Marshall university

1. 
   Articulation Agreements: Describe program specific articulation agreements with other institutions for delivery of this program.
   

The School of Journalism and Mass Communications has negotiated articulations agreements with Mountwest Community and Technical College and with Ashland Community and Technical College.

2. 
   Off-Campus Classes: Describe/Summarize off-campus (other than the Huntington, or South Charleston campuses) courses offered.
   

A number of lower division journalism and mass communications courses are available at the Teays Valley Regional Center. JMC 101-Media Literacy, JMC 102,-information Gathering and Research, and JMC 330-Fundamentals of Public Relations are offered on a fairly regular basis, depending on the availability of qualified faculty. JMC courses have been offered at the Mid Ohio Valley Center sporadically, but the faculty tend to move into other positions before establishing a reliable rotation of the courses. JMC 102-Information Gathering and Research, JMC 241-Graphics of Communications and JMC 330-Fundamental so Public Relations have been available at MOVC in the past five years.

3. 
   Online Courses: Describe/Summarize online courses offered.
   

Six online courses are scheduled on a regular basis: JMC 100-English for Journalists, JMC 245-Fundamentals of Strategic Communications, JMC 330- Fundamentals of Public Relations, JMC 461-Web Strategies, JMC 462-Web Design and JMC 465-Multimedia Reporting. JMC 245 is open to high school students under the Online College Courses (OCCHS) in the high school program.

4. 
   Service Courses: Describe/Summarize departmental courses that are required for students in other majors and support programs outside the major.
   

JMC 101-Media Literacy carries a humanities attribute that satisfies a general education requirement for any student in the university. JMC 241-Graphics of Communications is designated writing intensive and also satisfies a general education requirement. The school offers minors in advertising, journalism and in public relations.

5. 
   Program Course Enrollment: Describe/Summarize program area courses taken by students who are majors and include enrollment by semester for the past 5 years. See Appendix VII for course enrollment data.
   

Journalism and mass communications graduate students enroll in 500 and 600 level classes to complete their required 30 hours of credit. The majority of 500 level courses are cross-listed with 400 level undergraduate courses, and the graduate student enrollment is dispersed over more than 20 course offerings a year. Their numbers in the classes range from one to eight students in addition to the undergraduates in the classes. Graduate students in cross-listed courses must do additional work beyond that required of the undergraduates.

6. 
   Program Enrollment: Summarize data indicating the number of principal majors enrolled in your program, number of second majors, the number of students enrolled as majors from other colleges (i.e., College of Education specialization majors), the number of minors, and the number of graduates for the program for each of the past five years. See Appendix VIII and Figure 1for program enrollment data.
   

Enrollment in the journalism and mass communications graduate experienced a notable decrease over the five-year review period from 32 students to 12. Although some of the decline can be attributed to national trends in that direction, two additional issues must also be examined. First was the shifting of graduate responsibility to a new coordinator who had to acclimate to program promotion. Second, through unusual circumstances, the school was without graduate information on the website for a year. Once promotional materials were placed on the website again, inquiries immediately resumed. Core courses, however, have still met minimum enrollments or more.

7. 
   Enrollment Projections: Identify trends that will influence enrollment over the next five years. Provide enrollment projections. This information should be supported by evidence.
   

Journalism and mass communications at institutions across the nation are suffering enrollment losses stemming from a perception that journalism is dying, a symptom of newspaper decline and the rise of new forms of media transmission. As fans check ball game scores on mobile devices and scan news on computer screen there is a collective sense that a journalism profession is no longer viable. Yet reporters are still required to make information available on digital media. The industry is moving toward “content creation” rather than simple news reporting. Content that is created may be delivered via traditional print channels or television, or it may come to consumers on their computers, tablets, mobile devices and wristwatches. With citizen journalists posting stories immediately via social media, it is even more imperative to have a pool of individuals who can vet information.

4. 
   Necessity of the Program: Provide a narrative summary for each of the following items in addition to requested appendices.
   

1. 
   Advisory Committee: Identify whether the program has an Advisory Committee, and, if so, briefly indicate the role and impact of the Committee.
   

A volunteer group of 15 journalism and mass communications graduates serve on the Alumni Board of Advisers. They represent a cross section of majors and types of businesses for which they work. Two are attorneys who have offered informal counsel when student publications face legal challenges. The board meets at least once a year, but projects they launch necessitate more frequent contact. Board members speak to classes and clubs, assist with graduation portfolio review, serve as a sounding board, work as a focus group to examine issues of importance to the unit, advocate for the school with public contacts and the administration on occasion and they are resurrecting the dormant Hall of Fame recognition event and fundraiser. One board member accepted the challenge of locating more graduates and centralizing contact with alumni. All of the board members participate in helping maintain an active MUJMC Alums Facebook page that has become the major form of information exchange among graduates.

2. 
   Graduates: Provide information on graduates in terms of places of employment, starting salary ranges (where appropriate and known), number employed in field of specialization, and/or acceptance into baccalaureate or graduate programs. (NOTE: Do not identify students by name.) See Appendix VIII for graduate information.
   

As conveyed in the discussion of graduate satisfaction the triennial alumni survey indicated that the majority of respondents are working in a media related field, and with a variety of titles. More than 70 percent indicated they have found full-time employment in an area closely related to journalism and mass communications.

3. 
   Job Placement: If the job placement rate reported above is low, can a course of action be identified that would improve this situation? Provide a summary of procedures utilized by the institution to help place program graduates in jobs or additional educational programs. Include activities supported by both the student’s academic department as well as the institution’s placement office. This summary should include the institution’s procedures and program organization for continuing contact and follow-up with graduates.
   

Job placement rates of journalism and mass communications graduates consistently maintain a satisfactory level. Graduates are working in the field, transitioning to other industries or continuing in advanced courses of study. Students are encouraged to avail themselves of services provided by the institution’s career services, but frequently requests for jobs in the field come directly to the school. Upcoming graduates are informed of job openings via Facebook, email, Twitter, announcements in class and physical postings. The MU JMC Alums Facebook is active with job announcements placed by faculty and by alumni sharing information directly with one another. Matching students who have specific skills with a particular job request is not uncommon.

6. 
   RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (If applicable)
   

Please prepare the following materials: 1) Program vision and mission statements with a strategic plan to achieve the program’s vision and mission, and 2) a specification of the resources needed to accomplish the program’s vision, with an evidence-based rationale as why these resources are needed and how they will help the program to accomplish its vision. The mission and vision statements, strategic plan, and needed resources with evidence-based rationale must be included in the program review when submitted. Additionally, the chair and dean must make an additional presentation to either the Academic Planning Committee or to the Graduate Council before final votes are taken.

The School of Journalism and Mass Communications has been successful at maintaining up-to-date computers and state-of the art broadcast facilities. Students study digital imaging, web design and online reporting. These facilities and classes have established a foundation for forays into digital communication. Reflection on the next steps, however, has identified areas for development.

1. Fleet of foot video

Broadcast students have developed admirable skills within the confines of studio production. The industry, however, is demanding faster, less cumbersome video products that can be turned around quickly and posted to a website. The ”fleet of foot” video skill is expected not only of broadcasters, but of print reporters, advertisers and public relations practitioners as well. The new integrated strategic communications faculty position enables the school to re-establish a number of video courses that have been dormant for more than ten years and update them to meet this new demand. Students will be expected to work with small cameras and in some cases iPads and iPhones or other technology that may surface within the next few years, and to produce commercial products as well as news. This tactic not only brings video to a wider student population, but also increases opportunities for students in the broadcast and in the radio/television programs to select from a broader menu than has been available heretofore.

2. Permeate all majors

Broadcasters are being called upon to design images for screens, and newspaper reporters are adding video to their web stories. Students will continue to have focused interests in various aspects of the mass communications industry such as writing news or hatching ideas for advertisers, but all majors in the field must have rudimentary facility in static design, kinetic design, video shooting and editing, website management and photo editing. They also must be facile in the software programs that manage each of those skills.

Timeline: Institute a system to these measure baseline skills by 2017.

3. DigiComm professor in residence

While recognizing the need to respond to new technology, resources and the need to continue to teach good, solid writing often limit the school’s ability to respond quickly to changing demands. One way to introduce the latest developments is to invite a professor in residence to explore new areas that faculty who have a multitude of other responsibilities may not be able to do.

Timeline: Seek funding by 2016, bring in a one-year resident in 2016-2017.

4. Marshall Multimedia

Three vibrant student media are producing news products on a regular basis and expanding their deliveries into new technologies. Marshall Multimedia would create an umbrella under which existing campus media could continue to operate independently of one another, but also cooperate in providing access to content that could be used to supply an aggregated channel of distribution. The multimedia media project would give students an opportunity to use their developing skills in digital media in a truly converged setting.

Timeline: Complete a written proposal by the end of the 2015-2016 academic year. The proposal would project a two-year development process.
International focus

After several years of drawing a substantial number of students from Vietnam and from Saudi Arabia, international enrollment has slowed. The school will implement two programs to strengthen international contact.

1. Marshall University’s partnership with the INTO international recruiting company has altered the process for bringing international students into academic programs. International applicants are encouraged to enter the university through pathway programs designed to ameliorate academic weaknesses prior to or concurrently with enrolling in degree programs. Recruiters have seen enthusiasm for journalism and mass communications in general and for broadcast specifically among students in other countries, especially in Southeast Asian countries. The School of Journalism has been asked to create a pathway for the broadcast program initially, and to expand to other majors in the program later. Participating with the INTO program will expand the number of international students in the school.

Timeline: Complete the broadcast pathway for the 2015-2016 academic year. Some international students may be able to start the program next fall, but the greater likelihood is that recruiters will use the pathway to attract students for the following academic year.

2. Huntington, WV has been experiencing a quiet, slow but steady rise in Hispanic populations. Although the increasing number of Hispanic or Latino residents is not at a level that is viable for commercial media in the area, WMUL-FM on campus is uniquely positioned to serve the nascent community. As a public station it has greater flexibility in serving niche audiences. Selected portions of the broadcast week could be reserved for Spanish language programming to serve the nascent community in Huntington.