The Manship School of Mass Communication has made several changes to its program in recent years. Although many of these changes have improved the school’s quality, some have hindered students’ progress.
According to their Web site, the Manship School began a five-year plan in the 1997-1998 school year to improve all areas of the school.
Ronald Garay, Manship School associate dean, said one of the major components of the plan is striving for a 15 to 1 student to faculty ratio, in part through increased admissions standards.
Garay said last spring was the first semester the school has admitted students by application procedures. Applicants must have at least a 3.0 grade point average to be admitted to the school.
“We determine how many new applicants we want to admit and then work from the highest GPA down,” Garay said.
Garay said the standards have not deterred students from applying.
“It certainly didn’t seem to reduce the number of students seeking admission,” Garay said.
But, Lindy Barnes, a pre-mass communication senior, said the standards have prevented her from getting into the school.
“It’s so hard to get in, and you can’t get in the classes if you’re not in the college,” she said.
Barnes said because the application process is so strenuous and she has not yet been admitted to the school, she may graduate later than anticipated.
Garay said the school has tried to offer more courses to non-mass communication majors and recruited new faculty members to reduce the student to faculty ratio.
In addition to changing admissions standards, Garay said the school has also enhanced its curriculum, particularly in journalism and political communication, enhanced student and faculty diversity, created joint programs with other colleges and departments and enhanced its teaching and laboratory environment with new and renovated facilities such as the Journalism Building and Hodges Hall.
The Web site said the school has revised its curricula and formed new areas of concentration in public relations, political communication and electronic media.
In addition, the school has offered more courses to non-mass communication majors, doubled the school’s enrollment while creating higher admissions standards and recruited new faculty members.
Other accomplished goals include separating the Manship School from the College of Arts and Sciences and developing ties with professional organizations.
Garay said the Manship School decided to separate from the College of Arts and Sciences mainly because of budgetary and administrative issues.
“It gave the school a more direct line for budgeting purposes and more autonomy in administrative concerns,” he said.
Another important goal for the Manship School has been establishing ties between students and professionals.
Garay said professionals have helped the school with issues such as evaluating curriculum and providing financial support such as scholarships.
“These ties are very important to our graduates, too,” Garay said. “We’ve been better able to help graduates find jobs and internships.”
Garay said members of the Manship School are proud of its accomplishments.
“One of the strengths of the school’s five-year plan has been the establishment of goals that were both ambitious, but that also could be achieved,” Garay said.
The Manship School has implemented a new plan effective July 1 that is designed to continue the initiatives began with the 1998 plan.
This new plan includes maintaining the focus of both the undergraduate and doctoral programs, reviewing the electronic media concentration to more narrowly focus its curriculum and implementing a new undergraduate admissions program.
“While the school still plans to build on the very firm foundation that it has established, many of the goals in our next five-year plan call for reviewing what already is in place and making any necessary changes,” Garay said.