Hollingsworth: Communication department's accreditation effort lacks true voice
Brandon Hollingsworth
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: Opinion
In October and November of 2007, the Chanticleer ran several editorials, letters and rebuttals from students, faculty and administrators. All the materials dealt with what was described as a misstep in the Communications Department's hiring of adjunct faculty.
Today, we revisit the issue of dissatisfaction within the department, but this time of a more general nature.
As you read this, the department is fast closing in on the home stretch of a five-year-long accreditation process. In that time, the department expended tremendous amounts of work, time and manpower to meet the criteria for accreditation.
Next week, an on-site evaluation committee of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) will conduct a final visit to the department. Their goal will be to make a final recommendation for or against accreditation based on how well the department has achieved certain predetermined standards.
If the JSU Department of Communications gains accreditation, it would be only the third in Alabama to reach such a benchmark. The other two are the University of Alabama and Auburn University. It's far from a done deal, however, and the department's last-minute scrambling leaves much to be desired.
By scrambling, I mean doing things now that could very well have been done a while back, including establishment of a communication library facility. The existence of such a facility is considered an important part of the accreditation process, yet no such room existed until late last year, and books and periodicals, few as there are, were not delivered until this month.
As part of the ACEJMC team's evaluation, they will participate in group and individual discussions with students. I view this as the most significant single exercise the team will conduct during their stay in Jacksonville. Without knowing what the students are thinking and how they view their own education, the committee cannot fully know the health of the department.
Today, we revisit the issue of dissatisfaction within the department, but this time of a more general nature.
As you read this, the department is fast closing in on the home stretch of a five-year-long accreditation process. In that time, the department expended tremendous amounts of work, time and manpower to meet the criteria for accreditation.
Next week, an on-site evaluation committee of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) will conduct a final visit to the department. Their goal will be to make a final recommendation for or against accreditation based on how well the department has achieved certain predetermined standards.
If the JSU Department of Communications gains accreditation, it would be only the third in Alabama to reach such a benchmark. The other two are the University of Alabama and Auburn University. It's far from a done deal, however, and the department's last-minute scrambling leaves much to be desired.
By scrambling, I mean doing things now that could very well have been done a while back, including establishment of a communication library facility. The existence of such a facility is considered an important part of the accreditation process, yet no such room existed until late last year, and books and periodicals, few as there are, were not delivered until this month.
As part of the ACEJMC team's evaluation, they will participate in group and individual discussions with students. I view this as the most significant single exercise the team will conduct during their stay in Jacksonville. Without knowing what the students are thinking and how they view their own education, the committee cannot fully know the health of the department.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Colt McGaha
posted 2/13/08 @ 6:16 AM CST
Hopefully the committee will make some good decisions and observations while there. Because it is obvious that the department nor the administration is doing anything. (Continued…)
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