ASSESSMENT REPORT OF THE UNDERGRADUATE
PROGRAM IN COMMUNICATION
Dr. Eileen Berlin Ray, Undergraduate Director
Dr. Richard M. Perloff, Department Chair
The purpose of this report is to describe the Department of Communication’s
Undergraduate Assessment over the course of 2003-2004 and to suggest directions for
curricular growth based on this study. The present report is organized in terms of overall
goals, outcomes, assessment, and recommended actions. Importantly, the focus of this
year’s report is curricular reform and evaluation that involved the transformation of the
Department to a School of Communication. The School becomes an official entity on
July 1,2004.
A. Description of Program
The purpose of the undergraduate program is to help students appreciate
communicationprocesses and problems. The program is designed to examine
communication behaviors as they occur in social contexts, such as mass media and social
systems, public address, large organizations, small groups, and interpersonal interactions.
The conceptual framework of the program is based in the behavioral sciences. The
program offered by the Department of Communication is designed to provide knowledge
and skills for students pursuing different career paths. However, regardless of student
career goals, the program strives to provide all students with a foundation for
understanding communicationprocesses and applying them in different contexts.
All undergraduates majoring in Communication must complete 36 semester hours
and maintain a 2.25 GPA. All students must complete two core courses, Communication
10 1, Principles of Communication,and Communication 303, Communication Inquiry, as
well as eight credit hours of theory courses, 16 credit hours of electives, and a four credit
hour Capstone Course. This ensures that students have exposure to the social scientific,
applied, and professional aspects of the highly variegated field of communication. All
students completing the undergraduateprogram must complete a capstone course, which
is designed to integrate the most vital knowledge from the theory courses and electives
previously completed by the student. Capstone courses must be approved by the
department’s curriculum committee. Upon satisfactory completion of the core classes and
coursework in theoretical or applied communication, students are allowed to select a
capstone course appropriate to their post-graduation goals.
The department currently has 600 majors, along with active certificateprograms
in journalism and multimedia advertising.
B. Goals
The goals of the undergraduate program in communication are:
1. To impart to students knowledge of basic processes of communication in
interpersonal,organizational, and mass media contexts.
2. To teach students knowledge of basic research methods commonly utilized in
communication and how to apply them in various contexts.
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3. To provide students selecting an emphasis in theoretical communicationthe
necessary knowledge to explain communication processes and effects in the
interpersonal,organizational, and mass media contexts.
4. To impart to students selecting an emphasis in applied communication the
necessary competencies for entry into relevant career fields.
C. Outcomes
Thus, students who successfully complete this program will be able to:
1. Demonstrate mastery of basic processes of communication in the
interpersonal, organizational,and mass media contexts.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in, the application of basic
research methods most commonly utilized in the field of communication.
3. Demonstrate the necessary knowledge to explain the communication
processes and effects in the interpersonal,organizational, and mass media
contexts.
4. Apply knowledge and training in the service of attaining career-related
communicationgoals.
D. Assessment: Curricular Transformation from a Department to a School
The assessment procedure took on a distinctive orientation this year, as the faculty
prepared for the inauguration of the School of Communication. FacultyLmembersworked
to create new courses and propose new majors. Using the goals and outcomes described
above as the basis for the proposals, the department drafted curricular plans and
subjected them to formative, process-based evaluations. The goal was to provide students
with new majors that amplified the current major in Communication.The outcome was
development of three specific Program Development Plans and delineation of new
courses that fit within these particular areas of study. The process by which these
proposals were developed can usefully be viewed as one of assessment -- a step-by-step
procedure in which faculty were involved and plans were explored, examined, revised,
rewritten, finalized, and ultimately submitted to appropriate university and state units.
We discuss this process below, following a narrative format.
Faculty curriculum is developed and formatively assessed in the Communication
Department in the following manner: An individual or individuals come up with a
curricular plan, the faculty as a whole discuss it, the plan is discussed and dissected by
smaller groups (chiefly, a departmental curricular unit), the revised proposal goes back to
the faculty, leaders within these groups refine the plan, and the proposal in final form
returns to the faculty for consideration. This process described the development of School
curricular proposals last year.
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With the School of Communication proposal approved by the university in spring,
2003, the Communication faculty decided that the next step in the process was to develop
majors in CommunicationManagement, Film and Digital Media, and Journalism and
Promotional Communication. These majors would need to be approved by the Arts and
Sciences College, University Curriculum Committee, and the Ohio Board of Regents
(OBOR). The first step was to develop Program Development Plans. An extensive
assessment process ensued, beginning with a fall, 2003 retreat, moving to meetings on the
content of the School curriculum by the School Implementation Committee, continuing
with follow-up meetings in which the proposed curriculum was discussed, critiqued, and
revised by faculty in content areas, and ending with discussions by the entire faculty. The
assessment process called on the major faculty stakeholders in the process (the three
divisions which house the majors), as well as formative evaluations by smaller faculty
bodies and construct validity assessments, conducted by comparing the curriculum to
communication majors offered at universities elsewhere in the state and against
technological developments in the communicationfield.
Step I : Faculty Evaluate Curricular Plans at Off-Campus and On-CampusMeetings
Prior to the beginning of the fall semester, Communication faculty created three
School divisions -- one focusing on interpersonal, organizational, and health
communication (CommnicationManagement); a second on film, digital media, and
media studies (Media Arts and Technology), and a third on news, and promotional media
(Journalism and Promotional Communication). Faculty also developed rough curricular
plans for majors in the three divisions. Recognizing that they would have to demonstrate
that the new majors could be offered with current personnel and resources,
representatives from the three divisions mapped out three-year course schedules, based
on tentatively-proposedrequirements in each of the new majors. Over the summer, the
new departrnent chair evaluated these schedules, based on whether they would allow the
School to offer required courses with sufficientregularity to fulfill curricular and
enrollment needs. He determined that, with minor changes, the School could offer each of
the majors.
At the annual off-campus retreat, which ordinarilyprovides the conceptual
underpinnings for subsequent assessments that occur over the course of the year,
Communicationprofessors debated the initial proposals for three majors. Asked to
consider reducing the number of majors in each division, faculty resisted this goal, opting
instead to increase the number of majors (from 3 to 8) based on the argument that the
School provided an opportunity to serve our students in unique ways.
After the retreat, a variety of faculty members raised questions about this plan,
and at a special faculty meeting in September, the majors issue was revisited. Faculty
noted that although eight majors are offered at some Colleges of Communication in large
universities, the State of Ohio would be unlikely to go along with such a recommendation
at Cleveland State. Faculty trimmed down the number of majors to three, observing that
sequences could be offered within each of the majors. Majors were Communication
Management, Film and Digital Media (housed in a Media A r t s and Technology
Division), and Journalism and Promotional Communication. The stage was now set for
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developing Program Development Plans (PDPs) with fully-fleshedout curricula in each
of the three majors, in accordance with the goals and objectives of the department.
Step 2: Smaller Departmental Units Refine Curricular Plans
In October, the School Implementation Committee, with representatives from
each of the three divisions and the Graduate Committee, met regularly to discuss
requirements and electives for each of the three proposed majors. (The faculty opted to
continue the Communication major as presently constituted to offer students a general
alternative to the three specific degree programs.) The Committee and Chair drafted
initial Program Development Plans for each of the three majors that contained a rationale
and the all-important issue of curricular requirements. Departmental faculty members
decided which divisional major they most identified with and began meeting in smaller
groups (the divisions) to discuss the PDPs.
The underpinning for these discussions was the recognition that curriculum had to
reflect departmental goals and objectives, articulated earlier. Thus, each major required
that students take a broad introduction to communicationand a research methods course
to make certain students were exposed to communicationtheories, processes, and
methodologies.
Each division operationalizedgoals in light of its specific needs. Thus,
Communication Management developed five sequences (relational, organizational,
health, mediation, and intercultural) to guarantee that students gained knowledge of these
communication contexts (goal #3). Faculty in this division also developed a new capstone
course that required students to apply communicationmanagement knowledge to careerrelated problems, using case study techniques. Media A r t s and Technology faculty
created three sequences (film, digital media, and media studies) to provide students with
context-based knowledge. To guarantee that students had mastery of media arts and
technology processes, they required that students take a course in mass media effects and
(in some cases) media criticism. In order to meet the fourth goal, operationalized by the
outcome of applying knowledge in the service of career-related goals, they created an
entire emphasis area devoted to the practical arena of digital media and created new
courses in film production. In a similar fashion, Journalism and Promotional
Communication faculty required students take the mass media effects course. They also
created three sequences - in journalism, public relations and advertising-to provide
students with exposure to application of principles to contexts. Mindful of the fourth
career-related curricular objective, they built in sequence-specific requirements in writing
for The Cleveland Stater and created new courses in interactive advertising and
advertising planning.
The curricular proposals and preliminary PDPs were assessed through what
educational evaluators call the legal method. A proposal was put forth and there were
advocates for one or another position (e.g., there should be a joint sequence in cinema
and digital studies as opposed to two distinct emphasis areas). Debate could be
contentious, but in the end each division agreed on curricular requirements for each of the
three majors. Creative solutions also emerged, such as the development of sequencespecific requirements in Journalism and Promotional Communication, and bridging of
divisional coursework by cross-listing courses fiom different divisions.
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, Step 3: The Faculty Vet the Proposal
In mid-fall and again in early January, the curriculum for each division came to
the faculty, which discussed them in rousing debates. Modifications were made in various
portions of the curriculum, and the PDPs, crafted over the winter vacation, were approved
by the faculty. The PDPs were subsequently approved by the Arts and Sciences Faculty,
University Curriculum Committee and the Ohio Board of Regents (see Appendix A).
At the same time, the department’s Curriculum Committee -- in accordance with
departmental bylaws -- evaluated proposals for new and modified courses. Fifteen such
course plans were developed and passed by the Arts and Sciences Curriculum
Committee.
One additional evaluation was completed last year, in concert with the assessment
plan’s focus on gaining undergraduate student feedback. Communication majors (n=248)
completed a survey to indicate their interest in the current major and new majors on a 1 to
5 scale, with 5 indicating strong likelihood of majoring in the area. The three new majors
all received positive evaluations from students. Media Arts and Technology netted a 3.05,
Communication Management received a 3.40, and Journalism and Promotional
Communication scored the highest evaluation, a 3.56 (this reflects national trends). Thus,
the faculty’s programmatic preferences for majors received an endorsement from their
apprentices - the students.
Step 4: WorkBegins on the Full-Dress Proposal.
With the formative evaluations completed, the PDPs are in the process of being
refashioned so they are in accord with OBOR’s requirements for final curricular
proposals. The proposal will be reviewed by faculty at the fall retreat. Thus, the vital,
occasionally-volatile, but always-constructive curricular assessment process produced
three approved PDPs, 15 new courses, and plans for new curricular reform.
E. Departmental Assessment Issues in 2003-2004
With the School beginning in fall, the lion’s share of assessment activity revolved
around School curriculum. Nonetheless, departmental assessments continued apace. The
focus was the departmental assessment plan that was submitted to the Office of the Vice
Provost for Planning, Assessment, and Information Resource Management in Fall, 2003.
The plan includes goals and outcomes (which appeared earlier in this report), as well as a
methodology for evaluating departmental programs (see Appendix B). The assessment
protocol, developed by faculty in 2002, lays out the important components of the
curriculum, such as communication processes, methods, theoretical communication, and
applied communication. It then stipulates that required capstone papers for courses that
fall under these rubrics will be evaluated based on whether they are exemplary,
satisfactory, or unsatisfactory. According to the plan, the department’s Assessment
Committee will review the materials and offer comments for improving student
performance. Based on materials available in the methods area, courses are succeeding in
teaching students statistical skills, with students showing abilityto compute parametric t­
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tests and nonparametric chi square tests. There was also appropriate variability in student
performance in a health communicationcapstone, as judged by an assignment that asked
students to design health communicationpamphlets.
Focus Group Findings
The departmental assessment plan stipulates that a focus group will be held to
solicit undergraduates’ perspectives on the program. Two focus groups were held with 23
student participants. A faculty member facilitated the group, using departmental goals as
the basis for questions. Findings are summarized below:
Q: How would you rate your education in terms of knowledge of communication
concepts in interpersonal, organizational, and mass communication?
A: Overall good. I’ve learning things I can use in everyday life.
COM 327 was helpful not so much in concepts, but in learning to critique why the
media does what it does. I still remember it from three years ago.
Not great. There was too much focus on definitions and not on application.
Through the interpersonal classes, I have a much better understanding of
interaction.
The small groups in 101 were really helphl for learning and remember concepts.
Q: How would you rate your education in terms of knowledge of communication
research methods?
It (COM 303) helped me a lot. I have a good knowledge, but I hated it. It’s redundant with math classes. I understood the methods but not the statistics. The application part is really important. Q: How would you rate your education in terms of understanding of interpersonal,
organizational and mass communication contexts?
Yes, COM 101 helped with that a lot. Yes for interpersonal and mass communication, I don’t know what organizational communication is. (Note: None of the students in either class had taken COM 346, the organizational communication class). Q: How would you rate your education in terms of career preparation?
I feel like it has prepared me for real life than for work.
50-50
Lots. I use what I’ve learned every day. It really helps me with my business to learn about people and working with them. 6
I don’t feel well prepared. I want to do an internship to help with that. I don’t feel prepared for a particular career, but I can get into any career with it. Q: What wouldyou change about theprogram?
I want to know more about the job market. Make 101 mandatory as the first class you have to take. Make 303 mandatory in the first two years. Offer more morning classes. Pay professors to do independent study. Keep DV/COM Center open in the summer. Coordinate with Business on their advertising/promotional class, Q: What did you like most about the program?
The professors. They are understanding and accepting. Class discussions. Group work. Constant interaction. The department is well-organized. You can fmd someone to talk to and can see what classes to take to graduate. Learning about useful things. F. Action Plan
Suggestions for Assessment
One of the lessons learned fiom this year’s evaluative activities,isthat assessment
h c t i o n s best when it is conducted on an ongoing, formative basis. This is a valuable
lesson. It is worth noting that this was the first year we implemented the assessment plan
developed two years ago. The experience generated these action-based suggestions for
next year’s assessment:
1. Solicit more papers fiom capstone and methods courses so there is a much
larger pool of papers for evaluation. Solicit papers fiom professors on a regular
basis. The committee needs to meet regularly, with a representative base of
capstone papers available for analysis.
2. Maintain criteria for evaluating capstone papers (exemplary, satisfactory,
marginal), but adapt categories (applied communication) so they fit new programs
in the School.
3. Adopt a more systematic program for assessment, perhaps using more scientific
procedures.
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4. Conduct assessments in context of divisions, such that each division examines
whether its courses are achieving broad School goals and enrollment is
maximized.
Suggestionsfor Curricular Reform
Importantly, this year’s assessment procedure, with its focus on transformation
from a department to a school, generated suggestions for improvement. So too did the
focus group findings. They led to the following recommendations:
I . Integrate careerpreparation into the School curriculum more systematically.
To address this concern, we plan to discuss the internship program at a School
retreat in the fall. A preliminary plan to revitalize internships, make more contacts
with area companies, and link up with the co-op program has been developed.
2. Pay close attention to scheduling required courses so that theyfit comfortably
with our busy students’ schedules.
We plan to address this in divisional meetings. We also want to make certain that
required courses are offered with sufficient frequency to meet day and evening
students’ needs. Division directors will try to address this at an upcoming
meeting.
3. Encourage divisions to try new ideas and dream up ways to build esprit de
corps in these new academic units.
We should not lose sight of the big picture. The inauguration of the
Communication School presents exciting opportunities for creative expansion and
enrollment growth. There are uplifting possibilities ahead. Assessment should prove a
handy mechanism for helping us achieve these goals.
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APPENDIX A PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT PLANS PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR A
MAJOR IN COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT
Submitted by the Department of Communication
Cleveland State University
I . Designation of the new degree program, rationale for that designation, and a brief
description of the program
The Department of Communication proposes the creation of a new major in
CommunicationManagement. The major offers intensive coursework in interpersonal,
strategic, and organizational theory with applicationsto health and intercultural contexts.
The major, f d y grounded in principles of a liberal arts education, should enhance
students’ critical appreciation of how human beings manage, cope with, and negotiate
communication transactions in contemporary society. A focus on the meaning, symbols
and processes involved in every communication situation guides the need for this degree.
The program is designed to acquaint students with major theories of human
communication, research applications to specific contexts, and insights as to how
communication can be used in more ethical ways in everyday life. Offering professional,
as well as theoretical, orientations, the new degree program is designed to hone students’
skills in communicating ideas through different modalities, such as public speaking and
group discussion.
Communication competency, a practical underpinning of the new major, is widely
viewed as an important ingredient for success in many areas of life. Business executives
rate interpersonal communication skills, such as listening and verbal problem solving, to
be among the most important ingredients for career success (Elerko, Wolvin, & Wolvin,
2004). The primary competencies expected of people in today’s workforce are concise
presentation of ideas, working on teams, negotiation, and interacting effectively with
people of different cultural backgrounds. In an era in which individuals are
simultaneously besieged by information yet fiequently incapable of communicating
simple information clearly (Vangelisti & Daly, 1989), a major that emphasizes competent
management of information should offer many advantages to our graduates and society as
a whole.
2. Description ofproposed curriculum
The major in Communication Management will organize courses in fields where
the strategic application of communication theories and methods is necessary.
Communication,regardless of context, occurs through the exchange of meaning and
symbols within human relationships and networks, and managing the form and flow of
messages through these relationships and networks is the conceptual focus of this major.
(Although the use of the term “management” may suggest there is a fundamental
similarity between the new major and curricula in the College of Business, in fact there
are important differences. The proposed major focuses on the symbolic exchange of
messages and ways in which individual, dyadic, and group-level processes influence
communication behavior. It also provides training in development of professional
communication skills, such as public speaking and mediation. Our focus on managing
communication complementsmore macro and financially-oriented disciplines, such as
Business.)
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Students majoring in Communication Management will be required to complete a
total of 40 credit hours in Communication courses by selecting one of five sequences:
Health Communication, Organizational Communication, Relational Communication,
Intercultural Communication, or Mediation. In each sequence, these requirements
include two courses required of all majors in the School of Communication (8 hours), as
well as a skills course (4hours), two theory courses (8 hours), two required content
courses (8 hours), electives (8 hours), and a capstone (4 hours). Please see Appendix A
for a curricular chart that displays specific courses required in each sequence. The
curriculum includes a new capstone course recently approved by the college curriculum
committee. Students are also encouraged to take courses in other School divisions and in
the university as a whole.
School requirements. All students in the School of Communication are required
to complete COM 101 (Principles of Communication) and the research methods course,
COM 303 (Communication Inquiry). These courses aim to provide students with an
overview of the field of communication, as well as an introduction to the research
methodologiesused to explore questions in the discipline.
Skills requirement. Each Communication Management student will be required to
complete one of three skills courses, either COM 2 11 (Communication in Personal
Relationships), COM 242 (public and Professional Speaking), or COM 341 (Group
Process and Leadership), as designated by their chosen emphasis. The purpose of these
courses is to provide students with the opportunity to build their communication skills by
putting theory into practice.
Theory requirement. Studentswill be required to complete two theory-based
courses in their chosen sequence of Communication Management. The goal of this
requirement is to expose students to a variety of theories that govern communication
behavior and provide them with a means for understanding their own behavior as well as
that of others.
Required content courses. Two content-specific courses have been designated for
each sequence. These courses aim to provide the students with informationneeded to
claim expertise in their chosen sequence.
Electives. Students will be required to complete 8 hours of elective courses in
Communication. The purpose of these electives is to enable students to gain more
specialized knowledge of important issues related to their interest areas. Any
Communication course may be considered an elective course; however,
recommendations for each sequence are provided in the curricular chart, including COM
357, Principles of Public Relations; Com 370, CommunicationTechnology and Social
Change; COM 301, Broadcast and New Media Writing; and COM 360, Principles of
Advertising.
Capstone. One capstone course, COM 475, will be required of all students
majoring in Communication Management. This course will employ a case study and
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community service approach to integratethe interest areas related to the major. It will
enable students to incorporateknowledge fiom prior classes as they analyze problems in
relational, organizational, health, mediation, and intercultural settings. Case studies in
decision-making, team dynamics, problem solving, and conflict resolution will have
theoretical underpinnings. Knowledge will also be applied to real-life scenarios during a
community service project with a local organization. Students taking this class must be a
senior and have completed 24 hours of CommunicationManagement courses.
Recommended UniversityCoursesfor CommunicationManagement. Students are
encouraged to take the following courses in other areas to enhance their specialty
emphasis: PSY 101, Introduction to Psychology; PSY 335, Cohsumer Psychology; SOC
101,Introduction to Sociology; ANT 100, Introduction to Anthropology; POL SCI, 3 19,
Public Opinion; and MKT 441, Advertising and Promotion Management. Other
suggested courses are listed on the curricular chart for each sequence.
Internships. Students will be encouraged, but not required, to complete an
internship related to their interest area for elective credit. Internships, COM 490, provide
important practical experiencewhile creating a strong link to the Cleveland community.
The Communication Department has sponsored an internship program for more than 20
years and maintains an active file of organizations that have sponsored successful
internships.
3. Administrative arrangements of the proposed program: Department and
School/College involved
The Communication Management major will be housed in the new School of
Communication. It is complemented by two other majors proposed for the School, as
well as by the current existing general major in Communication. We plan to continue the
present degree program to provide continuity to students who started the program under
the departmental structure and also to provide a curricular option for students who prefer
a more general approach to the field.
The new major in Communication Management will be coordinated by a division
director, who will be responsible for day-to-day responsibilities involving curriculum,
enrollment, scheduling, and student advising. The director of this division, as well as the
directors of the other two School divisions, and the Graduate Director, will comprise the
School Curriculum Committee. The Curriculum Committee, which will meet three times
each semester, will also administer the continuing general major in Communication.
(Dramatic Arts, which has a formal, titular home in the Communication Department but
controls its own budget and curriculum, will maintain its autonomous relationship with
Communication under the new School structure. The Director of Dramatic Arts will
continue to supervise the Drama curriculum, although formal integrations with
Communication coursework may be put forth at a later date.)
A visual diagram of the administrative structure that will govern the new
degree program appears in Appendix B. The School will have a 12-month director,
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who will teach one course per term. The current support staff of the department,
including the director of Broadcast, Computer, and CommunicationEngineering (which
is currently a staff position), will support the Director and School. In addition, an
External Advisory Board, composed of influential members of the communication
community in Cleveland (e.g., public relations executives, organizational consultants,
journalists, and film-makers), will provide regular input to the Director. The committee’s
suggestionswill ensure that the School remains in touch with the larger community, in
line with the university’s metropolitan mission. In addition, as stipulated in the School of
Communication proposal that was approved by Faculty Senate, School-related curricular
proposals will be relayed directly to the University Curriculum Committee for its
consideration.
4. Evidence of needfor the new degree program
There is a pressing need for a major in Communication Management. A
Communication Management major will: (a) embellish our undergraduate curriculum; (b)
better prepare our graduates for the world of work; (c) meet the demand for
communicationmanagers nationally and in the region; and (d) provide students with
skills that they can use to improve the quality of life in Northeast Ohio.
a.) Communication Management is an established, bona fide degree program in
our field. The professional communication associations -- International Communication
Association and National Communication Association -- have academic divisions
devoted to the study of the management of interpersonal, organizational, and intercultural
communication. As a field that can trace its lineage to Aristotle but has incorporated
contemporary multi-layered approaches to the study of communicationin context,
Communication Management has a coherent body of knowledge that can best be
appreciated through a major rather than a pastiche of courses. The new degree program
pulls together existing course offerings, while adding a capstone requirement that
emphasizes writing and application of communication management knowledge.
b.) There is a pressing need for competent communicationmanagers, and the new
degree program directly addresses this need. As the authors of an authoritative
communication textbook note:
Communication competency is indispensable for successful participation in the
world of work. Interested in getting a job? A recent study indicated that the
number one necessary ability is “communication skills.” The ability to
communicate effectively often determines a person’s perceived overall
competency and level of success. Today’s workers need interpersonal skills even
more than technical expertise. Surveyed senior executives said they “want
employees to be good listeners, to interact well with others, and to solve problems
effectively.’’ Ironically these executives indicated that the abilities most lacking in
the workforce were those three skills. (Berko, Wolvin, & Wolvin, 2004, pp. 3-4)
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The new major provides academic and professional training in communication
skill development. Students will receive intensive exposure in their courses to
interpersonal and organizational theories that lay the foundation for competent
communication. The capstone course, adopting a case study approach, requires that
students demonstrate ability in problem solving by integrating theory and practice.
The new degree program also offers concentrated coursework in practical
communication skills such as public speaking, team-building, computer-mediated
organizational communication,negotiation, and interracial sensitivity. For example,
Communication 242 (Public and Professional Speaking) teaches students how to
persuasively present informative speeches, using the latest in computer technology.
Communication 448 (Managing Organizational Teams) offers tutelage in promoting
effective teamwork in contemporary organizations, a much-needed skill in today’s world
of work. Communication 444 (Mediation and Collaborative Problem Solving) offers
theory-guided training in how to mediate real-world disputes by harnessing a
combination of listening and cultural sensitivity skills. Armed with this combination of
research-based and practically-oriented coursework, our students will be able to enter the
work force confident of success.
c.) Macro-level data make it abundantly clear that there is a need for individuals
skilled in the art and science of managing communication.As suggested earlier, about
80% of business executives indicate that skills in listening, interpersonal communication,
and problem-solving are instrumental to career success. Yet these very skills appear to be
demonstrably lacking in many employees, approximately 90% of whom report anxiety
about communicating with an individual or in groups (Berko et al., 2004). What’s more,
despite the downturn in the economy, there is a continued need for jobs in
communication management (e.g., training manager, organizational consultant, health
communication specialist, conflict mediator, and family counselor).
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d.) The final argument for a major in Communication Management is neither
academic nor job-related: It stems fiom our heart-felt belief that specialists in
communication management can do much to improve the quality of life in the region.
Each day disputes between people at home and at work spill over, leading to verbal abuse
or a socially unpleasant work environment. In our schools, administrators and parents
come to psychological fisticuffs over how to spend taxpayer money or resolve
intercultural disagreements. In Greater Cleveland neighborhoods, business developers
and residents clash over how to use public space. And every time a patient visits a doctor,
he or she must come to terms with the possibility that information may be ineptly
communicated by a well-intentioned physician, while doctors, for their part, know all too
well that patients fail to comply with their recommended regimen.
Of course, interpersonal communicationcannot solve all these problems. But it
can make inroads. Individuals with training in mediation, intercultural sensitivity, and
health communication can help refiame situations so that those at risk can cope more
humanely with the problems that ail them. More generally, students trained in
communication management can build the type of capable, talented work force that
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Cleveland needs to successfully grapple with its social and economic problems, as
identified in recent public documents (Greater Cleveland Growth Association, 2003).
5. Prospective enrollment
The major markets for the degree program will be: (a) Cleveland State students
contemplating a major in an interpersonal and organizationally-focusedsocial science
discipline; (b) high school graduates with an interest in people-oriented professions that
require communication skills and knowledge; (c) students transferring from community
colleges who want to gain in-depth training in the management of communication
problems; and (d) graduate school-boundundergraduates with a passion for human
communication research.
We have every reason to believe that enrollment in the major will be strong and
abiding. Departmental records indicate that Communication boasts more than 500 majors
-- including double majors and students temporarily inactive because they are not
enrolled in classes. A recent in-house survey of students graduated from 1998-2000
revealed that each year the department graduated an average of 137 undergraduates and
19 graduate students. The Department - soon-to-be School -- offers its undergraduate
program in both the day and evening. All this augurs well for a potential major in
Communication Management.
Courses in the Communication Management area have consistently high
enrollment. There were 823 students enrolled in these courses over both semesters last
year, with over 35 students in each course section. There is every reason to believe that
these numbers should increase, as students realize that they can amplify the current major
with a more marketable, specific degree program. A survey of undergraduate students in
Communication classes, conducted last fall, showed that a majority expressed
considerable interest in majoring in Communication management. What’s more, with
publicity, we have a high probability of attracting transfer students and students
graduating from community colleges (Tri-C and Lakeland) who have an interest in
managing communication effectively. Working with our active alumni organization, we
believe that we will attract sufficient publicity for the new major that it will entice older
individuals working in communication-relatedjobs in Northeast Ohio to return to college
to gain or complete their degrees.
The proposed major is the only one offered in Cuyahoga County universities that
combines strong social science-orientedtraining in Communication Management with
up-to-date coursework in communication skills.
6. Special efforts to enroll and retain minority students and women, ifwomen are
considered underrepresented in the given discipline.
Cultural diversity plays an important role in the Communication Management
curriculum. Coursework is designed to heIp students appreciate communication gaps and
inequalities in American society and to assist them in becoming more culturally sensitive
6
professional communicators. Our faculty is deeply committed to the goal of diversity.
The proposed major will build on the faculty’s track record in this area.
Emphasis on racial and gender inequality has long played a part in course
offerings in interpersonal and organizational communication. We offer courses on
Interracial Communication and Black English and are actively working with faculty
planning a Black Studies major to include our coursework in their proposed requirement.
Our courses in gender communication and mediation are highly popular in the
department. Health communication courses draw on research on racial inequalities in
health care, a focus of a recent President’s Initiative Grant on cancer communication and
cultural minorities that was coordinated by our department
Our courses presently attract substantial numbers of women and minority
students. More than 50% of students graduating with a communication major are women,
and considerable numbers are minorities. A team of faculty and graduate students fiom
Purdue University, familiar with our commitment to educating minority students, plans to
come to Cleveland State this spring to encourage our top minority students to pursue a
Ph.D. in Communication at Purdue. Hoping to increase the number of minority students
in our undergraduate program, we plan to talk up our program with minority affairs
coordinators at local community colleges and counselors at area high schools.
7. Faculty andfacilities available for the new degree program and their adequacy.
The Communication Management program builds on the strengths of the
department’s faculty and facilities. Formed in 1972, the Communication Department is
one of the largest and most productive departments in the college and university. There
are currently 19 faculty members, and four term or visiting professors. Our faculty are
nationally-recognizedscholars and practitioners of communication. The department
consistently ranks in the top 10 of schools producing Communication research in the
U.S., and was ranked first among U.S. communication programs that do not currently
offer a doctorate. Five faculty members have received CSU’s Distinguished Award for
Research. Our faculty and staff have also received national commendations, including
early career honors, Fellow recognition from a professional association, five Fulbright
Awards, as well as a CSU Distinguished Professional Staff Award (for a teaching
member of the professional staff). Faculty have generated grants and contracts over the
past two years that total well over $500,000, with two departmental grant teams securing
President’s Initiative Grant awards. Over the past year, Communication faculty published
over 80 refereedjournal articles, book chapters, and creative works, and eight books or
edited volumes.
Teaching evaluations of faculty in the department typically surpass the college
mean, with an average score of 4.25 for the department compared to 4.20 for the college
as a whole. Faculty members are active in the community, working with students in
professional communication settings.
7
The Communication Management area has eight faculty members and one term
faculty member who teaches diverse courses in the division. Like their colleagues in the
department as a whole, the Communication Management faculty have received
professional commendations, including the Gerald M. Phillips award for Distinguished
Applied Communication Scholarship and the Steve Duck New Scholar Award. Our
faculty have served as associate editors or editorial board members of major
communicationjournals, including Communication Monographs and Health
Communication. They have held leadership posts in the department, university, and the
larger metropolitan community. All are dedicated, experienced teachers who have
regularly taught courses in interpersonal, organizational, intercultural, strategic, and
health communication, advised students on curricular and job-related issues, coordinated
internships, and supervised the undergraduate curriculum in the department.
This faculty can adequately staff the new major. Earlier this year we examined
whether our existing faculty could offer the new major, with its diverse courses and
requirements. We carefully planned a schedule for three years that covered day and night
sections and took into account the need to offer specific courses at sufficient frequency to
allow students to complete the major. An exhaustive analysis by the division and
department chair revealed that we could staff the new major and offer staple day
and night courses, with our current faculty (see Appendix C).
The School has facilities that complement our proposed curriculum. These
include an experimental research suite, a multi-media computer laboratory, and small
group rooms with two-way mirrors and videotaping capability. These are particularly
useful for focus groups that play a role in Communication Management courses on
mediation, family communication, and organizationalcommunication. Communication
Management faculty also have access to the Communication Research Center, a research
unit in operation for more than a quarter-of-a-century that has computer-aided telephone
interviewing facilities and technology for web-based surveys.
8. & 9. Needfor additionalfacilities and stafalong with plansfor meeting this need, and
projected additional cost associated with thisprogram and the adequacy of expected
subsidy and other income to meet this need
Appreciating the state and university’s fiscal problems, we have trimmed our
requests down to the essentials of what we need to manage this program (see School
Budget that appears at the end of this document). The Interim Dean of the College
of Arts and Sciences has indicated that the College can financially support our
requests.
We need release time for a division director, who would coordinate majors,
enrollment, and advising, as well as make contacts with the community through the
External Advisory Board. We also need to upgrade the current part-time secretary to an
administrative secretary to provide administrative support for the division (as well as the
other School divisions). This change will also provide the infrastructure that is needed for
curricular expansion and professional accreditation. We anticipate that enrollment will
8
I
increase as a result of the practical benefits of specific majors and publicity that accrues
to the School.
IO. Information about the use of consultants or advisoly committees in the development
of the new degree proposal.
CommunicationManagement faculty have long-standing contacts with
organizations in Northeast Ohio, including the Cleveland Mediation Center, the Rape
Crisis Center, University Hospitals, National Conference on Community and Justice, and
organizationalcommunication divisions in leading corporations.
Once the proposal is approved, incorporating comments from college and
university committees and OBOR, we will send the full-dress proposal to academics and
influential members of the community for their input, comments, and support.
9
References
Berko, R.M., Wolvin, A.D., & Wolvin, D.R. (2004). Communicating: A social and
careerfocus (9th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Greater Cleveland Growth Association (2003). 2002-2006 Public policy agendafor
Northeast Ohio. Cleveland: Greater Cleveland Growth Association. (Available online.)
Vangelisti, A. & Daly, J. (1989). Correlates of speaking skills in the United States: A
national assessment. Communication Education, 38, 132-143.
10 PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR A MAJOR IN
FILM AND DIGITAL MEDIA
Submitted by the Department of Communication
Cleveland State University
I . Designation of the new degree program, rationalefor that designation, and a brief
description of the program
The Department of Communication proposes a new major in Film and Digital
Media, to be offered by the Media A r t s & Technology Division of the forthcoming
School of Communication.This major builds logically upon tracks of study that have
been available to Communication students for many years-film studies, videolaudio
production, and video/audio management. Students completing the new degree program
will receive a broad-based education on the role that technology plays in society, as well
as specific skills in the burgeoning fields of digital media and film.With technology
shaping the way individuals work and communicate with one another, there is a pressing
need for a major that provides intensive training in the art and science of media
technologies.
Such a major is justified by the proliferation of film, digital media, and global
telecommunications (Lin & Atkin, 2002). Global television, personal computers, cell
phones, and palm pilots have grown in market share at exponential rates. Informational
products and services are expected to generate $2 trillion a year in revenues, and
entertainment,through movies and DVDs, is expected to gross $1 trillion a year (Pelton,
2003). This all provides compelling, evidence of what scholars call a new "ICE" age
(Information, Communication, Entertainment).
Much of this has been made possible by the convergence of hitherto separate
industries of computers, cable TV, filmmaking, and computer software. The
technological foundation of the convergence that has erased boundaries between
traditional electronic markets is the shift fiom analog to digital communications.
"Digital" has become the universal prefix of our time. The power and flexibility of
digital devices is the root cause of the pervasive shift our society is experiencing from
traditional analog-based information systems to the visually-based conduits of wireless
and wired "datacasting." Digitization enables diverse services to be delivered
simultaneouslythrough voice, video, and imaging modalities with a high quality of
service and maximum efficiency. Clearly, we are all part of the "integrated
communication grid" (Dizard, 1994) through which anyone can send or receive messages
in any mode to virtually anyone, anywhere on earth. The professional skills associated
with the effective use of digital media are in great demand.
Although computer science and engineering units have a natural role to play in
the design of these systems, the task of developing practical applications, studying
their effects, and disseminating this new body of knowledge to others is the province of
communication scholars. Universities, which sometimes seem to change at a glacial pace
(Entman, 1997), must adapt to these changes by offering degree programs that explore
the production, impact, and aesthetic qualities of contemporary technology. In particular,
what is needed is a major that provides students with an appreciation of film studies,
production skills in digital media, and an overarching, critical understanding of the role
that technology plays in contemporary society.
1
I
Undergraduate majors in digital production, media studies, and film are a staple in
many Communication Schools and Colleges. Cleveland State students should have the
same in-depth training in media arts and technology as do students at other universities.
Our students have long sought the opportunity of obtaining the professional skills that
employers seek, as well as the matching credentials that recognize these achievements.
The new degree can help provide them with this career-related outcome. This also can
have the salutary effect of making the Communication School a major player in the
telecommunications web of the region.
2. Description of proposed curriculum
The structure of the proposed program follows that found at many other schools.
It includes two courses that are requirements of the School of Communication, two
courses that are required by the Division of Media Arts and Technology (MAT), and the
selection of one of three sequences (i.e., series of courses). The three sequences from
which MAT students may choose in order to complete their Film and Digital Media
major are: Film, Digital Media, and Media Studies. The curriculum seeks to achieve a
balance among professional skills, theory and communicationresearch methods, and a
liberal arts background. It includes a variety of new courses geared explicitly to the
School, recently approved by the College Curriculum Committee. A curricular chart
that displays the required courses for the major appears in Appendix A. Notice that
a variety of elective courses are also proposed; electives are structured to permit
students to select coursesfiom other sequence areas within the division, other divisions
in the School, and the university as a whole.
Required Coursesfor the School. The new School of Communicationwill have
two required courses for all students (total of 8 credits): COM 101, Principles of
Communication, and COM 303, Communication Inquiry. The first provides the general
background and introduction to the discipline and the latter the social science methods
that are the basis of research in the field.
Required Coursesfor the Division. The Division of Media Arts and Technology
requires two courses for all Film and Digital Media majors (total of 8 credits). Given
that we live in an era characterized by rapid, repeated exposure to moving images of all
sorts, it makes sense to offer an introductory course that helps students develop an
informed, critical understanding of contemporary media. The course, COM 13 1, Media
and Technology Literacy, provides the principles, critical thinking, and analysis skills
that are needed to operate in an informed and adaptive fashion in our contemporary
media-rich world. The second course, COM 226 Mass Media and Society, offers a strong
theoretical and research background in mass media processes, effects, and industries.
Students are required to select the film, digital media, or media studies sequence
for their professional emphasis. Film focuses on the evolution of cinema and film
production. Digital media examines tools of visual communication and digital
production. Media studies explores the role of media and technology in society. Each of
these has required courses and electives totaling 29 credits.
2
/
Film Sequence:
Required Coursesfor Film Sequence (25 credits). Students are required to take
the following courses: COM 204, Single Source Video/Audio Production; COM 221,
Introduction to Film; COM 320, History of the Moving Image; COM 325, Screenwriting;
COM 4 10 and 4 11, Film Production I & 11; and COM 4 12, Film Practicum (capstone; 1
credit). The first course covers the basic tools of visual communication, using singlecamera techniques common to film-style production. COM 22 1 and 320 introduce
students to the history, theory, industry, and practice of film. COM 325,410, and 41 1
provide core experience in filmmaking from scripting to final production and editing.
The final course, a practicum, provides students with an integrative experience in film
planning and production.
Electivesfor Film Sequence (4 credits). Students may take any of the following
courses as an elective, thereby enriching their theoretical and professional background
and providing opportunitiesfor a specialty: COM 321, Documentary Form in Film and
Television; COM 329, Contemporary Film; COM 428, Imaging Afkica; and COM 445,
Special Topics in Media A r t s & Technology.
Recommended School Coursesfor Film Sequence. Any Media Arts and
Technology divisional offering is to be considered a recommended elective, with special
emphasis given to COM 345, Film Theory, and COM 470, DVD and Emerging Media.
Students are also advised to take the following related courses within the School of
Communication: COM 330, Nonverbal Communication; COM 332, Interracial
Communication; COM 348, Intercultural Communication; and COM 359, International
Communication.
Recommended University Coursesfor Film Sequence. Students also are advised to
take the following courses elsewhere in the University: ENG 2 16/217, Foreign Film;
UST, The City and Film; ART 232, Photography I; ART 332, Photography 11; ART 256,
History of Photography; ENG 271, Shakespeare and Film; ENG 364, Popular Culture;
DRA 200, Introduction to Technical Theatre; DRA 301, Lighting Design; DRA 3 11
Drama and the Film; D R 4 33 1, Principles of Directing; DRA 46 1, Playwriting; or ANT
323,Visual Anthropology.
Digital Media Sequence:
Required Coursesfor Digital Media Sequence (8 credits). Students in Digital
Media Production are required to take COM 204, Single Source Video/Audio Production,
and COM 320, History of the Moving Image. The first course covers the basic tools of
visual communication with a focus on the single-camera production style. The second
introduces students to the important academic advances in film and video history that
continue to affect the art and commerce of digital media.
3
Electives for Digital Media Sequence (21 credits). Students take any one of the
followingthree courses: COM 321, Documentary Form in Film and Television; COM
351, Audio Production; and COM 352, Multi-Source Video and Audio Production. Each
is designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop a particular production
emphasis. Students also take one of the following two specialty courses: COM 400,
Studio and Media Management, and COM 403, Advanced Video Editing. In addition,
students take one of the following three capstone courses, each of which is designed to
provide an integrative experience with regard to advanced digital technologies: COM
401, Advanced Video Production; COM 405, Electronic Journalism; and COM 470,
DVD and Emerging Media. To provide additional depth, students are required to take a
minimum of nine additional credits from the above list or the following: COM
100/200/300, CommunicationLab (Digital Media topic only; 1 credit); COM 22 1,
Introduction to Film; COM 231, Evolution of Mass Media; COM 301, Broadcast and
New Media Writing; COM 325, Screenwriting, COM 353, Media Electronics; COM 358,
Media Law, Economics, and Ethics; COM 370, Communication Technology and Social
Change; COM 445, Special Topics in Media Arts and Technology; COM 450, Media
Programming and Research; and COM 490, Internship.
Recommended School Coursesfor Digital Media Sequence. Any MAT offering is
to be considered a recommended elective, with special emphasis given to COM 327,
Media Criticism, and COM 329, Contemporary Film. Students are also advised to take
the following courses within the School of Communication: COM 330, Nonverbal
Communication; COM 332, Interracial Communication; COM 347, Political
Communication; COM 348, Intercultural Communication; COM 350, Persuasive
Communication and Attitude Change; COM 357, Principles of Public Relations; COM
359, International Communication; and COM 360, Principles of Advertising.
Recommended University Coursesfor Digital Media Sequence. Students also are
advised to take the following courses elsewhere in the University: ART 232,
Photography I; ART 332, Photography 11; ART 256, History of Photography; ART 445,
Introduction to Digital Media; MUS 112, Macromusic; MUS 427, Computer Music I;
EDB 300, Educational Technology; DRA 200, Introduction to Technical Theatre, DRA
301, Lighting Design; DRA 331, Principles of Directing; and DRA 46 1, Playwriting.
Media Studies Sequence:
Required Coursesfor Media Studies Sequence (I 2 credits). Students in Media
Studies are required to take COM 23 1, Evolution of Mass Media; COM 327, Media
Criticism; and COM 450, Media Programming and Research (capstone). The first two
courses provide students with the basic history and critical perspectives relevant to an
understanding of the role of media in society. The last course, to be taken at the end of
the student’s sequence, provides a comprehensive capstone experience focused on the
economic, social, and cultural setting of the media.
4
Electivesfor Media Studies Sequence (I 7 credits). Students must take two of the
following courses, which represent broad coverage of important topics on the role of
media technology in society: COM 301, Broadcast and New Media Writing; COM 300,
PsychologicalProcessing of Media; COM 358, Media Law, Economics and Ethics; COM
370, Communication Technology and Social Change; and COM 400, Studio and Media
Production Management. Students also must take a minimum of nine additional credits
from the above list or the following: COM 100/200/300, CommunicationLab (Media
Studies topic only; 1 credit); COM 204, Single Source Video/Audio Production; COM
221, Introduction to Film; COM 320, History of the Moving Image; COM 345, Film
Theory; COM 329, Contemporary Film; COM 445, Special Topics in Media Arts and
Technology; and COM 470, DVD and Emerging Media.
Recommended School Coursesfor Media Studies Sequence. Any MAT offering is
to be considered a recommended elective, with special emphasis given to COM 325,
Screenwriting,and COM 428, Imaging Africa. Students are also advised to take the
following courses within the School of Communication to gain a broad background in
mass communication issues: COM 347, Political Communication; COM 348,
Intercultural Communication; COM 350, Persuasive Communication and Attitude
Change; COM 357, Principles of Public Relations; COM 359, International
Communication; and COM 360, Principles of Advertising.
Recommended University Coursesfor Media Studies Sequence. Students are
advised to take the following courses elsewhere in the University: MKT, Marketing
Research; MKT 441, Advertising and Promotion Management; PSY 220, Child
Development; PSY 335, Consumer Psychology; PSY 368, Perceptual Processes; and PSC
3 19, Public Opinion.
Internships. Students will be encouraged to take relevant internships at area
institutions or on particular projects (e.g., feature film shoots). Internships will be
coordinated by the division head, who will make certain that the experience combines
bona fide training and education. The Communication Department has sponsored an
internship program for more than 20 years and maintains an active file of organizations
that have sponsored successful internships, many of which have been media-related.
3. Administrative arrangements of the proposed program: Department and
School/College involved.
The Film and Digital Media major will be housed in the new School of
Communication. It is complementedby two other majors proposed for the School, as
well as by the current general major in Communication. We plan to continue the present
degree program to provide continuity to students who started the program under the
departmental structure and also to provide a curricular option for students who prefer a
more general approach to the field.
The Film and Digital Media major will be coordinated by a division director, who
will be responsible for day-to-day responsibilities involving curriculum, enrollment,
scheduling, and student advising. The director of the division, as well as the directors of
5
the other two School divisions, and the Graduate Director, will comprise the School
Curriculum Committee. The Curriculum Committee, which will meet three times each
semester, will also administer the continuing general major in Communication. (Dramatic
Arts, which has a formal, titular home in the Communication Department but controls its
own budget and curriculum, will maintain its autonomous relationship with
Communication under the new School structure. The Director of Dramatic Arts will
continue to supervise the Drama curriculum, although formal integrations with
Communication coursework may be put forth at a later date.)
A formal diagram of the administrative structure that will govern the new
degree program appears in Appendix B. The School will have a 12-month director,
who will teach one course per term. The current support staff of the department,
including the director of Broadcast, Computer and Communication Engineering (which is
currently a staff position), will support the Director and School. In addition, an External
Advisory Board, composed of influential members of the communication community in
Cleveland (e.g., film makers, public relations executives, and communication
management specialists), will provide regular input to the Director. The committee’s
suggestions will ensure that the School remains in touch with the larger community, in
line with the university’s metropolitan mission. In addition, as stipulated in the School of
Communication proposal that was approved by Faculty Senate, School-related
curricular proposals will be relayed directly to the University Curriculum Committee for
its consideration.
4. Evidence of needfor the new degree program
There is a pressing need for a major in Film and Digital Media. The new major
will: (a) strengthen our undergraduate curriculum; (b) meet existing student needs and
preferences; (c) help meet community needs for an expanded workforce in film and
digital production; and (d) provide a creative vitality that can bolster the artistic and
economic foundation of Northeast Ohio.
a.) Film and digital media form a core component of the contemporary
environment. Training in the art and science of mediated communication is an important
aspect of contemporary education. Given the numerous ways that media, digitization, and
the Internet have reshaped contemporary society, it is important that undergraduates have
a working, critical knowledge of the role media technologies play in contemporary
culture. Students need to understand the strengths and limits of these technologies, their
historical and economic impact, and the many associated ethical ramifications. At the
same time, students need to appreciate creative production applications of technologies.
The new major provides students with a base of experiential knowledge of film and
digital media through a host of courses that offer hands-on training in contemporary
media arts. In a global information environment characterizedby cinematic and digital
messages, it is imperative that students be capable of creating, managing and distributing
complex communicationsthrough the modalities of film and digital media.
6
b.) The new major responds to a clear and present need as reported by our current
students. A recent departmental survey of Communicationstudents’ curricular
preferences found that students displayed a high level of interest in majoring in Film and
Digital Media. Our Digital Video CommunicationCenter is filled to capacity with
students who are working on digital productions. A CSU Independent Film Production
School that offers hands-on training in the production of short films attracted more than
80 applicants this past summer. Interest in film is expected to increase once community
members become aware of the awarding of a $150,000 President’s Initiative grant to
continue development of the film school.
With the pending closure of First College as of July 1,2004, First College courses
with a healthy record of attracting students will be reassigned to the MAT division. Three
such courses are planned for fall. An existing constituency of enthusiastic film students
will have increased opportunities for access to film and video facilities that are available
in the School. This in turn should have an immediate positive impact on SCH production.
Over the long haul, as Cleveland State contemplates a curricular commitment to fine arts
and extends its relationships with the visual arts community in Cleveland, the availability
of a film and digital media major will be a feather in the university’scap -- a degree
program that should be increasingly attractive to college-bound artists and producers in
the region.
c.) Film production pumped more than $22 million into the local economy over
the past four years (as noted by Cleveland Mayor Jane L. Campbell in her 2003 State of
the City Address). Todd Black, a producer of Antwone Fisher, a highly regarded movie
filmed in Cleveland in 2001, praised the enthusiasm of the local workforce, but lamented
the shortage of professional-caliber crew members (Washington, 2002). In an era in
which “Hollywood” exists wherever creativity and energy come together with
appropriate technology and skills, the Northeast Ohio area needs to position itself as a
true “player,” much as Toronto and Pittsburgh have done. Cleveland needs trained film
professionals. At the national level, “motion pictures” has been identified as a career
sector with one of the greatest growth potentials. UCLA economists project that the
entertainment business will grow at double the rate of the economy from 1998 to 2008
(Hontz & Adalian, 1998). And global box office receipts are projected to grow 34% to
$24 billion between 1998 and 2008, owing to rising ticket prices and worldwide
multiplex proliferation (Hindes, 1998).
In the same fashion, as digitally-based media proliferate and wireless technologies
transform the market, businesses need to hire young people with demonstrable digital
audio, video, and DVD production skills. The new major will help meet these important
economically-basedcommunity needs. The need for greater emphasis on DVD
production is notable. Indeed, a pair of 2003 surveys of video production facilities
conducted by market group Trendwatch found the proportion of media production
facilities that do DVD-authoring work increased from 46% to 56% in just a six-month
period (see More DVDs, 2003). CSU’s Communication Department is a leader in DVD
higher education curriculum, having taught a pioneering course on DVD production eight
times since 2001 and offering students training in the production of digital video discs in
7 its DVCOMM Center. DVDs, which have been identified by scholars as “the ideal
convergent medium for a converging world” (Taylor, 2001,p. 2), have wide applications
to the world of work and education. Students who can edit and produce DVDs have a leg
up in the competitive regional job market.
d.) A major in film and digital media can, over the long haul, have fiuitful macro
implications. There is social scientific evidence that cities are more likely to prosper
economically if they have a vital creative sphere that attracts innovators and bohemians
(Florida, 2002). Although it would be facile to argue that a film and digital media major
can transform the economic base of Cleveland, it is certainly reasonable, in light of this
body of research, to suggest that such a major could serve as a magnet to creative people
in the film and digital arts. Cleveland has a rich artistic tradition with a diverse menu of
ethnic and cultural artistic offerings. The new major could embellish this tradition,
encouraging creative people to remain in the city, a development that has been
intriguingly correlated with metropolitan economic success.
5. Prospective Enrollment
The major market for the degree program will be: (a) Cleveland State students
contemplating a major in a media arts-related field; (b) high school graduates with an
interest in film, media studies, or video/audio production; (c) students transferring from
community colleges who want to gain in-depth training in media arts; and (d) graduate
school-bound undergraduates with a passion for mass communication research.
We have every reason to believe that enrollment in the major will be strong and
abiding. Departmental records indicate that Communication boasts more than 500 majors,
including double majors and students who are temporarily inactive. An in-house survey
of students graduating from 1998-2000revealed that each year the Department graduated
an average of 137undergraduates and 19 graduate students.
Undergraduate Communication students, queried about preferences for majors in
a survey conducted in the fall of 2003, indicated that they are enthusiasticabout the
emphases represented in the proposed major. Film ranked second among the proposed
specialties, and all three of the Film and Digital Media emphases (i.e., Film, Digital
Media, and Media Studies) ranked among the top five. The major is clearly likely to
attract students at Cleveland State.
In a complementary fashion, the experience to date in First College has revealed
an enthusiastic and dedicated student body fully engaged in the enterprise of film study
and filmmaking. This is reflected in the healthy enrollment in FST film classes over the
last few years. On average, FST film classes garnered 237 SCH per semester.
Amplifying these trends, we expect, with appropriate publicity, to attract a new
constituency of students who have not heretofore considered CSU as an option. Our
Summer 2003 CSU Independent Film School experience leads us to believe that there is
an untapped market of prospective film and digital video students in the area. This is
8
particularly true for the film sequence, given that there is no longer a film major offered
at any four-year institution in the Northeast Ohio region.
6. Special eforts to enroll and retain minority students and women, ifwomen are
considered underrepresented in the given discipline.
Cultural diversity will continue to play an important role in the Film and Digital
Media curriculum. Our faculty is deeply committed to the goal of diversity. The proposed
major will build on the faculty’s track record in this area.
Across the School, our courses presently attract substantial numbers of women
and minority students. More than 50% of students graduating with a Communication
major, are women. Communication coursework attracts respectable numbers of minority
students; indeed, a team of faculty and graduate students from Purdue University,
familiar with our commitment to educating minority students, plans to come to Cleveland
State this spring to encourage our top minority students to pursue graduate work in
Communication at their university. Hoping to increase the number of minority students in
our undergraduate program, we plan to talk up our program with minority affairs
coordinators at local community colleges and to work with college counselors at area
high schools.
While females have historically been underrepresented in film and digital video
specialties nationwide, our female full-time faculty and regular female part-time
instructors provide role models for women seeking apprenticeships in film and digital
media.
7. Faculty andfacilities available for the new degree program and their adequacy.
Formed in 1972, the Communication Department is one of the largest and most
productive departments in the university. There are currently 19 faculty members, and
four term or visiting professors. Our faculty is comprised of nationally-recognized
scholars and practitioners of communication. The department consistentlyranks in the
top 10 of schools producing Communication research in the U.S., and was ranked first
among U.S. Communicationprograms that do not currently offer a doctorate. Five
faculty members have received CSU’s Distinguished Award for Research. Our faculty
and staff have also received national commendations, including early career honors,
Fellow recognition from a professional association, and five Fulbright awards. Over the
past year, Communication faculty published over 80 refereed journal articles, book
chapters, and creative works, and eight books or edited volumes.
Teaching evaluations of faculty in the department typically surpass the college
mean, with an average score of 4.25 for the department compared to 4.20 for the college
as a whole. Faculty members are active in the community, working with students in
applied organizational and professional communication settings.
9
The Media Arts and Technology area has six faculty members, one professional
stafYmember who teaches a specialized course in media electronics and serves as
Director of Engineering for the Digital Video Communication Center (as well as
maintaining the 150-plus departmental computers and all classroom media), and one half­
time Interactive Digital Media Manager who teaches courses and coordinates use of
digital facilities within the Digital Video Communication Center. (This position has been
slated for conversion to full-time term faculty). Like their colleagues in the department
as a whole, members of the Media Arts & Technology faculty have received professional
commendations, including the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass
Communication Under-40 Scholar Award, the CSU Distinguished StafT Service Award,
and the CSU Distinguished Faculty Award. Two faculty members have produced
documentaries aired on PBS stations, and one professor is a regional Emmy winner.
Faculty members also have held leadership posts in the department, university, and the
larger metropolitan community.
Earlier this year we examined the feasibility of offering this new major, with its
diverse courses and requirements. We carefully planned a schedule for three years,
covering day and night sections and taking into account the need to offer specific courses
at sufficient fi-equencyto allow students to complete the major. An exhaustive analysis
by the division and department chair showed that we can staff the new major and
offer staple day and night courses, with our current faculty (see Appendix C).
The School of Communication has outstandingphysical facilities that
complement our proposed curriculum. The Digital Video Communication Center
(originally called the Video/Audio Communication Center) was established in 1990 with
more than $1 million in broadcast-quality media production equipment. The complex
includes a main video/television studio with a control room, master control and 16mm
film chain, a smaller secondary TV studio, three digital audio production suites and three
nonlinear video editing labs with 19 video editing workstations and graphics computers.
Portable digital production equipment is stored and distributed for student use from a
secure check out room.
This facility has been continually updated and enhanced through departmental
efforts. For example, in 1999, a $400,000 OBOWOLN Digital Media grant created a
state-of-the-art DVD authoring system, comprised of a digital media server, professionalquality DVD authoring suite, and 10 (now 16) industrial-quality DVD authoring stations.
These allow editing of digital video and audio content, navigation development, and
"burning" of prototype DVDs. CSU is one of only a handful of universities in the
country to have this leading edge technology and has been teaching its use since January
2001.
The department houses a 24-station computer classroom (updated in 2003) for
writing and web/technology classes, as well as a 30-station wireless laptop lab (created
2002) with the ability to transform any Communication classroom into a computer lab. A
large auditorium classroom features film,video and computer projection equipment for
film and media lectuK classes. All other classrooms contain similar multi-media
10 instructional equipment. These facilities allow us to offer state-of-the art instruction in
digital media. Students in video production courses have access to nonlinear editing labs,
and others taking DVD coursework can use digital authoring suites.
The technology is also accessible to students in film classes, enabling students to
gain experientialknowledge of contemporary cinema. In Spring of 2004, the School of
Communication will receive new film equipment, courtesy of First College. A four­
16mm film camera and flat-bed 16 mm film editing system will augment the two 16mm
film cameras currently owned by Communication. This critical mass of film technology
will allow the fleshing out of the curriculum to include, for the first time, production in
the classic medium of film.
Research facilities available to MAT students and faculty include a 10-station
CAT1 (computer-assisted telephone interviewing) and CATA (computer-aided text
analysis) lab (updated in 2004), an experimental research lab suite, a content analysis lab,
and a series of 10 focus group/observation labs with one-way glass and videotaping
capabilities.
To paraphrase an advertising slogan of years back, "This is not your father's
communicationfield." Graduates entering the communicationworkforce need
experience with a variety of cutting edge technologies in order to compete successfully in
the regional market. It has always been the goal of the Communication Department to
provide students with the knowledge and experience they need to become communication
professionals. The divisional majors proposed for the new school will enhance our
ability to meet this goal.
8. & 9. Needfor additionalfacilities and stafalong with plansfor meeting this need,
and projected additional cost associated with thisprogram and the adequacy of expected
subsidy and other income to meet this need
Appreciating the state and university's fiscal problems, we have trimmed our
requests down to the essentials of what we need to manage this program (see School
Budget that appears at the end of this document.) The Interim Dean of the College
of Arts and Sciences has indicated that the College can financially support our
requests.
We need release time for a division director, who will coordinate majors,
enrollment, and advising, as well as make contacts with the community through the
External Advisory Board. We anticipate that enrollment will increase as a result of the
practical benefits of specific majors and publicity that accrues to the School. These
expected increases in enrollment justify the conversion of the part-time interactive digital
media manager position to a term faculty position, which can help us cover courses and
advising for the major. Finally, we need to upgrade the current part-time secretary to an
administrative secretary to provide administrative support for the division (as well as the
other School divisions). This change will also provide the infrastructure that is needed to
accommodate curricular expansion and professional accreditation.
11
IO. Information about the use of consultants or advisory committees in the development
of the new degree proposal.
We plan to build on the strong and long-standing community partnerships that
MAT has built over the years. Many area professionals have served as informal
consultants to the development of coursework in this area--e.g., professionals from
Beachwood Studios, Adelphia Cable, Cinecraft, the Cleveland Film Society and
Cleveland Filmmakers, Cleveland Screenwriters, Tri-C, and Glazen Productions. These
connections will serve us well as we seek advisory input and will flourish under the new
School structure.
Over the past dozen years, we have partnered in cooperative fildvideo ventures
with such regional entities as the Better Business Bureau, Cleveland Music School
Settlement, Continental Airlines, City of Cleveland Department of Recreation, Karamu
House, United Church of Christ, and the City of Cleveland Heights
Faculty and staff in the division have been active in community and professional
outreach with such organizations as Cleveland Film Society/ClevelandInternational Film
Festival, Cleveland Film Commission, Ohio Independent Film Festival, National
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Ohio Arts Council, the DVD Association, and
the Werner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University. Film and digital media
students have interned on all major feature films shot in the Cleveland area over the last
10 years; this has established positive relationships between Communication faculty/staff
and film professionals.
Grant projects relevant to the new major have been conducted in partnership with
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, Independent Pictures, the Cleveland
Film Commission, Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, and the CSU
Urban Child Center.
Perhaps most tellingly, our biggest supporters--our alumni--have continued to
contact us for news about the establishment of a School of Communication with more
focused majors. Our successful video and film graduates are employed at virtually all the
television stations and video production houses in the area, many radio stations, the
Cleveland Indians, and the Cleveland Browns.
As soon as our PDP has been approved, incorporating comments from college and
university committees and OBOR, we will send the full-dress proposal to community and
academic experts. Their input, comments, and support will be incorporated in the final
proposal.
12 References
Dizard, W. (1 994). Old media, new media. New York: Longman.
Entman, R.M. (1997). Educating for the new informationprofession. PredPolitics, 2,
96-103.
Florida, R.L. (2002). The rise of the creative class and how it’s transforming work,
leisure, community and everyday life. New York: Basic Books.
Hindes, A. (1998, Sept. 28). Study sees global B.O. boost. Variety, p. 25.
Hontz, J.,& Adalian, J. (1998, Sept. 2 1-27). What’s giving h’w’d the jitters? Variety, p. 1.
Lin, C.A., & Atkin, D.J. (Eds.) (2002). Communication technology and society:
Audience adoption and uses. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
More DVDs, more DVD work for studios. (2003, October). videosystems.com, p. 16.
Pelton, J. N. (2003). The changing shape of global telecommunications. In K. Anokwa,
C. A. Lin, & M. B. Salwen (Eds.), International communication: Concepts and cases
(pp. 267-283). Belmont, CA: ThomsodWadsworth.
Taylor, J. (2001). DVD demystrJied (2nded.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Washington, J. (2002, November 22). Producer: Cleveland needs trained workers to
attract filmmakers. The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer.
13 PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR A MAJOR IN
JOURNALISM AND PROMOTIONAL COMMUNICATION
Submitted by the Department of Communication
Cleveland State University
I . Designation of the new degree program, rationalefor that designation, and a brief
description of the program
The Department of Communication proposes a new major in Journalism and
Promotional Communication. Students completing the degree will receive a broad-based
liberal arts education, with a focus on academic perspectives on mass communication
and up-to-date professional skills. The major, grounded in the First Amendment to the
Constitution and Jeffersonian respect for the importance of education, assumes that
universities play a vital role in training individuals to intelligentlygather and disseminate
information in a free society.
Calling on social science and liberal arts perspectives, the major is designed to
provide students with a reasoned appreciation of both the impact and responsibilities of
mass media in a contemporary capitalist democracy. The major also has a significant
skills component. The curriculum is designed to provide training in the gathering,
production, and strategic dissemination of information. In a democratic society that relies
on information and persuasion, rather than coercion, to achieve its ends, the professions
of journalism and promotional communication play a vital role. Significantly amplifying
the curricular options currently available to students, the new major provides intensive
coursework in media reporting and writing, as well as in the strategic design of public
relations and advertising campaigns.
Schools of Communication universally offer majors in journalism and
promotional communication. Many schools offer multiple majors. The'new degree
program provides our students with the training and credentials necessary to compete
successfullyin the Northeast Ohiojob market. Our students have long sought recognition
of their achievementsby obtaining the professional skills that employers seek, and the
major will provide them with this career-related opportunity. More generally, by offering
a comprehensive, ethically-grounded education in journalism and mass communication,
the new degree program prepares our students to actively participate in the ever-changing
world of American mass communication.
2. Description ofproposed curriculum
The structure of the proposed curriculum follows that found at many other
schools. At the same time, it complements traditional coursework by blending it with the
curricular approach our faculty have taken at Cleveland State. The major consists of two
courses that are requirements of the School of Communication,two courses that are
requirements of the Division of Journalism and Promotional Communication, and
coursework required by the three divisional sequences injournalism, public relations, and
advertising. The curriculum seeks to achieve a balance between professional skills,
1
I
academic approaches to mass communication, and a liberal arts backround. A chart of
requirements and electives for the major appears in Appendix A.
Required Coursesfor the School. The new School of Communication requires
two courses of all students: COM 101, Principles of Communication, and COM 303
Communication Inquiry. The first provides the general background and introductionto
the discipline, the latter the social science methods that are the basis of research in this
area.
Required Coursesfor the Division. The Division of Journalism and Promotional
Communication requires students in the program to take two to three courses, depending
on the sequence: COM 225, Media Writing; COM 226, Mass Media and Society; and
COM 327, Media Criticism. COM 225 provides the basic writing skills needed for
advancing to the Journalism and Public Relations sequence. COM 226 provides a strong
theoretical and research backround in all aspects of mass communication and media
industries. COM 327 serves as a media literacy course. Students then choose to focus on
journalism, which emphasizes reporting for news media, public relations, which offers
training in promotional strategies across media, or advertising, which stresses the
design of persuasive messages in paid media.
Journalism students are required to take COM 225, Media Writing, and COM
226, Mass Media and Society (8 credits). Public Relations students are required to take
COM 225, Media Writing; COM 226, Mass Media and Society; and COM 327, Media
Criticism (12 credits). Advertising students are required to take COM 226, Mass Media
and Society, and COM 327, Media Criticism (8 credits).
Students then are required to select the journalism, public relations, or advertising
sequence as their study emphasis. Each of these has required courses and electives. Each
sequence also includes new courses recently approved by the college curriculum
committee. In addition, it is recommended that students take courses in other university
departments and school divisions to provide them with a broad liberal arts and science
backround.
Required Coursesfor Journalism Sequence (20 credits). Students are required to
take the following courses: COM 326, Advanced Reporting; COM 328, Specialized
Writing, COM 425, Editing and Graphics; COM 426, Laboratory Newspaper; and COM
427, Learning to Manage a Laboratory Newspaper. The first two courses provide
students with the advanced reporting and writing skills needed by professionals. COM
425 and 426 arm students with hand-on experience in newspaper design and editing, and
COM 427 provides students with a capstone integrative experience in journalism.
.
Electives for Journalism Sequence (8 credits). In order to enrich students’
theoretical and professional backgrounds, the major requires that they take any two of the
following courses as electives: COM 347, Political Communication; COM 358, Media
2
/
Law, Economics & Ethics; COM 359, International Communication; COM 301,
Broadcast and New Media Writing; COM 490, Internship; or COM 493, Special Topics
in Journalism.
Recommended School Courses. The following courses from other School
divisions are also recommended: COM 346, Communication in Organizations; COM
448, Managing OrganizationalTeams; COM 131, Media and Technological Literacy;
COM 231, Evolution of Mass Media; COM 320, History of the Moving Image; COM
321, Documentary Form in Film and Television; and COM 405, Electronic Journalism,
Recommended College Coursesfor Journalism Sequence. Students also are
advised to take the following courses elsewhere: A r t s & Humanities courses in art and
design, e.g., ART 102/103; Social Sciences, at least 4 credits of Economics, such as ECN
20 11202, Principles of Macroeconomics, and 8 credits in the other Social and Behavioral
Sciences from the following courses: PSC 111, American Government; ANT 100,
Introduction to Anthropology; HIS 101/102 Western Civilization; HIS 111/112, U.S.
History; PSY 101, Introduction to Psychology; SOC 101, Intro to Sociology; and Natural
Sciences courses such as BIO 100, The Living World; CHM 25 1, College Chemistry; and
GEO 100, Introductory to Geology.
Required Coursesfor Public Relations Sequence (I 6 credits). Public relations
students must first fulfill three divisional requirements: COM 225, Media Writing; COM
226, Mass Media and Society; and COM 327, Media Criticism. Studentsthen must take
the following specialized courses for the sequence: COM 357, Principles of Public
Relations; COM 425, Editing and Graphics; COM 447, Advanced Public Relations
Writing; and COM 455, Communication and Campaigns (capstone course)
Electives for Public Relations Sequence (8 credits). Students take any two of the
following courses: COM 347, Political Communication; COM 350, Persuasion and
Attitude Change; COM 358, Media Law, Economics and Ethics; and COM 359,
International Communication; or COM 490, Internship.
Recommended School Courses. The following courses from other School
divisions are also recommended: COM 242, Public and Professional Speaking; COM
346, Communication in Organizations; COM 131, Media and Technological Literacy;
COM 23 1, Evolution of Mass Media; COM 301, Broadcast and New Media Writing; and
COM 320, History of the Moving Image.
Recommended College Coursesfor Public Relations Sequence. Students are
advised to take the following courses in other areas: PSY 101, Introduction to
Psychology; SOC 101,Introduction to Sociology; ECN 20 1, Macroeconomics; PSC 315,
Public Policy and Administration; and PSC 319, Public Opinion.
Required Coursesfor Advertising Sequence (20 credits). Students in Advertising
are required to take: COM 360, Principles of Advertising; COM 361, Advertising
3
Copywriting and Layout; COM 363, Advertising Media Planning and Sales; COM 364,
Interactive Advertising Designs; and COM 455, Communication and Campaigns
(capstone course).
Electives for Advertising Sequence (8 credits). Students take any two of the
following courses: COM 350, Persuasion and Attitude Change; COM 358, Media Law,
Economics, and Ethics; COM 370, Communication Technology and Social Change;
COM 450, Media Programming and Research; or COM 490, Internship.
Recommended School Courses. The following courses fiom other School
divisions are also recommended: COM 242, Public and Professional Speaking; COM
346, Communication in Organizations; COM 131,Media and Technological Literacy;
COM 23 1, Evolution of Mass Media; COM 301, Broadcast and New Media Writing;
COM 320, History of the Moving Image; and COM 450, Media Programming and
Research.
Recommended College Coursesfor Advertising Sequence. Students are advised to
take the following courses in other areas: PSY 101, Introduction to Psychology; SOC
101, Introduction to Sociology; and ECN 20 1,Macroeconomics. They also are
encouraged to take these Business College courses: MKT 30 1, Introduction to Marketing;
and MKT 305, Marketing Management.
Internships. Students will be encouraged to take internships in a news
organization, public relations firm,or advertising agency. Internships will be coordinated
by the division head, who will make certain that the experience combines bona fide
training at the business with completion of an academic paper. The Communication
Department has sponsored an internshipprogram for more than 20 years and maintains an
active file of organizationsthat have sponsored successful internships.
3. Administrative arrangements of theproposedprogram: Department and
School/College involved.
The Journalism and Promotional Communication major will be housed in the new
School of Communication.It is complemented by two other majors proposed for the
School, as well as by the current general major in Communication. We plan to continue
the present degree program to provide continuity to students who started the program
under the departmental structure and also to provide a curricular option for students who
prefer a more general approach to the field.
The Journalism and Promotional Communicationmajor will be coordinated by a
division director, who will be responsible for day-to-day responsibilities involving
curriculum, enrollment, scheduling, and student advising. The director of the division, as
well as the director of the other two School divisions, and the Graduate Director, will
comprise the School Curriculum Committee. The Curriculum Committee, which will
meet three times each semester, will also administer the continuing general major in
4
I
Communication. (Dramatic Arts, which has a formal, titular home in the Communication
Department but controls its own budget and curriculum, will maintain its autonomous
relationship with Communicationunder the new School structure. The Director of
Dramatic A r t s will continue to supervise the Drama curriculum, although formal
integrations with Communication coursework may be put forth at a later date.)
A visual diagram of the administrative structure that will govern the new
degree program appears in Appendix B. The School will have a 12-month director,
who will teach one course per term. The current support staff of the department,
including the director of Broadcast, Computer and Communication Engineering (which is
currently a staff position), will support the Director and School. In addition, an External
Advisory Board, composed of influential members of the communication community in
Cleveland (e.g.,journalists, public relations executives, organizationalconsultants, and
film-makers), will provide regular input to the Director and faculty. The committee’s
suggestions will ensure that the School remains in touch with the larger community, in
line with the university’s metropolitan mission. In addition, as stipulated in the School of
Communication proposal that was approved by Faculty Senate, School-related curricular
proposals will be relayed directlyto the University Curriculum Committee for its
consideration.
4. Evidence of needfor the new degree program
There is a pressing need for a major in Journalism and Promotional
Communication. The new major will: (a) strengthen our undergraduate curriculum; (b)
meet existing student needs; (c) help our graduates develop skills needed in the new
media industries; (d) offer exciting opportunitiesfor professional accreditation;and (e)
provide students with skills that they can use to improve quality of life in the region.
a.) Journalism and Promotional Communication is a vital major for a School of
Communication. The mass media are the eyes and ears of American society, reflecting
and shaping our culture. In a democratic society,journalism keeps citizens informed
about public life and holds political officials accountable for their actions. A capitalist
society that depends on the forces of persuasion, rather than coercion, to achieve its ends
requires skilled promotional communicators who advance business and community goals
through public relations and advertising.
It is axiomatic that a School of Communication, which is located in a major news
media market with numerous public relations and advertising agencies, should offer
students training in the gathering and strategic production of information. The new degree
program provides intensive coursework in this area, pulling together existing courses,
adding new ones, and offering students concentrated tracks in journalism and promotional
communication. It also provides an ethical grounding on the roles that journalism and
promotional communication should play in American society.
5 b.) The new major responds to a clear and present existing need. Nationally,
undergraduate enrollment in journalism and mass communication programs grew in
academic year 2002-2003. More than 182,000 undergraduate students were enrolled in
journalism and mass communication programs over the course of this year, an increase of
6% from the previous year. The authors of a recent study conclude that “journalism and
mass communication enrollments, particularly at the undergraduate level, are likely to
increase in the next several years” (Becker et al., 2003, p. 273). CSU data mirror the
national trends. Journalism and Promotional Communication courses are popular among
our students, attracting over 656 students last year, an average of 34 students per section.
What’s more, as will be discussed in Section 5 below, there is likely to be strong interest
in the new major on the part of our current students.
Over the past five years, there has been considerable student enthusiasm for The
CZeveZundStater, the university’s laboratory newspaper housed in the Communication
Department and formed through the collaborative efforts of several communication
professors. Students regularly take lab newspaper classes and, with the guidance of a
faculty adviser, write, compose, and publish The Stater during all semesters of the
academic year. The newspaper has an outstanding reputation on campus and received a
Student Government Association award for excellence in news coverage. Students
affiliated with The Stater are now beginning to attend national student journalism and
public relations conferences, a development that augurs well for the new School.
c.) Our society needs students who can gather, verbally convey, and strategically
disseminate information. The Internet has transformed mass communication, erasing
differences between print and broadcast media and forcing for-profit and non-profit
companies to reconsider ways in which they promote institutions and products. The era of
the faceless, mass audience is over, replaced by a more complex -- if not necessarily more
beneficent -- society in which media must offer formats designed to interface with
personal computers, individuals can control the pace of mediated messages, and
consumers are subtly influenced by advertised messages that appear as they peruse the
Internet.
Journalism programs that offered tracks in newspaper, magazine, and television
production are quaintly out of date. Instead, the focus is on teaching students tools to
competently and ethically convey information. As communication scholar Robert M.
Entman observed:
The demand for professionals who can discover, sort, and communicate
information that is relevant, timely, and comprehensible will expand...There is
a need, too, for these professionals to design systems or agents that will help
untutored users figure out how to get information and how to update their
information search routines and network affiliations by themselves...Those
who deliver these new information services will work inside businesses and
governments as well as outside, perhaps in traditional mass media organizations,
6
perhaps in new forms of information businesses... The basic goal will be
enhancing productivity in service and manufacturing industries and in all other
social, governmental, industrial, and commercial processes (Entman, 1997, p. 97).
Thus, the new degree program offers courses on processing of mass mediated
information and social effects, information gathering in an urban context, reporting for
the university’s laboratory newspaper, The Cleveland Stater, with its web-based edition,
strategic communication of business and community issues, and advertising design for
the new, interactive media. The major focuses on journalism and promotional
communication in the broadest sense, with coursework on mass communicationtheories
and mass media skills. The contemporary emphases on message design and professional
skills should help prepare our graduates for the contemporary world of work.
d.) The new degree program will help the School achieve critical accreditation in
journalism and public relations. Our journalism professional association, the
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), will
not accredit programs unless they are part of distinct divisions or departments. This
was a reason why we sought School status.
Once our program is off the ground and the majors have been approved in
accordance with university and state criteria, we plan to make a case for accreditation.
Specifically, we will seek accreditation of the journalism major by AEJMC and press for
formation of a Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter for the
public relations sequence. This chapter requires at least two public relations professionals
in the community to serve as advisers. Accreditation in journalism and establishment of a
PRSSA chapter will increase professional contacts, community involvement, and
internships. It will also help our program stay competitive with other programs in the
state, as well as enhancing our attractiveness to funding sources.
e.) The final argument for the major is neither academic nor job-related: It stems
from our strongly-held belief that specialists in j ournalism and promotional
communication can do much to improve the quality of life in the region. One of the
problems of the region, as discussed by a Greater Cleveland Growth Association Report
(2003) and recent articles in The Plain Dealer, is the lack of a highly-educated work
force. Our students, trained in liberal arts values and armed with professional mass
communication skills, can do much to bolster the area’s human capital. They can improve
the quality of neighborhood newspapers, strengthen local journalism (which is dominated
by just one newspaper), effectively promote worthwhile community groups, and
persuasively speak on behalf of the region through public relations outlets.
5. Prospective Enrollment
The major markets for the degree program will be: (a) Cleveland State students
contemplating a major in a media-related field; (b) high school graduates with an interest
7
in journalism, public relations, and advertising; (c) students transferring from community
colleges who want to gain in-depth training in information dissemination skills; and (d)
graduate school-bound undergraduates with a passion for mass communicationresearch.
At Cleveland State, our department currently has more than 500 majors, including
double majors and students counted as temporarily inactive because they are currently not
enrolled in classes. A recent in-house survey of students graduated from 1998-2000
revealed that each year the Department graduated an average of 137 undergraduates and
19 graduate students. The Department offers its undergraduate program in both the day
and evening. We participate in certificate programs in Journalism and Multimedia
Advertising. All this augurs well for a potential major in Journalism and Promotional
Communication.
Undergraduate Communication students queried about preferences for majors in
the fall of 2003 indicated that they strongly favored Journalism and PWAdvertising.
Journalism netted a mean of 5.0 on a 7-point scale, where 7 meant StronglyAgree, and
PWAdvertising had a 5.26. The major is clearly likely to attract students at Cleveland
State.
There is every reason to believe that these numbers will increase as students
realize that they can amplify the generic major with a more marketable, specific degree
program. What’s more, with publicity we have a high probability of attracting transfer
students and students graduating from community colleges (Tri-C and Lakeland) who
have an interest in journalism and promotional communication. Working with our active
alumni organization, we believe that we will attract sufficientpublicity for the new major
that it will entice older individuals working in mass communication-relatedjobs in
Northeast Ohio to return to college to gain or complete their degrees. ,
6. Special eflorts to enroll and retain minority students and women, if women are
considered underrepresented in the given discipline.
Cultural diversity plays an important role in the Journalism and Promotional
Communication curriculum. The curriculum is designed to help students appreciate
communicationgaps and inequalities in American society, and to assist them in becoming
more culturally sensitive professional communicators. Our faculty is deeply committed to
the goal of diversity. The proposed major will build on the faculty’s track record in this
area.
Our courses presently attract substantialnumbers of women and minority
students. More than 50% of students graduating with a Communication major are women.
Our courses boast respectable numbers of minority students; indeed faculty at Purdue
University, familiar with our commitment to minority education, plan to visit CSU this
spring to recruit minority graduate students for their program. In an effort to boost the
number of minority students in our program, we intend to talk up our program with
8
minority affhirs coordinators at local community colleges and with counselors in area
high schools.
7. Faculty andfacilities availablefor the new degree program and their adequacy.
The Journalism and Promotional Communication program builds on the strengths
of the department’s faculty and facilities. Formed in 1972, the Communication
Department is one of the largest and most productive departments in the college and
university. There are currently 19 faculty members and four term or visiting professors.
Our faculty are nationally-recognized scholars and practitioners of communication. The
department consistently ranks in the top 10 of schools producing Communication
research in the U.S., and was ranked first among U.S. Communication programs that do
not currently offer a doctorate. Five faculty members have received CSU’s Distinguished
Award for Research. Our faculty and staff have also received national commendations,
including early career honors, Fellow recognition from a professional association, and
five Fulbright Awards. Over the past year, Communication faculty published over 80
refereed journal articles, book chapters, and creative works, and eight books or edited
volumes.
Teaching evaluations of faculty in the department typically surpass the college
mean, with an average score of 4.25 for the department, compared to 4.20 for the college
as a whole. Faculty members are active in the community, working with students in
media, health, and organizational settings.
The Journalism and Promotional Communication area has seven faculty members
and one term faculty member who coordinates The Cleveland Stater. All are dedicated,
experienced teachers who have regularly taught courses in journalism, public relations,
advertising, and mass media effects.
The faculty can adequately staff the new major. Earlier this year we examined
whether our faculty could offer the new major, with its diverse courses and requirements.
We carefully planned a schedule for three years that covered day and night sections and
took into account the need to offer specific courses at sufficient fiequency to allow
students to complete the major. An exhaustive analysis by the division and
department chair revealed that we could staff the new major and offer staple day
and night courses, with our existing faculty (see Appendix C).
The Communication School has facilities that complement our proposed
curriculum. The School houses The Cleveland Stater, the student newspaper that provides
hands-on experience to students in reporting, editing, and graphic design. Building on
courses in media writing and advanced reporting, students work with digital cameras,
scanners, and photography software to produce black-and-white and color editions that
come out regularly each semester.
9
Journalism and Promotional Communicationfaculty also have access to the
Communication Research Center, a research unit in operation for over a quarter-of-a­
century that has computer-aided telephone interviewing facilities and technology for webbased surveys. The research center provides training for students in polling and
quantitativejournalism techniques.
8. & 9. Needfor additionalfacilities and stagalong withplansfor meeting this need and
projected additional cost associated with thisprogram and the adequacy of expected
subsi& and other income to meet this need.
Appreciating the state and university’s fiscal problems, we have trimmed our
requests down to the essentials of what we need to manage this program (see Budget that
appears at the end of this document). The Interim Dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences has indicated that the College can financiallysupport our requests.
We need release time for a division director, who will coordinate majors,
enrollment, and advising, as well as make contacts with the community through the
External Advisory Board. We also need to upgrade the current part-time secretary to an
administrative secretary to provide administrative support for the division (as well as
other School divisions). This change will also provide the infrastructure that is needed to
apply for professional accreditationin journalism and public relations.
As noted in the School proposal passed by Faculty Senate last year, we anticipate
that enrollment will increase as a result of the practical benefits of specificmajors and
publicity that accrues to the School.
IO. Information about the use of consultants or advisory committees in,the development
of the new degree proposal.
The Journalism and Promotional Communicationfaculty have long ties to the
professional community. One of our faculty members formed a Cleveland neighborhood
press association, others are regularly involved as judges for local and international
journalism competitions. Faculty have written articles for, and have contacts with, The
Plain Dealer, and have appeared on numerous radio and television programs, thereby
sowing the seeds for valuable contacts for professionally-orientedstudents. We also have
internship and professional arrangements with major PR and advertising agencies in
town.
Once we have completed our proposal in accordance with college, university, and
OBOR stipulations,we will send it out to academics, local journalists, and professional
public relations specialiststo incorporate their input, comments, and support.
10 I
References
Becker, L.B., Vlad, T., Huh, J., & Mace, N.R. (2003). Annual enrollment report:
Graduate and undergraduate enrollments increase sharply. JournaZism & Mass
Communication Educator, 58,273-300
Elmore, G.C. f1996). Institutions with programs in communication. In Pathways to
careers in communication. Annandale, Va: Speech Communication Association.
Entman, R.M. (1997). Educating for the new information profession. Press/Politics, 2,
96-103.
Greater Cleveland Growth Association (2003). 2002-2006Public policy agendafor
northeast Ohio. Cleveland: Greater Cleveland Growth Association. (Available online.)
11 Appendix B Undergraduate Program Assessment Plan I. Description of Program: Bachelor of Arts
The purpose of the undergraduate program is to understand communication
processes and problems. The program is designed to examine communication
behaviors as they occur in social contexts, such as mass media and social systems,
public address, large organizations, small groups, and interpersonal interactions. The
conceptual framework of the program is based in the behavioral sciences. The program
offered by the Department of Communication is designed to provide knowledge and
skills for studentspursuing different career paths. However, regardless of student
career goals, the program strives to provide all students with a foundation for
understanding communication processes and applying them in different contexts.
All undergraduates majoring in Communication must complete 36 semester hours
and maintain a 2.25 GPA. All students must complete two core courses, COM 101,
Principles of Communication, and COM 303, Communication Inquiry, as well as
eight credit hours of theory courses, 16 credit hours of electives, and a four credit
hour Capstone Course.
11. Department Goals
The goals of the undergraduate program in communicationare:
5. To impart to students the knowledge of basic processes of communication in
interpersonal, organizational and mass media contexts.
6. To impart to students the knowledge of basic research methods commonly
utilized in communication and how to apply them in various contexts.
7. To impart to students selecting an emphasis in theoretical communication the
necessary knowledge to explain the communication processes and effects in the
interpersonal, organizational, and mass media contexts.
8. To impart to students selecting an emphasis in applied communication the
necessary competencies for entry into relevant career fields.
111. Assessment Processes
All students completing the undergraduate program must complete a Capstone
Course, the function of which is to integrate and synthesizethe most vital knowledge
from the theory courses and electives previously completed by the student. All
Capstone Courses must be approved by the departmental Curriculum Committee.
Students may select an applied communication sequence from among the electives.
Upon satisfactorycompletion of the core classes and coursework in theory or applied
9
/
communication, students are allowed to select a Capstone Course appropriate to their
post-graduation goals.
Students completing an undergraduate program in communication are required to
take two core courses, Principles of Communication and CommunicationInquiry, as
well as eight credit hours of coursework in Communication Theory, 16 credit hours of
communication electives and a Capstone Course. Students may select an applied
communication sequence from among the electives. Upon satisfactory completion of
the core classes and coursework in theory or applied communication,the student is
allowed to select a capstone appropriate to one’s career goals. Students who
successfullycomplete this program will be able to:
4. Demonstrate mastery of basic processes of communication in the
interpersonal, organizational, and mass media contexts.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of and competence in the application of basic
research methods most commonly utilized in the field of communication. .
6. Students selecting an emphasis in theoretical communication will
demonstrate the necessary knowledge to explain the communication
processes and effects in the interpersonal, or organizational or mass media
contexts.
7. Students selecting an emphasis in applied communication (conflict
mediation, organizational communicationmanagement, health
communication, public relations, advertising,journalism and electronic
journalism, public relations, film, media production) will demonstrate
competencies necessary for entry into relevant career fields.
Each semester, faculty teaching a Capstone Course will assemble results of major
projects, papers, and examinations into a Capstone Portfolio to be submitted to the
Assessment Committee of the department. In addition, each semester, faculty
teaching a section of Communication Inquiry shall assemble results of major projects,
papers, and examinations into a Research Methods Portfolio to be submitted to the
Assessment Committee of the department. Each semester the departmental
Assessment Committee will review the two portfolios, the Capstone and Research
Methods Portfolios, and evaluate them according to established criteria.
A. Criteria
1. Basic CommunicationProcesses
Exemplary: Demonstrates clear understanding of major theories in each of
the three main contexts of communication: interpersonal, organizational,
and mass media. Demonstrates knowledge of assumptions behind these
theories, and knowledge of the importance of the theories.
10
Satisfactow: Demonstrates adequate understanding of major theories in
each of the three contexts. Demonstrates adequate knowledge of
assumptions behind the theories and knowledge of the importance of the
theories.
MarEinaVUnsatisfactow: Demonstrates little knowledge of major theories
in the three areas. Demonstrates inadequate knowledge of assumptions
behind the theories or importance of the theories.
2. Communication Research Methods
Exemplw: Demonstrates a clear understanding of relevant social science
methodologies used in communication research projects.
Such methodologies may include surveys, basic statistical analysis,
qualitative analysis, experimental design, and others. Demonstrates a
clear understanding of how research methods can be applied in the design
of studies, the collection of data, and the analysis of data.
Satisfactow: Demonstrates a basic understanding of relevant social
science methodologies and when and how to apply the
methodologies in research design, data collection, and data analysis.
UnaccePtableKJnsatisfactorv:Demonstrates a lack of understanding social
science methodologies and how to apply them in the design of studies,
the collection of data, and the analysis of data.
3. Theoretical Communication
a. Interpersonal Communication
Exemdary: Demonstrates a clear understanding of major theories
in interpersonal communication, their assumptions, and their
importance. Theories include relational development,
interpersonal adaptation, and family communication systems.
Satisfactow: Demonstrates a basic understanding of major theories
in interpersonal communication, their assumptions, and
importance.
MarninalLJnsatisfactow: Demonstrates little understanding of the
major theories, their assumptions, or importance.
11 b. Mass Communication Theory
Exemplary: Demonstrates knowledge of major mass
communicationtheories with a concise summary of the theories,
their assumptions and importance. Theories include: media effects
such as agenda setting, cultivation, the spiral of silence, and third
person effects; audience analysis research such as uses and
gratifications, and messagehformation processing.
Satisfactow: Demonstrates an adequate statement of major mass
communication theories, but fails to recognize assumptions and
importance.
MarlTinaWnsatisfactorv: Demonstrates little understanding of
major mass communicationtheories, their assumptions, or
importance.
4. Applied Communication
a. Advertising
Exemplary: Demonstrates clear knowledge of principles of
advertising including basic theories, media planning, message
strategies, and campaign planning. Demonstrates clear ability to
work in teams to develop a small-scale advertising campaign.
Satisfactow: Demonstrates adequate knowledge of principles of
advertising including basic theories, media planning, message
strategies, and campaign planning. Demonstrates adequate ability
to work in teams to develop a small-scale advertising campaign.
MarainaWnsatisfactow: Demonstrates little knowledge of
advertising principles (basic theories, media planning, etc.)
Demonstrates little ability to work in teams on a small-scale
advertising campaign.
b. Conflict Mediation
Exemplary: Demonstrates clear knowledge of the processes of
interpersonal and societal conflict, negotiation, dispute resolution.
Demonstrates clear ability to identify sources of conflict and to
engage in negotiation and dispute resolution.
Satisfactow: Demonstrates adequate knowledge of processes of
interpersonal and societal conflict, negotiation, and dispute
12
resolution. Demonstrates adequate ability to identify sources of
conflict and engage in negotiation and dispute resolution.
MarninaVUnsatisfactorv: Demonstrates little knowledge of
processes of interpersonal and societal conflict. Demonstrates
little ability to identify sources of conflict or to engage in
negotiation or dispute resolution.
c. Film Studies
Exemplary: Demonstrates clear knowledge of the major issues in
film studies including history of the medium, range of styles and
genres, structure of narrative film, film technology, and critique
of film. Demonstrates clear ability to identify and critique major
film styles and genres, and clear ability to critique individual
films.
Satisfactory: Demonstrates adequate knowledge of major issues
in film studies including film history, film styles and genres, film
technology, and methods of film critique. Demonstrates adequate
ability to identify and critique major film styles and genres, and
adequate ability to critique individual films.
MarninallUnsatisfactory: Demonstrates little knowledge of major
issues in film studies including history, styles and genes,
technology, and critique. Demonstrates little ability to identify
and critique styles and genres or to critique individual films.
d. Health Communication
Exemplary: Demonstrates clear knowledge of major issues in
health communication. Major issues include health care delivery
systems, health information campaigns, mass media influences on
health, and physician-patient communication.
Satisfactory: Demonstrates adequate knowledge of major issues in
health communication.
MarninallUnsatisfactorv: Demonstrates little knowledge of major
issues in health communication.
13 e.
Journalism (print, broadcast)
Exemplary: Demonstrates clear ability to produce professional
quality messages for print or broadcastjournalism, following
current standards for style, structure, and content.
1. Print Journalism: stories are accurate and complete, showing
ability to write using the inverted pyramid structure, concise
leads, and AP style. Content demonstrates initiative and
command of key reportinghews gathering tools including
interviewing, use of public records, references, the Internet,
and observation.
2. Broadcast Journalism: Written copy of television news stories
Show clear understandingof the concept of writing for the
ear.” All writing stresses brevity, clarity, accuracy and simple
structure. Written copy and accompanying visual material for
television reflect an advanced understanding of the concept of
using “sequences” in visual story telling. Content
demonstrates initiative and a command of key reportinghews
gathering tools.
Satisfactow: Demonstrates adequate ability to produce
professional-quality messages for print or broadcast j ournalism
following current standards for style, structure and content. .
1. Print Journalism: Stories contain minor inaccuracies for
For style or content ad are missing some details. Stories
show an adequate ability to write using the inverted pyramid
structure but leads are not sufficientlyconcise and some AP
style errors are noted. Content shows some initiative and a
command of some but not all reportinghews gathering.
2. Broadcast Journalism: Written copy of television and radio
news stories show adequate understanding of “writing for
the ear.” Stories contain minor inaccuracies of style or
content and are missing details. Written copy and
accompanying visuals for television reflect an adequate
Understanding of “sequences” in visual story telling.
Content shows adequate initiative and command of
some but not a1 reportinghews gathering tools.
MarainaUlJnsatisfactory: Students produce unprofessional
messages for print or broadcastjournalism, following no current
standards for style, structure or content.
14 1. Print Journalism: Stories are inaccurate and missing major
facts. Stories do not follow inverted pyramid style and leads
are long. Content shows little initiative or use of
reportinghews gathering tools.
2. Broadcast Journalism: Written copy of television and radio
news stories show little if any understanding of “writing for
the ear.” Stories are inaccurate and missing major facts.
Written copy and visuals or television news show a lack of
understanding “sequences.” Content shows little initiative
or use of reportinghews gathering tools.
f. Media Management
ExemDlary: Student demonstrates ability to construct a detailed
studio organizational chart and production rate card. Video
shooting, editing and writing reflect an advanced understanding
of the use of “sequences” in visual story telling. Video and radio
scripts show understanding of the concept of “writing for the
ear.” All writing stresses brevity, clarity, accuracy ad simple
structure. Visual and script content show creativity and a
command of the use of key video and audio story telling tools.
Satisfactory: Student demonstrates ability to construct a
partially detailed studio organizational chart and less than
complete production rate card. Video shooting, editing and
writing reflect an adequate understanding of “sequences” in
visual story telling. Video and radio scripts show adequate
understanding of “writing for the ear.” Writing contains minor
style and/or content errors. Visual and script content
demonstrates some creativity and command of video and audio
story telling tools.
Marninal/Unsatisfactorv: Student demonstrateslittle ability to
construct a studio organizational chart or production rate card
Video shooting, editing and writing show little if any
understanding of “sequences.” Video and radio scripts show
little if any understanding of ‘‘writing for the ear.” Writing
contains major style inaccuracies and content errors. Visual and
script content show little creativity or command of video and
audio story telling techniques
15 g. Organizational CommunicationManagement
Exemulw: Demonstrates clear knowledge of communication
processes in organizations including the structure and function of
messages, and the dissemination of information in organizations.
Demonstrates clear ability to participate in and manage
organizationalteams.
Satisfactow: Demonstrates adequate knowledge of
communicationprocesses in organizations including the structure
and function of messages, and the dissemination of information
in organizations. Demonstrates adequate ability to participate and
manage organizational teams.
MarninaWnsatisfactorv: Demonstrates little knowledge of
communicationprocesses in organizations, structural/functional
messages, or information dissemination. Demonstrates little
ability to participate in or manage organizational teams.
h. Public Relations
Exemplary: Demonstrates clear knowledge of the process of public
relations management of public images, crisis management,
and public campaigns. Demonstrates clear ability to produce
professional-qualitymessages for the public, in print or electronic
form, using current standards of style.
Satisfactorv: Demonstrates adequate knowledge of the process of
public relations including management of public mages, crisis
management, and public campaigns. Demonstrates adequate ability
to produce professional-quality messages for the public, print or
electronic form, using current standards of style.
MarninaVUnsatisfactorv: Demonstrates little knowledge of public
relations processes (management of images and crises, or
campaigns). Demonstrates little ability to produce professionalquality messages sing current standards of style.
i . Video/Audio Production
Exemplary: Video shooting, editing and writing reflect an
advanced understanding of the use of “sequences” in visual story
telling. Video and radio scripts show understanding of the concept
of “writing for the ear.” All writing stresses brevity, clarity,
accuracy ad simple structure. Visual and script content show
16 creativitymd a command of the use of key video and audio story telling tools. Satisfactorv: Video shooting, editing and writing reflect an adequate understanding of “sequences” in visual story telling. Video and radio scripts show adequate understanding of “writing for the ear.” Writing contains minor style andor content errors. Visual and script content demonstrates some creativity and command of video and audio story telling tools. MarginaVUnsatisfactory: Video shooting, editing and writing show little if any understanding of “sequences.” Video and radio scripts show little if any understanding of “writing for the ear.” Writing contains major style inaccuracies and content errors. Visual and script content show little creativity or command of video and audio story telling techniques B. Procedures
All students are required to take a Capstone Course appropriate to their career
goals. Each semester, faculty teaching Capstone Courses will submit results of major
projects, papers and exams to a Capstone Portfolio to be used by the Assessment
Committee of the Department.
All students are required to take Communication Inquiry. Each semester faculty
teaching sections of Communication Inquiry shall submit results of major projects,
papers and exams to a Research Methods Portfolio to be used by the Assessment
Committee of the Department.
1. Each year, the Assessment Committee of the Department shall review the three
portfolios, the Capstone Portfolio, the Research Methods Portfolio, and the
Communication Processes Portfolio.
a. The Assessment Committee of the Department of Communication shall
review the satisfactoriness of the materials as indicative of each of the
learning outcomes, along with comments and suggestions for improving
student performance.
b. The Chair of that Committee shall compile the committee’s assessments
and comments into a report for the Faculty in the Department of
Communication.
17 IV.Feedback
To Students-Each year, a sample of students whose programs for graduation have been
approved shall be selected and invited to participate in a focus group that reports the
results of the Assessment Committee and solicits student feedback. Selected faculty shall
be present and a recorder shall take notes of student reactions to preserve anonymity and
compile them into a report to be forwarded to the Assessment Committee of the
Department of Communication. A summary of these comments shall be added to the
committee’s report being prepared for the Curriculum Committee and Faculty in the
Department of Communication.
Toward Program Change-A report prepared by the Undergraduate Director of the
Assessment Committee’s comments shall be presented to the Curriculum Committee for
further review and recommendations. Then the report and any recommendationsby the
Curriculum Committee shall be forwarded to the faculty of the Department of
Communication for discussion and possible action.
18