During the slightly more-than-a-year that I have served as JMC chair, I coordinated our efforts in the once-every-six years monumental task known as, “The Self-Study.” It is a comprehensive report on our department that is submitted to the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. Everyone in the department was involved, to some degree. ACEJMC accreditation identifies our program as one that meets stringent academic standards. The JMC program at Murray State has been continually accredited since Doc McGaughey’s first application in 1986. And that’s a big deal.
The report tells the ACEJMC a lot about us. And it tells us a lot about ourselves. I would like to share a little bit about what I have learned about us as the Self-Study was compiled and written.
The report evidences some things we already knew. Our alumni have significant and meaningful careers, often in leadership positions. All of our faculty have relevant industry experience. Nearly all have research and publication records according to their subject matter expertise. Our students are competitive, winning top awards in national contests. Student satisfaction surveys are uniformly positive and our graduates predominately work in media or media-related fields. Many have pursued higher degrees.
The report is very data-driven, with statistics about enrollment and retention, “key performance indicators” regarding “outcome assessments,” and measurements of how our program integrates ACEJMC “values and competencies.” The report is specific, detailed and necessary. Taken as a whole, I believe it documents that we are fulfilling our mission:
“To equip students with the necessary philosophical and ethical frameworks; the requisite technical skills in writing and media production; and the ability as life-long learners to interpret, create, and communicate global and local events in a diverse, equitable, and inclusive manner that advances the interests of all stakeholders in media, commerce, and society, while advocating for democratic principles.”
Because you are a reader of the JMC Journal, I know that you are one of the stakeholders described above. And, you are part of our legacy. I want to take a moment to say, “thank you.” Thank you for being part of our storied history and continuing success.
The Self-Study is the application in our lengthy re-accreditation process. It will take several months for the process to complete. Until then, we can simply enjoy being the finest JMC department in the finest place we know.
