall cohort Fourth Year (%) Fifth Year (%) Sixth Year (%)

Com Dept JSU Com Dept JSU Com Dept JSU 2004 12 9 23 23 27 33 2005 21 11 28 25 31 32 2006 13 10 16 23 29 29 2007 15 10 33 25 33 31 Courtesy of the JSU Office of Institutional Research & Assessment

Policy on academic good standing. The department employs a strict, uniformly applied policy governing student standing. Students must pass all communication courses with a grade of ‘C’ or higher. Earning a grade of ‘D’ or ‘F’ twice in the same course renders a student ineligible to continue either as a major or a minor in the department. Communication students must attain a GPA of 2.0 to graduate from the program.

To maintain satisfactory academic progress, students in the university must meet minimum cumulative grade point averages in accordance with the following:

Hours Attempted Required Minimum Cumulative GPA 0 – 32 1.5 33 – 64 1.7 65 – 96 1.9 97+ 2.0

Please see Appendix II.6.8. “JSU Catalogue Pages: Policy on Academic Standing & Dismissal.”

Jacksonville State University has a tiered approach, shown below, in dealing with academic good standing and, ultimately, dismissal:

* Academic Warning. A student is placed on academic warning status at the end of any term in which the cumulative GPA is less than the required minimum cumulative GPA. * Academic Probation. A student is placed on academic probation at the end of any term following a semester on academic warning when the cumulative GPA is less than the required minimum cumulative GPA. Students on academic probation must limit their course work during the fall and spring semesters to no more than 12 semester hours attempted, and no more than three semester hours attempted during the short terms. To avoid academic suspension a student must maintain a semester GPA of 2.00 or greater, or achieve the required minimum GPA. * Academic Suspension. A student is placed on academic suspension at the end of the term following a semester of academic probation – when the cumulative GPA is less than the minimum cumulative GPA required. A student on academic suspension is suspended from the university for one semester, after which s/he may return to school on academic probation.

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* Academic Dismissal. A student is placed on academic dismissal following a semester of academic suspension. This happens when the GPA for the suspension semester is less than 2.00, or when the student has not attained the required minimum cumulative GPA.

9. Describe the unit’s placement operation for assistance in students’ searches for employment. List placement statistics for the three most recent years (before the self- study year) for which accurate information is available.

Communication internship program is an integral part of the unit’s placement initiative. It is largely through the internship program that prospective local, regional, and national employers are identified. Once a student is placed in an internship at one of these media outlets or public relations concerns, the internship coordinator works with the student’s supervisor to assist the soon-to-be graduate. Relationships are built on this basis, and bonds forged. Anecdotally, a number of graduates had been offered—and had accepted—jobs with their internship employers.

Communication faculty members works closely with students in achieving job placement. Each faculty member is an expert in his or her own field. Until the end of 2012-13 academic year (May, 2013), we had nine faculty members (6.5 full-time and 2.5 part-time) in the department, and all have some professional experience, most of them extensive. Some, such as Mr. Chandler and Mr. Stedham, continue to be active as practitioners in their fields—print and broadcast respectively. Students counsel one-on-one with faculty regarding prospective jobs. Faculty can then use their own contacts and resources—built over years of professional activity in the media—to help point graduates toward promising potential employers.

The department frequently receives announcements from employers in search of young, entry-level graduates, and they are posted as well as distributed to classes through our instructors who announce the openings at the start of appropriate classes. For example, if a television producer’s job opens at WBRC-TV 6 in Birmingham, the announcement of that job is made to students in COM 320, video production and editing; as well as in COM 470, advanced electronic news. Following that, faculty members actively seek out qualified soon- to-be graduates and encourage them to consider applying for these openings. On several occasions, such follow-ups had led to gainful employment for our graduates.

Placement statistics—2009-2010; 2010-2011; 2011-2012 It is often not very easy to access these graduates’ job places. We rely mostly on the Alumni Office for this. Thus, our rate of success at this reflects that of that office.

There were 32 graduates in 2009-2010, but we were able to obtain job information from only 16 of them. For the 2010-2011 graduates, we obtained 24 job placement information for 24 out of 33 graduates; and for the 45 graduates of 2011-2012, we were able to obtain job placement information from 32 of them. For more detailed information on this, please see Appendix II.6.9. “Three-year Job Placement: 2009-2012.”

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10. Describe the unit’s operation, if any, for assistance to alumni in later employment searches.

Each year, during the department’s regular alumni reunion, past graduates are brought together with current students and working media professionals to network – exchange business cards, talk about job prospects, and keep in touch with current market needs within their niche. The system is informal and personalized. So far, the department has no active job registry for alumni. However, on its exit interview questionnaire, the department asks graduating seniors to include their permanent addresses to enable the department inform them of any job inquiries the department may receive in case any alumnus/alumna might be in the job market for either a first job or a new one. Response to that question is always 100 percent, although we have had only a few cases of alumni asking for that assistance.

11. Describe the unit’s process for evaluating its advising and counseling services. Include measurements of the accuracy of academic advising, student and faculty opinion of the quality of advising, or other indices of the effectiveness of advising. Discuss the results of these assessments.

As discussed earlier, teaching effectiveness and advisement weighs heaviest among three evaluation criteria at JSU—teaching effectiveness and advisement, scholarly activity and/or research, and professional, institutional, and community service. This speaks to the importance of not only teaching, but also advising at JSU, since good teaching cannot be dissociated from good advising.

Faculty members are required to post their office as well as class hours on their office doors and in their syllabi so that students will know when to meet with them for advising. Faculty members have open-door policy and can see students either during office hours or outside their office hours by appointments. Faculty must schedule office hours within times that are practical in terms of student utilization. For instance, office hours before 7:00 a.m. are impractical since students may not likely be around at such times. On their own part, students are encouraged to meet with their advisors as often as the need arose during a semester, but they are required to meet with them before registering for, adding and/or dropping a course. The department has a faculty advising worksheet which is regularly updated following curricular revisions. Faculty advisors are required to keep their advisees’ advisement sheets accurate, current, and tidy.

The department employs two measures in evaluating its advisement: (a) evaluation of the Student Advisement Sheet, and (b) analysis of both faculty and student surveys conducted by the department.

EVALUATION OF STUDENT ADVISEMENT SHEET

Each advisement sheet has designated sections for general studies curriculum, Communication courses, minor-discipline courses, institutional credit courses, general electives, outside area courses (at least 72 hours from outside Communication), arts and sciences area (at least 53 hours in Arts and Sciences), and comments section. (Please see Appendix II. “Supplementary Information #4, Curriculum Advisement Sheets.” All areas are to be carefully completed by each advisor (for her/his advisee), providing comments regarding the highlights of each meeting with an advisee. The advisor and advisee will sign their names after each meeting. At the end of each semester, the head of department goes through the worksheets, documents the

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status of each, and sends his feedback to any faculty member(s) whose advisement sheet is found wanting in any area. This provides a basis for the department head to evaluate the instructor’s performance on advisement at the end of the academic year.

Since 2007, the department periodically conducts a survey of both students and faculty to determine the effectiveness of its advisement mechanism. For the survey instruments used for this data collection, see Appendix II.6.11. “Student and Faculty Academic Advising Survey Instruments”. Reported below are results of such surveys conducted in 2012-2013.

ACADEMIC ADVISING SURVEY REPORT

Student Survey Report: Prepared by: Institutional Research & Assessment, Office of Planning & Research March 2013

The Department of Communication (COM) invited 259 students who majored in Communication to participate in an online Student Advisement Survey in spring semester 2013. The purpose of the survey was to learn how well the student advisement provided by COM was conducted and received. The results will be used to guide the improvements needed for its programs and services. The survey, consisting of eight questions, was developed by the department. Institutional Research and Assessment in the Office of Planning and Research provided the population data. Following the initial invitation, 3 subsequent reminders were sent. The survey was open from February 5 through February 28, 2013. Of the participants, 90 or 34.75 percent responded to the survey. The results are tabulated below.

Students provided answers to demographic as well as basic questions such as classification, concentration, frequency of meeting with advisor, and meeting arrangements with advisors, among others (see tables below).

When asked to rate the overall quality of student advising in the Department of Communication, 75.32 percent rated it from good to excellent, 15.58 percent rated it as fair, while 9.09 percent rated it as poor (see tables below). We are pleased that a large majority of our students seem to give our advising system a strong endorsement, but we are still concerned about those who do not share that view, especially the 9.09 percent who consider our advisement to be poor. To seek ways of improving, we asked respondents to provide suggestions for improving student advisement in the department, and eight percent of respondents provided suggestions. Those suggestions are bullet-listed after the tables below.

A. Classification: N % Freshman 15 17.24 Sophomore 21 24.14 Junior 25 28.74 Senior 26 29.89 Total 87 100.00 Missing values excluded

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B. Concentration: N % Broadcasting 31 35.63 Print Journalism 15 17.24 Public Relations 37 42.53 Undecided 4 4.60 Total 87 100.00 Missing values excluded

C. How often, on the average, do you meet with your advisor in a semester? N % None 5 5.75 Once 40 45.98 Twice 28 32.18 Thrice 7 8.05 More than thrice 6 6.90 I have no advisor 1 1.15 Total 87 100.00 Missing values excluded

D. Please state below why you have not met with your advisor.

• I declared my major at the end of the semester. He/She was busy with exams. • I have met with my advisor one time since I changed my major to PR in Fall 2011. When it is time for me to register for classes, he asks me to email my trial schedule to him and he sends me my pin number. • I have only met with my advisor to approve my schedule. • I met with my advisor last semester, but I haven't met with him this semester yet. • I only meet with my advisor in order to receive my pin number to register for classes for the following semester.

E. How long does each advisement session between you and your advisor last?

N % Less than 1 hour 71 88.75 1-2 hours 8 10.00 Longer than 2 hours 1 1.25 Total 80 100.00 Missing values excluded

F. What’s the process of arranging an advisement meeting with your advisor?

a. A meeting is initiated by:

N % my adviser 2 2.47 me (student) 60 74.07 either party 19 23.46 Total 81 100.00 Missing values excluded

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N % I call to make an appointment 55 70.51 I walk in without appointment 23 29.49 Total 78 100.00 Missing values excluded

c. Walk-ins are not time-efficient: an instructor might be with another student or students; hence

N % I don’t like walk-ins 47 61.84 I like them despite that 29 38.16 Total 76 100.00 Missing values excluded

G. Please rate, based on your experience, the quality of student academic advisement in the Department of Communication.

N % Poor 7 9.09 Fair 12 15.58 Good 27 35.06 Very good 13 16.88 Excellent 18 23.38 Total 77 100.00 Missing values excluded

H. Do you have any suggestions for improving student advisement in the department?

Eight percent (22 students) of the respondents offered suggestions for improving student advisement. They are as follows: • Advisors should be able the help students and point them in the right direction. I have attended JSU for 3 years, advisement would be helpful if advisors would care, not just handout registration codes. • Advisors should be more flexible. They should also be more helpful when students have important questions concerning particular courses and minor fields. Advisors are not always friendly, which is a huge turn-off to students. • At times my advisor judges me and my grades. All students are not going to make straight As. Sometimes I feel like I am going to therapy and not advisement. I do not feel like it is his job to say some of the things that he does when he does not know my personal situations. • Be. More organized and communicate when advisement is. • For advisors to sit down and really go over the classes you need in order to graduate. I know it is a student’s responsibility but it is very helpful to hear from and advisor if you are on the right track • Help the student plan more efficiently for the classes he or she needs to take in order to graduate in a timely manner. Do not just sign off on the classes he or she presents. Help to lay

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out the best course of action as to what to take and when. • I feel like my advisor could show more interest and concern in making sure I am on the right track instead of making me feel rushed to get out of there. • I just felt it was a little bit scattered and unorganized rather than relaxed and efficient. I felt like it was only to get my registration code rather than discussing my scheduling plan over my time here. But overall it was good. • I was not aware of making a portfolio until this year. I'm sure I was told his in my Mass COM class, but it would have been helpful if my advisor had given me reminders or suggestions, so I can be prepared for internship interviews with my portfolio. • I wasn't made aware of the need for a portfolio by my advisor. Thankfully one of professor made me aware of this in class. Also there was no check list of things that needed to accomplish outside of course. It would be helpful if the advisor would do this with each meeting to keep students aware of progress towards graduation. Also advisors should mention participation in concentration specific groups and organizations. • I've heard of a Capstone project, but I don't know what it is, so I think that needs to be explained during advisement. I also know students that didn't know that they were supposed to have a portfolio. A lot of us also don't know when advisement is supposed to start. When I was a psychology major, my adviser would email us saying that advisement would be starting soon and to go by her office and sign the sheet on her door for a meeting time. That might be efficient for the Communication department also. • Make sure all the advisors know what it takes for students to graduate. I'm a junior, and though I love being part of our communication department I do need to graduate eventually and I want to know I'm on the right track. • More advisors for broadcast students, this year even though I had a scheduled time to meet with my advisor, I had to wait forever because of walk-ins and because of the surplus of broadcast students • My adviser is very cold and uninviting so much so that I avoid seeing him. • My advisor was playing video games when I was trying to talk to him. I had just changed majors and I was very confused so he was very unhelpful. I had tried to use the online catalog to make my schedule but it is listed wrong in the glossary so I went online to the COM website to make it, apparently I did it wrong and he made me feel like an idiot for putting some of the things I did. I want a new advisor. • New channels of communication like cell phone text messaging, etc. • Some advisor's really need to be more concerned and take students seriously when they are very concerned about their last year for graduation. Some advisors may be busy with other things going on in the department but it is very essential for advisors to answer emails and all phone calls. Advisors should care more and even contact students to make sure they are on the right track and not missing anything. • The advisers should check on their students more than just once a semester because the only time most students go to see their adviser is when the student actually has to go see his or her adviser when they need the code to login and register. • To be more patient and suggestive on the specific classes needed to graduate on time, instead of leaving it up to the student to figure what he or she wants to take. A list of the classes needed then a selection per semester would be great instead of having to figure it all out each semester! • Well I would personally like to see better equipment.

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Faculty Advisement Survey Report The department head put a one-page questionnaire in all faculty members’ mail boxes in spring of 2013. Faculty members completed and submitted the questionnaires into the department head’s mail box. Our full-time and one part-time faculty members participated in the survey in order to express their opinion of our advising program in the department. We included our part- time faculty member, Mr. Mike Stedham, because he functions almost like a full-time faculty— he volunteers to advise students, and participates in all faculty meetings and activities. As a 12- month-contract staff, he works eight hours a day, and, consequently, is in the department for longer hours than other faculty members. He very much enjoys working with students. The department head, who conducted and analyzed the survey, recused himself from participating (completing) in the survey. Five faculty members—from broadcasting, public relations, print journalism, and a generalist—responded to the survey.

When asked how often they met with students per semester, one faculty member reported meeting once, one answered thrice, and the remaining three answered twice per semester. Four of the five instructors reported that every advisee of theirs meets with them at least once a semester, while one indicated that,” Sometimes advisees [sic] fail semesters, or take time off.”

On the length of advisor-advisee meetings, all faculty members indicated that their meetings with each advisee lasted less than an hour.

When asked to rate the quality of the department’s advising system, one faculty rated it as excellent; two rated it as good; and another two rated it very good. Thus, 60 percent of our faculty rated it as very good or excellent (please see tables below).

Question: How often, on the average, do your advisees meet with you in a semester?

Table of Frequency of Advisement Meeting with Advisor Once Twice Thrice None

Number of faculty: 1 3 1 0 ______

Question: Please rate, based on your experience and perception, the quality of student advisement in the Department of Communication.

Table of Quality of Advisement in the Department Poor Fair Good Very Good Excellent

Number of faculty: 0 0 2 2 1 ______

The last question was phrased in a way that will ensure a response (with suggestions), particularly from students. We asked both faculty and students to provide suggestions as to how to improve the department’s advising.

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Student Suggestions Although majority of students (75.32%, see table 7 above) rated the department’s advising as good, very good, or excellent, this question elicited some specific comments. Eight (8) percent of the respondents provided some suggestions for improvement. They included, among others, “New channels of communication like cell phone text messaging, etc.”; “Be. More organized and communicate when advisement is.”; “Make sure all the advisors know what it takes for students to graduate. I'm a junior, and though I love being part of our communication department I do need to graduate eventually and I want to know I'm on the right track.’; and “Well I would personally like to see better equipment.”

When the different student suggestions were collated, it became clear that the suggestion with the highest frequency had something to do with graduation.

Suggestions by faculty A. “Continue to follow uniform style of advising so that any faculty available can advise student without regard to sequence.” B. “. . . More of the process needs to be automated. At the same time, the Banners system software makes interpretation very difficult.” C. “In a department-wide student/faculty/staff gathering, we should emphasize the importance of close advising.” D. The list of current advisees on MyJSU should be purged and updated more frequently.” E. (1) “. . . make simpler the registration process for students doing media workshops . . . bypass for com majors who have junior standing (to enroll).” (2) “Provide someplace on the website where a student can download a PDF file— academic advising check sheet, specific to each concentration.’

On the whole, three things seem to stand out in the two surveys conducted. A. Students and faculty appear to agree on the quality of our advisement program. Our advisement quality is rated as good, very good or excellent by 75.32 percent of those students who were surveyed and by 60 percent of our faculty. B. Student suggestions with the highest frequency appear to be graduation-related. C. Many of the things that students are asking for already exist without students taking advantage of them. For instance, requirements such as portfolio, exit exam, exit interview, CBASE exam, ECE exam, to name a few, are all covered in the Graduation Requirement form which the department developed several years ago and is attached to every syllabus in the department and given out at the beginning of each semester. Thus, the challenge for our faculty is to innovate and come up with a strategy that will make it a requirement that students read and assimilate those policies that already exist.

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Response to survey results In fall 2007, we developed and included a one page form—Graduation Requirements—in all syllabi in the department (see a sample of this form below). At the beginning of each semester, a course instructor, as s/he introduces the course syllabus, devotes some time to discuss that page of graduation requirements. While students may not read their syllabi frequently, we expect that by calling attention to the content of this page in every communication class and over several semesters, there should be a noticeable difference in their level of knowledge of graduation requirements. We said at that time that we will rely on future study to confirm or disconfirm this expectation, and would respond in accordance with results of such a study.

As this self-study results show, there is still some concern among our students concerning graduation requirement. Although, this concern is expressed by only eight percent of the respondents, yet we consider it necessary that we take action to improve their knowledge of information in the department.

Consequently, we came up with a means of ensuring that every student knows and understands the contents of the Graduation Requirements form attached to all syllabi in the department. Below is a list of actions we have adopted to address this issue.

(a) Have students bring the Graduation Requirements form to each advisement session. (b) Discuss with them what they think about the form. “Is it clear? How could we improve it so that you know more about graduation requirements?" (c) On the column for "Expected Completion," have the student put the semester during which he or she plans to fulfill that requirement. That will give the student a realistic estimate of when he or she will be able to graduate. (d) Place a copy of the Graduation Requirements form on department’s website so that students will have another way to access the form. (e) Record this meeting in the regular advisement form which you & the student normally sign at the end of each advisement meeting. (f) Include Graduation Requirements form in the department’s Student Handbook.

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Department of Communication Graduation Requirements

Student______Sequence______Date______

YES NO ------COMMENTS------1. Completed 32 residency hours (i.e., at JSU)? 2. Has no more than 12 hours of correspondence work? 3. Completed General Studies? 4. Completed Remedial courses (if applicable)? 5. Has a minor area of study? 6. Completed 128 hours with 2.0 avg on all work? 7. Has “C” or better on each minor & major course? 8. Has 52 hours of courses in 300 or above level? 9. Has 12 hrs. advanced work in major at JSU? 10. Has 6 hrs. advanced work in minor at JSU? 11. Has 39 hours in communication? 12. Has passed the ECE? 13. Has taken the CBASE? 14. Has taken the Exit Exam? 15. Has met the 80/65 requirement? (Consult with your advisor on this) 16. Has completed & submitted a capstone project? 17. Has had Exit Interview? 18. Has completed & submitted a portfolio? 19. Has satisfied all departmental requirements? (Consult with advisor)

Notes Section

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Part II, Standard 7. Resources, Facilities and Equipment

Our Broadcast students learn with a fully loaded state-of-the-art television truck (above)

Executive summary (optional)

As a standing unit, the Department of Communication has its distinct and detailed annual budget which is allocated by the higher administration on the basis of need as demonstrated by each unit’s strategic plan and assessment outcomes. Resource allocation also takes into consideration the size of each unit in terms of faculty and staff. For that reason, our budget—salary—is the smallest in the College since we are second to the smallest in the College. In terms of full-time faculty, the only department smaller (by one faculty) than we are is Technology and Engineering. However, that discipline, based on market forces, usually commands higher financial remuneration than does the communication discipline.

Our facilities, equipment, library resources, offices, classrooms, and labs are adequate for the work we do, and they enable us to successfully accomplish our mission. We believe 123

that future prospects are encouraging that we will continue to receive sufficient resources to continue to accomplish our mission.

Please respond to each of the following instructions:

1. Complete and attach Table 10, “Budget.”

Table 10. Budget

Show below the annual unit budget for each of the three years preceding the accreditation visit. “Annual budget” refers to funds directly under control of the unit for the entire year (12 months). Budget figures should not include expenditures for building maintenance, retirement allowances, scholarships, prizes or student aid. List student newspaper budget only if it is under control of unit and is used in instruction.

Budget Item 2010 - 2011 2011 - 2012 2012 - 2013 (Self-study year)

Administrative salaries 4,000.00 4,000.00 4,000.00 Teaching salaries (full time) 392,549.00 392,549.00 404,325.00 Teaching salaries (part time/adjunct) 3,750.00 1,125.00 9,000.00 Teaching assistants n/a n/a n/a Clerical salaries 31,241.60 31,241.60 32,177.60 Equipment n/a n/a n/a Equipment maintenance 1,328.76 676.93 7,881.98 Supplies 3,722.75 8,051.21 3,026.56 Library resources 1,831.31 170.50 175.00 Databases, online information services Travel 4,375.38 5,681.43 4,743.70

Research

Other (please list) Software 134.00 422.68 Postage 130.43 207.95 381.01 Facility Rental 660.00 75.00 Memberships 1,350.00 2,066.00 2,581.00 Printing 8.00 167.00 395.10 Meals 2,198.40 1,276.68 1,345.00 Homecoming 247.20 246.00 249.60 Entertainment 434.50 Telephone 3,318.15 3,166.61 2,855.13 Faculty Dev. 75.00 Awards 72.00 144.00

SUB-TOTAL BUDGET $450,782.98 $451,338.41 $473,709.36

Chanticleer (campus newspaper) 39,966.42 39,966.42 39,966.42 WLJS (campus radio station) 69,702.99 69,078.56 69,810.71

TOTAL ANNUAL JOURNALISM/ MASS COMMUNICATIONS BUDGET 560,452.39 560,383.39 583,486.49

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2. Describe the process through which the unit develops its budget, including preparation of the budget request and spending plan, review and approval, and the role of faculty in the process.

Compliance Assist is the current version of PRISM, the computing network or the operating system that facilitates the budgeting process at Jacksonville State University, and budget development is strictly tied to institutional/unit strategic planning. All units develop their plans following a timeline established by the university, and that time line has two major periods—planning and reporting periods.

The Planning period: Typically the planning period is from December 1 through January 31 for units to submit their plans. From February 1 to 28, deans/directors review, revise and approve plans submitted by units, and from March 1 through April 30, vice presidents review, approve/disapprove budgets.

The reporting period: All units update their PRISM plan for the upcoming year between May 1 and September 15 each year. This process involves a detailed report of the previous year’s outcomes assessment plan, its implementation, results, and the steps to be taken to make programmatic improvements based on assessment findings. The budget to be requested by the unit must be one that is based on the plans developed by the unit for closing the loop— effecting improvement in the unit’s program(s). Faculty must be involved in this process. However, experience suggests that assembling faculty members in one meeting and asking them to decide on what the unit needs as well as its budget for the next year is less effective in producing a good and effective unit budget.

Our approach for faculty involvement in the budgeting process is, therefore, an all-year-round process. This process considers: (1) needs expressed by faculty members during all faculty meetings held over the past one year (minutes of department meetings are a good source of this information), and (2) faculty supply-lists collected by the secretary. Frequently the secretary sends out memo to faculty requesting them to indicate their needs for office supplies. Finally, all our budgeting needs and decisions, including the above two factors, must be linked to departmental mission, itself a derivative of both our University mission and ACEJMC requirements. Thus the budgeting process is directly linked to outcomes assessment results and faculty’s plans for closing the loop revealed by assessment results.

With faculty input thus obtained, the department head who, by virtue of his position, is better able to see the overall picture of the department’s status, is equipped to prepare the department’s budget and determine the level of priority assigned to the individual elements/items requested in the budget. Prioritization is important in resource allocation.

3. Describe how the allocation of resources is related to the unit’s long-range, strategic plan.

Resource allocation by the higher administration is based on demonstrated need by the unit, and as indicated above, demonstrated need is tied strictly to outcome-based assessment performance of individual units. The University has its long-range strategic plan that guides its operation, and that plan is circulated to all units to read, understand, and for each unit to craft its own long-range strategic plan that is in accord with that of the University. The

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Department of Communication has its long-range strategic plan crafted to fall in sync with both JSU’s mission and ACEJMC’s standards. See Appendix II.1.2. “Strategic Long Range Plan.”

Jacksonville State University engages in a system of planning, budgeting, and prioritizing that ensures budget allocations support both the University strategic plan and unit plans. Each fall, all units prepare goals and objectives for the next academic year and enter them into the university’s centralized system for planning and reporting, PRISM. If an objective requires funding for implementation, the unit requests funds in PRISM.

Unit goals, objectives and budget requests are then reviewed by immediate supervisors, including deans and associate vice presidents. These supervisors may opt to fund a budget request out of their discretionary funds, deny the request, or forward the request to a vice president. Next, vice presidents review goals, objectives and budget requests. They may fund budget requests out of their discretionary funds, deny the request, or forward the request to the president (for one time allocations) or to the Expenditures Subcommittee of the University Budget Committee (for increases in unit budget allocations). Once all budget requests have been reviewed, the Administrative Council reviews the budget requests forwarded to the president and to the Expenditures Subcommittee, prioritizes them and forwards the prioritized requests to the appropriate entity. Funding decisions are documented in PRISM on all review levels. Once decisions are made, units are informed and money is allocated as determined.

4. Describe how the resources provided by the institution compare with similar units on your campus.

The Department of Communication resides in the College of Education and Professional Studies as a part of the professional studies component of the college.

The College has seven academic departments, three of which—Curriculum and Instruction (C and I), Educational Resource, and Secondary Education—are education units; with the remaining four—Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER); Food and Consumer Science (FCS); Communication; and Technology and Engineering—belonging to the Professional studies component.

As can be seen from the table below, resource allocation is based on the size of a department as well as market forces such as the demand for graduates of each discipline. Our department has one full-time faculty more than Technology and Engineering Department does. Technology, overall, has more faculty when prorata and adjuncts are included. Furthermore, Technology and Engineering, due to market demand, pays higher wages than does Communication, and this condition affects faculty salaries in the two areas. Thus, Technology has more resource allocation than we do. On the other hand, Family and Consumer Science Department (FCS), overall, has more faculty than we do, even though we have more resource allocation than it does.

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Resource Allocation by Academic Department—College of Education and Professional Studies

Department Number of Faculty Budget Allocation—2013-14

Curriculum & Instruction 14 faculty (C and I) 3 prorata faculty $1,292,626.20 21 adjunct faculty

Educational Resources 10 faculty 2 prorata faculty $1,064,602.64 15 adjunct faculty

Secondary Education 7 faculty 2 prorata faculty $ 755,898.70 6 adjunct faculty

Health, Phys. Educ. & Rec. 10 faculty (HPER) 3 prorata faculty $945.167.40 4 adjunct faculty

Food & Consumer Science 6 faculty (FCS) 9 adjunct faculty $ 539,525.14 3 prorata faculty

Communication 6 faculty $603,002.96 2 adjunct faculty

5 faculty Technology & Engineering 1 Prorata Faculty $ 691,917.73 6 adjunct faculty

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5. List the tuition (including fees) charged during the most recent academic year (two semesters or three quarters). Please include undergraduate and graduate tuition, for both in-state and out-of-state students.

Tuition for Traditional Courses: 2013-2014

Undergraduate tuition for traditional hours: 2013 - 2014

In-State Traditional Hours $283.00 per hour

Out-Of-State Traditional Hours $566.00 per hour

Graduate/Doctoral tuition for traditional hours: 2013 - 2014

In-State Traditional Hours $349.00 per hour

Out-Of-State Traditional Hours $698.00 per hour

Doctorate fee (per student/per semester) $250.00 Non refundable

Tuition for Distance Learning Courses:2013 - 2014

Distance Learning Courses are Online Courses, Videoconferencing Courses (classes not held on the main JSU campus or Joe Ford Center in Gadsden), Emergency Management Courses, Step Online Courses (Nursing) 2013 - 2014

Undergraduate Distance Learning Hours $345.00 per hour

Graduate Distance Learning Hours $439.00 per hour

Doctorate Fee (per student/per semester) $250.00 Non-refundable

Tuition for Dual Enrollment Courses

2013 -2014 In-State Undergraduate $141.50 per hour

Out-Of-State Undergraduate $283.00 per hour

University Housing University Housing and Residence Life

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Fees and Expenses: Late Registration Fee

Registration on or after first official day of class $ 100.00 through the last official day to register

Application for Degree Fee:

Undergraduate & Graduate (per application) $ 20.00

Other Fees: General University Fee $150.00 (per semester, Fall and Spring) Audit Fee $25.00 per hour

Application for Admissions (non-refundable) $35.00

ID Card Issuance Fee $10.00

ID Reprint Reissuance Fee $25.00

Mail-At-Home Option (per semester) $10.00

Teaching Certificate $30.00

Transcript (each) $5.00

C-Base Make-up Test $50.00

Motor Vehicle Registration (each) $15.00 (Summer) $25.00 (Fall) Maximum Allowed by Returned Check law

Other expenses including the items listed above and items such as parking fines and infirmary charges may be incurred by the student and charged to the student's account. These expenses are due as they are incurred.

It is the student’s responsibility to pay all tuition and fees by the published due date. If not paid by the published due date, the student’s registration will be cancelled.

Tuition and fees can be viewed at http://my.jsu.edu. Choose "View Account/Make Payment" to view charges and make payment.

Residency

Questions regarding residency status should be directed to the Registrar's Office, Jacksonville State University, 700 Pelham Road North, Jacksonville, Alabama 36265-1602 (256) 782-8270

*All prices are subject to change by Board of Trustees

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6. Describe fund-raising goals and efforts undertaken by the unit.

Academic departments at JSU have traditionally not been directly charged with fund-raising responsibilities, although occasionally they engage in fund-raising. The major organ for fund- raising at the university is the University Foundation under the Office of Institutional Advancement. However, departments support the fund-raising activities of these two entities. For example, we frequently write letters of acknowledgement and ‘thank-you’ to donor organizations or individuals who donate specifically to our department.

Some of the limited direct efforts by our department to engage in fund-raising have involved the department head or other faculty members meeting with some news organizations, such as Alabama Press Association (APA) and Alabama Broadcasters Association (ABA), among others, to solicit funding for the department’s annual scholastic journalism program or for student scholarships. Such efforts continue to yield some funding for our Summer Journalism Institute—a workshop for area high school students and for our some scholarship for our advanced students. As you know, one of the advantages of a program becoming accredited is that it opens several other opportunities for such a program to pursue fund-raising more effectively. As an ACEJMC-accredited program, our department is working on taking advantage of such opportunities.

7. Describe the unit’s classrooms, offices, computer labs or other building spaces. If the unit administers university media or student publications, include a description of equipment and facilities devoted to those operations.

The department has five classrooms and labs at its disposal—Self Hall: rooms 207, 236, 237, 260, and 184. Two are traditional classrooms, while the remaining three are a computer lab and two television production studios (a smaller and a larger TV studios). One of the classrooms—an auditorium-size classroom—has a seating capacity of 77, and the second traditional classroom—room 207—seats 25 students. The smaller TV studio has a seating capacity of about 30, while the larger studio is almost twice as large. The computer lab is a 21-station Macintosh computer lab (for 20 students and one instructor). Except for the large TV studio, the remaining four classrooms and labs, in addition to the communication library (Room 172), all have “smart equipment”—high-technology instructional multi-media (the sympodia)—in them.

Since the 2013-14 academic year, these four classrooms and labs have also undergone further technology infusion as the college and the university are embracing the concept of a “21st Century Classroom.” A 21st Century Classroom is a new tech classroom designed, with students in mind, to cater to group collaboration and multi-learning-styles groups of students. Such a classroom is infused with 21st Century technology—the television, internet, iPads, cell phones, social media, among others. For instance, room 207 has three TVs, HDMI splitter, three Apple TVs, and a sympodium; room 236 has HDMI splitter, three Apple TVs, and a sympodium; room 237 has three TVs, HDMI splitter, three Apple TVs, and a sympodium; room 184 has three TVs, HDMI splitter, three Apple TVs, and a smart board; and room 172, the communication library, has a computer, an LCD projector, and a sympodium.

All full-time faculty members have individual offices, and we provide an office which is shared by our two adjunct faculty members, each with her own desk and computer. Compared to several other institutions, our faculty offices are of a fairly moderate size—containing a 130

faculty chair, desk, at least two student seats, a computer and printer desk, desk for copier (for one of our faculty members who prefers his own copier), a medium-size bookshelf, and enough walking space. The head of department’s office is fairly spacious as is our departmental office.

Student Media Facilities The student media—radio station, WLJS-FM 91.9, and newspaper, The Chanticleer—are both under the Department of Communication. Their description follows next. WLJS-FM 91.9 * A fully equipped broadcast studio featuring an 18-channel digital/analogue hybrid board by Wheatstone, one Symetrix voice processor, one Symetrix audio delay system, one Tieline remote decoder, one Orban digital audio processor, three professional studio microphones, three CD/MP3 players, headphones, two studio monitors, two computers equipped with studio sound cards, one Emergency Broadcast System receiver, one Enco satellite receiver system with switcher, one switching system for live broadcasts, one digital automation system and one computer-based network system. * One production studio featuring a 16-channel Wheatstone digital board, two professional studio microphones, studio monitors, two CD/MP3 players and one computer system with Adobe Audition software package. * Three student offices equipped with computers, a fax machine, two tape recorders, three telephone lines, and both wired and wireless internet connections, * One 6,000-watt transmitter located on a tower atop nearby Chimney Peak and a studio- to-transmitter linking system. The Chanticleer (Student newspaper) * Three eMac computers featuring InDesign, PhotoShop, Microsoft Word and other programs. * Access to the Mac Lab with 20 computers featuring the Adobe Creative Suite package of software and a printer. * One Nikon D200 digital camera. * One Nikon Coolpix 5700 digital camera. * One large office space with six desks, two large work tables, one telephone line, and both wired and wireless internet connections. * In addition to the equipment in The Chanticleer office, the editorial staff of the newspaper also has regular access to our Mac Computer Lab, which contains 20 iMac computers that are all equipped with the Adobe Creative Suite package of software for graphic design and web development.

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8. Describe the unit’s most urgent needs for space or equipment, if any, and the plan to address these needs.

Currently the department does not have space problem. We have adequate space for faculty and staff offices, classrooms, labs, and storage facilities.

Some of our current equipment are now dated. Equipment in the broadcasting area as well as the computers in the department’s computer lab need updating. We have made the higher administration aware of this need, and, in its usual manner, it is seriously addressing that. Bids are on now for communication equipment and we are optimistic that by the beginning of the fall semester, 2013, we would have new equipment in our labs. Today’s learning environment is technology-driven, and the capacity of an educational program to stay abreast of technological evolution seems to have become one of the defining criteria for a successful program. This is true in all academic areas, and particularly so in the communication field. Our faculty recognizes this fact, as does the higher administration.

Another area of need currently is our departmental library. We need books in our library. We are currently working with the Houston Cole (the university) library to furnish our unit library with the resources it needs.

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Part II, Standard 8. Professional and Public Service

Reynold Wolf, former CNN weatherman (alumnus)

Connie Schultz—Pulitzer-Prize Journalist, Ayers Lecturer

Executive summary (optional).

The union of professionals and academics is one that is very important in the training of future communication professionals, and our department reaches out to engage communication professionals as we do our alumni, another very important constituency.

133 As ambassadors of our program, alumni are important to us, and consequently we make efforts to actively engage them as much as possible. Some of the ways in which we engage both constituencies are through vigorous programs that involve both groups. Our annual Communication Week brings communication professionals—broadcasters, print journalists, and public relations practitioners—to campus annually to lecture, speak and interact with faculty and students. Our summer journalism institute also brings communication professionals to visit and speak to the institute students. Our endowed lecture series, the Ayers Lecture, also brings renowned communication professionals to lecture and interact with faculty and students annually. For our alumni, we hold an annual alumni reunion in their honor. We have published an annual alumni newsletter since 2006, although, for budget reasons, we had a hiatus in- between. Furthermore, we involve those alumni that are within driving distance in our communication advisory board and in our learning outcomes assessment. All these avenues provide us means of receiving feedback from them. Further, we receive more detailed feedback from them through our periodic alumni survey that helps us improve our curriculum and instruction.

All our faculty members belong to communication professional organizations paid for by the department. Most of the time, we have supported our faculty, 100 percent, when they attend professional conferences to present a paper or participate in professional service. Some of our faculty members—those with a terminal degree—serve as reviewers for conferences and scholarly journals.

We hold an annual summer journalism institute—a four-day intensive workshop for high school students aspiring to become journalists, and we partner with high school newspapers for projects. Our faculty and staff are also involved in various community service activities. One of our full-time faculty members still works on a freelance basis.

Please respond to each of the following instructions:

1. Summarize the professional and public service activities undertaken by the unit. Include operation of campus media if under control of the unit; short courses, continuing education, institutes, high school and college press meetings; judging of contests; sponsorship of speakers addressing communication issues of public consequence and concern; and similar activities.

The department’s efforts at providing leadership, developing high standards of professional practice, and contributing to the advancement of journalism and mass communications as academic disciplines are exemplified in several activities that it regularly conducts. Such activities include its annual Summer Journalism Institute, Communication Week, Communication Advisory Board meetings, Alumni Reunion, and an endowed lecture series, as well as several major contributions by our faculty both to the profession and to the community at large.

An annual event, the Department of Communication’s Summer Journalism Institute is a four- day intensive workshop designed to provide, free-of-charge, a course of instruction to high school students (especially juniors and seniors), on the basics of print (soon to become digital) journalism, broadcast journalism, as well as public relations. Each student is involved in the reporting, writing, and producing of print and broadcast stories, and PR packages. All students also produce, under the direction of the instructor, an electronic newspaper. Area minority students are intensively recruited for this program. See Appendix II.8.6A. “Summer Journalism Institute Program”).

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The Communication Week is also a four-day, annual event featuring active media professionals who visit our campus to speak to, and interact with, students in formalized lecture settings, and informal sit-down sessions. CNN producers, PR personnel from major corporations, television station managers and other media professionals all share their insights with JSU communication students.

Our annual Alumni Reunion brings our alumni back to campus to interact with our faculty, staff, and students. By so doing, we foster a continuous and lasting relationship with the ambassadors of our programs. Through feedback from reunions and alumni surveys, we revise and keep our programs strong and responsive to both industry and community needs.

Membership of our Communication Advisory Board comprises vice presidents of news organizations, editors, news directors, managing editors, public information directors, among others. Similar to the alumni reunion, our advisory board meetings link us directly with industry leaders who interact with us, advise us on changing industry standards and other relevant issues. Again, this helps to keep us connected and current in our field and in our community.

Each year, the department hosts the Ayers Lecture Series sponsored by Jacksonville State University in collaboration with The Anniston Star, northeast Alabama’s internationally recognized regional newspaper. The lecture series brings in prominent media professionals to speak on issues of importance to journalism and mass communications. Many dignitaries as well as the general public are invited annually to the Ayers Lecture Series. The series is a two- day event, and as part of the program, the Ayers lecturer spends a day on the campus of JSU— much of that day in direct contact with communication students.

Over the years the Series has hosted such luminaries as: Diane McWhorter, essayist and Pulitzer-prize winning author; Harrison Salisbury, former N.Y. Times editor; Vitaly Korotich, Russian journalist; Tom Johnson, former CNN executive; Donald Trelford, former editor of The Observer; Hodding Carter III, Washington journalist and former president and C.E.O. of the Knight Foundation; Judy Woodruff, PBS senior correspondent; Rick Bragg, former Atlanta bureau chief for the N.Y. Times and a Pulitzer-prize winning author; R.W. Apple, former associate editor of The New York Times and a Pulitzer-prize winning author; Alexander Pumpyansky, editor-in-chief of Novoye Vremya and the New Times of Moscow; Alberto Ibargüen, former president and C. E. O. of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; Jackie Northam, foreign correspondent for NPR; Connie Schultz, Pulitzer-prize winning columnist; and a host of others, who have served as our Ayers lecturers.

All campus media are under the aegis of the department: The Chanticleer (the student newspaper), and WLJS-FM (the student radio station). Both media are supervised by the manager of student media, who also teaches for us on a part-time basis. He reports directly to the head of the department.

Student media are just that: student media. They are run by paid staff and part-time volunteers, the vast majority of whom are communication majors. The manager of student media, Mike Stedham, holds a master’s degree in English, worked for many years as editor with The Anniston Star, worked for many years as a radio personality, and now teaches writing, reporting and newspaper design in the department. He occasionally works for WEAC TV-24 as

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a news caster. He advises students in reporting, writing, and broadcasting affairs. The editorial tone and subject matter of the student media are controlled by the students themselves, in keeping with the First Amendment precepts they learn in the classroom. Among other things— public service function of informing and entertaining the public—the student media also serve as a practical laboratory for training our communication students in journalism and mass communication.

2. Provide brochures and other publications that describe the unit’s professional and public service activities.

Appended are documents describing our professional and public service activities: Summer Journalism Institute (Appendix II.8.6A.); Communication Week (Appendix II.8.2A.); Communication Advisory Board (Appendix II.8.2B.); Alumni Reunion (Appendix II.8.2C.); and Ayers Lecture Series (Appendix II.8.2D.).

3. Describe the unit’s contact with alumni, professionals and professional organizations to keep curriculum and instruction current and to promote the exchange of ideas.

As described earlier (see #1 above), our department uses the annual activities that it conducts as vehicles for keeping contact with the alumni, professionals, and professional organizations. Through our annual alumni reunion and alumni surveys conducted every three/four years, we receive feedback on our program’s effectiveness as well as the state of the industry and the job market. Such feedback usually leads to curriculum revisions to keep abreast of both the technology and the knowledge base.

Several alumni serve on our Communication Advisory Board, and this provides additional avenue for us to interact with our alumni and for them to provide feedback to us as to the state of the industry.

All our full-time faculty members and staff who teach for us belong to professional organizations. The department has had a tradition of paying fully for faculty membership of professional organizations except for the past two years when, because of budgetary constraints, it was unable to pay for that. It has, however, resumed that practice (the payment) since the 2013-2014 session. Organizational memberships in the department include Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication—ICD, MAC, SPIG, Law, Mass Communication and Society, Scholastic Journalism, Internship and Career, and Graduate Education; Society of Professional Journalists; College Media Advisers; Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communications; and Public Relations Society of America. These memberships afford the department further access to professionals and professional organizations through meetings and automatic subscription to professional journals and literatures. Our faculty also attends conferences to exchange ideas with other colleagues from the academy and the industry.

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4. List examples of professional and public service activities undertaken by members of the faculty in the past six years (before the self-study year). Please do not refer team members to faculty vitae for this information. Do not include service to the unit or institution; this information should be presented in Standard 4.

Dr. Jeffrey B. Hedrick, Assistant Professor

Professional Service 2013 Oxford University Press. Textbook Chapter Reviewer, Fourth Edition of Converging Media by Pavlik & McIntosh. 2013 Oxford University Press. Ancillary Author, Test Bank Manual for Fourth Edition of Converging Media by Pavlik & McIntosh. 2011 Oxford University Press. Textbook Chapter Reviewer, Second Edition of Converging Media by Pavlik & McIntosh.

Membership in Academic, Professional, and Scholarly Societies 2013-present Association for Educators in Journalism & Mass Communication 2011-2013 Eastern Communication Association

Professional Development. WORKSHOPS 2007 Mastering Macromedia Dreamweaver (July 25, Advanced Blackboard (Level 3) 2006: Intermediate Blackboard (Level 2) 2006: Creating a Scoring Rubric

Mr. Jerry Chandler, Assistant Professor

Mr. Jerry G. Chandler was interviewed extensively recently by The National Geographic Channel in conjunction with a pair of television specials the network will air in 2008.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIP 2007 – Member, Society of Professional Journalists. 2006 – Member, Society of Professional Journalists.

COMMUNITY SERVICE 2001 – 2007 – Lector, Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, Anniston.

SPEECHES/PUBLIC APPEARANCES 2007 – Radio Media Tour. Spoke on half dozen radio stations nationwide about airline delays and airport congestion. 2006 – Appeared on WBRC-TV, Channel 6 in Birmingham two times, speaking on topic of airline safety and terrorism. 2005 – Appeared on CNBC News with Brian Williams, speaking on topic of international terrorist threat to civil aviation.

137 Dr. Augustine Ihator, Professor of PR

Service to Professional Organizations Summer 2010: Reviewed the textbook Media Writing: Print, Broadcast, and Public Relations. Third edition. By W. Richard Whitaker, et al. Routledge - Taylor & Francis Group. Fall 2008: Reviewed a proposed new textbook The Media Ethics Environment. Routledge Publishers, NY. (November 2008) October 2007: Reviewed the textbook Strategic Planning for Public Relations, 2nd edition by Ronald D. Smith. Publishers, Routledge, NY. 2006: On behalf of CQ Press, Washington, D.C., evaluated a textbook proposal titled Setting Standards: Journalism Ethics for the Digital Age. By Stephen D. Burgard.

Service to Profit and Non-profit Area Organizations The following organizations were provided, pro bono, public relations and communications expertise and guidance on and off campus. Recommendations and evaluative tools for enhance organizational performance were offered. SPRING 2013 • Save-A-Life of Calhoun County, AL. Michelle Payne, Executive Director. • Fit-Stop Fitness Center, Jacksonville, AL. John Henry, Owner. FALL 2012 • United Way of Etowah County, AL. Jessica Brown, Resource Development & Marketing Director. SPRING 2012 • Wake & Bake Restaurant, Jacksonville, AL. Sandy Knight and Dev Wakeley, Owners. • Peerless Grille and Saloon, Anniston, AL. Kristy Farmer, Owner/General Manager. FALL 2011 • Sunny King Toyota, Oxford, AL. Vernon Thomas, General Manager. • Jillybean's Cupcakes & Ice Cream Restaurant, Jacksonville, AL. Mrs. Jill Waters, Owner. SPRING 2011 • Java Jolt Coffee House, Jacksonville, AL. Cindy Young, Owner (2nd time). FALL 2010 • Alabama Power – A Southern Company, Anniston, AL. Brandon Glover, PR Officer. • Regional Medical Center (RMC) Anniston, AL. Hilary Folsom, Manager of Marketing & Physicians Sales. And Vikki Simmons, RMC Foundation Director. SPRING 2010 • Th’ Promise, African American Theatre Group At Jacksonville State University, AL. Susan McCain, Advisor • Java Jolt Coffee House, Jacksonville, AL. Cindy Young, Owner. FALL 2009 • B.F. Dawgs Restaurant, Jacksonville, AL. Alan & Elizabeth Renfroe, Owners. • IntraMurals at Jacksonville State University, AL. Allen Gilbert.

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SPRING 2009 • Community Actors’ Studio Theatre, Inc. (CAST). Mike Stedham, CAST Board Member. • The Victoria – A Country Inn and Restaurant, Jacksonville State University. Patty Hobbs, Melanie Delap, and Tim Garner. FALL 2008 • Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce and The Chief Ladiga Trail. Sherri Sumners and Mike Galloway. • Athletic Department, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL. Greg Seitz and Ryan Nichols. SPRING 2008 • Gadsden Museum, AL. Steve Temple, Director. FALL 2007 • The Vault Deli & Pub. Shannon Wilson, and Bob Austin. Managers. • Mary G. Hardin Center for the Cultural Arts, Gadsden, AL. Bo Caples, Manager. SPRING 2007 • Jacksonville Christian Outreach Center, Inc. Jacksonville, AL. Mary Agnus Hester and Charley Evans. Managers. • Silver Lakes Golf Course – Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Leigh Anne Black, Manager. • Assisted Anniston Museum of Natural History with their publicity program. And participated as one of the judges at their Black Heritage Festival – Revisiting the Spirit of the Poets. FALL 2006 • The Baptist Campus Ministries, Jacksoville State University, AL. Gary Brittain, Campus Minister. • The Anniston Museum of Natural History, AL. Margie Conner, Marketing Manager. SPRING 2006 • Athletic Department, Jacksonville State University, AL. Misty Cassell. • Alumni Association, Jacksonville State University, AL. Kaci Ogle, Director. • Sarrell Regional Optical Center, Anniston, AL. Jeffrey Parker, CEO and Brandi Mangum, Director of Marketing.

Mr. Mike Stedham, Manager of Student Media and part-time instructor 2012: Mike Stedham moderated a series of public debates featuring candidates for the Anniston City Council during the city’s municipal elections. 1999- Present: Mike Stedham is a founding board member of Community Actors Studio Theater, which was established in 1999 as an amateur theater group presenting a variety of shows in Calhoun County. Stedham was CAST board president for five years and continues to appear in its productions. 2006-Present: Stedham has written seven dinner theater productions for several area charities including the Junior League of Anniston/Calhoun County, the Calhoun County Red

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Cross, the Anniston/Calhoun County Public Library and the Heflin Arts Council. 2006-Present: Stedham works as a freelance writer who has articles published regularly in Longleaf Style magazine. 1985-Present: Stedham is the primary teacher for the Genesis Sunday School Class at the First United Methodist Church of Anniston

Dr. Patrick McGrail, Assistant Professor of Broadcasting

Professional Consultation Political Speech Consultant – Mayoral Candidate Anne Welch of Anniston, AL, April 15-July 15, 2012. Ms. Welch contacted me, apparently after having heard that I had had a background in political speech consultation in Massachusetts. I wrote a sample acceptance speech and advised her on the important points in local political communication. Video Production - Produced and recorded video for the Sacred Heart Christmas Concert, Boston MA, December 25, 2009 Worked with the Alabama Army National Guard on DVD for soldier preparedness for return billets in Afghanistan and Iraq, 2010. Audio Production – Produced and recorded audio for the Sacred Heart Church Children's Choir, Atlanta, GA May 2012 Paper Reviews Reviewer, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Communication Technology Division, April 2009. Reviewer, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Communication Theory and Methodology, April 2009. Reviewer, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Cultural and Critical Studies, April 2009. Reviewer, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), History Division, April 2009. Reviewer, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Mass Communication and Society, April 2009. Reviewer, International Communication Association (ICA), Communication and Technology Division. November-December, 2012. Reviewer, International Communication Association (ICA), Journalism Studies Division, November-December, 2012. Reviewer, International Communication Association (ICA), Mass Communication Division, November-December, 2012. Reviewer International Communication Association (ICA), Philosophy, Theory & Critique Division, November-December, 2012. Reviewer, International Communication Association (ICA), Communication History Division, November-December, 2012. Reviewer, International Communication Association (ICA), Political Communication Division, November-December, 2012. Reviewer, International Communication Association (ICA), Communication Law & Policy Division, November-December, 2012. Reviewer, International Communication Association (ICA), Entertainment Studies Division, 2006.

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Book Reviews Reviewed textbook on video production for Oxford University Press, 2010. Reviewed textbook on media history for Elsevier Publishing, 2010. Journal Reviews Reviewed for the Journal of Communication Inquiry, 2006. Reviewer, Southwestern Mass Communication Journal, 2006.

Professional Affiliations Member, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Member, International Communication Association. Member, Project Vote Smart. Other professional Work Hosted weekly show on singers and songwriters on WQSU 88.9 FM, the campus radio station of Susquehanna University, 2006 Producer/Engineer, Live unplugged recording sessions at WQSU-FM. Includes national recording artists the Pat McGee Band, and many others, 2002-2006. Judge, Iris Film Festival, 2006-2007. Charitable and Religious Affliations Hispanic-American Association, Task Force member, December 2, 2012 Knights of Columbus, Selinsgrove, PA, 2006 Initial Supporter, Pennsylvania Museum of Broadcast History

Dr. Kingsley O. Harbor, Head of Department

Journal Review (2011) Reviewed paper, “Beyond Hegemonic Polarities: The Radical Press and Security Agencies in Africa," for the African Studies Review (2009) Reviewed paper for the African Studies Review (2007) Reviewed paper: “Conditions for Media Influence on US Weak States’ Policy: A Case Study of the 2003 Liberia Crisis,” for the journal, African Studies Review. (January). (2007) Reviewed the paper: “African Reporters in the Web of Politics: A Ghana Case Study,” for the journal, African Studies Review. (April) (2006) Communicating Ethically: Character, Duties, Consequences, and Relationships, Reviewed for Allyn and Bacon. (January) (2006) Markham Competition research papers for the International Communication Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. (April)

Community Service Director-at-Large: Board of Directors, Girls Scout of North-Central Alabama 2006-2011 Director, Summer Journalism Institute: Conduct annual scholastic journalism workshops—a four-day intensive workshop for area high school students 2003-present

Membership Of Learned Societies/Professional Organizations Executive Editorial Board member, Intellectbase International Consortium. 2010-present Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Comm. (AEJMC).1990 - present. International Communication Division of AEJMC: 1990 -present. Mass Communication & Society div. of AEJMC: 1990 -2000., 2005-present

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Minorities & Communication (Mac) div. of AEJMC: 1990 -present. Communication Ethics Division of AEJMC. 1994 - 1997; 2000-present. Association of Schools of Journalism & Mass Comm. (ASJMC): 1995-present. ASJMC Committee on Contemporary Leadership: 2010-present.

Professional Development—Continuing Education. Outcomes Assessment Workshop. The 16th Annual Institutional Effectiveness Intensive Workshop Series by James O. Nichols et al. Nine of us selected across the university to attend the workshop. SanAntonio, Texas. July 31-Aug. 2, 2006.

Invited Panelist/Discussant Oxford Round Table (2010). Served as an invited panelist/discussant at the 2010 Oxford Round Table, a periodic, Invitational conference at Oxford University, England. March. (Beyond serving as a discussant, a member of the Round Table is also Invited to present a paper. See invited-paper section of vita for paper presented). March, 21-26.

Oxford Round Table (2009) Served as an invited panelist/discussant at the 2009 Oxford Round Table, Oxford University, England. March, 22-27.

Panels, Lectures, Reviews Panelist: (2008). “Increasing Your Effectiveness as an Administrator,” A panel presented by the Administrative Committee of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication (ASJMC) at the ASJMC annual Winter Meeting. New Orleans, La; Feb., 23.

(2007). “Department Chairmanship: Is it Really Hard.” A panel presented by the ASJMC Administrative Committee. The national conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). Washington DC. August 10.

(2006). Panelist. National Conference on the Emerging Mind of Community Journalism. Sponsored and organized by the Anniston Star, the College of Communication & Information Sciences, University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa), and the Knight Foundation. In Anniston, Alabama, Feb. 8-9.

Moderator (2010). Chair of 8:00 a.m. – 12:35 p.m. session. The 2010 Intellectbase International Consortium Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, Saturday, October 16. (2009). Chair of 8:00 a.m. – 12:35 p.m. session. The 2009 Intellectbase International Consortium Conference, Atlanta Georgia, Saturday, October 16.

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5. Describe the role of professional and public service in promotion and tenure decisions. Describe travel funding or other support by the unit for faculty involvement in academic and professional associations and related activities.

According to JSU’s 2013 Faculty Handbook, decisions regarding promotion and tenure are based on three major criteria: (a) teaching effectiveness and advisement, (b) scholarship: research, creative and/or professional activities, and (c) professional, institutional, and community service, each carrying a proportional weight.

As a teaching institution, JSU places the greatest emphasis on teaching and advisement, yet a faculty member can neither be tenured nor promoted without being successful in the other areas, including professional and public service. The definition of “professional and public service” adopted by the university and the College of Education and Professional Studies is quite similar to that recommended by the ACEJMC in the ACEJMC’s new standards: guidelines in interpretation and application, published in June 2005 (see Appendix II.5.5 “JSU Policies on Promotion and Tenure ”). It includes activities related to the university, the profession, and the community, when such activities are also related to the faculty member’s discipline.

A common language that runs through the criteria for tenure and/or promotion to any rank, and which points to the importance attached to professional and public service activities, is: “Demonstrate sustained service to the university, profession, and community.“ The term “sustained” refers to the four years preceding the faculty member’s application date for promotion and/or tenure. A tenure and/or promotion applicant must perform at a level that meets expectation in all areas including professional and public service. Each faculty member undergoes a comprehensive annual evaluation by the department head, and this evaluation is the basis for ascertaining if a faculty member’s performance meets expectation, exceeds it, or falls below it.

The department expects all full-time faculty members to be actively involved in academic and professional associations and activities. To facilitate that, the department has had a tradition of paying the full cost of faculty travel to professional conferences either for paper presentation or for committee service. Similarly, the department pays the full cost of faculty membership in professional associations. Although these departmental assistances have not occurred for the past two years because of budgetary constraint, but the university research and travel grants have continued unabated, and currently, the department has also resumed its faculty assistances once again.

6. Describe the unit’s support of scholastic (high school) journalism, including workshops, visiting lectures, critiques of student work, etc.

Despite our small size, scholastic journalism is alive and well in our department. Traditionally, we have had two areas of focus on scholastic journalism, and they are the Summer Journalism Institute, and assisting burgeoning student newspapers in the area.

Our Summer Journalism Institute (SJI) culminates in a four-day intensive, residential workshop for high school students (juniors and seniors in particular) in the area. Each summer, department faculty conducts this workshop during which students are taught how to produce an electronic newspaper, radio program, television program, internet production, and 143

public relations package. In summer 2005, the department held two workshops back-to-back, one for minority high school students (sponsored by a grant from Alabama Press Association—our second grant from APA), and the other was a general workshop. That format no longer exists given the controversy over Dow Jones newspaper sponsorship of minority scholastic journalism. Instead, we now combine the two workshops, although we still maintain our vigorous recruitment of minority high school students for the workshop.

The second phase of our summer journalism institute—assisting burgeoning newspapers— involves our department and/or our student media working with emerging newspapers to help them survive. During its short life, the Teen Scene, a small newspaper written by high school students from area high schools and published by Mr. Gerald Decker, a local business man interested in providing community service to the area, benefited from our department’s Summer Journalism Institute by having permanent slots reserved in the institute for training Teen Scene staff. Faculty and staff also assisted them as needed in establishing their paper (see Appendix II.8.6B. “The Teen Scene Newspaper.”) Mr. Mike Stedham, our student media manager, on several occasions lectured to Teen Scene staff at workshops conducted by that paper. Dr. Kingsley Harbor, the department head, also visited and spoke to the students during their annual banquet.

Several years ago, Jacksonville High School started a newspaper published for the first time in 2006 with the assistance of our department faculty and students. Two of the pioneer student journalists working with the Jacksonville High School newspaper (including its editor) were 2005 graduates of our summer journalism institute. In partnership with the Department of Communication and The Jacksonville News, a local newspaper, Jacksonville High School secured a grant for its newspaper.

NAA Foundation Student Newspaper Award Further, Jacksonville High School partnered with us and with The Jacksonville News for the Newspaper Association of America Foundation project, and we are delighted that our partnership won the 2006-07 NAA grant. Please see the award at Appendix II.8.6C. “Jacksonville High School Student Newspaper.”

In recent years, our SJI has continued to do well—reaching out to students beyond Calhoun County to Jefferson County—Birmingham and beyond.

7. Describe the unit’s methods for communicating with alumni, such as newsletters or other publications. Attach copies of publications during the previous academic year. (These documents can be placed in the appendices binder.)

Avenues for communicating with our alumni include an alumni newsletter (see Appendix II.8.7 “The Jacksonville Communicator”), alumni reunions (see Appendix II.8.2C. “Annual Alumni Reunions.”), alumni surveys (see Appendix II.9.3D. “Communication Alumni Survey Instrument.”, communication week invitation to campus, and through two advisory boards (the Communication Advisory Board or CAB, and the WLJS Advisory Board). Many alumni serve on the CAB, while all members of the WLJS board are alumni. A significant amount of communication also goes on by e-mail—mainly in relation to updating their addresses on the department’s website. Alumni frequently send us information via e-mail to notify us of their

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change of address, job and job positions. That offers us additional opportunity to send inquiries to them regarding any relevant subject.

The advantage of having many communication avenues with alumni is that the communication link between our department and its alumni never goes cold even when one of those avenues, for any reason, becomes inactive for a period of time, as was the case with our newsletter, the Jacksonville Communicator. The Communicator began publication in 2006, but went into a hiatus during the years of severe economic depression when our budget could not sustain its publication. However, our relationship with our alumni continued through other avenues, as listed above. Upon resumption of its newsletter publication, the department has now published its second newsletter since 20013. It is sent to all alumni on record, and distributed to members of alumni who attend our annual alumni reunion.

At alumni reunions, the department presents attendees with literature showing changes in the department. The department head, in his speech to the alumni, thanks them for their strong support of the department demonstrated through their regular contributions to the department and urges all alumni to become active participants in shaping the future of the department.

Alumni surveys typically provide the department with the most detailed and perhaps most reliable information from alumni, and plays a significant role in the department’s revision of curriculum as well as other relevant changes that may be necessary. The department does not survey alumni annually as that may be redundant, but it conducts a periodic survey to give time for some changes that may occur between the last survey and the next one.

Another communication link that exists between the department and its alumni is participation in student learning outcomes assessment discussed in details in # 8 below.

8. Describe the involvement of alumni in the unit’s educational and public-service programs (placement, internships, fund-raising, curriculum development, etc.) and in advisory or visitors’ boards.

We make efforts to ensure the involvement of our alumni in our activities as much as it is practicable. We turn departmental activities—alumni reunion, communication week, internship, communication advisory board, alumni survey, summer journalism institute, and learning outcomes assessment—into opportunities to involve our alumni in the life of the department.

As mentioned above, our alumni reunion is a yearly event that brings our alumni to campus to see and learn of the progress, goals, and needs of the department. It also offers opportunity for our current students to interact and network with alumni especially for job purposes. Although an informal occasion, the reunion provides a face-to-face interaction between our faculty— most of who were not here when most of those alumni were students—and our alums. That face-to-face interaction puts a face to a name the next time a faculty member picks a telephone to talk to an alum.

Every year during our Communication Week, we strive to include one or more alums among the week’s speakers, except when that is not feasible due to scheduling conflicts. Our 2002 Communication Week luncheon keynote speaker, Ms. Catherine Callaway, a CNN weekend

145 anchor, is an alumna; our 2005 broadcast day speaker, Jason Bozeman, program director for Mix 102.9-FM in Gadsden, Alabama, is an alumnus; our two speakers for the 2004 broadcast day were Ms. Elizabeth Chandler and Mr. Lantz Croft, both from WBRC Fox-channel 6. Both are our alumni; our 2005 luncheon keynote speaker, Mr. Roy Williams of the Birmingham News (the largest daily newspaper in Alabama) is an alumnus; our 2007 luncheon keynote speaker, Mr. Reynolds Wolf, weather and anchorman for CNN, is our alumnus; our 2013 public relations day speaker, Ms. Jessica Brown, Marketing Director for the United Way of Etowah County, is an alumna, as is our 2013 Communication Week keynoter, Mr. Lantz Croft, Operations Manager, WBRC Fox 6 TV in Birmingham. These women and men come back from time to time to enrich our faculty and students with their wealth of experiences accumulated over the years.

As briefly touched on in #7 above, the Department of Communication has two advisory boards—the Communication Advisory Board (CAB) that advises the entire department, and the WLJS Advisory Board, which advises the radio station specifically. The latter is strictly for all alumni who—as students—worked as permanent staff of the radio station. Only about two years old now, this latter board was the brainchild of these alumni themselves, whose sole purpose is to ensure that WLJS produces professionally trained students who will go into radio as a career. To do this, the board engages in fund drives for the station and provides advice to the student staff of the station. Their efforts supplement the work of our faculty in a very meaningful way. Recently, the board raised several thousands of dollars for equipment for the station. Approximately 56% of the Department of Communication’s CAB membership is made up of our alumni. Many alumni, during the yearly reunion, express interest in becoming involved in departmental affairs. The only obstacle is distance—most of them are not within driving distances.

We utilize members of our advisory board as part of our learning-outcomes assessment team, and most of those used are our alumni. For instance, this past year, Mr. Lantz Croft, operation’s manager for WBRC-Channel 6 Fox news in Birmingham, Alabama, participated as an assessor; Mr. Ben Cunningham, Metro editor for The Anniston Star was also an assessor, as was Ms. Jessica Brown, Marketing Director for United Way of Etowa County. All are our alumni, and we are grateful to them for their unrelenting readiness to provide us with their services.

We also seek opportunities to bring them back as instructors in our classrooms when possible. Among those who have, in recent times, worked for us as adjunct faculty are Mr. Mickey Shadrix, Partner/owner of The Heritage Communications—WJXS TV-24; Ms. Pamela Hill, Gadsden State Community College instructor; Mr. Gary Lewis, web editor at The Anniston Star; and Ms. Laura Tutor, former reporter, The Anniston Star. Furthermore, our alumni survey is another rich source of informational input from alumni for curriculum revision.

Through interactions with faculty and students, as stated above, alumni help generate significant internship opportunities, opportunities that stem from their own positioning in local, regional, and national communication outlets. With the exception of the WLJS Advisory Board described above, our alumni, at this point, have neither a formal nor informal role in fund-raising. Generally the major apparatus for advancement campaigns at JSU is the JSU Foundation, and units—colleges and departments—are glad to cooperate with the Foundation as needed. Units’ reliance for funding is pegged to university allocations, and grants obtained on an ad-hoc basis from corporations and media foundations.

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Part II, Standard 9. Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Technology: Learning Outcome for Broadcasting Students

Please attach the unit’s written plan for assessment of student learning outcomes. This plan must include the dates of its adoption and of implementation of its components.

Executive summary (optional).

Prior to fall 2013, the Department of Communication defined eleven learning outcomes, designated The JSU 4+7 (denoting four values and seven competencies), that its students must achieve prior to graduation. Beginning from fall 2013, we have transited from 11 to 12 values and competencies (called The JSU 5+7) as described in details below. The JSU 4+7 include writing, editing, technology, research, statistics, critical thinking, history, theory, law, ethics, and diversity, while 5+7 includes the first ten plus domestic diversity and global diversity.

The JSU 4+7 is the centerpiece of the department’s 2012-2013 outcomes assessment plan, which was designed to implement/promote and assess The JSU 4+7. Our assessment plan uses four direct measures—exit exam, capstone project, course- embedded assessment, and internship—and two indirect measures—senior exit survey and alumni survey—to assess student learning.

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We keep in contact with our alumni via several means, such as an annual alumni reunion, periodic surveys, alumni newsletter, and, for some of them, through our communication advisory board. We began publishing an alumni newsletter in 2006; we have held an annual alumni reunion since 2005, and have conducted a survey periodically as needed.

Our assessment program ensures the inclusion of communication professionals. Of the six assessment methods (direct and indirect) we use in the department, four involve professionals. Our capstone project involves multiple reviewers, and one must be a professional. Given the nature of course-embedded assessment, we use professionals when it is feasible; otherwise we use two instructors with expertise in the area concerned. Our internship involves a faculty member and a professional who is the employer; and our alumni survey involves our alumni who, themselves, are professionals.

Our department collects and reports data gathered via our outcomes assessment activities, and such data inform the curricular and programmatic changes we make in the department. Our most recent assessment activities revealed to us areas of strength as well as weakness. As documented in the detailed report that follows, we have recently made curricular changes in the department based on results of our outcomes assessment.

Please respond to each of the following instructions:

1. Provide the unit’s definition of goals for learning that students must achieve. If this definition is incorporated into the plan for assessment, a page reference will suffice.

Please see pages 1-3 of the attached Assessment Plan for the definitions of our 12 learning outcomes/objectives. Appendix II.9.1. “Assessment Plan.”

2. Describe the involvement of journalism and mass communication professionals, including alumni, in the assessment process.

As much as it is feasible, the department makes journalism and mass communication professionals, including alumni, an integral part of its assessment team. The department employs four direct methods of assessment—capstone project, exit exam, course-embedded assessment, and internship; and two indirect methods—senior exit survey and alumni survey. Professionals are involved in two of the four direct methods (i.e., capstone project and internship), and in a third one—course-embedded assessment—when possible. They are also involved in one of the indirect methods— the alumni survey. Detailed descriptions follow below.

DIRECT METHODS

Capstone project The department has three capstone courses—one for each concentration (broadcasting, print journalism, which is now digital journalism, and public relations)—and each capstone course has a capstone project as a major component. Each capstone project has three phases: (a) project design, which ensures that a project is designed to measure specific and relevant objectives chosen from The JSU 4+7, now The JSU 5+7; (b) rubric design—this phase involves designing a rubric for measuring the

148 assigned objectives; and (c) evaluation—this phase involves the grading of completed projects.

Please note that the terms objectives and outcomes have been used interchangeably in this report as both refer to the same concept. Professionals are involved in the three phases of a capstone project. Each assessment method—direct and indirect—used by the department is designed to measure specific and relevant objectives (please see Outcome by Assessment Method matrices for the three concentrations in Standard 9, #3) showing the direct methods and the outcomes they assess). In the project design phase, a capstone instructor, with these specific objectives in mind, obtains a professional’s input while designing the capstone project for her/his course. In the rubric design phase, the assessment coordinator, who oversees the department’s outcomes assessment, works with the course instructor to develop a draft rubric for evaluating the capstone project. The draft rubric is sent to the professional for critical evaluation and feedback. Thus, the final rubric is the product of the three parties— assessment coordinator, course instructor, and a professional in the communication discipline concerned. In the evaluation stage, the completed projects are duplicated: the instructor grades one and the other copy is sent to the professional for grading. The final grade a student receives on a capstone project is the average of the instructor’s and the professional’s evaluations.

Course-embedded method This method, similar to the capstone project, has three phases: (a) project design, (b) rubric design, and (c) evaluation. Because this method is conducted under regular class conditions and employing several class works, it is inherently more difficult to get working professionals involved in the day-to-day process of course-embedded assessment. Under such a condition, instructors identify and use either professionals working within the university or faculty members with expertise in the field concerned. This is the approach that the department has used so far. The broadcasting concentration has used Mr. Keith Thomas, coordinator of television production for Jacksonville State University’s Television Services Department, as a co-assessor with our broadcast instructor—Dr. J. Patrick McGrail. The print journalism concentration has used Mr. Mike Stedham, manager of our student media, a 23-year veteran journalist and former editor at The Anniston Star, who also teaches for us part-time. The public relations instructor—Dr. Augustine Ihator—uses our alternate public relations professor, Dr. Jeffrey Hedrick, as his co-assessor.

Internship Internship is required of every communication major. Students are required to work for 350 hours with professional (Communication) organizations, and the department provides the site supervisor with an evaluation form designed to assess twelve criteria—seven of which come from The JSU 5+7. Those seven are: writing, editing, technology, critical thinking, law (First Amendment knowledge), ethics, and diversity; and the remaining five are ability to learn, initiative, judgment, attendance/punctuality, and quality of work. Because internship organizations and their functions vary, the objectives a particular internship job is able to assess may vary from job to job (see Appendix II.2.12. “Communication Internship Policy”) The internship course instructor uses the same evaluation form used by the site supervisor to evaluate the

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interns. Thus, a student’s final grade on internship is the average of instructor’s and site supervisor’s evaluations.

INDIRECT METHODS

Alumni survey The department designs its alumni survey to be able to capture responses on all aspects of our program. For example, the survey instrument has 15 questions such as, quality of our program, beneficial courses, The JSU 4+7 (soon to become The JSU 5+7), employment status, value of a graduate education, how long one waited to get a job after graduation, and many others. We also ask them to provide comments to enable us improve the program. Since these alumni are mostly working in the communication field, their feedbacks constitute major input from professionals and they prove to be tremendously valuable in revision of curriculum, among other things.

Communication Advisory Board Our communication advisory board members, who are all communication professionals, meet with us twice a year (every fall and spring semesters) or as needed to discuss and offer input on what we are doing. They bring current ideas to the table during each meeting, and are available to us, for consultation, via telephone and e-mail all year round. Indeed they were very helpful during our last assessment as a number of them participated in assessing projects and papers. Some of them are also our alumni.

3. Describe the collection and reporting of data from both direct and indirect assessment measures and how the unit used its analysis of the data to improve curriculum, instruction, etc.

As explained in detail under Conceptual Framework—Transition from The JSU 4+7 to The JSU 5+7—in Part I, General Information, #6 of this self-study, the narratives that follow here will be based on 11, rather than 12, values and competencies of the ACEJMC because we made a transition from 11 to 12 values and competencies in the fall of 2013.

Collection and reporting of data As indicated earlier, we employ four direct and two indirect methods of assessment. All methods are not necessarily applicable to all 11 objectives; instead, objectives are assessed using those methods that are suitable for them. Three “Outcome by Assessment Method” matrices—corresponding to the three concentrations in the department— are shown on the next two pages.

The department conducts its learning-outcomes assessment at the concentration level. Thus, the development of assessment methods took consideration of each concentration in the department. Below is the description of each of the four direct methods under: (a) construction of measuring instrument, and (b) data collection using constructed instrument.

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DIRECT METHODS

Exit Exam (EE) Construction of Instrument. The exit exam assesses eight of the 11 major learning outcomes/objectives we designate The JSU 4+7, fully described in the Assessment Plan. The eight objectives are research, statistics, critical thinking, history, theory, law, ethics, and diversity; and the exit exam has eight sections corresponding to the above eight outcomes. Each section comprises test questions that assess knowledge of that particular outcome/objective. Each section accounts for 100 points (for easy conversion to percentage), and all faculty members who teach courses dealing with those eight sections contribute to the exam’s contents. They also participate in their grading. Contents of the exit exam are mixed—multiple choice and essay questions— depending on the nature of the outcome being tested. For instance, multiple-choice testing on subjects such as critical thinking and ethics may be less likely to produce authentic results than would essay-type questions, and hence, we assess such skills using essay questions. Most sections of the exit exam are common to all communication disciplines; however, the theory section does distinguish between broadcasting and print journalism concentrations in terms of what constitutes theory. Thus, Part I of Section 4 (the Theory section) of the exam is for print and public relations students only, while Part II is for broadcasting students only.

During the initial construction of our exit exam for our 2007-2008 self-study, our faculty reviewed senior/exit exams from other schools that use them so as to compare what we were doing before finally producing our own exam. Since after then, several revisions have been made to our exit exam based on our 2007-2008 assessment results and any other warranted changes. For example, we made the exit exam to count toward students’ final grades in the capstone course under whose umbrella the exit exam is conducted. We also added, to the exit exam, a test on statistics, bringing the number of outcomes assessed by exit exam to eight. To protect the integrity of the exit exam, we did not include a copy of it in this public document, but will provide it to the team members during their visit, should they want to see it. The next section describes our data collection using exit exam.

Data Collection. As stated earlier, each of our three capstone courses serves as a forum for accomplishing a significant part of the department’s data collection—especially the exit exam, capstone project, and course-embedded assessments. Thus, the exit exam is administered to all students taking the capstone courses—required of all graduating students. Exit exam is conducted during fall, spring, and summer. Preceding the exam is a refresher lecture conducted in all three capstone courses by all instructors who teach courses dealing with any of the eight outcomes measured using the exit exam. The essence of the lecture is to refresh students’ memories of those subjects they had taken a while ago.

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BROADCASTING CONCENTRATION OUTCOME BY ASSESSMENT METHOD

DIRECT ASSESSMENT WRITE EDIT TECH RES STAT C-T HIST THEORY LAW ETHICS D-DIVE G-DIVE METHOD

x x x x x x CAPROJ

x x x x x x x x x EXIT EX

C-EMB x x x x x x x x x x (390) (470) (470) (470) (415) (470) (200) (380) (470)

x x x x x x x x INTERNSHIP

Legend

CAPROJ = Capstone project CT = Critical thinking C-EMB = Course-embedded RES = Research Exit Ex = Exit Exam TECH = Technology WRITE = Writing STAT = Statistics (Numbers) = parenthetical numbers X = Outcomes/objectives assessed by the respective methods refer to communication D-DIVE = Domestic Diversity course numbers where G-DIVE = Global Diversity assessment takes place

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DIGITAL JOURNALISM CONCENTRATION OUTCOME BY ASSESSMENT METHOD

DIRECT ASSESSMENT WRITE EDIT TECH RES STAT C-T HIST THE LAW ETHIC D-DIVE G-DIVE METHOD ORY S

CAPROJ x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x x EXIT EX

x x x x x x x x x x

C-EMB

(420) (420) (420) (420) (415) (200) (380) (390)

x x x x x x x x INTERNSHIP

Legend

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PUBLIC RELATIONS CONCENTRATION OUTCOME BY ASSESSMENT METHOD

DIRECT ASSESSMENT WRITE EDIT TECH RES STAT C-T HIST THEORY LAW ETHICS D-DIVE G-DIVE METHOD

CAPROJ x x x x x x x x

EXIT EX x x x x x x x x x

C-EMB x x x x x x x x x x x

(440) (440) (440) (415 (440) (400) (440) (380) (390) (440)

x x x x x x x x INTERNSHIP

Legend

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Capstone Project (Caproj) Construction of measuring instrument. Capstone projects in the three concentrations assess different outcomes depending on the concentration. For instance, while capstones in broadcasting and print journalism assess the same number (7) and type of outcomes— writing, editing, technology, research, critical thinking, theory, and diversity—the Caproj in public relations assesses eight outcomes (the same seven assessed by broadcast and print, plus ethics). Capstone instructors assign projects to students that involve demonstrating the seven or eight skills stated above. Similar to what is done in the exit exam, each outcome is weighted 100 points. For details, see the three matrices (for the three concentrations), on the previous pages, titled “Outcome by Assessment Method.”

Data Collection. Similar to the exit exam, capstone projects are conducted under the umbrella of a capstone course, taught by an instructor with expertise in the concentration involved. Capstones are conducted only during regular semesters—fall and spring. Evaluation of a capstone project is done by two assessors—the capstone instructor and a professional currently active in the communication industry. This is a requirement for all our capstone projects. The following have served as professional assessors for out 2011- 2013 assessment cycle: Mr. Ben Cunningham, city editor for The Anniston Star, an alumnus and a member of our advisory board; Mr. Lantz Croft, operations manager for WBRC Fox-6 TV, an alumnus and a member of our advisory board; Ms. Jessica Brown, marketing director for United Way of Etowa County, also an alumna and a member of our advisory board; and Mr. Keith Thomas, coordinator of TV production with the JSU Television Services.

We developed a rubric for each capstone project to facilitate the evaluation process for both the course instructors and the professional co-assessors. We also involved the professionals in the designing of both the project and the rubrics.

Course-Embedded Assessment (C-EMB) Construction of measuring instrument. Another major component of a capstone course is course-embedded assessment—a method of assessment which uses regular class-works (tests, assignments, papers, presentations, etc.) to assess students’ learning outcomes without necessarily calling attention to the fact that assessment is taking place. Course- embedded assessment is conducted both in the capstone courses and in other relevant courses.

Every faculty member in the department has a copy of the “Outcome by Assessment Method” matrix (at least for her/his concentration), on which the assessments done in various courses are based. This matrix serves as a roadmap for assessment in the department. Using it, the relevant course instructor knows exactly what learning outcomes are to be assessed using the different methods of assessment, and that instructor, therefore designs each course-embedded assessment in such a manner that all required outcomes are tested in that course. Course-embedded instructors and capstone instructors meet occasionally with the assessment coordinator to discuss issues so that all

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parties involved will be in synch since assessment is a systemic process. Each course- embedded assessment involves at least three separate class works, which could be written papers, class tests, class assignments, presentations or other similar methods of student evaluation. The average of such class works eventually becomes the score assigned to each student. Two instructors who teach or have expertise in a particular area conduct the evaluation of the class works using a rubric developed for that purpose (for rubrics used in our assessment, please see Appendix II.9.3A. “Communication Assessment Rubrics”).

Data Collection. Course-embedded assessment is conducted not only in the three capstone courses, but also in other relevant courses such as COM 415—mass communication research, (where we assess knowledge of statistics and numbers, and research); COM 380—communication law (where we assess knowledge of law—the First Amendment); and COM 390—communication ethics (where we assess knowledge of professional ethical principles), all required courses. For each concentration, six outcomes—writing, editing, technology, critical thinking, theory, and diversity—are assessed under the umbrella of a capstone course, while the remaining five outcomes get assessed under other required courses such as COM 200, intro to mass communication; COM 380, communication law; COM 390, communication ethics; and COM 415, mass communication research. For more details, please see the “Outcome by Assessment Method” matrices above.

While class works are proctored by the instructors of the aforementioned courses, evaluation of those works are done by two assessors with expertise in the subject matter. For example, for the broadcast embedment, Dr. Patrick McGrail (the broadcast capstone course instructor) and Mr. Keith Thomas, coordinator of TV production for JSU Television Services Department, were the two co-assessors; Mr. Mike Stedham (instructor of print capstone course) and Dr. Augustine Ihator, professor of public relations and former newspaper reporter were the co-assessors for the print embedment; and for the public relations embedment, Dr. Ihator and Dr. Jeffrey Hedrick, our alternate PR instructor, serve as co-assessors. For those course embedment done outside the capstone courses, Dr. Jeffery Hedrick (our communication law professor) and Mr. Jerry Chandler (assistant professor of journalism who taught law here for many years) cooperated to assess law in COM 380; Dr. Ihator (professor of communication ethics) and Dr. Kingsley Harbor (professor of communication ethics) assessed communication ethics in COM 390; and research was assessed in COM 415 by Dr. Harbor and Dr. Hedrick, both instructors of mass communication research.

Internship Internship is a cooperative process between instructor and a professional in the field—the employer. Often, that process can become challenging because the intern is out in the field with the employer, and thus, the instructor/coordinator has less control over what goes on there. However, through phone calls and location visits (where feasible), the coordinator can enhance her/his level of control of the process. In addition to phone calls and possible visits, we send our evaluation instrument to both the intern and the employer as part of the employment papers at the early stage of the contract so that all parties will know what we expect our students to learn and to be assessed on in the end.

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Construction of measuring instrument. Several years ago, our faculty reviewed other institutions’ internship evaluation instruments, read the book, Internships in Communications by James P. Alexander (1995), and engaged our own experience dealing with internship over the years, to assist us in developing our internship evaluation form (see Appendix II.9.3B. “Internship Evaluation Form”).

That form consists of 12 objectives—ability to learn, initiative, judgment, attendance/punctuality, quality of work, writing, editing, technology, critical thinking, First Amendment knowledge, media ethics knowledge, and diversity knowledge—the last seven of which are part of our major departmental objectives, The JSU 4+7. These outcomes/objectives are measured on a four-level scale—poor, average, good, and excellent.

Data Collection. At the conclusion of internship, the employer completes the assessment form on the intern and returns it to the internship coordinator. The coordinator, on his part, evaluates the interns based on a combination of four factors: a time sheet showing that a student has completed the requisite 350 hours; a daily journal illustrating specific skills and life lessons learned by the student; an article critique of a published newspaper, on-line, or magazine article pertaining to something the intern has been engaged in during his or her internship. An example would be how to reflect diversity in a story written by an intern for a newscast. Finally, the coordinator looks at the work product a student creates during internship: press releases, news copy, radio commercial copy and the like.

Each intern’s final grade is a composite of the employer’s (50%) and the coordinator’s (50%) evaluations.

ANALYSIS AND RESULTS OF ASSESSMENT—DIRECT METHODS

For all assessment methods where we used multiple reviewers (instructors and practitioners), we employed rubrics in the evaluation of the works in order to objectivize the assessment. Thus, the three concentrations in the department utilized rubrics in assessing the capstone projects, the course-embedded assessments, and the internship. While the latter two used what is called a descriptive rubric, the internship used a simple rubric.

Design and Pilot-test of Rubrics The rubrics used for this assessment were those originally designed for our 2007-2008 learning outcomes assessment with some minor revisions. Each rubric was designed based on the definitions of each of The JSU 4+7 in relation to each concentration we have in the department. Working with faculty in each discipline, the department head, who directed the assessment, went back and forth to faculty members defining and refining the definitions of the 11 objectives as well as the distinction between the five levels of each rubric—unacceptable (1-2); satisfactory (3); above-average (4); and exceptional (5). When we felt adequate with the definitions, the department head put the rubrics together, and they were presented to members of our Communication Advisory Board (CAB) during our spring 2005 meeting. It was discussed at length with the CAB members giving

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us their feedback. With information from both faculty and CAB members, we finally designed the rubrics we began our assessment with.

The 2005-06 assessment activities provided the opportunity for us to pilot test the initial rubrics we developed and to make some revisions for our 2006-07 assessment.

Broadcasting Concentration

Results reported here are shown in the tables that follow each report segment, and the numbers in the table cells are mean scores of the students in the study cohort. These results are presented according to concentration, beginning with broadcasting.

The Capstone Method The broadcasting concentration used capstone project to assess seven outcomes—writing, editing, technology, research, critical thinking, theory, and diversity. The two assessors used a descriptive rubric to grade the students’ projects. The rubric rated student performance on a scale of 1 to 5 (unacceptable = 1-2; satisfactory = 3; above average = 4; and exceptional = 5). Please see, Appendix II.9.3A.—“Communication’s Assessment Rubrics.”

Upon completion of the grading, the means of the raw scores assigned by both graders were found, as were the medians, modes, and ranges. The Table of Means and Grand Means for the broadcast concentration shows this information (see standard 9, #3 for these tables).

The next section describes the results of The JSU 4+7 that were assessed using different direct methods.

Results of Capstone Method—The JSU 4+7 Assessment by capstone shows that this cohort of broadcasting students obtained an above-average mean-score (“B”) in all outcomes assessed, except theory (writing = 86%; editing = 81%; technology =80%; research = 83%; critical thinking=80%; theory =77%; and diversity =83%; n=35). The range of scores varied from 40 percent to 100 percent in all outcomes. Theory, the outcome with the lowest mean-score, has equal median and modal scores of 80 percent, signifying that half of that cohort scored 80 percent or less while the other half scored above 80 percent. Further, the mode—the score obtained by most people—is 80 percent. Thus, their overall performance on “theory” is not bad despite a mean-score of 77 percent.

Results of Course-Embedded Method —The JSU 4+7 The broadcast course instructor and Mr. Keith Thomas of TV Services worked on the broadcast course-embedded assessment above (see Communication Assessment Rubrics in Appendix II.9.3A.). Average scores from the two assessors were used to produce the means shown in the Table of Means and Grand Means for broadcasting. Six outcomes were assessed by course-embedded method (C-emb) used in the broadcast capstone course, and the results were evenly split with three above-average scores and three average scores (writing = 84%; theory =80%; diversity = 82%; editing = 79%; technology =77%; and critical thinking =79%). For the remaining five outcomes assessed

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outside the capstone course, each had an above-average mean: research = 90%; statistics = 81%; history = 81%; law = 81%; and ethics = 84%; (n = 36).

Results of exit exam method—The JSU 4+7 Exit exam assessed eight outcomes with mixed results. These data show that of those eight, broadcast students obtained above-average scores in two—statistics and law; an average score in four—research, critical thinking, ethics, and diversity; and below- average scores in two—history and theory (statistics = 84 %; law = 80%; research = 70%; critical thinking = 70%; ethics = 79%; diversity = 79%; history = 65%; theory = 66%; n =33).

Results of Internship method—The JSU 4+7 Internship assessed seven outcomes from The JSU 4+7, and the results show excellent scores in all but one outcome—editing—which was a percentage-point short of reaching excellence (writing = 90%; editing = 89%; technology = 92%; critical thinking = 91%; law = 92%; ethics = 91%; and diversity = 92%; n = 34). This glowing result is typical of the internship reports we receive from employers. They are almost always complimentary of our students and the students themselves speak of their internship experiences as being a great addition to their career preparation here at JSU.

Results of Multiple Direct Methods—the Grand Outcome Mean Assessment is not an exact science, but an estimate. Yet, if based on a single measure, that estimate would be less than authentic, and hence experts insist, as does ACEJMC, on the use of multiple measures.

When the above four methods of assessment are combined, they paint a more realistic picture of the situation being assessed. The Table of Means and Grand Means for broadcasting shows the grand outcome means of the 11 values and competencies (The JSU 4+7). A grand outcome mean (or grand mean) is obtained by averaging the individual means obtained using each of the four direct methods. The Grand means of the four methods show an above-average performance on all but two outcomes (writing = 86.7%; editing = 83%; technology = 83%; research = 81%; statistics = 82.5%; critical thinking = 80%; history = 73%; theory = 74.3%; law = 85.3%; ethics = 84.7%; and diversity = 84%).

Discussion of Broadcasting Results Assessment provides a way for a program to study and discover its strengths and weaknesses, and thus it leads to program improvement. Data here suggest that this cohort of broadcasting students had its best performance in writing (with a grand mean score of 86.7 percent), followed by law, ethics, diversity, editing, and technology (with the last two tying in the fifth position at a score of 83 percent), statistics, research, critical thinking, theory, and history. Our faculty is pleased that on the average our broadcast students’ performance was above average on most learning outcomes when all the four measures are considered in tandem, and there was no failing score in any of the learning outcomes. The three areas of concern are: (1) our students’ performance in history and theory, (2) our students who, based on these data, seem to be falling through the cracks in a number of skills in the broadcasting concentration, and (3) the weakness shown in our exit exam as a method of assessment.

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Regarding the first concern, history and theory were the two lowest-performing areas with mean scores of 73 and 74.3 percent respectively. As we reviewed the exit exam, it became clear to us that the definition of theory needed more clarity. Some of our faculty members have a different conception of what theory is. Some think of theory in terms of social scientific theory, while others understand it to be anything that is not hands-on oriented. We have agreed that theory indeed encompasses both realms. This redefinition, we believe, may hold the key to a better conceptualization of the learning outcome we designate as theory.

On the second issue—students falling through the cracks—these data suggest that despite the above-average scores obtained in a significant majority of the outcomes (9 out of 11), there are still some broadcasting students who are not doing well. For instance, a look at the range statistics in the Broadcasting Table of Means and Grand Means reveals that within the capstone method, there is at least one student with a score of 40 percent in the seven outcomes measured by the capstone project; within the course-embedded method, there is at least one student with a score of 38 percent in statistics; and within the exit exam method, there is at least one student with a score of 10 percent in history. We recognize that with majority of students doing very well, it is easy to overlook the few that are not, and this is what our faculty wants to avoid. To do so, we will adopt a learning model—the 21st Century learning model— that can facilitate the achievement of this goal. This model is characterized by collaborative learning that is student-centered, flexible and dynamic in structure, while at the same time challenging to students in terms creativity and innovation. There is significant data that suggest its efficacy as a learning model. This is an idea that both our college and the university have willingly embraced. We expect that by the end of the spring semester of 2014, most of our classrooms will have been redesigned with the 21st Century model classroom in mind.

On the third issue—the weakness of the exit exam—a look at the Table of Means and Grand Means shows that, of the two methods—exit exam and course-embedded— employed in assessing history, exit exam by far produced a lower score; and of the three methods—capstone project, course-embedded, and exit exam—employed in assessing theory, again, exit exam by far produced the lowest mean score. Furthermore, of the eight outcomes measured by exit exam, only two had a score higher than average (a low “B”), the rest had an average score. Thus, it seems reasonable to re-examine the contents of our exit exam.

Needed Improvements in the Broadcast Sequence 1. Redefinition of theory to encompass social scientific theory, as well as non-scientific, normative concepts. 2. Review of history and implement the 2007-08 decision to do history papers. 3. Adopt a 21st Century learning model. 4. Review and revise exit exam contents especially those dealing with history and theory. 5. Revise the timeframe for taking the exit exam as suggested by exit interview survey.

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BROADCASTING CONCENTRATION TABLE OF MEANS AND GRAND MEANS--2013

DIRECT

ASSESSMENT METHODS N (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%)

Law Law (%) Row

Ethics Theory Theory Critical Editing Editing History History Writing Writing Statistics Statistics Research Research Averages Diversity Diversity Thinking Thinking Technology

X = 86 X = 81 X = 80 X = 83 X = 80 X = 77 X = 83

Capstone Project Md = 80 Md = 80 Md = 80 Md = 80 -- Md = 80 -- Md = 80 -- -- Md = 80 81.4 35 Mo = 100 Mo = 80 Mo = 80 Mo = 100 Mo = 80 Mo = 80 Mo = 80 R = 40-100 R = 40-100 R = 40-100 R = 40-100 R = 40-100 R = 40-100 R = 40-100

X = 84 X = 79 X = 77 X = 90 X = 81 X = 79 X = 81 X = 80 X = 84 X = 84 X = 82

Course Md = 86 Md = 80 Md = 76 Md = 85 Md = 81 Md = 80 Md = 83 Md = 79 Md = 84 Md = 85 Md = 84 81.9 36 Embedded Mo = 86 Mo = 66 Mo = 66, 74, Mo = 84, 94 Mo=93,100 Mo = 74,86,90 Mo = 85, Mo = 64,90 Mo = 92 Mo = 75, Mo = 74 R = 66-100 R =53-100 90 R = 56-116 R = 38-100 R = 46-100 100 R = 60-100 R = 65-98 85 R = 60-100 R = 40-100 R = 53-95 R = 65-97

X = 70 X = 84 X = 70 X = 65 X = 66 X = 80 X = 79 X = 79

Exit Exam ------Md = 72 Md = 90 Md = 74 Md = 60 Md = 68 Md = 80 Md = 81 Md = 84 74.1 33 Mo = 64 Mo = 90 Mo = 63 Mo = 60 Mo = 55, 62, Mo = 80 Mo = 70 Mo = 60 R = 32-92 R = 40-100 R = 21-94 R = 10-100 66,69 R = 50-100 R = 40-100 R = 30-100 R = 30-93

X = 90 X = 89 X = 92 X = 91 X = 92 X = 91 X = 92 Internship ------Md = 95 Md = 95 Md = 95 Md = 95 Md = 95 Md = 95 Md = 95 91 34 Mo = 95 Mo = 95 Mo = 95 Mo = 95 Mo = 95 Mo = 95 Mo = 95 R = 75-95 R = 65-95 R = 75-95 R = 65-95 R = 75-95 R = 75-95 R = 75-95 GRAND OUTCOME 86.7 83 83 81 82.5 80 73 74.3 85.3 84.7 84 MEAN

CDM 85.8 84.1 85.1 78.9 81.8 82.2 73.8 79.6 84.2 82.8 85.5

Legend X = Mean Md = Median Mo = Mode R = Range (from lowest to highest score) -- = Unassessed Outcome N = Population size Grand Outcome Mean = The mean of each column CDM=Cross-discipline Mean (i.e., average of all three concentrations put together)

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Print Journalism Concentration

The print journalism concentration has been deleted from our program and replaced with digital journalism, which goes into effect in the fall of 2013. Since our self-study was conducted with print journalism still in place, the narratives below will focus on print journalism.

Our department is a small program, but our print journalism sequence is even smaller, and consequently produces the least number of graduates, as can be seen in the accompanying table. The small sample size may be ameliorated by the introduction of a new concentration in digital journalism as many students tend to gravitate toward digital media.

Results of Capstone Project Method For these analyses here, please see the table of means and grand means for print journalism on the next page. Capstone method assessed seven outcomes. Results show that this cohort of print journalism students obtained above-average (“B”) mean scores in two outcomes and average mean scores in the remaining five (writing = 81%; editing = 81%; technology = 76%; research = 77%; critical thinking = 76%; theory = 78%; and diversity = 77%; n = 10). The students’ best performance was in editing. Although editing and writing have the same mean scores, editing exceeds writing with a range of 65-95 percent and a median score of 85 percent, which suggests that half of this cohort obtained a score between 85+ and 95 percent in editing, as opposed to a score between 80+ and 95 percent in writing (see Table of Means and Grand Means for print journalism next two pages). By a similar analysis, their least performance, as measured by the capstone project, was in technology, although it has the same means- score as critical thinking.

Results of Course-Embedded Method Course-embedded method under the capstone course assessed six outcomes, while course-embedded method in other courses assessed five outcomes. Results show that this cohort obtained above-average (“B”) mean-scores in all but one outcome— research—(writing = 84%; editing = 84%; technology = 87%; research = 78%; statistics = 87%; critical thinking = 88%; history = 83%; theory = 86%; law = 87%; ethics = 86%; and diversity = 86%; n = 10). Its highest mean-score was in critical thinking, while its lowest was in research.

Results of Exit Exam Method Exit exam assessed eight outcomes with mixed results. Print journalism students obtained above-average scores in three; average scores in three; and below-average in two (statistics = 81%; theory = 84%; diversity = 83%; research = 73%; critical thinking = 78%; law = 73%; history = 66%; and ethics = 67%; n = 10).

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Results of Internship Method Internship assessed seven outcomes with all showing above-average performance (writing = 87%; editing = 85%; technology = 92%; critical thinking = 88%; law = 88%; ethics = 88%; and diversity = 89%; n = 9).

Results of Multiple Direct Methods—the Grand Outcome Mean When results of the four outcomes are averaged—producing the grand outcome means—they show that print journalism students obtained an above-average score in nine outcomes, and average scores in two (writing = 84%; editing = 83.3%; technology = 85%; statistics = 84%; critical thinking = 82.5%; theory = 82.7%; law = 82.7%; ethics = 80.3%; diversity = 83.8%; research = 76%; and history = 74.5%).

Discussion of Print Journalism Results Barring their small sample size, our print students’ performance is impressive. They obtained above-average, grand-mean scores in nine of the 11 outcomes; high-average (high “C”) scores in research; and mid-average in history. The ultimate aim of assessment, as recognized by the ACEJMC, is to provide evidence that, “students are learning the knowledge, values, and competencies that individual units and ACEJMC in its ‘principles’ define” (A Guide to Assessment of Student Learning in Journalism and Mass Communication, 2001, p. 2). Data here would suggest that these particular print students tested are learning these values and competencies.

Their highest performance here was on technology (85%), while their lowest was on history (74.5%). When we looked at individual contributions of each of the two assessment methods—course-embedded and exit exam—used in measuring history, it became clear that in our calculation of the grand-mean, the low score on the exit exam (66%) pulled down that on course-embedded method (83%). Once again, as in the case of the broadcasting concentration, this seems to point to the weakness in our exit exam as a measuring instrument as well as the need to re-examine how history is measured in that exam.

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PRINT JOURNALISM CONCENTRATION

TABLE OF MEANS & GRAND MEANS--2013 SELF STUDY

DIRECT

ASSESSMENT METHODS N (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%)

Law Law Row

Ethics Theory Theory Critical Editing Editing History History Writing Writing Statistics Statistics Research Research Averages Diversity Diversity Thinking Thinking Technology

X = 81 X = 81 X = 76 X = 77 X = 76 X = 78 X = 77

Capstone Md = 80 Md = 85 Md = 70 Md = 75 -- Md = 75 -- Md = 70 -- -- Md = 73 78 10 Project Mo = 75, 85 Mo = 85 Mo=85,75,65 Mo = 75 Mo = 75, 85 Mo = 85,75, Mo = 85 R = 70-95 R = 65- R = 65-85 R = 65-90 R = 65-85 65 R = 65-85 95 R= 65-95

X = 84 X = 84 X = 87 X = 78 X = 87 X = 88 X = 83 X = 86 X = 87 X = 86 X = 86 10 Course Md = 85 Md = 82 Md = 85 Md = 86 Md = 93 Md = 88 Md = 86 Md = 87 Md = 87 Md = 85 Md = 85 85 Embedded Mo = 88 Mo = 82 Mo = 85 Mo = 91 Mo = 100 Mo = 85,95 Mo = 89 Mo = 85,88 Mo = 94 Mo = 90 Mo = 85 Assessment R = 75-92 R = 75- R = 75-95 R = 47-98 R = 57- R = 75-95 R = 60-91 R = 75-95 R = 72-94 R = 75-92 R = 85-88 92 100

X = 73 X = 81 X = 78 X = 66 X = 84 X = 73 X = 67 X = 83

Exit Exam ------Md = 70 Md = 80 Md = 80 Md = 60 Md = 88 Md = 70 Md = 76 Md = 84 75.6 10 Mo = 64 Mo = 100 Mo = none Mo = 60 Mo = none Mo=100,60, Mo = Mo = R = 48- R = 57- R = 59-92 R = 30- R = 68-99 50 86,50 none 100 100 100 R = 50-100 R = 43-86 R = 71-96

X = 87 X = 85 X = 92 X = 88 X = 88 X = 88 X = 89

Md = 85 Md = 85 Md = 95 -- -- Md = 85 -- -- Md = 85 Md = 85 Md = 85 88.1 9 Internship Mo = 85 Mo = 85 Mo = 95 Mo = 85, 95 Mo = 85 Mo = 85 Mo = 85 R = 75-95 R = 75- R = 85-95 R = 75-95 R = 85-95 R = 85-95 R = 85-95 95

GRAND OUTCOME 84 83.3 85 76 84 82.5 74.5 82.7 82.7 80.3 83.8 MEAN Legend X = Mean Mo = Mode Md = Median -- = Unassessed Outcome R = Range (from lowest to highest scores) N = Population size Grand Outcome Mean = the mean of each column

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Assessment is aimed at improving programs so as to facilitate learning. Consequently, we seek ways of improving our print program, and hence the following proposed changes.

Needed Improvements in the Print Journalism Concentration While the print journalism concentration has been discontinued, the changes suggested by this assessment will benefit the new concentration. Those changes are reported below.

1. Revise the curriculum to address low knowledge of communication history. 2. Review exit exam contents especially with respect to how history is measured in that exam.

Public Relations Concentration

Results of Capstone Project Method Capstone project assessed eight outcomes. Results show that this cohort of public relations students obtained above average mean scores (‘A’s and ‘B’s) in all eight outcomes (writing = 85%; editing = 85%; technology = 87%; research = 84%; critical thinking = 87%; theory = 84%; ethics = 87; and diversity = 90%; n =30). See Table of Means and Grand Means for public relations next two pages.

Results of Course-Embedded Method Eleven outcomes were assessed using course-embedded method. Six of those outcomes were assessed using course-embedded method under the umbrella of a capstone course, while five were assessed in (required) courses outside the capstone course. In 10 of the 11 outcomes, public relations students made above-average scores with an average score on one (writing = 84%; editing 84%; technology = 85%; research = 80%; critical thinking = 84%; history = 80%; theory = 82%; law = 85%; ethics = 82%; diversity = 87%; and statistics = 77%; n = 30).

Results of Exit Exam Method (EE) Exit exam assessed eight outcomes. Results show that of those eight, public relations students performed above average only in two—statistics and diversity. They obtained average scores in five, and below average in one, although there was no failing grade (statistics = 81%; diversity = 88%; research = 75%; critical thinking = 75%; theory = 79%; law = 79%; ethics = 75%; and history = 68%; n = 30).

Results of Internship Method We used internship to assess seven outcomes and all but one—editing—showed excellent performance by our public relations students (writing = 91%; technology = 90%; critical thinking = 90%; law = 90%; ethics = 90%; diversity = 90%; and editing = 89%; n = 24).

Results of Multiple Direct Methods—The Grand Outcome Mean (or Grand mean) When scores from the four direct methods are averaged, it provides evidence of PR students’ performance on each of the 11 outcomes. For these students, the grand means of the four methods show that of the 11 outcomes which constitute The JSU 4+7, public relations students obtained above-average scores in eight and average

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scores in three (writing = 86.7%; editing = 86%; technology = 87. 3%; critical thinking = 84%; theory = 81.7%; law = 84.7%; ethics = 83.5%; diversity = 88.8%; research = 79.7%; statistics = 79%; and history = 74%). Their highest performance was in diversity and their lowest was in history. While there was no excellent (‘A’) score, there also was no failure (see Table of Means and Grand Means below)

Discussion of Public Relations Results Overall, public relations students performed quite well in most of the outcomes. Thus, our faculty focuses its attention here on those outcomes with lower performance, such as history (74%) and, to some extent, statistics (79%), to see how we can improve performance in those areas. Here we came up with the same solutions proposed for the broadcasting concentration:

1. Revise curriculum to address low knowledge of communication history. 2. Review and revise the contents of exit exam especially with respect to the section on history.

Assessment Benchmark A benchmark provides a performer something to gauge her/his performance in order to know if s/he is making progress and how large or small such progress is. Since direct measures provide a more precise indicator of performance than do indirect measures, we decided to base our benchmark on results from the direct measures.

In 2008, our faculty had an extensive discussion about what to use as our assessment benchmark. Some suggested 70 percent since a “C” is the passing grade required for graduation; others suggested an arbitrary figure of 78 percent; yet others suggested copying some other programs. A fourth suggestion was to adopt our initial results as a benchmark for our next assessment. Our faculty eventually bought into this fourth idea, reasoning that instead of adopting arbitrary figures that may have little do with our own realities here, we should base our future performance on what we have done in the past as that will suggest to us whether we are making progress or not. Thus, we decided to accept our previous performance (in 2008) as a benchmark for our subsequent performance (in 2013).

To see how our performance in 2013 compares to that of 2008, we calculated the cross- discipline means (the average of all communication students’ performance on each outcome) obtained during both assessments, and the results are tabulated below.

This information not only allowed us to compare our past and present performances, but it also provides a benchmark for us to gauge our subsequent performance during our 2017 learning outcomes assessment.

Our faculty is pleased with this outcome here—observing that we have made a good progress since 2008. While some pondered that we may be setting ourselves up for a failure in the future, we believe that striving to maintain at least a “B” average should not be too much to ask of any good program. For detailed results that look at individual concentrations, please see the Tables of Mean and Grand Mean (above) for each concentration.

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BENCHMARKS AND CROSS-DISCIPLINE MEANS (CDM)

CROSS-DISCIPLINE MEAN AND BENCHMARK FOR SUBSEQUENT ASSESSMENT

SELF- STUDY (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) Law Law

(%) Ethics Ethics Theory Theory Editing Editing History History Critical

YEAR Writing Statistics Statistics Diversity Diversity Research Research Thinking Thinking

Technology

2008* 80.7 77.3 77 75.9 69.5 75.6 70.5 77.8 80.3 73 79.3

2013** 85.8 84.1 85.1 78.9 81.8 82.2 73.8 79.6 84.2 82.8 85.5

CDM = Cross-Discipline Mean (average score of all communication students across the three concentrations). * 2008 outcome scores became the benchmarks for the 2013 assessment. ** 2013 outcome scores will become the benchmarks for the 2017 assessment.

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PUBLIC RELATIONS CONCENTRATION

TABLE OF MEANS AND GRAND MEANS--2013

DIRECT

ASSESSENT METHODS N (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%)

Law Law Row

Ethics Theory Theory Critical Editing Editing History History Writing Writing Statistics Statistics Research Research Diversity Thinking Thinking Technology Average (%) Average

X = 85 X = 85 X = 87 X = 84 X = 87 X = 84 X = 87 X = 90

Capstone Md = 85 Md = 88 Md = 86 Md = 84 -- Md = 86 -- Md = 84 -- Md = 87 Md = 88 86.1 30 Project Mo = 75 Mo = 90 Mo =94,80,85 Mo = 75 Mo = 85 Mo = 75 Mo=81, 90 Mo = 90 R = 70-98 R = 70-98 R = 80-98 R = 75-100 R = 73-98 R = 71-97 R = 72-99 R = 80-98

X = 84 X = 84 X = 85 X = 80 X = 77 X = 84 X = 80 X = 82 X = 85 X = 82 X = 87 Course Embedded Md = 83 Md = 83 Md = 85 Md = 78 Md = 89 Md = 83 Md = 80 Md = 84 Md = 85 Md = 82 Md = 87 82.7 30 Mo = 81 Mo = 76, Mo = 85 Mo = 76, 78 Mo = 92, 94 Mo = 83, 87 Mo = 74, 80 Mo = 83 Mo = 88 Mo = 77 Mo = 90,82, 87 R = 72-97 88 R = 72-95 R = 33-114 R = 45-100 R = 71-98 R = 58-100 R = 72-97 R = 67-100 R = 69-99 R = 75-97 R = 65-99

X = 75 X = 81 X = 75 X = 68 X = 79 X = 79 X = 75 X = 88

Exit Exam ------Md = 77 Md = 85 Md = 77 Md = 75 Md = 86 Md = 80 Md = 79 Md = 89 77.5 30 Mo = NM Mo = 100 Mo = 75, 80 Mo = 80 Mo = 93 Mo = 70,90 Mo = SM Mo = 84, R = 30-99 R = 47-100 R = 45-98 R = 20-90 R = 45-100 R = 50-100 R = 35-98 100 R = 57-100

Internship X = 91 X = 89 X = 90 X = 90 X = 90 X = 90 X = 90

Md = 95 Md = 85 Md = 90 Md = 95 Md = 95 Md = 95 Md =95 90 24 Mo = 95 Mo = 95 Mo = 95 Mo = 95 Mo = 95 Mo = 95 Mo = 95 R = 75-95 R = 75-95 R = 75-95 R = 75-95 R = 75-95 R = 75-95 R = 75-95

GRAND OUTCOME 86.7 86 87.3 79.7 79 84 74 81.7 84.7 83.5 88.8 MEAN Legend X = Mean Mo = Mode Md = Median -- = Unassessed Outcome R = Range (from lowest to highest scores) N = Population size NM = Nano Modal (nine modes) SM= Sextuple Mode (six modes) Grand Outcome Mean = the mean of each column

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The next section describes the indirect methods of assessment employed in this self-study. While the description is holistic in approach, we will provide separate description of each sequence at any point where that becomes necessary.

RESULTS OF ASSESSMENT—INDIRECT METHODS

Indirect methods of assessment do not provide information regarding the nature and amount of learning that has occurred, but they do indicate, by reflection, that some learning has or has not occurred. Thus, they serve to support or cast a doubt about results obtained by direct methods of assessment. As indicated earlier, the department used two indirect methods of assessment—graduating senior exit survey and alumni survey. These methods are discussed below.

Graduating Senior Exit Survey Results

Data provided by the Jacksonville State University Institutional Research and Assessment, August, 2013

Seventy-seven graduating seniors who majored in Communication completed the Communication Department (COM) senior exit survey (paper version) between fall 2011 and spring 2013 (please see Appendix II.9.3C. “Communication Senior Exit Questionnaire and Comments.”) The completed survey forms were sent to the Office of Planning and Research (OPR) for analysis.

To convert the data into a usable format for analysis, the department secretary entered the data from the paper survey into an Internet version of the survey created by the Office of Planning and Research. Data then were downloaded into Excel and SPSS for analysis. The surveys were grouped into 5 different semesters based on the date provided on the survey when it was completed.

The results are presented below.

Respondents’ Distribution by Concentration and Semester (Exit Survey) Broadcasting Print Journalism Public Relations Total N % N % N % N % Fa ‘11 10 58.82% 0 0.00% 7 41.18% 17 100.00% Sp ’12 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 2 100.00% 2 100.00% Su ‘12 13 52.00% 4 16.00% 8 32.00% 25 100.00% Fa ‘12 3 21.43% 2 14.29% 9 64.29% 14 100.00% Sp ‘13 10 52.63% 4 21.05% 5 26.32% 19 100.00%

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Quality of Department When asked to rate the quality of the department on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being poor and 5 being outstanding, the respondents’ means on the four indicators ranged from 4.0 to 4.65. On overall quality of the program, public relations students rated the department highest (4.48) and print journalism rated it lowest (4.20); on preparing you for your career, public relations rated it highest (4.35) with print journalism rating it lowest (4.0); on enhancing your intellectual growth, public relations rated the department highest (4.65) and print journalism rated it lowest (4.40); and on faculty strength, print journalism rated the department highest (4.40) while public relations students rated it lowest (4.23). For further details of the analysis, including program quality rating based on semester of graduation, please see the tables below.

By Concentration (Exit Survey) Broadcasting Print Journalism Public Relations Total a. Overall quality of Mean 4.31 4.20 4.48 4.37 the program Valid N 35 10 31 76 Std Dev .72 .63 .68 .69 b. Preparing you for Mean 4.19 4.00 4.35 4.23 your career Valid N 36 10 31 77 Std Dev 1.04 .67 .66 .86 c. Enhancing your Mean 4.44 4.40 4.65 4.52 intellectual growth Valid N 36 10 31 77 Std Dev .91 .70 .55 .75 d. Faculty strength Mean 4.36 4.40 4.23 4.31 Valid N 36 10 31 77 Std Dev .72 .97 .76 .77

By Semester fa11 sp12 su12 fa12 sp13 a. Overall quality of the Mean 4.24 4.50 4.50 4.50 4.21 program Valid N 17 2 24 14 19 Std Dev .75 .71 .59 .52 .85 b. Preparing you for your Mean 3.82 5.00 4.48 4.36 4.11 career Valid N 17 2 25 14 19 Std Dev .95 .00 .77 .63 .94 c. Enhancing your Mean 4.29 4.50 4.76 4.64 4.32 intellectual growth Valid N 17 2 25 14 19 Std Dev .85 .71 .52 .50 1.00 d. Faculty strength Mean 4.00 4.50 4.52 4.43 4.21 Valid N 17 2 25 14 19 Std Dev .79 .71 .71 .65 .85

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The JSU 4+7 We sought to obtain our students’ perceptions of the usefulness of the training they obtained in the set of skills we designate The JSU 4+7. Respondents were asked to rate the usefulness of the skills that they gained at JSU on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being least useful and 5 most useful. The results (see table below) of the ratings, tabulated by concentration and graduation year, show that statistics and communication theory were reported as useful with means of 3.13 and 3.44, respectively; communication ethics, critical thinking, diversity, research, media law, editing, media history, and technology were considered as more useful with means ranging from 3.58 to 4.44; and writing was considered most useful with a mean of 4.51.

Perception of the Usefulness of The JSU 4+7 (Exit Survey) Print Public Overall Rank-order of Broadcasting Journalism Relations Mean Overall Means st Mean 4.36 4.60 4.67 4.51 1 1. Writing Valid N 36 10 30 76 Std Dev .87 .70 .71 .79 nd Mean 4.57 4.50 4.27 4.44 2 2. Editing Valid N 35 10 30 75 Std Dev .81 .71 .98 .87 th Mean 3.95 3.13 3.41 3.59 8 3. Technology Valid N 19 8 17 44 Std Dev 1.08 1.13 1.12 1.13 th Mean 3.43 3.40 4.43 3.83 6 4. Research Valid N 35 10 30 75 Std Dev 1.33 .97 .77 1.19 th Mean 2.94 3.00 3.37 3.13 11 5. Statistics Valid N 34 8 30 72 Std Dev 1.37 1.31 1.13 1.27 th Mean 3.83 4.00 3.61 3.76 7 6. Comm Law Valid N 18 6 18 42 Std Dev 1.15 1.26 1.04 1.10 th Mean 3.50 3.63 3.67 3.58 9 7. Media Valid N 34 8 30 72 History Std Dev 1.21 .74 .96 1.06 th Mean 3.33 3.33 3.59 3.44 10 8. Comm Valid N 33 9 29 71 Theory Std Dev 1.19 1.00 .82 1.02 4th Mean 4.03 4.22 4.43 4.22 9. Comm Valid N 34 9 30 73 Ethics Std Dev 1.09 1.09 .68 .95 th Mean 3.86 4.00 4.64 4.19 5 Valid N 35 7 28 70 10. Diversity Std Dev 1.22 .82 .56 1.03 Std Dev 1.25 1.41 1.08 1.16 rd Mean 4.17 4.56 4.43 4.32 3 11. Critical Valid N 35 9 30 74 Thinking Std Dev .95 .73 .77 .86

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Communication Skills Needing Strengthening (Exit Survey) When asked to identify the skills that needed strengthening in the communication program, computer skills (29.87%), public speaking skills (20.78%), and writing skills (19.48%), as shown in the table below, were most often identified as needing strengthening.

Areas Needing Strengthening Needed Skills By Concentrations N % Print Public Skills Broadcasting a. Analytical skills 5 6.49 Journalism Relations N 3 1 1 b. Computer skills 23 29.87 a. Analytical skills c. Writing skills 15 19.48 % 60.00% 20.00% 20.00% N 10 2 11 d. Verbal skills 11 14.29 b. Computer skills e. Liberal arts 1 1.30 % 43.48% 8.70% 47.83% N 8 2 5 f. Internet skills 7 9.09 c. Writing skills g. Math skills 6 7.79 % 53.33% 13.33% 33.33% N 5 0 6 h. Public Speaking skills 16 20.78 d. Verbal skills i. None 8 10.39 % 45.45% 0.00% 54.55% N 1 0 0 j. Other 10 12.99 e. Liberal arts % 100.00% 0.00% 0.00% N 2 3 2 f. Internet skills % 28.57% 42.86% 28.57% N 1 1 4 g. Math skills % 16.67% 16.67% 66.67% h. Public Speaking N 6 2 8 skills % 37.50% 12.50% 50.00% N 6 1 1 i. None % 75.00% 12.50% 12.50% N 5 2 3 j. Other % 50.00% 20.00% 30.00%

Areas in General Education Program Needing Strengthening N % a. More math 7 9.09 b. More English 3 3.90 c. None 20 25.97 d. Other 4 5.19

Plans for graduate studies Of those who had plans for graduate studies, 16.22% or 6 had applied for graduate schools. A majority of the respondents (82.19%) indicated that they would pursue a Master’s Degree in Communication at JSU, if it were offered.

Job Prospects upon Graduation Students’ level of confidence about job-prospects may tell faculty members something about how their students perceive the kind of education they are receiving from a program. Generally, most of our students appear quite confident of securing a job upon graduation.

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When asked if they have had a job offer they are considering or have accepted prior to graduation, nearly one-half (48.68%) of the respondents reported having job offers that they were considering or had accepted. Of those who didn’t have job offers, the mean response of the likelihood of getting one in six months was 3.76, on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being least likely and 5 being most likely.

One-third of the respondents who had no job offer indicated that they would like to be informed about any job announcements that the department may receive.

Comments From Exit Survey

Positives Respondents provided numerous comments—praises, suggestions, as well as criticisms (for the full document, please see Appendix II.9.3C. “Communication Senior Exit Questionnaire and Comments).

Below is a sample of comments that respondents thought may be useful in improving programs in the department or university as a whole.

There were 36 comments, 2.78 percent of them were criticism; 38.9 percent were suggestions; 55.6 percent were praises; and 2.78 percent were mixed.

By far, the most frequently cited strengths by our graduating seniors were our faculty. The survey response was replete with comments such as: “I have enjoyed my time here at JSU. I have learned how to do things that are important to my career, such as ethics, laws, diversity, honest reporting, and how to avoid pit falls in media. I have enjoyed all of my professors because I feel as if I have learned something important from each of them. I feel good about my future and career possibilities. I want to thank JSU and the Communications Dept. for taking the time to work and train me for a career in Communication. Your truly, Bruce Beasley”; “I love the department here because the professors help their students and really care about them. The expertise and love for this field shows through every professor here in the Communications department. I'm very proud to gain a degree from this specific department.”; “I truly enjoyed my experience here. Self Hall has some of the best teachers that care about their students.” ;”I'm glad I chose to study communication at Jacksonville state. Student/teacher ratio was great. I'm glad the department is as helpful as they are.” “JSU COMM dept. are the training wheels for the ride of success.” and many more.

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Suggestions and Criticisms When asked to provide open-ended comments that would assist in improving the department, several comments emerged such as: “1. Need more real life applicable writing and media relations courses. 2. Professors need to offer real working world examples when teaching. Feel like some of my classmates will be incredibly unprepared for the working world. 3. Our department seemed extremely disorganized at times. Especially concerning some advising issues towards graduation and exit exam situation.”; “Clean house and get relevant professors.”; “I believe the Internship class was very beneficial but did not need to require 350 hours. I was not able to keep a job and was hurting financially. I think a good amount of hours would be 150-200 which gives students like myself or other non-traditional students an opportunity to gain internship experience and still be able to maintain financially.”; “I feel more emphasis needs to be put on Broadcast studies and resources as well.”; “Make announcing requirement. Make it towards TV News rather than voice acting. Voice acting is more for radio. Public Speaking training. Using the camera, more time to learn to use it. More details in editing, work more with TV Services.”; and others.

Alumni Survey Results

(Data provided by the Jacksonville State University Institutional Research and Assessment, August, 2013)

In spring 2013, the Department of Communication (COM) at Jacksonville State University administered an online survey to 341 alumni who received BA degrees in Communication in 2003 through 2012 (please see Appendix II.9.3(D). “Communication Alumni Survey Questionnaire” The purpose of the survey was to learn how well the department was preparing students for employment and graduate or professional schools after graduation. The population data consisting of name, email, mailing address, degree, and graduation year were provided by the Office of Alumni Relations. For alumni with email addresses (157 or 46.04%), the initial invitation and 7 subsequent reminders were sent electronically. For alumni without email addresses (184 or 53.96%), the initial invitation was sent via United State Postal Service (USPS), with 3 reminder messages posted on the Communication Face Book page to encourage participation. The survey consisted of 17 questions developed by the department.

The survey was open from February 10 through June 9. Of those invited to participate, 92 responded to the survey, 1 refused to participate, and 14 had invalid email addresses. The response rate was 28.22%.

Of the respondents, 45.24% reported having a concentration in public relations, 32.14% had a concentration in broadcasting (Radio-TV), 15.48% in print journalism, and 7.14% in new media, a concentration discontinued several years ago.

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Quality of the Department When asked to rate the quality of the department on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being poor and 5 being outstanding, the respondent means on the four indicators were between 3.46 and 4.50 out of 5. The overall mean for “Overall quality of the program” was 3.83, “Preparing you for your career” was 3.60, “Enhancing your intellectual growth” was 4.07, and “Faculty strength” was 3.93. The ratings were tabulated by concentration and graduation year with the results shown in in the two tables that follow. Alumni Survey: Quality of Department by Concentration Broadcasting Print New Public Overall* (R-TV) Journalism Media Relations Overall quality of Mean 3.70 3.85 3.83 3.87 3.83 the program Valid N 27 13 6 38 88 Preparing you for Mean 3.46 3.69 3.50 3.68 3.60 your career Valid N 26 13 6 38 86 Enhancing your Mean 3.96 4.15 4.50 4.03 4.07 intellectual growth Valid N 26 13 6 38 87 Mean 3.62 4.00 4.17 3.97 3.93 Faculty strength Valid N 26 13 6 37 86 Missing values excluded; *- all who responded

Alumni Survey: Quality of Department by Graduation Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Overall quality Mean 3.44 3.43 4.10 3.86 4.50 3.44 3.29 4.40 3.88 3.60 4.00 of the program Valid N 9 7 10 7 2 9 7 15 8 5 9 Preparing you Mean 3.11 2.86 3.90 3.71 4.00 3.22 3.50 4.29 3.63 3.20 3.78 for your career Valid N 9 7 10 7 2 9 6 14 8 5 9 Enhancing your Mean 3.67 3.86 4.40 4.29 5.00 3.33 3.83 4.67 4.00 3.60 4.11 intellectual Valid 9 7 10 7 2 9 6 15 8 5 9 growth N Faculty Mean 3.33 3.71 4.30 4.14 4.50 3.50 3.83 4.20 3.88 3.80 4.11 strength Valid N 9 7 10 7 2 8 6 15 8 5 9

The JSU 4+7 As in the preceding sections, respondents were asked to rate, on a scale of 1 (least useful) to 5 (most useful), the usefulness of their JSU training in regard to The JSU 4+7—writing, editing, technology, research, statistics, media history, communication theory, communication ethics, diversity, media law, and critical thinking. Statistics was reported as least useful with a mean of 2.88. The table below shows that communication theory, media history, and diversity were considered as useful with means ranging from 3.25 to 3.38, and research, technology/production, communication ethics, media law, critical thinking, editing, and writing were considered more useful with means ranging from 3.57 to 4.34 (see table below).

Again, similar to previous findings in this study, our alumni ranked their training in writing as the most useful followed by their training in editing. Thus, the learning outcome, writing, is ranked number one among The JSU 4+7 skills.

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The Usefulness of my JSU Training Alumni Survey Mean Valid N Writing 4.34 88 Editing 4.20 85 Technology/Production 3.69 80 Research 3.57 81 Statistics 2.88 77 Media history 3.30 77 COM Theory 3.25 80 COM Ethics 3.76 85 Diversity 3.38 77 Media Law 3.87 84 Critical thinking 3.99 82

Employment Statistics As shown in the table below, most respondents (86.52%) were employed within one year after graduation, and close to one-half (42.70%) were employed prior to or upon graduation. For details of employment periodicity of the respondents, see the table below.

Alumni Survey: Employment of Graduates N % Pre- or upon graduation 38 42.70 1-3 months 16 17.98 3.5-6 months 8 8.99 6.5-12 months 15 16.85 Still unemployed 12 13.48 Total 89 100.00

Eighty-three percent of those who were employed reported holding a position that required a college degree. Over three-quarters of those who were employed provided their job titles as requested. One-third reported holding positions such as anchor, editor, reporter, newspaper writer, specialist, liaison, publicist, manager, or director in the communication fields.

Graduate Education Over two-thirds of those who attended graduate school (70.37%) were pursuing a Master’s degree, 7.41% were working on a Juris Doctorate, and 3.70% on a Doctoral degree. Over one- half (55.56%) indicated that they had received a graduate degree.

When asked if the respondent’s career advancement would benefit from a graduate degree in Communication, almost two-thirds (60.17%), shown in the table below, responded positively. Among the respondents, 35.53% thought their career advancement would benefit reasonably from a graduate degree, while 11.84% thought it was essential, and 13.16% thought a graduate degree would be very essential in their career advancement.

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Usefulness of Graduate Degree to Career Alumni Survey N % None 14 18.42 Slightly 16 21.05 Reasonably 27 35.53 Essential 9 11.84 Very essential 10 13.16 Total 76 100.00

Alumni Comments Respondents provided numerous comments—praises, suggestions, and a few criticisms (for the full document, please see Appendix II.9.3E. “Communication Alumni Survey Comments). Below is a sample of comments that respondents thought may be useful in improving programs in the department or university as a whole. • A master’s program in Communication • Advanced Online Media course or Internet News course focusing on the future of online news • Better- quality practical experiences in school • Decrease the amount of time required for Internship, better internship opportunities, and complete internship by junior year • Add Grant writing and non-profit management workshops to courses • Offer more broadcasting courses taught by a veteran who has been in the field • Offer classes after hours or via distant learning • Add development of Air Shift Skills to Audio Production course • Media Workshops should reserve for those who are in the field • Stress more on multitasking • Curriculum that offers understanding of demands in today’s communication work place • Same core classes requirements for all concentrations • Continuous improvements in teaching methods and clearly stated course objectives would be helpful

Next are the strengths and weaknesses discovered during the study and changes made and/or to be made in an effort to improve our programs and our department.

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PROGRAM STRENGTHS

We reported program strengths here under three categories: 1) learning outcomes (The JSU 4+7), 2) operational outcomes (the non-JSU 4+7), and 3) anecdotal areas of strength—those not based on systematic, self-study data.

The JSU 4+7—The Learning Outcomes

With respect to the eleven values and competencies (The JSU 4+7) that constitute the department’s learning outcomes, results of this self-study suggest eight areas of strength for the Department of Communication. They include, in a descending order: writing, diversity, technology, law, editing, ethics, critical thinking, and statistics, with their cross-discipline means (the average of students in all the three concentrations) ranging from 85.8 percent (for writing) down to 81.8 percent for statistics (for findings reported in this section, please see the three “Tables of Mean and Grand Mean” in Standard 9, #3 of this self-study).

* Others. A similar case can be made for each of the remaining five outcomes—law, editing, ethics, critical thinking, and statistics. Thus, without becoming repetitive by describing each of them separately, it is accurate to report that data from this study suggest that each of these eight outcomes has a strong CDM that is not less than 81.8 percent. This suggests eight areas of strength in terms of The JSU 4+7 (see the CDM row in the Broadcasting Concentration Table of Means and Grand Means--Standard 9, #3).

Non-JSU 4+7–the Operational Outcomes

These areas of strength discovered by our self-study, although not among our learning outcomes, are germane to the accomplishment of those outcomes.

Respondents’ rating of the overall quality of our department (4.37 on a five-point scale) seems to reflect this positive perception of our faculty and staff as does their desire to continue their studies here if we had a graduate program in Communication. An overwhelming percentage of these seniors (82.19%) indicated an interest in attending graduate school here should the department develop a graduate program in Communication, a challenge we have taken seriously.

must work in at least one of the student media for at least two semesters before their internship and three semesters before their graduation. Students put in three to six credit-hour work (three hours required, another three hours optional) at the student media. Many have resorted to obtaining cross-media experience—radio, newspaper, and television—while they are still working on their degrees.

Anecdotal Areas of Strength Some of a program’s strengths may not fall in the category of the strictly defined learning outcomes, yet those strengths are vitally important to the program’s success. For us, our facilities and administrative support are vitally important to our mission, and hence we list them here as part of our strength.

* Facilities. Our facilities are state of the art—computer lab, radio lab, television studios, and edit bays—all with new equipment. We also have multi-media/smart technology equipment in all our classrooms. We have a relatively new communication library for our students’ use in our building (Self Hall), although we are continuing to seek books and other materials to fill the racks in the library. See the table below for the newly purchased equipment items we have for our broadcast program.

Field Equipment Studio Equipment

Number Maker Model Type Number Maker Model Type

6 Sony HXR-NX5U Video camera 3 JVC GY-HM790U Studio camera

6 Varizoom Tripod 3 Prompter Flex D17 Teleprompter VZ-TK75A People

6 Pearstone DVC-777 Digital Video 1 Tricaster 855 (upgradeable Production video Camera Bag to 860) switcher

4 (licenses) Adobe Production Video Editing 1 Blackmagic Hyper Deck Disk recorder Premium CS6 Software

2 Blackmagic (attached to 480 Gb Hard drive Hyperdeck)

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PROGRAM WEAKNESSES

An effective assessment discovers both strengths and weaknesses, and in turn corrects those weaknesses. Our self-study was able to reveal the weaknesses listed below.

The JSU 4+7

For the results and interpretations that follow, please see the Tables of Mean and Grand Mean in for the three concentrations in our program (found in this section of this report).

* Broadcast deficiency in theory—understanding concepts and applying theories. Results from four direct measures showed a low knowledge of theory among broadcasting students (see the grand outcome mean in the table of means). While print journalism and public relations students scored 82.7 percent and 81.7 percent respectively in theory, broadcasting students scored 74.3 percent which is significantly lower than any of the former two. Secondly, a review of our assessment process showed that the definition of theory was ambiguous and needed some clarity, and that the score on knowledge of theory, in the exit exam alone, was quite low within the broadcast sequence (a score of 66%).

* Deficiency in history—demonstrate an understanding of history. Direct measures show that although no concentration obtained a failing or below-average (“F” or “D”) score in communication history, our students showed low-average knowledge of communication history across the three concentrations. History was one of two outcomes, among The JSU 4+7 elements tested, that students obtained a consistently low mean score (below 75%) in all three concentrations (see Tables of Mean and Grand Mean for the three sequences).

students consistently made the lowest score in the exit exam as compared to the other three direct methods, and this is true for all three concentrations in the department (see Tables of Mean and Grand Mean for the three concentrations).

Closing the Loop: Data-driven Departmental Improvements

As stated earlier, our faculty is pleased with the overall results of our self-study but will not be complacent as long as there is still room for improvement.

Seven changes, listed below, were identified in response to seven weaknesses revealed above by our self-study. We have implemented some changes, while others await implementation in 2014- 2015. Because these changes were discussed in detail in Part II: Supplementary Information Section, #6 of this self-study, their narratives here will be abbreviated.

Needed Improvements in the Department

I. Improving students’ knowledge of theory. We redefined theory to encompass social scientific theory, as well as theoretical concepts found in theory classes such as law, ethics, history, introduction to mass communication, and others. The new definition will also be applied to our measuring instruments including the exit exam.

III. Improving students’ knowledge of JMC history. Our faculty has agreed that three history research papers have to be fully implemented henceforth, and that the respective course instructors will take the responsibility to do so. The head of department will monitor the implementation of this. For the courses where history research paper will be required, see the table of “Post-Assessment Emphasis on History” in Part II, Supplementary Information, #6. 182

IV. Improving teaching to reach students of all learning styles. We will adopt a 21st Century learning model so as to be able to reach as many students enrolled in our courses as possible, irrespective of their learning styles. This should improve students’ overall average performance. By the end of the spring semester of 2014, most of our classrooms are expected to be redesigned with the 21st Century model classroom in mind, and we expect that this concept will become operational within the 2014-2015 academic year.

V. Improving teaching by improving our measuring instrument (the exit exam). Based on self-study findings, we will review and revise—in 2014-2015—our exit exam contents, especially those dealing with history, theory, and research. We will also extend the student preparation time for taking the exit exam from one week to three weeks following the refresher lectures. Furthermore, we will administer the exam earlier, rather than later, in the semester.

VI. Improving students’ knowledge of graduation requirements. Our 2013 self-study data suggest that some students are still unaware of the content of the Graduation Requirement form we appended to every syllabus in the department (see a sample of this form in Part II. Supplementary Information, #6). So, we developed and have adopted, with immediate effect, the following measures to improve students’ knowledge of graduation requirements.

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4. If campus media operations are under unit control, discuss awards they have won in local, regional or national competitions in the past six years.

Our student media serve as one of the vehicles for dispensing knowledge to our students. They provide students with hands-on experience that is invaluable as they get ready to go into the workforce. One of the strongest testaments to the strength and usefulness of our student media is the patronage of our student media by the alumni, who attribute their present success to the initial experience they gained through our student media. For instance, their sense of gratitude is exemplified in their establishment of Project 92. This project was organized by our radio station advisory board, recently formed by our alumni themselves and composed of 100 percent radio alumni, for the sole purpose of raising funds for the station. Their ultimate aim is to enhance the station’s capacity to offer professional training to communication students.

Furthermore, the student media also provide useful service to our community at large. For instance, our National Public Radio programming provides useful information to members of our listening area, some of who depend on the station to keep their (clock) time, and others who frequently call in to make requests.

During its annual communication week luncheon, the Department of Communication acknowledges the performance and usefulness of its student media by presenting our outstanding (student) media staff with several awards. In the past six years, for example, several students have received outstanding performance awards given by both the department and student leaders of the two media—The Chanticleer (student newspaper), and WLJS FM- 91.9 (student radio). The department gives out awards to successful media leaders—the chief editor of the newspaper and the program director of the radio station—and those student leaders themselves select their best staff members who also receive awards for their work.

Similarly the student media have won several external awards over the past six years. Details of both internal and external (regional or national) awards received by the student media and their staff are respectively shown in the two tables that follow below.

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Student Media Staff Six-Year Awards—Local Competitions

Year of The Chanticleer WLJS The Mimosa Award (Newspaper) (Radio Station (The yearbook)

2008 Zach Childree Natalie Dempster Jason Wright Julie Skinner John Nickolson Lacee Nisbett Brandon Hollingsworth Matthew Reese Kevin Jeffers Donnie Wells Bethany Harbison Jesse Wiggins Jared Gravette

2009 Julie Skinner Nathan Jones Diandra Baeza Anthony Staubs John Nickolson Josh Bullock Zach Childree Billy Ramsey Jacob Cummings Jared Gravette James Burton Lauren Herring Mariajose Ortiz- Morales Natalie Dempster Jason Wright Matthew Reese

2010 Zach Childree James Burton Michael Brown Haley Gregg Natalie Dempster Alicia Warren Mariajose Ortiz- Morales Nathan Jones John Nickolson Billy Ramsey Matthew Reese

2011 Kevin Brant Thad Burton N/A Mariajose Ortiz-Morales Natalie Dempster

Maurice Winsell Billy Ramsey

Scott Simpson

Billy Ramsey

Mariajose Ortiz- 2012 Morales Thad Burton N/A Maurice Winsell Andrew Holderfield

Kara Coleman Billy Ramsey

Emily Hayes Scott Simpson

Josh Singer

2013 Zach Tyler Carly Stokes N/A Kara Coleman Haleigh Tibbs

Maurice Winsell Curtis Holman

Daniel Porter Billy Dunn Billy Ramsey 185

Student Media Six-Year Awards—Regional or National Competitions

Year of Detail of Award Award

The Chanticleer—our student newspaper—took First Place in Newspaper Design at the Southeast Journalism Conference.

WLJS—our radio station—won First Place in Radio Newscast at the Southeast

2008 Journalism Conference.

Both of these were received in February 2008 at the SEJC Conference at the University of Mississippi

The Chanticleer took Second Place in Newspaper Design at the Southeast Journalism Conference. 2009 This award was given in February 2009 at the SEJC Conference at Belmont University in Nashville.

WLJS was named Most Improved Station by the College Music Journal.

WLJS was named Number One Rock Station in Alabama by plugrooster.com 2011 Both awards were announced on line.

The Chanticleer took Third Place in the Region Three Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper division at the Society of Professional Journalist's Mark of Excellence Award.

2013 The Chanticleer's Features Editor, Zach Tyler, took First Place in the Region Three General Column Writing division at the Society of Professional Journalist's Mark of Excellence Award.

Both of these awards were given at the SPJ Region Three Conference in Atlanta in March 2013.

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5. Discuss awards won by the unit’s students in local, regional or national competitions in the past six years. If campus media operations are not under unit control, please list only awards won by the unit’s majors.

Communication students—graduates and current students—have won numerous awards over the years, although many of them went unnoticed because some students do not notify the department. Below is a list of awards, over a six-year period, that the department is aware of.

Departmental & External Awards to COM Students in Six Years

Departmental Student Awards

STUDENT AREA AWARD YEAR Rebekah Holley BRO Broadcasting Student of the Year - Academic 2008 Jared Gravette PJ Print Journalism Student of the Year - Academic 2008 Christina Cheatwood PR Public Relations Student of the Year - Academic 2008 Leslie Gober PR Character Award 2008 Leslie Gober PR Leadership Award 2008 Chris Pittman PJ Character Award 2008 Chris Pittman PJ Professional Skills Award - PJ 2008 David Jennings BRO Character Award 2008 Whitney Kilpatrick Character Award 2008 Brandon Hollingsworth BRO Professional Skills Award - TV Production 2008 Martha Wako BRO Professional Skills Award - Radio Production 2008 Jessica Driggers PR Professional Skills Award - PR Capstone 2008 Cristina Cheatwood Professional Skills Award - Internet/Web Production 2008 Cristina Cheatwood John C. Turner Student of the Year 2008 David Jennings BRO Broadcasting Student of the Year - Academic 2009 Character 2009 Jared Gravette PJ Print Journalism Student of the Year - Academic 2009 Ashley Gaither PR Public Relations Student of the Year - Academic 2009 Whitney Jackson Character 2009 Julie Skinner PJ Character 2009 Martha Wako BRO Character 2009 James Whit McGhee BRO Professional Skills Award - Print Journalism 2009 Adam Roebuck BRO Professional Skills Award - Television Production 2009 Derek Smith BRO Professional Skills Award - Radio Production 2009 Lindsey Mathis PR Professional Skills Award - Public Relations Capstone 2009 William Boykins Professional Skills Award - Internet/Web Production 2009 Bethany Harbison John C. Turner Student of the Year 2009 Martha Wako BRO Broadcasting Student of the Year - Academic 2010 Character 2010 John C. Turner 2010

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STUDENT AREA AWARD YEAR Julie Skinner PJ Print Journalism Student of the Year - Academic 2010 Character 2010 John C. Turner 2010 Ashley Gaither PR Public Relations Student of the Year - Academic 2010 Kira Reeves Character 2010 William Boykins Character 2010 Logan Huggins BRO Professional Skills Award - Radio Production 2010 Stephanie Howell BRO Professional Skills Award - Radio Production 2010 Amber Cannon PR Professional Skills Award - Public Relations Capstone 2010 Audra Magaw PR Professional Skills Award - Internet/Web Production 2010 Steven Daniel Beck BRO Broadcasting Student of the Year - Academic 2011 Price - Montgomery Scholarship Stephanie Lama PJ Print Journalism Student of the Year - Academic 2011 Chelsea Pelletier PR Public Relations Student of the Year - Academic 2011 Professional Skills Award - Public Relations Capstone 2011 Alexis Tyson BRO Character Award 2011 James Isaac Godwin PJ Character Award 2011 Joshua Singer BRO Character Award 2011 Professional Skills Award - Internet/Web Production 2011 Logan Huggins BRO Character Award 2011 Professional Skills Award - Television Production 2011 Kelsey Butler BRO Professional Skills Award - Television Production 2011 Hilary Crist BRO Professional Skills Award - Television Production 2011 Gordon Hengeveld BRO Professional Skills Award - Radio Production 2011 Karie Gottwald PR Professional Skills Award - Public Relations Capstone 2011 John C. Turner 2011 Emily Glaser Price - Montgomery Scholarship 2011 Victoria Reaves BRO Broadcasting Student of the Year - Academic 2012 Character Award 2012 Professional Skills Award - Television Production 2012 Emily Glaser PJ Print Journalism Student of the Year - Academic 2012 Noelle Millirons PR Public Relations Student of the Year - Academic 2012 Professional Skills Award - Print Journalism 2012 Logan Huggins BRO John C. Turner 2012 Leadership Award 2012 Audra Magaw PR Character Award 2012 Leadership Award 2012 Emil Loeken PR Character Award 2012 James Esco Character Award 2012 Taylor Nicolle BRO Professional Skills Award - Television Production 2012

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STUDENT AREA AWARD YEAR Curtis Holman BRO Professional Skills Award - Television Production 2012 Araceli Macias BRO Professioanl Skills Award - Radio Production 2012 Eva Leigha Riveria PR Professional Skills Award - Public Relations Capstone 2012 LaCretia Willis PR Professional Skills Award - Public Relations Capstone 2012 Professional Skills Award - Internet / Web Ben Borrello PJ Production 2012 Victoria Reaves BRO Broadcasting Student of the Year - Academic 2013 Benjamin Nunnally PJ Print Journalism Student of the Year - Academic 2013 Kaitlin Manns PR Public Relations Student of the Year - Academic 2013 Austin Faulkner John C. Turner 2013 Character Award 2013 Patrick Paul BRO Professional Skills Award - Radio Production 2013 Mara Mattison PR Professional Skills Award - Public Relations 2013 Curtis Holman BRO Character Award 2013 WLJS Leadership Award 2013 Antuan Brown Character Award 2013 Kara Coleman Character Award 2013 Chanticleer Leadership Award 2013 John Morton BRO Leadership Award 2013

EXTERNAL AWARDS

Cory Yilmaz PR The Excelsiors Cup / Carlson Leadership Academy 2012 Vice President / Sigma Phi Epsilon 2012 Communications Chair / Sigma Phi Epsilon 2011 Chapter Home of the Year / Carlson Leadership Academy 2013 Laura Babb PR Resident Assistant of the Month / Housing 2012 Meghan King PR President's List 2012 Ferras Rimpsey BRO WLJS 91.9 2011-13 Hillarie Poole PR Dean's List Delta Zeta / Social Chair 2013 Delta Zeta / New Member VP 2012 Circle C International / Secretary 2011-13 Delta Zeta / Scholarship 2013 Circle K International Running for President 2013 Antuan Brown BRO Dean's List 2010-11 President's List 2012 Resident Assistant of the Year / Housing 2011-12 Resident Assistant of the Month / Housing 2012 Best GPA of Fraternities / JSU 2012 Treasurer of Phi Beta Sigma / Pi Kappa Chapter 2012 189

STUDENT AREA AWARD YEAR Antuan Brown BRO Fraternity Inc. / Pi Kappa Chapter 2012-13 Best Audio in COM 302 Pending Audio Production Pending Addison Eskins PR Ballerenna Member / JSU Ken Bodiford 2012 Pledge Member Alpha Xi Delta / Kaci Ogle 2012-13 Dean's List 2012 Kaitlyn Short PR Dean's List 2012 Faculty Scholarship 2011 Member of Alpha Xi Delta 2013 Alex Smith BRO President's List 2012-13 Freshman Forum Treasurer 2012-13 Leadership Scholarship 2012-13 Alumni Scholarship 2012-13 Choral Scholarship 2012-13 Ashley Edmondson DJ Delta Zeta SPJ Mary Fowler DJ Dean's List Gabrielle Ferrell BRO Delta Zeta Publicity Road 2 Riches Radio Brandon Windham BRO Dean's List 2012 Casey Crush PR Faculty Scholarship Steve Dorsey BRO Dean's List 2011 -12 Natalie Brown BRO Member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. 2010 Christopher Smith BRO Award of Excellence / US Army 2011 Morgan Ingram PR Leadership Scholarship / JSU Cheerleader 2011-13 JSU Cheerleader Alpha Omicron Miss Jax State Candidate Jesse Wheeles BRO Dean's List 2012 Gem of Hills Scholarship / JSU John Aldridge PR Dean's List 2012 Faculty Scholarship 2012-13 Alexandra Black PR Dean's List 2012 Marie McBurnett PJ Gamecock Scholarship 2012 Dean's List 2012 Kayla Burns Minor GPA Based Scholarship / JSU 2006-07 GPA Based Scholarship / Kiwanis Club 2006-07 Andrew Long BRO Eagle Scout Rank / Boy Scouts of America 2012 Faculty Scholarship 2012 Alex Teeter BRO Minton Amerson Scholarship / JSU 2012-13 Dean's List 2012-13 Faculty Scholarship 2012-13

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STUDENT AREA AWARD YEAR Aaron Perkins BRO JSU Ambassador / President Meehan 2012 Resident Assistant of the Month / Housing 2012 Emily Bell PR Dean's List 2011 Carly McKnight PR Scholarship / BB& T Bank 2011 Susan G. Catrett BRO Alabama Junior Miss Scholarship / AL Jr. Miss 2010 Group Leader Scholarship / Marching Southerner 2012 Head Ballerina Scholarship / Marching Southerner 2013 Sarah Blair PR Gem of Hills Scholarship / JSU 2010 Karli Estock PR Gem of Hills Scholarship / JSU 2011 Kenneth Smith PR President's List 2012 Senator of the Month / SGA 2012 SGA Scholarship / SGA 2013 Brett Johnson PR Dean's List 2012 Leadership Scholarship 2011-13 New Senator of the Year / SGA 2011-12 SGA Scholarship / SGA 2013 Jesse Hall BRO Show of the Year / Mike Stedham 2009 Show of the Year / Mike Stedham 2010 Chelsea Slaughter PR ODK National Honors Leadership Society / ODK 2012 Kelly Cole PR Commissioners Honor Roll / Athletic Dept. 2010-13 President's List 2010-13 Dean's List 2010-11 Academic Medal of Honor 2010 Scholarship / Athletic Dept. 2010-14 Alex Rainwater PR ZTA Scholarship / ZTA 2012 Foxy Freshman / ZTA 2011 Jazzy Junior / ZTA 2013 Senator of the Month / SGA 2011 Faculty Scholarship 2010-14 Best Family GPA / ZTA 2013 Laura Nash PR Mimosa Scholarship / JSU 2009 Greek Scholarship / AOTT 2011 Rose Award / AOTT 2013 Casey Baird PR Highest New Member GPA / Alpha Omicron Pi 2012 Transfer Scholarship / JSU 2011 Agnes Maine Scholarship / Agnes Maine Foundation 2012 Brooke McCurdy PR Leadership Scholarship / JSU 2010 Shelby Truitt PR Faculty Scholarship 2009 Dean's List 2009-10 Dan Plotnick PR Dean's List 2012 Adam Buchanan BRO Best Commercial for COM 302 Pending

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STUDENT AREA AWARD YEAR Courtney Ray BRO Best Commercial for COM 302 Pending Samuel Ogden BRO Video Coordinator of Year / CSVA Pending Robert Pearson, Jr. BRO Joseph Elliot Walker Memorial Scholarship 2012-13 Angela Malino PR President's List Dean's List Gamecock Orientation Leader 2012 -13 JSU Ambassador / President Meehan 2012 Dalana Parker BRO 3rd Place R.U.M. Short fiction / JSU Writing Club 2012 Beth Milam PR Dean's List 2011 Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Medal / D.O.E. 2012 Miss Congeniality of Miss AL / Miss AL 2012 IMPACT award / Miss AL 2012 Miss JSU / JSU 2012 Miss Congeniality 2012 Miss Congeniality 2012 ZTA Scholarship / ZTA 2013 Erik Green BRO Academic Achievement / JSU 2012 Justin Crawford BRO President's List 2012 Dean's List 2012 Ferras Rimpsey BRO WLJS Disc Jockey 2011-13 Kalina Durr PR Supplemental Educational Grant 2010-11 AL State Grant 2010-11 Tori Wheeles PJ Dean's List 2012 Meredith Speciale PR Dean's List 2011 Dean's List 2012 Stephanie Simpson BRO Leadership Scholarship / JSU 2010-11 Award 2011-12 Most Improvement Academic / ZTA 2013 Steffany Means BRO Leadership Scholarship 2010 Finalist in Amateur Poetry / Eper & Wein Publisher 2013

6. List by specialty each member of the graduating class of three years ago and those graduates’ current jobs. If practical, please give a total number of “unknowns” rather than including them in the list.

The University’s Alumni Office conducts a survey of graduates within five years after their graduation. Within this period, graduates would have acquired relevant experiences on their jobs that would enable them to reflect and report accurately on the usefulness of their college education and its relationship to their performance/progress on their jobs. As a consequence, the Alumni Office does not have much employment information listed for the class of three years ago (2010-2011) this early after their graduation. Despite this, however, the department, through a combination of methods—exit interviews, e-mail communication, faculty members, and 192

others—does gather some (limited) information about our alumni. The Table below, compiled through such methods, displays our 2010-2011 graduates’ current jobs. The unknowns are also indicated. We had 33 graduates in 2010-2011. Twenty-five had known jobs, and there were eight that we have not heard from. Those eight are listed below as unknowns. The table below reports the jobs of those that the department is aware of.

Job Placement of Communication Graduates of 2010-2011

Sequence Grad. Employer Job Title / Position Name Year PR Yuto Asai 2010 TANDANO Co. PR Division PR James Birdsong 2010 Southern Bracing Systems BRO William Boykins 2010 AT & T Technician BRO Rachel Bruer 2010 Electrical Company Marketing BRO James C. Burton 2010 Thunder 92.7 On-air talent PR Miranda Garner 2010 Anniston Army Depot Public Affairs PR Andraya Harris 2010 Unemployed 2010 Pricing & Events PR Tomasa Hughes Star Super Market Coordinator PR Shayna Mackey 2010 Quality of Life Healthcare healthcare PR Robert Shell 2010 Arthrex Orthopedic Sales Rep. 2010 Production / BRO Brian Stephenson Rome Radio Partners LLC Continuity director BRO Stephen Whitecloud 2010 TV 24 Camera Operator BRO Jazmine Blacmon 2011 CBS Radio of Atlanta On-air talent BRO Kelsey Butler 2011 WAFF – 48 News Producer PR Amber Cannon 2011 Oil & Gas Company PR Cherelle Colvin 2011 Strayer University 2011 Broadcasting PR Chelsea Denson Ola High School, Georgia teacher 2011 Production BRO Keri Geier Force Marketing Coordinator PR Jasmine George 2011 Atlanta Braves Baseball Promotions PR Carin Whitney 2011 Comfort Suites of Gadsden Director PR Amber Derricho 2011 Graduate School Graduate student BRO John Nickolson 2011 Wal-Mart Meat Dept. 2011 Lake Guntersville Real PR Andrew Pankey Real Estate Estate PR Fran Popovic 2011 Istratimit d.o.o. / Croutia PR PR Courtney Rogers 2011 Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

There are 8 whose employments are unknown at this time

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7. List graduates who have established distinguished careers in journalism and mass communications.

Our graduates work in different jobs—public and private enterprises—both as paid personnel and as business owners. Many have also excelled in their professions. Below is a list of our known graduates who have established outstanding records.

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Name Grad Year Employer Title/Position Mr. James Raymond Hudson, Jr. 1985 Gulf Power Co. Energy Consultant

Ms. Robin Boneeta Buchanan 1985 Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield Manager

Ms. Renee Lupa Lanham 1985 MCI Telecommunications Manager

Lisa Carol Thompson Roussel 1986 Tracer Protection Services, Inc. Accounting Mgr.

Deanna Bailey Foldenauer 1986 Atlanta Auto Auction Marketing Manager

Ms. Penny Renee Williams 1986 WGST/WPCH Continuity Director

Ms. Mary Elizabeth Burch 1986 WBRC TV Channel 6 Production Asst.

Mr. Willie Gene Bauman, Jr. 1987 US Army Safety Center Chief/Video Svs

Phillip Harlin South 1987 CNN Technical Director

Lauri Burns Donahoo 1987 Florascope Communications Sales

Kimberly Garris Legore 1987 WHTM-TV Anchor/Reporter

Donna Laurent Gregg 1987 Ritz Carlton Hotel Co. Pr Director

Laura Jean Creque 1987 Attitude Advertising Specialties Owner

Ms. Anna Clayton Patterson 1987 WAAY TV News Anchor/Reporter

Ms. Kathy Sowell Klump 1987 The Clayton Record Advertising Manager

Dianna Blount Michaels 1987 Cottaquilla Council of Girl Scouts Mkt./PR Director

Dennis Edward Dempsey 1987 Ewtn Chief Engineer

Mickey Ray Shadrix 1987 Heritage Communications WJXS TV-24 CEO/Partner owner

Kathryn McLeod Barber 1987 WTTO-TV Operational Director

Mark A. Hopper 1987 WHNT-TV Huntsville Account Executive

Ms. Vonda Barbour White 1988 Collegiate Risk Management Inc. President

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Name Grad Year Employer Title/Position Karen Cole Swann 1988 WABM TV 68 WTTO TV 21 Marketing Dir.

Ladonna Blevins Morrow 1988 Reynolds & Reynolds Sr Software Spec

Tommy Brian Houston 1988 WBRC-tV Prod Addist/Dir

Jeffery W. Brickhouse 1988 Integrity Inc. Events Coordinator

Mr. Alan Renfroe 1988 JSU Asst. Alumni Dir.

Caroline S. Armstrong 1988 Business First Sales

Carla B. Patterson 1989 Floyd College English Instructor

David Patrick Farmer 1989 WBRC TV Prod Assoc.

Julie Elizabeth Durbin 1989 Disney World/dreamland Prod Hostess/Singer

Tommy Wayne Wood 1989 Wellborn Cabinet Inc. Producer

Kimberly Williams Gibson 1989 Calhoun Co. Chamberof Commerce Pr/Commun Mgr.

Lisa Evans Harris 1989 Cableone Advertising Sales

Jeff Webb 1990 Jeffersons Restaurant Owner

Ward Bradford Welch 1990 Calhoun County Appraisal Department Appraiser

Joryi Richard Ivanoff 1990 Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor

Ms. Gina Darlene Womack 1990 WBMA/WJSU/WCFT TV (ABC 33/40) Sr Promo Producer

Mr. James Alan Whitley 1990 J Walter Thompson Creative Director

Ms. Dawna Black Daniel 1990 CNN Headline News Technical Director

Kelley Helton Ozley 1990 Calhoun Co. Chamber of Commerce Asst. Comm Mgr.

Bruce Glen Parris, Jr. 1990 Perkins Technical Services, Inc. Program Analyst

Philycia F. Foster 1990 YWCA Accountant

Roban Smith Johnson 1990 Executive Director of Communication

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Name Grad Year Employer Title/Position Richard Alton Daniel 1990 CNN (cable News Network) Tech Director

David Edric Crenshaw 1991 Selt Test Software Inc. Software Developer

Steven Anthony Gordon 1991 JVC Disc America Co. Sr Quality Inspector

Ms. Laura Weber Steele 1991 Robert Orr Sysco Marketing Associate

Tracey Paul Tucker 1991 Heavy Joe Media owner/self employed

Jon Mark Holder 1991 WGRW Radio General Mngr

Craig Ward Hess 1991 Blue Cross Blue Shield of AL Mgr.

Mr. Larry Shane McGriff 1991 Gazelle Consulting, Inc. Consultant

Patrick Doug Hulett 1991 Alabama's ABC 33/40 Editor / Photographer

Mr. Theodore Enoch Bridges 1991 Vercor Dir., Client Development

Gregory Neal Glenn 1991 Gadsden/Etowah Emergency Mgt Agency Deputy Planning Dir.

John Stephan Spillman 1992 Computer Support Systems Job Supervisor

Sherry Greenwood Ford 1992 University of Montevallo Asst. Prof.

Sherri Bodine Burgess 1992 Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce Public Relations

Terina Allen Stewart 1992 Kelly Temporary Services Supervisor Human Res

Stephen Dale Hubbard 1993 CBN Senior Producer, 700 Club

Jason Craig Thompson 1993 Homecom Communications Editor

Laura Griffith Dotson 1993 Max Communications Inc. Owner

Steven Philander Thomas 1993 Lockheed Martin Org Dev Consultant

William J. Dobilas 1993 Fox 61 Asst. News Dir.

James Ellis Graydon 1993 CNN Producer

David Bradley Hood 1994 WJSU TV Chief Photographer

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Name Grad Year Employer Title/Position Ms. Melanie Lynn Jones 1994 The Mountain Press News Editor

Tracy Morris 1994 Colonial Mall Marketing Dir. The Child Development Center of Polk Ms. Christina Dobbs Lee 1994 County Development Director

Amy Ledford Morgan 1994 Internet Security Systems Inc. Mktg Comm Mgr.

Jennifer Gaydon Davis 1994 Scharbo & Company Media Supervisor

Mr. Keith Ryan Jones 1994 Superior Bank Electronic Banking Coordinator

Shala Anne Spruell 1995 Greater Atlanta Home Builders Assoc. Marketing / Communication

Ms. Kari Smith Parker 1995 Tapscan Inc. Adv Tv Consultant

Jennifer Leigh Borek 1995 CNN Floor Director

Kristy Ann Oliver 1995 Hiredynamics Sr. Account Manager

Ms. Jennifer Lynn Matthews 1995 Builders Assn. of Georgia Field Service Rep.

Danny Jim Hattaway, Jr. 1995 Exotic Aquatics Owner

Mr. Jeffrey Thomas Randolph 1995 Turner Sports Associate Dir.

Mr. Jermelle L. Pruitt 1995 WBRC Fox 6 News Sports Reporter

James Thomas Cole, II 1995 Southern Progress Corp. Creative Editor

Mrs. Kaci Smith Ogle 1995 JSU Alumni Director

Mr. James Paul Matthews 1995 Sparta, Inc. Computer Programer

Ms. Michelle Dunn Williams 1996 Personnel Staffing Acct. Executive

Mr. Roger Alan Johnson 1996 CBS TV Production Coord.

Patrick Wade Thornton 1996 The Coca Cola Co. National Account Manager

Cari Powers Crosby 1996 Self employed Sales Rep.

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Name Grad Year Employer Title/Position Mr. Mark Joseph Poillucci 1996 GE Capital Sales Rep.

Dana Rebecca Williams 1996 WAAY TV News Producer

Michael Todd Mote 1996 WHMA AM Radio Program Director

Mai Phuong Martinez 1997 WBRC Fox 6 News Video Editor

Stephen Leon Claborn 1997 Cornerstone Detention Products Sales Manager

Mr. Clavius Kebir Gresham 1998 Icerims.com owner/designer

Marjorie A. Boshell 1998 JM Family/DFS Operations Supervisor

Ms. Jeana Kay Miller 1998 Maples Industries, Inc. Optical Systems Coordinator

Richard Lantz Croft 1998 WBRC Fox 6 Nightside Editor

Timothy Joel Hanby 1998 Teledyne Brown Engineering Photo/Tv Oper Mgr.

Kristie Lynn Bush 1998 Ivan Allen Account Executive

Caryn Paula Pearson 1999 Gibbs & Soell Inc. Account Executive

Philip F. Attinger 1999 American Red Cross Polk Co. Ch Public Relations Director

Elizabeth W. Stewart 1999 Boaz Printing Sales Rep.

Elizabeth Taylor Loehr 1999 Cobb Chamber of Commerce Area Council Mgr.

Richard David Sharp 2000 Birmingham Post-Herald Copy Editor/Designer

Chad Wesley Cofield 2000 Alabama Poultry & Edd Association Membership Director

Amber Moody Stuart 2000 WHNT News Channel 19 anchor/reporter

Elizabeth Paige Faulkner 2000 The Donoho School Director

Elizabeth G. Chandler-Hood 2000 Fox 5 News Producer

Stephen Vincent Sims 2000 US Investigation Services

Amy McElroy Cole 2000 Haverty's Furniture Companies, Inc. Copy Director / Advertising

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Name Grad Year Employer Title/Position Grace Rebecca Murphy 2001 High Museum of Art Pr Coordinator

Joel Steven Lamp 2001 LPGA Media Relations Coor.

Amy Broadway Dore 2001 Executive Learning, Inc. Development Coordinator

Malcolm Darrell Abernathy 2001 Jacksonville City Bd. of Ed. Teacher

Nancy Jeanette Sharp 2002 Girl Scouts of Middle Georgia Field Executive

Jocelyn E. Connell 2002 Fox47 weekend anchor/reporter

Erin Jackson Pirkle 2002 Anniston Army Depot Public Affairs Specialist

Lindsey Passler Dossey 2002 Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce Dir/Bus Dev

Pamela Pierce Hill 2002 Gadsden Business College Instructor

Jillian C. Dick 2003 Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Public Relations Rep

Jamie Eubanks Watts 2003 The Anniston Star Editor / Page Designer

Benjamin B. Cunningham, Jr. 2003 The Anniston Star Business Editor

Kimberley T. Barden 2003 Oakstone Publishing Supervisor of Client Services & Sales

Mr. Andrew Bradley Symonds 2003 Middle Tenn State Univ Asst Admissions Director

Stephen Ray Benefield 2004 Charter Media Client Svs. Coordinator II

Ashley Leanne Wheeler 2004 Golf Media, Inc. / Fore Georgia Director of Sales & Promotion

Natalie Geer Barton 2004 WJXS TV24 news director and evening anchor

David Chong Farmer 2004 NBC 13 production assistant

Jennifer Rhea Curren 2005 The Anniston Star Sales Executive

Suzanna Bennett Morton 2005 US Space & Rocket Center

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8. Describe the program used to track graduates to assess their experience in the professions and to improve curriculum and instruction. Discuss measures used to determine graduates’ satisfaction with the educational experiences provided by the unit. Describe maintenance of records of alumni employment histories and other alumni records.

Tracking alumni and maintenance of their records of employment While the department frequently maintains its own record on its alumni, it does rely on the JSU Alumni Office for more up-to-date and comprehensive information on communication alumni. That office has a more sophisticated system for tracking and maintaining alumni records than any one else on campus.

The Alumni Office (AO) sends all its mails with “address service requested” so that the postal service returns undeliverable mails and provides it with current addresses where possible. At the alumni website, there is a “get-involved” area that allows alumni to update their personal and family information (weddings, births, deaths, employment), and send it to the AO electronically. The AO continually publishes its website connection in its magazines, thank-you notes, information packets to graduating seniors, and at alumni events—encouraging alum to use the alumni website for updates.

That office also surveys JSU’s alumni periodically to obtain employment as well as other relevant alumni information. Currently, it does not have a set, standard tracking system in place. It gathers alumni information through alumni contact, media releases, social media, and other employment information avenues. Upon receipt of such information, the Alumni Office then updates its alumni database system. To enhance its capacity to obtain more alumni employment information, the AO is currently planning to use an outside vendor to do an employee append. The append would involve searching for employment information on those alumni on file who do not have any information available. This system is expected to be in place by Dec. 2014.

Measures of Graduates’ Satisfaction The department utilizes several avenues—targeted and non-targeted—to determine graduates’ satisfaction with their educational experience. Chief among the targeted approaches are alumni reunion and alumni survey, which specifically ask alumni to provide information on their educational experience. Other methods—advisory board membership, serving as guest speaker and/or lecturer, serving on our learning outcomes assessment team, and when possible, joining our faculty on full or part-time basis—are non-targeted. While we may glean from them ideas about alumni educational experience, they do not directly ask them to provide such information.

As indicated earlier, our alumni reunion is an annual activity held during the university’s Homecoming. Each year, our alumni reunion is well attended by our alumni, our current students, and faculty. It provides an opportunity for the department to acquaint its alumni with the progress the department has made since they left school, the future plans of the department,

as well as any challenges that the department may be facing. It allows our current students the chance to meet our alumni and to establish networking between them and the alums. The alumni themselves get an opportunity to fill us in on their own experiences since they left school and 201

how effective or less effective the education they obtained here has been toward their career advancement. It is always a rewarding experience because we come away from that meeting having a sense of what works and what does not.

Another major source of feedback from alumni is the alumni survey, which provides us with the most detailed information about our alumni. The Department of Communication, in collaboration with JSU’s Office of Planning and Research, conducts a survey of communication alumni at four to five-year intervals or as needed. The survey is detailed, asking questions on current positions held by an alum, perception of the quality of the Department of Communication, usefulness of courses, salary, and recommendation for improvement, among others.

Such a survey was last conducted in spring of 2013. Its results were reported in great detail under Indirect Methods, in question #3 above. If interested in further details, please refer to that section.

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