Assessment schedule applies to all schools

The Council’s schedule for the adoption of assessment plans applies to all schools, not just to those under review in a given year. In accreditation reviews in coming years, the Council will expect to find that all schools have developed assessment plans according to the schedule shown in the chart below.

Fall 2003:	assessment plans must be in place
2003 – 2004 academic year:	assessment information must be collected
2004 – 2005 academic year:	assessment information must be applied toward improvements

All schools were required to have established plans for the assessment of educational outcomes by fall of 2003; to collect information for assessment of student learning during the current academic year; and to apply findings from the assessments to improve curricula, instruction and learning during the next academic year (2004 – 2005) and thereafter.

This year’s site teams expect assessment programs to be in place. The Council expects schools reviewed this year to discuss their programs in detail: topics for assessment, methods to be used, schedules, etc. Schools also are expected to describe plans for the application of findings collected during assessments.

Schools that already have established assessment plans have the option of describing the results of assessments and their application toward improvements.

In 2004 – 2005, the self-study document will require schools to describe their assessment plans; to describe findings collected during the previous year; and to explain how they are applying these findings toward improvements.

In following years, all schools will be expected to describe assessment plans established established by fall 2003; to report results and findings; and to report application of results toward improvements. They will be expected to have established these processes according to the schedule described above.

At least for the next few years, the Council will require that schools’ assessment plans be attached to site team reports, so that members of the Committee and Council can see them. Plans found by the site teams to be of exceptional quality will be collected and offered as examples.

The Council published A Guide to Assessment of Student Learning in Journalism and Mass Communications in 2001. This guide describes assessment methods already in use by ACEJMC-accredited schools. Copies of this guide are available from the Council office (see address, below). It also can be downloaded as a .pdf file from the Council Web site at www.ukans.edu/~acejmc/LINKS/LINKS.SHTML

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New team report structure tested

Two team chairs this year are doing double duty. Not only will they conduct their site visits and work with their teams to write reports according to the current structure, they then will rewrite the team reports within a structure based on the new standards.

Committee Chair Beth Barnes and Council member Joe Foote volunteered for this shakedown cruise. The idea was suggested at last September’s Council meeting.

Barnes and Foote will rewrite their reports using a template based on the new standards, which requires discussion of each of the five indicators included in each new standard. The reworked reports will be presented to the Committee and Council for discussion and response. They are intended as informational exercises only and will have no bearing on accreditation decisions.

The experiences of the two team chairs, along with reactions from the Committee and Council, will be used to fine-tune the team report template. It will be used starting in the fall of 2005.

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2004 - 2005 site visit schedule

The following schools are scheduled for accreditation reviews in the 2004 – 2005 academic year. Those marked with * are seeking accreditation for the first time; the rest are seeking re-accreditation.

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Member & program updates

Committee member James Spaniolo has been named president of the University of Texas at Arlington. He was previously dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences at Michigan State University.

American Advertising Federation
The AAF has returned as a Council member organization. Its representative is Constance C. Frazier, senior vice president, AAF Mosaic Center and AAF Educational Services.

Association for Communication Administration
The ACA has withdrawn as a Council member organization.

Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
AEJMC has named Hubert “Hub” Brown and Paul Parsons as Council representatives. As of September, they will replace Mary Ann Ferguson and Wayne Wanta. Brown is an associate professor at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University. Parsons is professor and dean, School of Communications, Elon University.

Michigan State University
Charles T. Salmon has been appointed acting dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, replacing James Spaniolo.

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ACEJMC Meetings Calendar

Accrediting Committee [online booking information for this meeting]
March 13 - 14, 2004
Michigan Avenue Westin Hotel
Chicago

Accrediting Council
April 30 – May 1, 2004
Sheraton Commander Hotel
16 Garden St., Cambridge, Mass.
Meeting location: The Nieman Foundation, host

Accrediting Council
Sept. 10 – 11, 2004
Michigan Avenue Westin Hotel
Chicago

Accrediting Committee
April 2 – 3, 2005
Michigan Avenue Westin Hotel
Chicago

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ACEJMC Ascent
Newsletter of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications

Vol. 11, No. 1, February 2004

President, Accrediting Council
Jerry Ceppos
Vice President for News
Knight Ridder
50 W. San Fernando St., Ste. 1500
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 938-7830

Vice President, Accrediting Council
Will Norton
Dean, College of Journalism and
Mass Communications
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, NE 68588-0443
(402) 472-3041

Chair, Accrediting Committee
Beth Barnes
Director, School of Journalism
and Telecommunications
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-0042
(859) 257-2786

Vice Chair, Accrediting Committee
Doug Anderson
Dean, College of Communications
201 Carnegie Building
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
(814) 863-1484

Executive Director
Susanne Shaw
Stauffer-Flint Hall
1435 Jayhawk Blvd.
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS 66045 - 7575
(785) 864-3986
e-mail: sshaw@ku.edu

Publications Editor
Charles Higginson
Stauffer-Flint Hall
1435 Jayhawk Blvd.
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS 66045 - 7575
(785) 864-7640
e-mail: crah@ku.edu

Council Website:
http://www.ukans.edu/~acejmc