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Journalism
Program Thomas A.
Bass, Ph.D. William
Rainbolt, Ph.D. Director Nancy
Roberts, Ph.D. |
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Humanities
312 Tel.
518-442-4087 Fax 518-442-4599 |
Dr. Joan Wick-Pelletier
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
University At
Dear Professor Wick-Pelletier.
Please find enclosed the Proposal from the Journalism Program for the creation of an undergraduate major, granting a B.A. in Journalism at the University at Albany. The Proposal is the culmination of a process—ongoing for thirty-two years—which has seen the Journalism Program evolve from its founding in 1973 into a well-respected minor in the English Department, with steadily increasing enrollments. In its next expansion, the Program is poised to meet President Kermit Hall’s challenge to “lead this great institution to a new level of excellence and stature.”
Given that a University major in journalism represents the final stage in the development of a long-standing and already successful program, we request that this Proposal be given an Expedited Review Process. The Proposal includes a Title Page, Table of Contents, fourteen Sections numbered I-XIV, and four Appendices. Now in its thirty-second year of existence as a minor at the University, the Journalism Program is looking forward with great enthusiasm to adding the responsibilities–and challenges–of becoming one of the University’s distinguished undergraduate majors.
We very much appreciate your aid, and the aid of your staff and other officers at the University and of the Journalism Advisory Board, in drafting this Proposal. The document represents our best efforts at estimating the projected growth and curricular requirements of what promises to be a rigorous, yet at the same time highly-attractive, major at the University.
If further documentation or supporting materials are required, we will be pleased to supply them. In the meantime, we would again like to express our sincere thanks for your help in launching this Proposal and bringing it to fruition.
Sincerely,
William Rainbolt, Ph.D.
Director of the Journalism Program
Nancy Roberts, Ph.D.
Professor of Communication
Thomas A. Bass, Ph.D.
Professor of English
Undergraduate
Major Proposal: B.A. in Journalism
Submitted to
Dr. Joan
Wick-Pelletier
Dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences
by
William Rainbolt,
Ph.D, Director, Journalism Program
Nancy Roberts,
Ph.D, Communication & Journalism
Thomas Bass,
Ph.D, English & Journalism
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UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR PROPOSAL: B.A. IN JOURNALISM
UNIVERSITY AT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction
II. Program Proposal
III. Program History
IV. Academic Excellence – Concentrations
V. Curriculum
VI. Degree Requirements for a Major in Journalism
VII. Degree Requirements for a Minor in Journalism
VIII. Honors Program
IX. Advising and Professional Development
X. List of the Four-Year Sequences Required for Completion of the B.A.
XI. Evaluation of the UAlbany Proposal in Relation to Other Institutions
XII. Resources and Projected Growth
XIII. Alumni and Professional Networks
XIV. Faculty
Appendix A. Chart Comparing the UAlbany Proposal to other SUNY Programs
Appendix B. Bulletin Copy for the Journalism Program
Appendix C. Course Action Forms for the Journalism Program
Appendix D. Sources
I. INTRODUCTION
The
Journalism Program has existed at the University at
In the thirty-two years since its founding, the Journalism Program has graduated–by conservative estimate–at least eight hundred declared minors, and it has supervised more than five hundred media internships. Since Journalism courses are open to all qualified applicants, the Program has helped many thousands of University students develop both their critical thinking and writing skills. In Spring 2005, more than three hundred students were enrolled in Journalism courses. This is double the number enrolled in Spring 1999. And in Spring 2005, the Program has a record number students who have declared Journalism as a first or second minor.
As outlined in the following Proposal, the Journalism Program–hoping to fulfill the University’s Academic Mission and to serve as a featured component in the College of Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan–intends to create a B.A. in Journalism to continue this three decades of expansion for the Journalism Program. The program will offer four academic concentrations. The concentrations available to a student working toward a B.A. in Journalism at the University include:
! Public Affairs Journalism
! Science and Technology Journalism
! Visual and Digital Media
! General Journalism
“General Journalism” will be a concentration that embraces an array of courses in reporting and writing. It will also include courses aimed at students mastering specific fields, such as Business and Economic Reporting, Arts Reporting, and Literary Journalism. The sequential flow of courses required for successful completion of work in these four concentrations is spelled out in Sections IV-VIII and in Section X of this Proposal.
Outlined below are what the Program
will be emphasizing as its core values. These draw on the strengths of the
University, the talents of its faculty, the School’s privileged position in the
State capital, and the Program’s long-standing success in particular
domains. First, the Program will provide
a solid foundation in the study of journalism. Journalism is a growing subject
of interest in
The areas in which the Journalism Program intends to distinguish itself are:
Public Affairs Journalism. We will take advantage of our location in the State capital to emphasize research and reporting on public affairs and policy, including civic and ethical issues of state, regional, and national import. Courses will be taught in urban and community journalism, opinion writing and investigative reporting, and global perspectives on the news.
Science and Technology Journalism. Given the University's preeminence in researching nanotechnology and other advanced fields in physics, genomics, biotechnology, and atmospheric sciences, the Journalism Program will offer a
concentration in STEM reporting. This is reporting on Science, Technology, Environmental issues, and Medicine.
New Media Culture. The Journalism Program will capitalize on its current strengths in digital media and visual culture to offer courses in the design, production, and analysis of New Media. Technological advances in media production and delivery continue to affect the form, function, and content of journalism as it evolves in the 21st century. Students preparing themselves for careers in journalism and related fields will receive hands-on experience with these new technologies.
Literary Journalism. Our close links to the New York State Writers Institute, a national treasure in American letters and literary discourse, will be solidified and nurtured. The Writers Institute sponsors on-campus readings, seminars, and workshops with authors, including literary journalists, who address issues of concern to our students, particularly those enrolled in the Program’s Literary Journalism Workshop.
Information Strategies for Journalists. Numeracy, statistical analysis, information gathering, and the analytical tools required for distinguishing truth from fiction will be placed at the center of the Journalism Program. Journalism ethics and law, including the history and traditions of best journalism practices, will also be emphasized. These subjects will be taught at all levels, in both our introductory and advanced courses.
These five areas of academic
excellence are key components in defining the mission of the Journalism
Program. They will be implemented across the curriculum and inform every aspect
of the Program’s course design, advisement, and teaching. Further elaboration
of the Program’s mission and its efforts to become a center of excellence at
the University–illustrated by concrete examples of how students will progress
through a four-year B.A. program in Journalism–are presented in Sections II-XIV
of this Proposal.
II. PROGRAM PROPOSAL
In the
In spite of
its position as a world center for media and culture,
Department of Labor), which foresees an average increase of 19% in the number of people who will be employed in media careers between 2002 and 2012.
Paralleling this national trend is a growth in the number of students at the University who are interested in pursuing careers in journalism. Enrollments in Journalism Program courses have more than doubled in the past five years, from 150 seats filled in Spring 1999 to 313 in Spring 2005. The Program has expanded its course offerings from nine sections a semester to thirteen. It currently has the largest number of declared minors it has ever recorded, 134, with even more minors likely to be declared before Spring Commencement.
Given a
tremendous boost in staffing and intellectual rigor, the Journalism Program
added two full-time faculty members in Fall 2004 and Spring 2005. Professor
Nancy Roberts, former Director of Undergraduate Studies at the
They join Professor William Rainbolt, Director of the Journalism Program, a former newspaper journalist, freelance writer and editor, and novelist who has been in the Journalism Program for twenty years. The Program also draws vitally from a part-time staff of Professional Media Lecturers, who work in a variety of media careers, including newspapers, magazines, broadcasting, publishing, photojournalism, and freelance writing. These Lecturers’ important contributions are bolstered by their experience and expertise, gained from working on a daily basis in the frontlines of contemporary media.
Its recent expansion, the breadth
and quality of its course offerings, and the College’s intent to make
Journalism a premier program at the University have generated an outpouring of
interest in the Program, both from current and prospective students, alumni,
and the media. Articles on the Journalism Program have appeared recently in
the
III. PROGRAM
HISTORY
The Journalism Program, offering a formal curriculum in journalism studies and a minor in journalism, was founded as part of the English Department in 1973. The Program’s first director was Professor William E. Rowley, former editor of the Knickerbocker Press and a beloved teacher who retired in 1984. He was succeeded by Professor William Rainbolt, who directed the Journalism Program from 1984 to 1988. Professor Carolyn Yalkut served as Director of the Program from 1988 to 1999. Beginning in the Summer of 1999, Professor Rainbolt once again became Director. Another person who has played a key role in shaping the Program is William Kennedy. Working as a Lecturer in the Program from its founding until 1982, Kennedy taught what a former student describes as an “electrifying” course in Advanced Journalism and Magazine Writing. Although he has moved on to become Executive Director of the New York Writers Institute, Bill Kennedy still involves himself informally in the Program. He played an active role, for example, in helping to choose the new faculty hires.
From its inception, the Program has strongly believed in maintaining Professor Rowley’s taproot commitment to a liberal arts education for students who want
careers in the media or who plan to attend graduate school. For nearly two decades, the Program concentrated on preparing students to enter the traditional news media, with a heavy emphasis on newspaper and magazine reporting and editing. Student interests and demands have shifted dramatically over the past few years. Now, the Program faces the challenge of instructing students in the digital and electronic formats that are currently revolutionizing journalism. At the same time, the Program is addressing increased student interest in online journalism, public relations, advocacy journalism, book publishing, and broadcasting.
Alumni from the Journalism Program work across the wide spectrum of careers available to students trained in journalism and media studies. The roster includes Nancy Sharkey, assistant managing editor of The New York Times; Mark Memmott, political writer and former deputy managing editor of USA Today; Eric Koli, producer for ABC’s 20/20; Dean Betz, editor of Advance Internet, the Web publishing arm of Newhouse Newspapers; John Fritze, metropolitan desk reporter, Indianapolis Star-Tribune; Loren Ginsberg Edelstein, executive editor of Meetings & Conventions and Travel & Entertainment magazines; Rob Edelstein, TV Guide correspondent and author of two books on NASCAR; Mike Hess, Web news editor, WNBC.com; Keemin Lim, WNYT-TV, Channel 13 reporter; David Goldman, brand marketing division, Burson-Marsteller; Mona Funiciello, Massachusetts Audubon Society; Jessica Valenti, NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund; Ian Leslie, assistant city editor, Beaufort (S.C.) Gazette; Vincent Reda, Chief Writer and Editor in the Office of the Vice President for Outreach, University at Albany; Jan Daniels, environmental writer and founder of Eco Expressions, a creative writing program for youths; Peter Sands, Ph.D., assistant professor of English, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Zachary Church, reporter, Bennington Banner; Jennifer Annello, account executive, Environics Communications; and many more.
The Program is proud of the close relationships it fosters between students and faculty, the collegial atmosphere it maintains among its expanding network of alumni, and its steadfast adherence to keeping journalism an interdisciplinary major–some would say the quintessential interdisciplinary major–in the liberal arts. As one of his former students said of William Kennedy’s course in journalism and magazine writing, “He made it all come to life. Everything in the world was there in the classroom, and we were supposed to write about it.”
IV. ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE – CONCENTRATIONS
As previously discussed in the Introduction to this Proposal, the Journalism Program, while providing a solid foundation in the study of journalism, will offer four concentrations. These concentrations are designed to fulfill University at Albany President Kermit Hall’s intention to “lead this great institution to a new level of excellence and stature.”
The four concentrations available to B.A. candidates in Journalism are:
! Public Affairs Journalism
! Science and Technology Journalism
! Visual and Digital Media
! General Journalism
The last of these, while emphasizing training in general reporting and writing, may also focus on mastering a specific field of journalism. A parenthetical notation—denoting specialization within the realm of general purpose reporting—might be awarded, for example, in Business and Economic Reporting, Arts Reporting, or Literary Journalism.
The specific courses to be taken for fulfilling the requirements in these four concentrations are described below in Section V, which discusses the Program’s Curriculum; in Sections VI through VIII, which describe the Program’s Course Requirements; and in Section X, which specifies the various four-year sequences required for completion of the B.A. in Journalism.
V.
CURRICULUM
Proposed course numbering system
With a few exceptions, courses numbered x00–x49 indicate lecture or contextual courses. Courses numbered x50–x99 indicate writing-intensive workshops, independent studies, or internships.
The prefix for all courses is AJRL.
100 – Foundations of Journalism and Media Studies
200Z – Introduction to Reporting and News Writing
220 – Visual Culture
270 – Information Strategies for Journalists (Workshop)
300Z – Journalism for Non-Majors
308Z – Narrative and Descriptive Journalism
320 – Media Law
325 – Media Ethics
330 – History of Journalism
340 – Global Perspectives on the News
350 – Journalistic Interviewing
355Z – Public Relations Writing
360Z – Intermediate Reporting and News Writing
366Z – Magazine Article Reporting and Writing
370Z – Reporting on Science and Technology
380 – Photojournalism
385 – Broadcast Journalism
390Z – Digital Media Workshop I: Web Publishing
392Z – Digital Media Workshop II: Desk-top Publishing
410 – Images of Journalism in Film
420 – Political Economy of the Mass Media
460Z – Advanced Reporting and News Writing
465Z – Opinion Writing
468Z – Literary Journalism
470Z – Advanced Reporting on Science and Technology
475 – Topics in Journalism
480Z – Public Affairs Journalism
490Z – E-zine: Online Magazine Workshop
495 – Internship in Journalism
497 – Independent Study in Journalism
499 – Senior Honors Project in Journalism
Note: AJRL 475, Topics in
Journalism, will include courses such as Urban Journalism, Community
Journalism, Business and Economic Reporting, Arts Reporting, and other courses
which the Program might consider important to add to its regular offerings.
VI. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAJOR IN JOURNALISM
Journalism Major
The requirements for a Journalism major will be fulfilled by a minimum of 30
credits in AJRL courses, plus 6 credits in another department or program, as approved by
the Director of the Journalism Program or the student’s Journalism advisor. Normally, these 6 credits will be in major-oriented courses offered by a program related to the student’s area of concentration. Beyond this 6-credit requirement, courses in other departments or programs will not be accepted as part of the Journalism Major except as approved by the Director of the Journalism Program or the student’s Journalism advisor.
Of the required 30 credits in AJRL courses: 9 credits are required at the 100-200
level: AJRL 100, AJRL 200Z, and AJRL 270, and 3 credits of electives chosen from
AJRL 220, AENG 202Z, AENG 216, ACOM 238, or ASOC 255.
At the 300-400 levels, 18 credits are required: 9 credits in a student’s chosen
concentration from the four offered by the Journalism Program, 3 credits in a non-
workshop AJRL course, and 6 credits of AJRL electives. At least 6 credits must be at the
400 level.
For students in the Public Affairs Journalism concentration, 9 credits are required:
AJRL 480Z; 6 credits from AJRL 350, AJRL 366Z, AJRL 460Z, AJRL 475, or AJRL 465Z; 3 credits in a non-workshop AJRL course at the 300 or 400 levels, and 6 credits of electives in AJRL courses.
For students in the STEM (Science-Technology-Environment-Medicine)
concentration, 9 credits are required: AJRL 370Z, AJRL 470Z; 3 credits from AJRL 350,
AJRL 366Z, AJRL 465, or AJRL 480Z; 3 credits from a non-workshop AJRL course;
and 6 credits of electives from AJRL courses.
For students in the Visual & Digital Media concentration, 12 credits are required:
AJRL 220, AJRL 390Z or AJRL 392Z, AJRL 380, and AJRL 490Z; 3 credits from non-
workshop AJRL courses; and 3 credits of electives from AJRL courses.
For students in the General Journalism concentration, 9 credits are required:
AJRL 308Z or AJRL 366Z, AJRL 350, and AJRL 460Z; 3 credits from AJRL 355Z,
AJRL 385, or AJRL 490Z; 3 credits from non-workshop AJRL courses; and 3 credits of
electives from AJRL courses.
VII. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS FOR A MINOR IN JOURNALISM
Journalism
Minor
The requirements for a journalism minor will be fulfilled by a minimum of 18
graduation credits, including 9 required credits: AJRL 200Z, AJRL 270Z, and AJRL
308Z. The remaining 9 elective credits can be drawn from AJRL courses at the 200 level
(no more than 3 credits), 300 level and 400 level. Courses from outside the AJRL
curriculum can be counted only with permission of the Director of the Journalism
Program. Minors are not eligible for the Journalism Honors Program.
VIII. HONORS
PROGRAM
Honors
in Journalism
The Journalism Honors Program supports highly qualified Journalism majors who want to increase their expertise in contemporary journalism practices and analysis. A student who successfully completes all the Honors Program requirements graduates “with honors in journalism” and is recognized individually at commencement. Honors students get priority scheduling for Journalism courses and receive master’s degree-level privileges at the University Library.
Selection and Evaluation. In order to be considered for the Journalism Honors Program, a student must: (a) be a declared Journalism major; (b) have completed 12 credits in JRL courses; (c) have a minimum 3.25 overall GPA and a minimum 3.50 journalism GPA; and (d) submit an application essay. Transfers can apply after they have completed one semester at the University. Coursework taken elsewhere can be submitted as part of the application but may not qualify for admission.
Curriculum. In addition to the required courses for the major and for individual concentrations, honors students must take: one workshop at the 300 or 400 level; one course from AJRL 320 Media Law or AJRL 325 Media Ethics or AJRL 340 Global Perspectives on the News; AJRL 330 History of Journalism in the United States; AJRL 460Z Advanced Reporting; AJRL 420 Political Economy of the Mass Media; and AJRL 499 Senior Honors Project.
Graduating with Honors. In order to graduate with honors, a student must maintain a minimum 3.25 overall GPA and a minimum 3.50 journalism GPA in each semester of enrollment. Honors students may be put on a probationary status, and may not be allowed to finish the Honors program, if they fall below either one of the minimum GPAs, or get a C+ or below in any of the required Honors courses, or do not complete the Senior Project by the end of the semester in which they are graduating.
IX. ADVISING
AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Advising
During the course of three decades, the Journalism Program has established a solid reputation for giving students individual attention in the areas of curricular advising, placement in internships, and career planning. This strong tradition will continue for the Journalism major. An undergraduate majoring in Journalism will be assigned to a fulltime faculty member in the Program for advisement throughout the student’s career. In addition, faculty members in the Program are available to meet with students intending to declare Journalism as a major, or others interested in learning about the program.
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X. LIST
OF THE FOUR-YEAR SEQUENCES REQUIRED FOR COMPLETION OF THE B.A.
Reproduced
below is a sample worksheet for a student enrolled in the Program’s
concentration in Public Affairs Journalism. Following this worksheet is a list
of required courses for each of the Program’s four concentrations.
JOURNALISM
MAJOR WORKSHEET: PUBLIC
AFFAIRS
Name: ______________________________________
ID: ____________________
First enrolled at UA: ____________________
Anticipated graduation: _________________
Major: ________________________________
Minor: ________________________________
I. MAJOR CORE REQUIREMENTS – 12 credits
Sem Grade Credits
AJRL 100, Foundations of Journalism & Media Studies ____ ____ ____
AJRL 200Z, Introduction to Reporting & News Writing ____ ____ ____
AJRL 270, Information Strategies for Journalists ____ ____ ____
Choose ONE from:
AJRL 220, Visual Culture
AENG 202Z, Introduction to Studies in Rhetoric and Poetics
AENG 216, Traditional Grammar and Usage
ACOM 238, Introduction to Mass Communication
ASOC, Mass Media
Selection: ________________________________ ____ ____ ____
II. CONCENTRATION REQUIREMENTS– 12 credits
Concentration: Public Affairs Journalism
AJRL 480Z, Public Affairs Journalism ____ ____ ____
Choose TWO from:
AJRL 350, Journalistic Interviewing
AJRL 366Z, Magazine Article Writing
AJRL 460Z, Advanced Reporting and News Writing
AJRL 465Z, Opinion Writing
AJRL 475, Topics in Journalism
Selection: ________________________________ ____ ____ ____
Selection: ________________________________ ____ ____ ____
Choose ONE from:
AJRL 220, Visual Culture
AJRL 320, Media Law
AJRL 325, Media Ethics
AJRL 330, History of Journalism
AJRL 340, Global Perspectives on the News
AJRL 410, Images of Journalism in Film
AJRL 420, Political Economy of the Mass Media
AJRL 475Z, Special Topics in Journalism
AJRL 495, Internship in Journalism (3-6 credits)
AJRL 497, Independent Study in Journalism
AJRL 499, Senior Honors Project
Selection: _________________________________ ____ ____ ____
III. JOURNALISM ELECTIVES: 6 credits
(At least 3 must be from AJRL 220, 320,
325, 330, 340, 410, 420, or 475)
Selection: _________________________________ ____ ____ ____
Selection: _________________________________ ____ ____ ____
IV. EXTERNAL CURRICULAR REQUIREMENT: 6
credits
Choose 6 credits from another department or program. Your selections must be approved by your Journalism Advisor or the Director of the Journalism Program
Selection: __________________________________ ____ ____ ____
Selection __________________________________ ____ ____ ____
TOTAL
CREDITS: _________