Mass communication students can breathe a preliminary sigh of relief about the credibility of their degrees.
The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication has submitted positive preliminary evaluations from its October accreditation trip.
“Being accredited is important because you want to make certain that you meet all the standards that are set for the school,” said John Hamilton, dean of the Manship School. “It validates that we are doing what we need to do to meet the standards of schools like ours.”
The evaluation said the school was in compliance with 12 required standards that measure curriculum, research, diversity, governance and other important areas.
The evaluation process was the work of a five-person team that spent three days in October evaluating the Manship School.
“It is extremely gratifying to see the faculty and staff of the Manship School recognized for the incredible work they have done over the past six years,” said Chancellor Mark Emmert in a University press release. “The results of the accreditation team’s visit are further evidence of the strides being made in the Manship School, and it is wonderful to have our peers at some of the finest schools in the country acknowledge and commend our efforts.”
Steven Scales, a mass communication senior and mass communication student president, said the positive response reflects well on the student body.
“It makes me proud to serve as president of school not only prestigious on the LSU campus, but a school that is recognized as outstanding across the nation,” Scales said.
Hamilton said the report reflected highly on the school.
“The high marks are important because then the word gets out that this is a school where the faculty and the students are thriving,” Hamilton said.
Scales said the evaluation should be a boost of confidence for all mass communication students.
“For students, this means that [they] can graduate with confidence and proudly head out into the media work force,” Scales said. “For undergraduate students, it means they are a part of a school that is growing every year. Current undergraduates can live with the confidence that their school is accredited for at least the next six years.”
The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication is responsible for evaluating journalism and mass communication programs at colleges and universities across the country.
Only about 100 of the approximately 500 mass communication programs in the United States are accredited by the council.
The evaluation submitted by the five-person team will be the basis of the final accreditation award given next May.