college of liberal arts & sciences communication journalism bachelor of arts… · journalism...

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Communication

Journalism

Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science

March 18, 2016

Jimmie Manning, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Communication

Communication Undergraduate Program Director

B.A./B.S. Journalism

Assessment Plan – 2

1. Student Learning Outcomes

A. Understand and apply principles of ethics and law appropriate for professional

practice.

B. Understand the history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping

communications.

C. Understand and apply concepts and theories in the use of presentation of images and

information.

D. Conduct research appropriate to the communication professions in which they work.

E. Understand the diversity of groups in a global society relationship with

communications.

F. Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for audiences they serve.



2. Program-by-Baccalaureate Learning Outcomes Matrix

Baccalaureate Learning Outcomes Program

Student

Learning

Outcome

A. Global

interconnections

and

interdependencies

B.

Intercultural

competencies

C. Analyze

human life

and natural

world inter-

connections

D.

Critical,

creative,

and inter-

dependent

thought

E.

Communicate

clearly and

effectively

F.

Collab-

orate

with

others

G.

Quantitative

and

qualitative

reasoning

H. Apply

knowledge/

skills

creatively

A. Ethics

and law

M

M

B. History

S

M

C.

Concepts/

theories

M

M

S

S

M

M

S

D.

Research

M

M

S

S

S

S

E.

Diversity

S

S

M

S

S

F. Writing

S S S S

S

Overall S M S S S M S



3. Curriculum Map

Student Learning Outcome

Course A. Ethics and

Law

B. History C. Concepts/

theories

D. Research E. Diversity F. Writing

JOUR 200 B B B

JOUR 480 P D D

Skills block

(4 classes)

D D D D D D

Advanced

skills block (2

classes)

P P P

Issues block

(4 classes)

P P P P



4. Assessment Methods

Assessment Methods-by-Outcomes Matrix

Assessment

Method

A. Ethics

and Law

B. History C. Concepts/

theories

D. Research E. Diversity F. Writing

Law,

Vocabulary,

and Style Pre-

Test

S, D

S, D

S, D

Journalism

Major Focus

Groups

F, I

F, I

F, I

F, I

F, I

F, I

Internship

Portfolio

Assessment

S, D

S, D

S, D

S, D

Writing-

Intensive

Course

Assessment

S, I

S, I

S, I

S, I

S, I

S, I

Law,

Vocabulary,

and Style Post-

Test

S, D

S, D

S, D



Explanation of Assessment Methods

Assessment

Method

Description Student-

Level Target

Program-Level

Target

When Data

Will be

Collected

Person

Responsible

Law,

Vocabulary, and

Style Pre-Test

Students are presented with

a 15-item measure;

combines writing/style

correction items with

legal/ethics questions (see

appendix A)

Students

should be well-

prepared for

the major

Students should

average 3/15

items correct,

showing they

have a basic

understanding of

specialized

writing and/or

ethics of the field

Near the

beginning but not

past the mid-point

of each semester;

at least 25

freshmen per year

COMPS UPD

(who will

randomly

select

instructors

and attend

their classes to

administer

each

semester)

Journalism

Major Focus

Groups


questions about the major’s

strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities, and threats for

their personal learning goals

as well as general questions

about the program (see

appendix B)

Reported

development of

professional

skills

Positive general

responses to the

program

At least one focus

group every fall

and spring

semester; at least

15 JOUR students

per year

COMS UPD

(works with

students to

administer

focus groups)

Internship

Portfolio

Assessment

Final portfolios containing a

reflective statement from the

student, samples of work

from the experience, and

supervisor evaluations are

evaluated by the

Undergraduate Program

Director (see appendix C for

Wilmington rubric)

Excellent

professional-

level skills

Students earn an

average of 31

(out of 35

possible) or

higher

At the close of

every semester

COMS UPD

(who

supervises

internships;

will recruit

one other

instructor to

co-evaluate)

Writing-

Intensive Course

Assessment

The final written documents

from one primarily senior-

level course will be assessed

by the Undergraduate

Program Director (see

appendix D for AAC&U

rubric)

“Capstone”

level writer

95% of the

students will

score 18/20 or

higher; 80%

16/20 or higher

At the close of

each semester; at

least 50 students

will be assessed

each year

COMPS UPD

(who will

arrange for

senior-level

class to be

assessed each

semester)

Law,

Vocabulary, and

Style Post-Test


a 15-item measure;

combines writing/style

correction items with

legal/ethics questions (see

appendix A)

Students

should be well-

prepared for

professional

situations

85% of the

students will be

well-prepared

(13/15) at senior

level

At the close of

each semester; at

least 25

graduating JOUR

seniors

COMPS UPD

(who will

randomly

select

instructors

and attend

their classes to

administer

each

semester)



Appendix D: Style and Ethics/Law Quiz

Read the sentences and decide whether they are correct or not. If the sentence is correct, place an X in the

blank next to correct. If you find errors within the sentence, place an X next to incorrect and make edits to

the printed sentence. You have ten minutes to complete this exercise.

1. They had 12 cows, one bull and 16 pigs.

______ Correct

______ Incorrect

2. The U.S. unemployment rate was 9.6% in August 2010.

______ Correct

______ Incorrect

3. At the assembly, former President of the student body, Jesse James, handed over the

microphone to his successor, Shawna Stevenson.

______ Correct

______ Incorrect

4. Gerlina Evans asks her students to call her Dr. Evans since she earned her Ph.D.

______ Correct

______ Incorrect

5. McCarran Boulevard will be closed from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m.

______ Correct

______ Incorrect

6. Tiffany and Company makes fine silver jewelry.

______ Correct

______ Incorrect

7. The school board approved the 7:30 a.m. start time.

______ Correct

______ Incorrect

8. Buffalos roam Custer State Park near Rapid City, SD.

______ Correct

______ Incorrect

9. Sophmores were pitted against each other in Class Wars.

______ Correct

______ Incorrect

10. Teachers handed out their syllabi on the first day of school.

_____ Correct

______ Incorrect



Journalism Ethics Quiz

Please mark the answer that provides the best action in the situation considering both ethics and

the law. For each item there is one best answer. You have five minutes to complete the

exercise.

1. You are editor of The Student Times. You and your newspaper staff have spent the last two

months working on a story about drug use at your university. You've interviewed more than two

dozen sources, including students and parents, school officials, doctors, social workers and drug

rehabilitation counselors. The story is well-researched and well-written. It suggests that drug use

is more common among students at your school than many community members may think.

Alarmed by the findings -- and concerned about how the community will react -- your university

president has censored the story and steadfastly refused to back down. What should you do?

a. Consider publishing the story on your own either in an independent, or "underground"

newspaper or on a private, off-campus website.

b. Appeal the principal's decision to the university board of trustees.

c. Publish and distribute a press release about the censorship to local media and other

interested groups.

d. All of the above.

2. You are editor of your high school student newspaper, The Student Times. Jennifer, a classmate

you trust, just walked into the newsroom to tell you that for the last few months her math teacher

has been making inappropriate, sexually suggestive comments to her after class. Unfortunately,

she says there were no witnesses to any of their exchanges. She has not reported the incidents to

anyone else. You believe that sexual harassment is a serious problem that really needs to be

addressed. Which of the following options do you consider the best?

a. Because you believe Jennifer to be an honest person, you publish a story reporting

her claims without any further investigation.

b. You do not attempt to cover the story or the issue of sexual harassment at all. It's

just too risky.

c. You publish a story about the issue of sexual harassment generally using Jennifer's

accusation as an example. But you do not use either Jennifer or the teacher's names in the

story and are careful to avoid including any other information that might identify them

(you refer to them as only "a student" and "a teacher").

d. You contact the math teacher prior to publication and give him a chance to deny

and respond to the charges, but otherwise publish Jennifer's accusations as she relayed

them to you.



3. Keisha Jones, the energetic news photographer for The City Times, has been busy at work. As

part of her proposed "Day in the Life of Jefferson City" photo essay, she's snapped dozens of

photos. In which of the following situations, if any, could Keisha's actions have constituted an

unwarranted invasion of privacy?

a. A school's top counselor is known as the "Stealth Counselor" because few students ever

actually see him. Sneaking past his secretary and down a hallway, Keisha was able to

quietly open the counselor's closed door and, without being detected, snap a picture of

him working in front of his computer.

b. In the parking lot before work, Keisha snapped a photo of Roman and Julie

engaged in a "heated" public display of affection in front of Roman's car.

c. From the sidewalk in front of a local courthouse, Keisha happened to glance into the

employee lounge window where she saw a judge puffing away on a cigarette, a violation

of the state's "Smoke-Free Buildings" law. Though her camera was in her backpack,

Keisha was able to dig it out in time to click a clear photo of the judge taking one last

puff.


4. You just received a three-sentence e-mail from the editor of a nearby public university who tells

you the president has censored an article on teenage pregnancy from her newspaper because he

felt the topic was "inappropriate." The editor believes the president's actions were a violation of

her First Amendment rights. Is she correct?

a. No. The president's stated goal of protecting students from inappropriate material would

likely be deemed "reasonable" under the Supreme Court's Hazelwood standard and the

censorship allowed to stand.

b. Yes. The Supreme Court's Tinker decision makes clear that the First Amendment

protects the right of student editors at public universities to publish such articles and --

assuming the stories are accurate, contain no unlawful material (libel, obscenity, etc.) and

would not substantially disrupt normal school activities -- the president has no authority

censor them.

c. It doesn't matter. Students shouldn't waste time defending their press freedom. The editor

should end any effort to cover the story.

d. You need more information before you respond.

5. Pick out the media law "myth"" from among the following:

a. The law prohibits news media from publishing the name or photo of a minor

accused of criminal conduct.

b. The law prohibits news media from publishing the name or photo of a minor

student online without parental consent.

c. High school-aged students cannot -- acting on their own, without their parents –

validly consent to the publication of a story that could otherwise invade their privacy (for

example, a 17-year-old pregnant student cannot consent to an interview about her

experience without her parents' permission).




Appendix B: Journalism Major Focus Group Protocol

The following questions should be asked. Interviews should be done by a fellow student and

every question below must be asked (although there can also be follow up questions).

Thank you all so much for agreeing to join me for this focus group today. Now, as we mentioned

when we recruited you to take part, the reason we are doing this is to help gather feedback about

your communication education and how it can be improved or, if you are happy with the way

things are, how we can make sure that things stay the same. You will notice that I am recording

this session, but please know that this recording will not be shared with any other students. The

only person who will hear it is [name of current Communication Undergraduate Program

Director] who will listen to responses, take notes or type out specific helpful quotes, and who

will analyze all of the interviews to make a report for faculty members. Then the recording will

be destroyed. Even though your specific words might be used, your name will never be

associated with them. If you mention a professor by name, that will not be used either – so please

do not worry about hurting anyone’s feelings. I hope know this makes you feel free to be as

honest as you like. We just want to know how you feel and to help make your experience here

worthwhile.

TURN ON RECORDER

So with that in mind, I will start with some general questions. First:

1. What are the strengths of the Communication department at NIU?

2. Thanks. Now what do you see as the weaknesses of the Communication department at

NIU?

3. Great. Now I want you to think about opportunities. That is, what do you see as

possibilities that this department could embrace?

4. Alright. And now I want you to think about threats. That is, what things could hurt our

department or threaten the quality of your education. Tell me about those threats.

Thanks! We’re about half way done now. These next questions are more specific. Please feel

free to be as honest as you want to be. This information will be so helpful to making the

department better, and your name will not be attached to your answers in any way. So to begin:

5. How much do you value the education you get as a student in this department? Do you

find studying (pick which applies or both for mixed groups: communication or

journalism) is worthwhile?

6. Okay – so, regardless of your answers to that last question, what do you think we can do

better?

7. Thanks! Next question: Who do you believe are the people that define this department?

And is that a good or a bad thing? (Possible follow-ups: Who is the department chair?

Who do you go to with problems? Who is charged with developing the curriculum?)



8. Alright. Two more to go. Next: What do you think about the classes we offer here?

Specifically, what is your feedback regarding both requirements and course availability?

9. Okay. And last question: What does it mean to be a communication major? That is, if

someone were to ask you what communication people do, what would you say?

That’s it! We are all done. Thank you so much for taking part in this focus group. This

information will be collected from several other groups, and then the department undergraduate

director will look for themes and present those to the faculty and administrators so they can help

to improve your education and the department climate. Thanks so much for your time!



Appendix C: Internship Rubric



Appendix D: Writing Rubric

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