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Journalism & Mass Communications ‐ Program Planning Report – Spring, 2015 Pg. 1

PROGRAM PLANNING REPORT SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATIONS

COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCES AND ARTS WWW.JMC.SJSU.EDU

JMC School Director and Faculty Program Plan Leader:

Prof. Bob Rucker, DBH 105, 408‐924‐3249,

[email protected]

External Reviewer: Dr. Doug Swanson, Assessment Consultant,

California State University, Fullerton

(657) 278‐8607, www.djswansonapr.net

[email protected]

Date of Report: April 24, 2015

Date Due to PPC: April 29, 2015

Current Chair of Program Planning Committee:

Brandon White, [email protected]

UGS Administrative Support for Program Planning:

Nicole Loeser, [email protected]


Table of Contents

1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3

2. SUMMARY OF PROGRESS, CHANGES, AND PROPOSED ACTIONS…………………………………..…..…………. 7

3. ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING………………………………………..……………………………………..…………. 9

4. PROGRAM METRICS AND REQUIRED DATA………………………………………..……………………………………..…. 14

5. PROGRAM RESOURCES………………………………………..………………………………………………………....………….. 21

6. OTHER STRENGTHS, WEAKENESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES…………………………..……….. 23

7. DEPARTMENT ACTION PLAN ………………………………………..……………………………………..…………………….. 24

8. APPENDICES CONTENT………………………………………..……………………………………..………………..............… 24


Journalism and Mass Communications

1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

a. Program Mission and Goals

Mission Statement

The School of Journalism and Mass Communications embraces the innovative spirit of Silicon Valley, emphasizing cultural and intellectual diversity, the First Amendment, and the free flow of ideas. The School prepares students to excel in advertising, journalism, and public relations by teaching professional skills and advanced information technologies, by developing the capacity for critical and original thinking, and fostering creativity and a passion for communications.

Core Principles and Values:

Inspire integrity and ethical practice

Foster diversity understanding, inclusion and respect

Encourage learning by doing

Instill professional responsibility and personal discipline

Teach applied and theoretical perspectives

Promote the pursuit of personal and professional development

Incorporate advanced multimedia technologies

Diversity Mission As an integral part of our overall educational mission, the School of Journalism and Mass Communications recognizes and values public understanding of all expressions of cultural diversity. Through our academic degree programs and public service efforts, we prepare future media professionals in all forms of global communications with a commitment to responsible outreach and inclusion of all people. We do this best by respectfully identifying and addressing, in a timely, fair and truthful way, issues of race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious cultures and disability in our nation and global community.

We accomplish this by: Hiring faculty from diverse communities with significant research, teaching and/or contemporary professional experiences whose work excites interest in diversity appreciation and inclusion.


Enrolling students of all ages, economic and cultural backgrounds, and challenging them to interact, share information, think critically, and develop new ways to see, value and include diversity in their academic efforts and post graduate pursuits. Creating a supportive education climate where the campus and global communities are engaged by inviting all voices and perspectives to be heard, discussed, valued and incorporated in all media outreach efforts. Assessing and updating regularly our curriculum, school programs and special events to insure they address timely, important, and ever changing aspects of diverse life experiences. Exploring creative, innovative and ethical uses of new technology to broaden public awareness and enable better understanding of the meaning and impact of diversity in our society and world.

JMC School Goals & Objectives

In every class, faculty in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications embrace and assess student abilities to meet the following goals:

To contribute to the continuing professional development of a media field through faculty participation and leadership in the appropriate academic and professional societies;

To contribute new knowledge to the field through faculty research and faculty supervision of student research at the graduate level;

To advance our long-term commitment to multimedia education and research by developing partnerships with professional media and high tech companies throughout Silicon Valley, the nation and the world.

To raise the profile of the school in the communications industry and the global community through timely, interesting, and dynamic media productions and research produced by school faculty and students.

To connect undergraduate and graduate students with leading professional and academic trendsetters through school sponsorship of professionally affiliated student organizations, mentoring and consulting opportunities.

Objectives: The School of Journalism and Mass Communications is committed to developing a dynamic learning environment through an innovative multimedia educational approach that enables a free flow of diverse ideas, critical thinking and the creative and responsible use of new technology. Advertising, journalism, public relations and mass communications graduate students are part of a comprehensive and ever-evolving curriculum that focuses on: Learning. We value a broad based liberal arts education and intellectual curiosity that enables fluency in the

use of specific theories, tools, technology and graphical representations above all. The academic freedom of faculty and students is vital to our role of promoting life-long learning through intellectual inquiry, scholarship and the pursuit of knowledge.

Student and Faculty Success. We place our highest priority on ensuring the academic success and personal growth of everyone in the San José State University community.


Excellence. We hold ourselves to the highest standards and support continual improvement and innovation in all we do.

Integrity. We are accountable for our actions and expect honesty and fairness in all our work and interactions.

Diversity and Social Justice. We value and respect diversity, inclusion, civility and individual uniqueness, and recognize the strength these factors bring to the learning environment, our community and the world. All of our interactions should reflect trust, caring and mutual respect.

Globalization. We are committed to globalizing our curriculum to ensure that our graduates appreciate, contribute to and compete effectively in a global marketplace, and promote international opportunities for faculty & students.

Sustainability. We are committed to sustainability in all areas, not just environmental, but also social sustainability.

Community and Service. We value collaborative relationships within and beyond the campus in order to best serve our mission.

b. Curricular Content of Degrees, Minors, and Certificates

The School of Journalism and Mass Communications offers three undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree programs:

Public Relations

The school grants a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations. For decades this program has been widely recognized as “the best on the west coast and one of the top programs in the United States.” Consistent demand for this academic discipline, from business, media and the public sector, has prompted the expansion of curricula focus to include strategic global communications, and advanced study in crisis management theories and practices. Critical thinking and new technology skills development are required in both lower and upper division classes. Majors must take the following courses: News Writing, Contemporary Public Relations, Media Writing in the Information Age, Strategic Writing for the Organization, Case Studies in Strategic Communications, Campaign Planning and Management, and a three-credit elective. Critical thinking and new technology skills development are required in all lower and upper division classes. Public Relations students also participate in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications campus based agency, DBH Communications. Undergraduate majors are required to do a 240 hour professional internship for three units credit as part of the ACEJMC national accreditation requirement.

An 18 unit Public Relations minor is also offered as a minor for SJSU students.

Advertising

It’s the oldest and most reputable four year advertising degree granting program in Northern California. The advertising major consists of 40 hours, 21 hours in advertising and 19 hours in the mass communication


core courses. Required courses in the major include an introductory course and an advertising campaigns course. There are two tracks and two courses are required in each track. The management track includes integrated marketing communications and media planning. The creative track courses are copywriting and layout and production.

Advertising majors may pick two electives, either consumer or business-to-business advertising, and broadcast and new media, or work on the college daily newspaper advertising staff, or participate in the campus based agency, DBH Communications. Both the intro and advertising layout/production courses are open to all students in the university.

Undergraduate majors are required to do a 240 hour professional internship for three units credit as part of the ACEJMC national accreditation requirement.

An 18 unit Advertising minor is also offered as a minor for SJSU students.

Journalism

To meet the changing expectations of the global communications world, in 2013 the four emphasis in newspaper, television, magazine and photo journalism were combined, and a new Convergence Journalism program was established. In the years since journalism students have continued to win top awards in local, regional and national competitions. Requirements continue to include both lower and upper division news writing and reporting for online media, beginning visual communications and advanced digital news photography, editing and production, skills development for specialized research and information gathering and news career management, and contemporary design and web management training. After completing their introductory and advanced specialization journalism education, all students come together to develop teamwork and team management skills in an upgraded convergence newsroom. A culminating experience offers undergraduates a unique opportunity to anticipate, create and develop innovative information and social media research, unique multi-platform news projects, or in-depth documentaries which identify and examine new trends or advancements on the horizon in visual mass communications.

Undergraduate majors are required to do a 240 hour professional internship for three units credit as part of the ACEJMC national accreditation requirement.

An 18 unit Journalism minor is also offered as a minor for SJSU students.

The School of Journalism and Mass Communications offers a Masters of Science degree program:

Mass Communications Fully revised in 2011, the new JMC School professional graduate program focuses on preparing post graduates to lead multimedia and corporate communications teams. It offers the option of a research-based thesis track and a professionally oriented project track. The main change is a narrowing of focus for both tracks to new media and social media research. While the overarching goal of our undergraduate program is to prepare students to contribute to media teams, the goal of our graduate program is to prepare students to provide global leadership. By 2016, the JMC School graduate program wants to establish a Center for Social Media Research, and with new and dynamic partnerships in Silicon Valley, be recognized globally for the first academic study of new technology enhancements and the impact of social media on people especially in underrepresented communities.


A tenured, media experience faculty member serves as coordinator of the graduate program, and as chair of the graduate committee, which makes decisions about admissions, curriculum, and program oversight. The graduate program lead professor also coordinates graduate program issues with the school's director. Recent graduates and current students are from all over the world. The diverse student population enriches the school. A quick look at 14 reported graduates for the 2006-2007 school year indicates that 12 of the 14 were minority or international students.

Service Courses

MCOM 199A: ADVERTISING & PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY I (3 units). The first of a two-semester capstone course where seniors will work in teams in a School-sponsored Advertising and Public Relations Agency to plan and execute real-world integrated strategic campaigns for community, regional and national clients, as well as to prepare entires for national competitions. Enrollment by permission only. Prerequisite: PR Majors: PR 099, PR 190 or PR 192; PR 191; ADV Majors: ADV 091

MCOM 199B: ADVERTISING & PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY II (3 units). The second of a two-semester capstone course where seniors will work in teams in a School-sponsored Advertising and Public Relations Agency to plan and execute real-world integrated strategic campaigns for community, regional and national clients as well as to prepare entires for national competitions. Enrollment by permission only. Prerequisite: MCOM 199A

2. SUMMARY OF PROGRESS, CHANGES, AND PROPOSED ACTIONS

a. Progress on action plan of previous program review

In 2010 the School of Journalism and Mass Communications approved a comprehensive strategic plan. It included a mission statement that addresses the changing needs of the program, the university and the community it serves. In 2012 the JMC School adopted a Diversity Mission designed to enhance and broaden the program’s commitment to respecting and including the ideas, creativity and innovativeness of all people, cultures and life experiences. Since the last program review the JMC School conducted a successful faculty recruitment effort and hired an international creative advertising expert, John Delacruz from Great Britain, for a tenure track probationary faculty member. This year he is currently in the third year of the RTP review.

The JMC School continues to offer the most comprehensive journalism, advertising and public relations curriculum in Northern California. An extraordinary $8.7 million gift from the estate of Jack and Emma Anderson in 2013 enabled the school to engage in an extensive technology upgrade in Dwight Bentel Hall. By spring 2015, a cutting-edge educational environment designed to address 21st century technology and global communication needs included a new state-of-the-art high definition television studio, a convergence newsroom, two fully equipped skills development Mac labs, and a Creative Suite for student campaign development and client meetings.


Unique “Education: Wheels Up!” international travel projects have offered JMC, CASA and university students learning opportunities in Cuba, England, France, Spain, and Thailand. Silicon Valley collaborations with Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Adobe have enhanced student online multimedia presentations, and enabled global distribution and study of their efforts worldwide.

Distinguished graduates have received six Pulitzer Prizes, four since 2000, plus numerous local and regional Emmy Awards, and a regional Edward R. Murrow Award. In 2011 Steve Lopez, widely acclaimed Los Angeles Times columnist, book author and film producer of “The Soloist” was awarded an honorary doctorate by the CSU Board of Trustees and San José State University. The JMC School takes pride in its motto “Learn by Doing.”

b. Significant changes to the program and context

The journalism degree program offers a 120-unit Bachelor of Science degree. Prior to Fall 2013, the program offered concentrations in reporting and editing, photojournalism, radio-television news and magazine journalism. With major changes in global communications world and declining enrollments in two of the concentrations, the JMC School Curriculum Committee researched, discussed and developed a program that would merge all four concentrations. Journalism students were asked to join the committee effort and offered insights and student perspectives. By November 2012 the committee presented the new convergence journalism degree to the full JMC faculty for discussion and approval. The plan was immediately sent to the dean, the CASA Curriculum Committee and SJSU Undergraduate Studies for review and approval. In late January 2013 all three review efforts were approved, with the new convergence degree program was first scheduled in Fall 2013. Since then numerous journalism students have won local, regional, statewide and national awards and recognition for their cross platform reporting.

Integrated SJSU Mission and Learning Goals

In collaboration with nearby industries and communities, School of Journalism and Mass Communications faculty and staff are dedicated to achieving the university's mission as a responsive institution of the State of California. Our degree programs work to: (1) Enrich the lives of JMC School students, (2) Transmit knowledge to its students along with the necessary skills for applying it in the service of our society, and (3) Expand the base of knowledge through research and scholarship.

JMC School students should graduate with the same goals and mission of all San José State University graduates. They must have:

Specialized Knowledge o Depth of knowledge required for a media degree, as identified by the program learning

outcomes.

Broad Integrative Knowledge o Mastery in each step of an investigative, creative or practical project (e.g. brainstorming,

planning, formulating hypotheses or complex questions, designing, creating, completing, and communicating).


o An understanding of the implications of results or findings from a particular work in a societal or media context (e.g. social or economic implications of a scientific finding).

o Students graduating with a baccalaureate degree will have demonstrated an understanding of critical components of broad academic areas, the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences and their integration.

Intellectual Skills o Fluency in the use of specific theories, tools, technology and graphical representations. o Skills and abilities necessary for life-long learning: critical and creative thinking, effective

communication, conscientious information gathering and processing, mastery of quantitative methodologies, and the ability to engage effectively in collaborative activities.

Applied Knowledge o The ability to integrate theory, practice, and problem-solving to address practical issues. o The ability to apply their knowledge and skills to new settings or in addressing complex

problems. o The ability to work productively as individuals and in groups.

Social and Global Responsibilities

o The ability to act intentionally and ethically to educate a global media community so it can act to address issues, concerns or problems in an informed manner with a multicultural and historical perspective, and a clear understanding of societal and civic responsibilities.

o Diverse and global perspectives through engagement with the multidimensional SJSU community.

3. ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING

a. Program Learning Objectives (PLO)

JMC School commitment to student success is showcased in our four Program Learning Objectives (PLOs) listed below. These overarching core values and student responsibilities reflect San Jose State University and national accreditation standards established by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and the JMC School’s national accrediting body, the Association of College Educators in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC). In 2013 JMC School faculty established:

Program Learning Objectives (PLOs): All JMC School students are expected to be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the diversity of groups in a global society in relationship to communications.

2. Demonstrate the ability to think critically, creatively and independently. 3. Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions,

audiences and purposes they serve. 4. Demonstrate the ability to use tools and technologies appropriate for the communications

professions in which they work.

Classroom Learning Objectives were developed by faculty to meet their individual class measurements of student learning through class assignments, tests, presentations, multimedia productions, group projects, and other media industry inspired approaches. Here is a sample of JMC School CLOs:


Demonstrate knowledge of the diversity of groups in a global society in relationship to communications. Demonstrate the ability to think critically, creatively and independently. Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve. Demonstrate the ability to use tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions in which they work.

Demonstrate knowledge of and the ability to apply the principles and laws of freedom of speech and press, including the right to dissent, to monitor and criticize power, and to assemble and petition for redress of grievances.

Demonstrate knowledge of the history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping communications.

Demonstrate the ability to apply concepts and theories in the use and presentation of images and information. Demonstrate knowledge of professional ethical principles and the ability to work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy and fairness.

Conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to their communications professions. Critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy, fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness.

Apply basic numerical and statistical concepts.

b. Map of PLOs to University Learning Goals (ULG). See Appendix JMC Assessment 1.

c. Matrix of PLOs to Courses. See Appendix JMC Assessment 2.

d. Assessment Data

a. JMC assigned a new assessment coordinator in the Spring 2015 semester who is

receiving special training has organized a new assessment regimen for the next two

years. For a spreadsheet of that schedule of assessments, see Appendix JMC

Assessment Spreadsheet.

b. Previous assessment results are in Appendix JMC Assessment 3

Data on JMC students are collected both qualitatively and quantitatively through several methods throughout their academic career at San José State University. The information is gathered to meet assessment requirements of the university for WASC accreditation and for the school’s reaccreditation by ACEJMC. The latter information ensures that the overall course requirements in the school’s three undergraduate majors — advertising, journalism, and public relations — provide students with the necessary mastery of the 12 ACEJMC program objectives in addition to specific major and course skill and knowledge requirements. Essentially, the three majors each require a common conceptual, or substantive core composed of courses focusing on law, research, global communications, press and the public, in addition to the specific skill set


necessary to qualify for an entry-level position upon graduation or advancement to a master’s degree program.

The information is gathered from observation, testing, and self-reporting from at least three levels:

Individual course projects, portfolios, quizzes and texts in each course over a five-year rotation of courses for assessment;

Professional advancement from a mandatory six-week (240 hours) internship at an appropriate agency, corporation or media organization as well as a capstone course, such as the school newspaper, the Spartan Daily; the television news program, “Update News”; the magazines, Access and SHiFT; and the advertising and public relations agency, DB&H Communications.

Surveys of the school’s alumni at two different periods after graduation, usually about three years and beyond. The alumni reports tell us how well individuals are doing in their respective careers as well as their evaluation of the value of the skills and conceptual courses they took in their academic program. Although the actual percentage varies year by year, it is estimated that about one-third of our graduates obtain their first job after graduation either with, or through, their college internship.

a. Assessment Results and Interpretation As mentioned above, we have, in Spring 2015,

begun a new system of assessment under the direction of a new assessment coordinator.

Under this plan, every one of 12 PLOs are scheduled to be assessed in the next two years.

While previous assessments often led to important changes in individual courses, the

expectation has been raised, such that we now intend that every assessment lead to

changes that may extend beyond individual courses and impact curricular changes, if need

be. We have, of course, frequently revamped our curriculum to respond to changes in the

industry. Now, in addition to that, we are tightening the linkage between assessment results

and curriculum. Much of this is covered in appendices SF1‐SF4.

b. Placement of Graduates

The School of Journalism and Mass Communications faculty are particularly proud of the continued success of graduates in all degree programs. Many are leaders and ground-breakers in traditional and new media fields nationwide and globally. (Listed below by specialty are members of the graduating class of three years ago and their current jobs.)


4. PROGRAM METRICS AND REQUIRED DATA

a. Enrollment, Retention, and Graduation rates


b. Headcount in Sections


c. FTES, Induced Load Matrix

d. FTEF, SFR, Percentage T/TT Faculty


5. PROGRAM RESOURCES

a. Faculty

Any educational institution’s greatest asset is its faculty, and that is absolutely true of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at San José State University. While all of our faculty members are involved in service and research or creative work, they are here first and foremost to teach, and teach they do, at a clip of four courses per semester for full-time professors and instructors (with occasional reductions for special assignments or grant activities). Our11 full-time, tenured and tenure-track professors, 12 part-time adjunct instructors and one Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP) professor work to offer students a full range of courses in advertising, journalism and public relations. All courses are taught by instructors with significant professional experience. No courses are taught by graduate students.

b. All JMC Faculty have distinguished themselves with their creative and innovative

approaches to community and public service.

After being cited for being out of compliance with our national accreditation association in 2008, JMC faculty held a workshop in 2009 and brought in an AEJMC accrediting council representative for a faculty retreat to discuss accreditation expectations. We are proud of our faculty's sustained efforts since that meeting, especially in light of budget cuts at the university. CVs that are part of this self-study show that senior faculty members have markedly increased their research, creative and professional efforts.

Matt Cabot wrote the instructor’s manual and text bank for the textbook “Think PR,” Allyn & Bacon, 2010; “Re-Thinking Public Relations Ethics: New Directions in Research, Instruction and Practice,” VDM Verlag, 2010; “Barry Bonds vs. The Media” for Mass Media Ethics, 2011; and “Educating Global Citizens for the 21st Century: The SJSU Salzburg Program” for The Journal of Corporate Citizenship. D. Michael Cheers produced two documentaries: “Dream Fulfilled, Dream Deferred” and “African Tech Women Meet Silicon Valley” in 2013, and has “The Barbershop Diaries” in post-production this Fall. Richard Craig published these textbooks: “News Writing and Reporting: The Complete Guide for Today’s Journalist,” Oxford University Press, with Chip Scanlan, 2013; and “Polls, Expectations and Elections: TV News Making in U.S. President Campaigns,” Lexington Books, to be released Nov. 15, 2014.

Diane Guerrazzi has been director of the SJSU Afghanistan Journalism Education Enhancement Program (AJEEP) initiated by the U.S. State Department since 2011. Before she ends her duties in 2015, she will have trained Afghan instructors at Herat University; hosted and taught some of them at San José State; instructed more at Balkh and Kabul universities; conducted related academies in Dubai, UAE, and Hyderabad, India; and watched at a conference in Istanbul, Turkey, last summer when the teaching template she conceived was adopted as the Afghan national curriculum for journalism and public relations. She also produced two documentaries, “From the USA to the UAE” and “Opening Oman.”

Kim Komenich wrote the feature-length documentary “Cowboys,” 2014, and a 30-minute educational film, “The Infant Reflexes,” 2014. His trans-media documentary project, “Revolution Revisited,” a 25-year retrospective about the fall of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines, for which his photojournalism in 1986 won a Pulitzer, is in post-production.


William Tillinghast was the first author on a climate-change article in four 2013 news magazines published in the Online Journal of Communication and Media Studies and third author on a 2011 article published in the Journal of Magazine & News Media Research about patriotism.

c. Support Staff

Silvia La Rosa is the JMC School Administrative Analyst. In 2015 she has no full-time office support staff person to support her efforts in meeting the needs of nearly 500 students and 23 faculty. Deborah Briese is full-time staff but her assignment time is 80% as the Spartan Daily Business Manager staff, and 20% as JMC School Office Staff. Jessie Pickett is part-time office staff working four hours a day, five days a week in the JMC Office. His job description includes technology support for faculty and students. Timothy Burke is the skills technology staff person who facilitates the printing of the JMC School student newspaper, The Spartan Daily.

d. Facilities

The JMC School is located in Dwight Bentel Hall (named after the founder of the unit). It is one of the “original” buildings in the central quad area. The building was completely renovated in 1991 and again in 2006 to provide updated classrooms, computer labs, and media production facilities, as well as housing the entire faculty in individual offices.

The first floor houses the school office and workspace (DBH 105), the director’s office (DBH 103), the Brown reading room (DBH 109), equipment checkout (DBH 111), plus a small kitchen (DBH 115), faculty-staff restrooms, and 10 faculty offices on the ground level.

A large lecture classroom, DBH 133, is capable of seating about 75 students. It is also on the first floor, in the east wing.

The second floor east wing of DBH houses the new convergence journalism student media newsroom (DBH 209) where all journalism students gather and work together to discuss and develop stories for reporting on a variety of media platforms.

Before Fall 2013, this location was the exclusive home of the campus student newspaper, the Spartan Daily, and its facilities including a newsroom, advertising student lab, an accounting and classified advertising office, plus a story morgue, and production area. There are two smaller labs included in the convergence news complex, DBH 209B where photojournalism and multimedia students prepare photos and videos for student media, and DBH 213, the magazine lab for the production of Access and SHiFT magazines.

The second floor of Dwight Bentel Hall contains the TV newsroom and production facilities for “Update News.” In DBH 226 are two multimedia lab/smart classrooms. Here students from all three degree programs learn entry level and intermediate software and new technologies. At the far end of the second floor is the Cisco Telepresence smart classroom DBH 225 where students interact with guest speakers from around Silicon Valley, the state, nation and the world.


The unit administers university media and school publications. This includes a newspaper print and online publication, a local weekly television newscast, and a semiannual weekly public affairs program broadcast on a Bay Area PBS station. They are:

o The Spartan Daily (3 times a week, 5,500 copies printed daily),

o “Update News” (aired weekly each semester) and

o “Equal Time” (aired weekly during the late spring and summer months).

In 2014, faculty authorized the acquisition and development of a new student media online portal by TownNews.com, which provides state-of-the-art online, publishing and revenue solutions. They work with more than 1,500 news websites, producing more than 1 billion ad impressions, and nearly 750 million page views monthly. Member newspapers include dailies, weeklies, shoppers and specialty publications from groups and independents in all 50 states and Canada. Their BLOX Content Management System allows JMC to change the look and feel of the school and student media websites by a simple click-and-drag interface. The newly named ‘Spartan News Online” digital presence brings together the efforts of reporting and editing, electronic/broadcast, magazine and photojournalism students. See more information about the new websites in the Appendix. “Update News,” has its own production and development facilities for producing the weekly news broadcasts in DBH 221.

It includes a newly updated digital television production studio, editing facilities, digital cameras, recording equipment. Eight PC computers for the E-Z News writing and studio teleprompter system now interface with the high-definition television studio. These are also used for online research, general reporting, copy scripting and encoding of text to the closed-caption systems.

In the back video production lab, the digital-based video production system was upgraded to Mac OS X-based systems running Final Cut Pro X. Students have access to digital camcorders. Students also have access to tripods, an assortment of battery and AC lighting units, handheld and lavalier microphones, and wireless microphone systems. Each digital station allows students to edit using Final Cut Pro X or I Movie II. The 30-minute weekly “Update News” program is streamed on the Web and is broadcast on local PBS stations in the Bay Area. The lab is also used for the production of “Equal Time.”

6. OTHER STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

The JMC School offers the most comprehensive journalism curriculum in Northern California. An extraordinary $8.7 million gift from the estate of Jack and Emma Anderson in 2013 enabled the school to develop a cutting-edge educational environment designed to address 21st century technology and global communication needs.

In 2010 the JMC School faculty adopted a strategic five-year plan that covers the school through 2015. It includes all these items: access to technology, assessment, diversity and program development. In upgrading our building and initiating a new major, we have made access to technology an important goal. In 2012, the JMC School petitioned the SJSU president and was awarded the Cisco Telepresence System.


Faculty members are now able to include, in our classes, media experts and guest lectures using the 360p-to-full-HD multiparty conferencing and collaboration technology. For example, second floor classroom DBH 225 was upgraded in late 2012, and professors now video conference there with advertising agencies in New York City during class time.

In 2013 JMC faculty members established an assessment committee. Members of this team created new standards and a plan to require every class to be assessed each semester, and for each class to be completely evaluated every six years. Diversity planning is part of our five-year strategic plan. The comprehensive Diversity Mission Statement was established and is included herein and in our national accreditation self-study. To address professional and academic trends, journalism faculty members refocused their degree program and created a convergence journalism major in 2013. We researched, developed, received approval and initiated the combination of our journalism curriculum in less than two years.

7. DEPARTMENT ACTION PLAN

Planned gifts are a significant part of the fundraising efforts in the JMC School. Jack and Emma Anderson left the school $8.7 million dollars in 2013. In the year that followed, the CASA Dean and JMC School Director Rucker raised nearly $300,000 from planned gifts from former faculty, students, graduates and private donors. See additional comments in response to point 1.

8. APPENDICES CONTENT

See Attached JMC School Appendices and Assessment Spreadsheet.

Accreditation Report – Online:

http://profbob.com/Accreditation%20JMC%202014%20Self%20Study.htm

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