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Name of Unit:
School of Mass Communications |
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Date:
August 18, 2004 |
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Section 3: COMPREHENSIVE STANDARDS |
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3.3 Institutional
Effectiveness |
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3.3.1 |
The institution
identifies expected outcomes for its educational programs and
its
administrative and educational support services; assesses
whether it achieves these
outcomes; and provides evidence of improvement based on analysis
of those results.
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The School of Mass Communications is in compliance
with this standard.
The School of Mass
Communications has developed and implemented an assessment plan for its
graduate and undergraduate programs in each of its major disciplines. The
master’s program is in mass communications, while the undergraduate programs
are in advertising, electronic media, journalism, photocommunications and
public relations. The goals, objectives and assessment plans for these
programs may be reviewed at the link listed below
http://www.mcom.ttu.edu/mcomassessments16.pdf
The School of Mass Communications has completed at
least three significant reviews/evaluations during the past two years using
a variety of assessment methods including classroom and laboratory
performances, capstone course presentations, student competitions,
internships, course evaluations by students, student exit surveys, surveys
of mass communications professionals, student retention and graduation
rates, and a grammar spelling and punctuation test. These
reviews/evaluations suggest that the program has met or exceeded assessment
criteria for teaching, research and service. These data are located in Room
102 of the Mass Communications building.
The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and
Mass Communications (ACEJMC) reaccredited the program in 2004. The ACEJMC
site team reported that the program responds to the data it collects in
making decisions about its curriculum and faculty. The report is located in
Room 102 of the Mass Communications building.
The unit will change
in fall 2004 from the School of Mass Communications within the College of
Arts and Sciences to the College of Mass Communications. In the unit’s
request to become a separate college, it listed higher retention and
graduation rates than listed by the university. The proposal also listed
data that:
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indicated the unit
had more undergraduate majors than three independent colleges on campus,
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the unit’s
undergraduate enrollment was among the 15th largest mass communications
programs in the nation,
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the unit’s
undergraduate program was growing at an annual rate of about 5 percent,
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the size of the
unit’s budget and full-time faculty was comparable to other colleges of
mass communications, and
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mass communications
professionals perceived that the quality of graduates from a college were
better than the quality of graduates from other types of programs.
A complete copy of the School’s proposal to become a
separate college is on file in Room 102 of the Mass Communications building.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved
in July 2004 a doctoral program in mass communications. The new college
will begin accepting doctoral graduate students in January 2005.
The proposal for the doctoral program listed data
reflecting that:
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only one university
in a five state area offered a Ph.D. in mass communications,
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undergraduate mass
communications programs were growing at a rate of about 3 percent
annually,
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smaller universities
need faculty members to meet the growing demand for mass communications
courses,
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the School’s faculty
members were qualified to teach doctoral level courses, and
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the demand for
faculty members with a Ph.D. in mass communications would increase
significantly within the next 3-5 years.
A complete copy of the School’s proposal to become a
separate college is on file in Room 102 of the Mass Communications building. |
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PROGRAMS |
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3.4 Educational
Programs
Standards for
All Educational Programs: |
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(Includes all
on-campus, off-campus and distance learning programs) |
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3.4.1
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The institution
demonstrates that each educational program for which academic
credit is
awarded (a) is approved by the faculty and the
administration, and (b) establishes and
evaluates program and learning outcomes. |
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All of the
School’s undergraduate and graduate courses have been approved
by the School’s tenured and tenure-track faculty and by the
College of Arts and Sciences Committee on Academic Programs.
Requests for new courses are made only after faculty members in
an academic sequence approve a course description, complete
syllabus, sample of assignments, grading criteria, reading list
and textbook. Preference is given to requests for courses that
have been taught at least once as a special topics course. A
complete list of the undergraduate and graduate courses may be
reviewed at the link listed below.
http://www.mcom.ttu.edu/reports/mcominventorycourses.pdf
All of the
School’s undergraduate and graduate courses are consistent with
the learning outcomes/objectives described in each of their
respective syllabi. Course objectives for each course are
consistent with the outcomes/objectives for the School’s
undergraduate and graduate programs. The specific learning
outcome objectives for the School’s undergraduate and graduate
programs may be reviewed at the link listed below.
http://www.mcom.ttu.edu/reports/mcomcourseobjectives.pdf
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3.4.6 |
The institution employs
sound and acceptable practices for determining the amount and
level of credit awarded for courses, regardless of format or
mode of delivery. |
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The School of Mass Communications is in
compliance with this standard.
The School’s
graduate and undergraduate organized courses (3 hour credit)
meet for 3 hours a week. The School’s 3 credit hour lab courses
meet 2 hours weekly for lecture plus 3 hours in lab. These
organized courses require a textbook, class attendance and
course assignments. Non-organized courses (e.g.,
3390-internships, 4000-special projects, 4300-individual
studies, 7000-individual studies) require 3 hours of course
related work for each credit hour. Non-organized courses may
require students to produce reports, research papers, practical
work experience, supervisor evaluation and a final project. The
School offers 3 courses (Jour 3350, MCOM 1300 and TELE 3310)
through Extended Studies. Each of these courses uses a textbook
that is identical or comparable to the one used in the on-campus
course and includes regular assignments and proctored tests. The
instructors of record for the Extended Studies courses are the
same faculty members who teach the on-campus courses.
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3.4.9 |
The institution provides
appropriate academic support services.
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The School of Mass Communications is in
compliance with this standard.
The School
provides undergraduate academic advising through its advising
office. The advising office is staffed by two full-time staff
advisors and a .75 time secretary. The staff advisors maintain
regular e-mail and personal contact with all of our majors. The
advising office provides information about academic
requirements, admission standards, course prerequisites and
registration schedules. A full-time staff person directs the
School’s Career Center. The Career Center provides information
about internship opportunities, interviewing techniques, resume
writing and employment opportunities. Graduate students are
advised by the School’s graduate coordinator (a faculty
member). Graduate faculty members also provide academic and
career advising. Additional information about the School’s
admission criteria and academic requirements may be reviewed at
the link listed below.
http://www.mcom.ttu.edu/reports/mcomacademicsupport.pdf
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3.6 Standards
Specific to Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Professional
Programs: |
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3.6.1 |
The institution’s
post-baccalaureate professional degree programs, and its
master’s and
doctoral degree programs are progressively more advanced in
academic content than
undergraduate programs. |
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The School of Mass Communications is in compliance with this
standard.
The
School’s undergraduate courses are numbered 1000 through 4999.
Lower numbered courses (1000-2000) are most likely prerequisite
courses to the courses in each sequence with higher numbered
courses (3000-4999). The School’s undergraduate courses tend to
integrate theoretical concepts of communication and applied
creative/writing skills relevant to specific areas of mass
communications. The School’s graduate courses are numbered 5000
through 7000. The graduate program focuses on the interaction
of communications media and the impact of communication on
society and targeted publics. Theoretical concepts are studied,
researched and tested. The content and topics of the graduate
courses are more advanced than are undergraduate courses.
Undergraduate students may not enroll in graduate courses and
earn graduate credit except during their last 6 hours. |
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3.7 Faculty |
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3.7.1 |
The institution employs
competent faculty members qualified to accomplish the mission
and goals of the institution. When determining acceptable
qualifications of its faculty, an
institution gives primary consideration to the highest earned
degree in the discipline in
accordance with the guidelines listed below. The institution also
considers competence,
effectiveness, and capacity, including, as appropriate,
undergraduate and graduate degrees,
related work experiences in the field, professional licensure
and certifications, honors and
awards, continuous documented excellence in teaching, or other
demonstrated
competencies and achievements that contribute to effective
teaching and student learning
outcomes. For all cases, the institution is responsible for
justifying and documenting the
qualifications of all its faculty. |
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The School of Mass Communications is in
compliance with this standard. |
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a. |
All of the
School’s faculty members teaching undergraduate general
education courses had doctoral degrees in their respective
disciplines. A list of faculty who taught the undergraduate
general education courses may be reviewed at the link listed
below.
http://www.mcom.ttu.edu/reports/mcomfacultyqualifications.pdf
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b. |
There are no
faculty members in the School of Mass Communications who taught
associate degree courses designed for transfer to a
baccalaureate degree programs.
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c. |
There are no
faculty members in the School of Mass Communications who taught
associate degree courses not designed for transfer to a
baccalaureate degree programs.
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d. |
All full-time faculty members in the
School of Mass Communications who taught undergraduate
baccalaureate degree courses held doctoral of master’s degrees
in the teaching discipline. All part-time faculty members held
doctoral, master’s or baccalaureate degrees or they have
achieved extensive professional experience/expertise, received
awards and recognitions from professional
organizations/associations and/or held positions of
management/ownership in their respective mass communications
professions. The qualifications of part-time faculty members
are consistent with university OP32.02. A list of faculty who
taught the undergraduate courses may be reviewed at the link
listed below.
http://www.irim.ttu.edu/SACS/Faculty/AS/MassComm.pdf
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e. |
All
faculty members in the School of Mass Communications who taught
graduate degree courses held terminal degrees in the teaching
discipline and are members of the graduate faculty. A list of
faculty who taught graduate courses may be reviewed at the link
listed below.
http://www.irim.ttu.edu/SACS/Faculty/AS/MassComm.pdf
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f. |
There are no
teaching assistants in the School of Mass Communications who was
the faculty member of record in any of the School’s courses.
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3.7.3 |
The institution
provides evidence of ongoing professional development of faculty
as
teachers, scholars, and practitioners. |
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The School of Mass Communications is in
compliance with this standard.
The School’s
faculty members and graduate students are encouraged to travel
to present their research at regional and national conferences.
The School also encourages faculty members to seek positions as
officers in academic organizations. The School provides modest
monetary support for travel and lodging expenses. Faculty
members are encouraged to apply for faculty development leaves.
Two faculty members have received faculty development leaves.
School faculty members are active researchers, publish
regularly, serve on editorial boards, hold office in academic
organizations and attend professional conferences. Faculty
members’ accomplishments may be reviewed at the link listed
below.
http://www.mcom.ttu.edu/reports/mcomprodevelopment.pdf
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