NEWS

Accreditation report calls school ‘perhaps the best’ in the nation

By ZACH HOSKINS
UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication

CHAPEL HILL -- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication is "perhaps the best program in the nation," according to its latest accreditation report.

The report, written by a team of communication educators and media professionals that visited Chapel Hill in February, lauded the school’s balance of research and professional training.

"The School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill is recognized by academics and media professionals as perhaps the best program in the nation," the report said. "Many believe it has the best balance of any journalism-mass media communications school because it places appropriate emphasis on both scholarly productivity and professional excellence. Moreover, it combines the best in undergraduate and graduate education. Clearly, the school is focused on its mission of excellence."

The team evaluated all aspects of the school’s undergraduate and professional master’s programs.

In its report, the team recommended re-accreditation and found the school in compliance with each of the 12 accreditation standards. Those include such areas as administration, curriculum, instruction, research and public service.

The report now will go to the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications for a final accreditation decision in May. The council is the agency responsible for the evaluation of professional journalism and mass communication programs in colleges and universities.

"This rave review was possible only because of the talent and hard work of many, many people — inside and outside the school — over many, many years," said Dr. Richard Cole, school dean.

Will Norton, dean of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska, led the team, as well as the review of the professional master’s program. Other team members, and the study sequences within the school for which they led the team’s review, were:

• Ann Brill, associate professor at the University of Kansas, news-editorial sequence;
• Gary Corbitt, vice president and research director at WJXT-TV in Jacksonville, Fla., electronic communication sequence;
• Kathleen Fearn-Banks, associate professor at the University of Washington, public relations sequence;
• Carla Lloyd, chairwoman of the advertising department at Syracuse University, advertising sequence; and
• Patty Reksten, photography director at The Oregonian in Portland, visual communication sequence.

During their visit, Feb. 16-19, team members talked with students, faculty and staff members, university administrators and others. They also sat in on classes.

The biggest hurdle for the team members turned out to be a major storm that blew in the day they arrived, dumping snow and ice across the Triangle and much of the East Coast. Icy road conditions forced the university to cancel classes Monday, but the team members still visited all of the school’s full-time faculty members and a handful of students who braved the conditions to make it to Carroll Hall. As classes resumed Tuesday, students returned to Carroll, and team members met with bigger groups of undergraduates and professional master’s students.

The school has been nationally accredited since 1958, and in 1978 it received the first unit-wide accreditation awarded by the council. It comes up for re-accreditation every six years. The school’s previous accreditation report, in 1997, cited the its "exceptionally well-balanced approach" and called the school "arguably the best all-around program in the country."

This year’s report praised "(s)trong administrators who are respected throughout the nation, indeed the world"; "an excellent faculty who are well-connected to media professionals"; "a well-balanced professional approach"; and "a school-wide culture of extraordinary commitment." The report cited "an excellent staff that is focused on details and truly conscientious"; "communication excellence" through publications, mailings, special events and more"; and "many superb international projects." It also said the school "is more diverse than six years ago."

In preparation for each accreditation site visit, the school compiles a comprehensive self-study, a report detailing its activities and accomplishments relevant to each of the accreditation standards. Cole, Senior Associate Dean Tom Bowers and Associate Dean Jan Yopp put the self-study together with the help of numerous faculty and staff members.

- 30 -

School contact: Dean Richard Cole, (919) 962-1204, richard_cole@unc.edu
News services contact: L.J. Toler, (919) 962-8589, laura_toler@unc.edu