Marshall university

proud of my degree from W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications. With it, I have always had a good job that I enjoyed doing.

I left to finish my J school degree at the University of Cincinnati. I was part of their first accredited journalism class graduating in 2007. Now, I hire students right out of college (my company is www.dothbrands.com) I can say that I specifically request journalism students because they tend to have good writing skills which graduates from programs like English, Marketing and Advertising do not. Journalism students are incredibly marketable on the job market, many are just not aware of how useful skills like writing, information collection, research and project management are to other fields they may be a great fit in. While at Marshall, I do wish there had been some baseline education in typography. This knowledge helps tremendously in all kinds of situations and settings.

By far, my most valuable SOJMC experiences were my five semesters on the Parthenon staff, including two as managing editor and one as executive editor. Those semesters were eye-opening and taught lessons applicable in the real world.

I would like to see more outreach to “old” alumni

I have very little complaints. The SOJMC gave me a very strong base to build my career. Passionate professors and hands on experience made all the difference.

I can not say enough wonderful things about my experience with the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications. It is not often you find a group of faculty and staff so dedicated to the individual success of each student. It was challenging, welcoming, and could not have prepared me better for life after college.

22. Please add any additional comments about your experiences with the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and
      Mass Communications that were not asked.





My positive experiences with the school came from WMUL-FM. It was and is the best thing the school has going for it.

Broadcaster Hall of Fame inductee Charles G. Bailey is the sole reason I took broadcasting at Marshall. Thank you!

I think SOJMC is vastly underrated on a national scale. I would put the talent of both the students and faculty against any in the country. I am proud to tell people where I went to school.

I feel the radio portion of then, the Broadcast division, was superb while the television portion was lacking regarding equipment. I do realize, however, television is quite expensive compared to radio and understand the challenges. I learned most of my hands-on TV skills at MU Instructional Television as a work-study student and on my first professional television job. Today, nonlinear editing skills are a must in addition to video/audio file management, encoding, converting, etc. and online media publishing/streaming.

If I were to do it over, I would not have graduated with a degree in Mass Communications. I would have gotten a degree in Education, because that is what I am doing right now. It seems to be a much more useful degree. Though I learned a lot, I think the Broadcast/Masscom field is too competitive, too strict, and not a lot of time and energy is invested in teaching the students what they want to learn. I remember being wildly eager to shoot and edit, but being incredibly frustrated at having to spend my time picking through manuals and learning it on my own. I remember thinking “why didn't I just buy my own camera, buy my own manual, buy my own editing software, teaching myself like I am right now, and saving myself thousands of dollars in the long run?” I felt like I was paying thousands of dollars to be thrown to the wolves in most of my courses.

I would recommend the school require marketing courses for PR and Advertising majors. Business skills are very important for PR/Advertising professionals operating in solo or small shops.

Where is the alumni out reach? I feel no connection with SOJMC as an alum. What happened to the SOJMC alumni group?

Overall, I had a fantastic experience in the SOJMC school. I started out rough, a result of learning the ropes of being a new college student, but eventually fell into stride. Parthenon was a real wake-up call. I felt essentially “thrown to the wolves,” but now I understand that it was necessary to weed out the serious students from the not-so-serious. My favorite time was in graduate school where I gave my all and was rewarded with skills that I use every day. Writing and completing my thesis was an incredible experience!

My internship and degree allowed me to pursue a career in broadcasting, which I have been involved with now for more than 30 years. Thank you School of Journalism. It's been a great ride.

I think stressing to the students that while A's and quality classroom work is important. Pushing students to work outside of the classroom on their futures is a must. As a person who now hires college graduates, I NEVER look at GPA as a determining factor. I look at work completed and ability to continue ones education outside of the classroom. Journalism is not a job. It is a full-time hobby. You have to love it. This is not digging a ditch or fixing a TV. This is a lifestyle that you have to love.

I rarely hear from MU in regards to internships. Why is that? Are there really no students interested in video production? I'm never invited to any events or to speak to classes and I know several other alums in the same circumstances. There appears to be a disconnect with at least some of us.

It was my own fault that the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism & Mass Communications did not help in my professional career. Radio Broadcasting is not a very good field to begin with so there weren't very many jobs. Also, I didn't study as much as I should have nor put enough time and effort into each class as I should have, which is why I'm taking continuing education courses in Accounting, which is a higher demand field with more available jobs. I should've majored in Accounting all along while I was an undergraduate at Marshall.

I'm a proud alum! I speak in public often. Anytime I am introduced, my bio mentions that I am a graduate of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall University.

More people in the world should be like Janet Dooley, Dan Hollis, Tammy Reynolds, and Charles Bailey.

Proud to be an alumnus of the SOJMC.

Other than I miss Dr. Shaver and Dr. Turner, no...

Please don't feel my comments in question 19 are negative or hateful. I loved my time at Marshall University and still do side projects there as a community volunteer. Those were merely observations. There isn't a single instructor I left Marshall with harsh feelings for, and I feel I could sit and have enlightened, passionate discussions on the state of journalism and various mediums that are struggling, succeeding, and in some cases, disappearing. I was adequately prepared for the starter pay... there were no surprises there. But I am a proud alum of the SOJMC, and a proud Son of Marshall. I grew up that way and my experiences as a student only strengthened that feeling.

My internship is still helping me. I was offered my summer position for this year with the possibility of a post-school job because the person who hired me knew me from my SOJMC internship in 2011 and liked that I went to the J-School.

Although my degree was in broadcast journalism, my education at Marshall helped prepare me for life in the world of public relations because I was better prepared to work with a vast array of journalists. I owe a great deal to the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

I enjoyed my time at Marshall and am glad to have obtained my first bachelor's degree. It has prepared me for my future as an educator.

During my time there I received a very good foundation in news and print production. The school had excellent instructors and I continue to use what I learned there. I feel I received an excellent education in Journalism.

I loved my experience in the SOJMC. I would never have wanted to do anything else. I had always wanted to be a broadcaster but upon graduation decided that lifestyle was not for me. However, the skills and experiences I had in the SOJMC made me who I am and still helped me get a job (closely related) in my field. I truly love that place - it's special.

I 100% would reccomend Marshall to any student looking to get into journalism. I had the opportunity to learn from some of the best faculty in the country, while figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. There isn't a week that goes by that I don't talk about Marshall. I learned a lot about journalism and myself while I was in Huntington, things that I still rely on today. Go Herd!

I had a very positive, well-rounded experience, and I tell folks all the time that I am thankful I chose Marshall and the W. Page Pitt SOJMC. I'm thankful that it was required to work for the Parthenon. I was pushed outside of my comfort zone because of the beat I covered and that was very good for me. I am also thankful for the opportunity to work at WMUL and the experience I gained through my short stent on air. I'm also thankful for the internship requirement. My internship was an amazing experience! In my professional career I've had the opportunity to identify and supervise interns and strive to provide the same level of opportunities I received as an intern.




I loved my experience at Marshall and in the School of Journalism. I met many passionate and talented people. I am, however disappointed that I did not feel any progression after learning the basics of my field. Production can be very quick and simple like a news broadcast, but it can also be incredibly complex and take years to complete. After graduating in 2012 I felt confident stepping into a job in the news business, but I am having trouble advancing to creative areas beyond it.

It's difficult to answer the questions about strengths and weaknesses... that was about 30 years ago.

The people, not the courses, make the place. My roommate and I both took the same course at the same time (JMC 101) with two different professors. I had many more assignments due than her. I got an 'A' and learned the importance of sources, research, interviewing, and much more. She learned how to write a 10 page research paper in a week and received a worse grade. I'm thankful that I had a tougher teacher. I loved it while I was there, and I appreciate it now while I'm out. The J school was the foundation for a career I am absolutely in love with (dangling preposition!)

I enjoyed my time at the J-School, and often regret that I let myself become distracted by the expectations of others instead of focusing on building the foundation for a career in a related field. I still recall Professor Dooley's reaction when I asked her for a letter of recommendation for law school: “Why?” Why, indeed.

I find myself trying to replicate my experience at the W. Page Pitt SOJMC for my students at the University of Memphis. I look back to my days at Marshall with great fondness all because of the SOJMC. I met many of my greatest friends during my bachelors and masters programs, all because of the culture of the SOJMC.

Overall, I was very pleased with my education at Marshall University's School of Journalism. Thank you for all you've done!

I know this survey is run by Janet Dooley and I want to make sure the school knows what an amazing and inspirational woman she is. She was a mentor to me when I went through school and still remains someone I look up to and admire. I also feel like there is a lot of assistance in getting your required internship however, I feel like the help with job placement was not as intense. It may have been my personal experience as I was not prepared to work right out of college due to an accident. But I loved my time in SOJMC and have highly recommended it to others!

People always ask if I use my journalism degree since I'm not working in that field, and I always give the same answer - Absolutely! From grant writing to relationship-building to managing various promotions and everything in between, I have the J-School to thank for so much of what I apply to my work on a daily basis - not to mention the time management and organizational skills we all learn from working on a deadline.

Thank you for the wonderful education and wonderful experience

I could not be more thankful for my time spent in SOJMC. I very much appreciate the faculty and their support to get me through my graduate degree after a family emergency. Not only did they get me to the graduation stage, but they cared about my well-being afterwards. I have had support from a few faculty members through my job hunt, and even after I found a job outside journalism. Some SOJMC faculty have outstanding quality and students are lucky to have their support.