An Coiste Feabhais Acadúil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
The Academic Quality Assurance Programme 2002-2003
Report to Údarás na hOllscoile
Review of
M.A. in Journalism Programme
Self Assessment
Review Group Visit
Follow Up Meeting
Sept 2002 to Jan 2003
18–19 February, 2003
29 May 2003
This Report was compiled for members of Údarás na hOllscoile, NUI Galway and its
committees as a readily accessible but comprehensive source of information on the above
review, its context and its outcomes.
Professor Jim Gosling, Director of Quality, March 2004
Report to Údarás – Review of M.A. in Journalism Programme 2003
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1. Overview of Programme
1.1 Aims and Objectives
The Programme leading to an MA in Journalism is designed to educate and train graduates for
entry to the professions of journalism and communications. Its aim is to combine the practical,
analytical, theoretical and technical skills necessary to the practice of journalism.
1.2 Recent changes
In 2002 the facilities for the Programme improved significantly with the opening of the Arts
Millenenium Building and the original Higher diploma in Applied Communications was
replaced by the Masters of Arts in Journalism.
1.3 Student numbers
In the academic year 2002-03 the number of students registered on this programme was 17. The
range since 1998-99 is 16–17.
1.4 Costs
No inclusive costings are available for individual academic programmes. The annual grant to
cover directs costs, excluding salaries, was €34,500 in 2003/03.
1.5 Accommodation and facilities
These are located in the new Arts Millenium Building and include dedicated rooms, including a
broadcasting studio and a ‘news’ room where each student has a modern computer with internet
access.
2. Review Group Visit and Report
This report arises from a visit by a review group on 18th and 19th February 2003. A 'Self
Assessment Report' had already been prepared that, with other documentation, was made
available to the Review Group in advance of the visit.
The Review Group consisted of: Mr. Eugene McGee, The Longford Leader, Longford
(Chair), Mr. Michael Foley, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ms. Sue Nunn, Radio
Kilkenny, Kilkenny, Dr. Adrian Frazier, NUI, Galway, Dr. Ivan Gibson of the CFA acting as
Rapporteur
2.1 Summary, and Main Recommendations from Report
The Review Group commends the Programme Director on maintaining a high level of
commitment to the MA in Journalism, which is reflected in the enthusiasm of staff and students.
The programme attempts to strike a balance between academic and practical skills and seems to
be generally successful in this aim as is evidenced by the high standing this programme enjoys
amongst Irish media employers and the high number of applicants. Any recommendations for
improvement should be read with these comments in mind.
The news-day is not effectively meeting its objectives in the view of students. The
Review Group recommends that the Programme Director look to other institutions in order to
identify best practise in this area. The Review Group recommends that the MA programme
include formal links with the campus radio station. The Review Group empathises with the
decision to replace the publication of a newspaper with regular news-days but is of the opinion
that the production of at least one publication is absolutely essential to a programme in
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journalism. Despite the time constraint an all-out effort should be made to have a publication by
this years class.
The facilities for broadcast journalism are very good, although there is an urgent need to
install CoolEdit, which is the norm throughout the Irish radio industry. The Review Group
recommend that students also be given the opportunity to gain experience in actual live
broadcasting as well as in the recording of material for broadcast.
The Review Group recommend that the Library be viewed as a journalistic resource and
its services be integrated into research for projects and assignments as appropriate. LexisNexus
is available on-line to all students and its use should be encouraged through assignments that
require students to use the resource effectively.
The Review Group noted an admirable esprit de corps amongst students. It is apparent
that there is a good deal of effective informal interaction between staff and students. There is a
need, however, for the introduction of more formal mechanisms such as: a Staff/Student
Committee, an Academic Board that meets regularly, an introduction of learning outcomes and
appropriate assessment criteria.
3. Follow up Meeting
11.30 a.m. Thursday, 29 May 2003
Present: Professor Jim Browne - Registrar, Professor Jim Gosling - Director of Quality (Chair),
Professor John Marshall – Dean of Arts, Dr Iain MacLaren, Director for CELT, Dr Ivan Gibson
– Review Group Rapporteur, Dr Adrian Frazier – Review Group Cognate, Ms Bernadette
O’Sullivan - Course Director, Professor Hubert McDermott - Academic Chair of Programme
Advisory Board, Mr Joe Woods, Ms Terry Russell, Ms Maureen Linnane – Quality Office (in
attendance). Apologies: Dr Lelia Doolan
3.1 Action Plan for the Programme Board:
1. The Academic Chair of the present Programme Advisory Board, working with the
Course Director, will constitute a formal Academic Programme Board to oversee the
Programme and to give advice. This Board will meet twice yearly.
2. A Staff/Student Committee has already been formed to formalise effective interaction
between staff and students on maintaining and improving the Programme.
3. The ‘Newsday’ exercise will be retained, but will incorporate defined ‘learning
outcomes’; be spread out over a longer period; and be interspersed with other
journalistic writing classes.
4. One class-produced newspaper, or other publication format, will form part of the project
work undertaken from the year 2003-2004.
5. Keyboard skills will become a prerequisite to being accepted on the programme but, in
fairness to current applicants, not until the Academic year 2004-2005.
6. The Course Director will examine the feasibility of assessing student short-hand writing
skills within the assessment procedures for the Print Journalism segment of the
Programme, with a view to implementing changes for the academic year 2003-04.
7. With respect to the James Hardiman Library, the Course Director will:
• In the first semester of each year, invite the Arts Librarian to run an information
session on the library as a journalistic resource.
• Seek Library funding to purchase subscriptions to relevant journals.
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8. The criteria for the Portfolio, submitted by students as a final project, will be made more
flexible, beginning from the Academic year 2003 – 2004.
9. Programme evaluation surveys will be introduced during 2003–04.
10. The Course Director will ensure that greater efforts are made, within the constraints of
having a mainly part-time teaching team, to have examination results back to students
within a shorter time frame.
11. With the assistant of CELT, the Course Director will make lecturers aware of the need
to define, and to communicate to students, ‘learning outcomes’ and assessment criteria.
Brief guidelines on basic pedagogical issues will also be supplied to all contributors to
the Programme.
3.2 Action plan for University Management:
1. In relation to Faculty and other committee relationships, the Dean of Arts agreed to
discuss the issue of statutory impediments placed on non-academic members of
University Staff, with the Secretary for Academic Affairs, in the hope of changing rules
and regulations which prevent non-academic staff, becoming members of academic
committees.
2. The Dean of Arts will provide funds for the purchase of Cooledit.
3. The Director of Quality will convene a meeting before the end of 2003 between the
Registrar, the Director for CELT and the Dean of Medicine and Health Sciences to
formalise arrangements between the Audio/Visual Unit and the MA in Journalism
Course, to protect technical support time for this course.
4. The Dean of Arts agreed to develop internal systems to encourage cohesiveness and
better communication between postgraduate students within the Faculty of Arts, where
more interaction is encouraged, where more desirable relationships are formed and this
in turn, preventing students from being isolated from other Programmes within the
Faculty.
Approved by: Course Director, Ms Bernadette O’Sullivan, 16th September 2003
Approved by: Dean of Arts, Professor John Marshall, 10th October 2003
Approved by: Registrar, Professor James Browne, 16th October 2003
Approved by: the Director of CELT, Dr Iain MacLaren, 8th October 2003
Finalised: 16th October 2003, Jim Gosling, Director of Quality
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