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| Editor's note: Earlier
this spring, Drake University's Review and Priorities Advisory Committee (RPAC) released
its Interim Report on Academic Organization. One of the ideas put forth in the Interim
Report involved the structure of the SJMC. Those ideas are discussed at length the
current edition of "The Reliable Source." After the newsletter went to
press, RPAC reaffirmed the need to transcend the structural barriers to cross-disciplinary
programming and collaboration, and to reduce the University's operating costs at
the school/college level. However, according to Drake University President David
Maxwell, "RPAC has concluded that the model of consolidating deans' offices
described in the Interim Report has flaws that outweigh its virtues, and has therefore
decided that this model is no longer under consideration." |
Charting the Road
to Success
Program
Review and the Future of SJMC
SJMC National Advisory
Board Responds to Academic Reorganization Report
By Ed Mattix, JO'75, SJMC National Advisory Board chair
One of the RPAC's
ideas is to consolidate the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) into
a new college including the School of Fine Arts, rhetoric and communication, English,
philosophy and religion. This would end the SJMC's history as a stand-alone college.
The SJMC National Advisory Board (NAB) also met on April 27 and discussed reactions
to the report, and sent a letter to President David Maxwell stating its views. Highlights
from the NAB response are:
- The SJMC NAB strongly
opposes the report regarding the future of the SJMC, especially the elimination of
the SJMC as a separate college and combining it into a new college "devoted
to the arts, human communication, and the humanities."
- The proposed elimination
of the SJMC as a stand-alone school and its realignment with primarily unrelated
programs will lead to a significant reduction in the quality of education for SJMC
students. It will diminish Drake's ability to recruit students to the journalism
program, which has been a shining jewel in Drake's crown for so many Program Review
and the Future of the SJMC years and historically attracted a large share of new
students (currently 13 percent of the student body). It will make it difficult to
attract and retain qualified journalism faculty. And it will seriously devalue the
journalism degrees of current and future students and alumni.
| "I strongly encourage
all SJMC alumni to participate in this ongoing discussion. RPAC asks that ideas and
suggestions about the Interim Report on Academic Organization be shared with the
committee by July 1." |
- Every NAB member
voiced the opinion that if Drake did not have a stand-alone SJMC, he or she probably
would not have chosen Drake as a university home. Still today when choosing a university,
students look at journalism school programs to see if they operate as stand-alone
school because it is important to know that the major is viewed with this emphasis
and appropriate resources are being allocated.
- The proposed realignment
could have a serious effect on university fundraising. While alumni might continue
to support Drake at some level, the NAB believes the masses give because they want
to support the program from which they graduated. Alumni need a rallying point around
which to give their money. Whatever money saved in administrative costs could be
more than off set by the reduction in alumni contributions. All this said, the NAB
recognizes the challenge that RPAC and the administration have in reducing costs
and improving the quality of education. The NAB offered to work with President Maxwell
to find suitable alternatives to the elimination of the SJMC as a stand-alone school.
The NAB recommended that Drake place even greater emphasis on publicizing the benefits
and historical strengths of the SJMC to attract even more students and revenue to
the university as a whole.
- The NAB is ready
to call on the SJMC's lengthy list of talented alumni to identify every possible
resource from which we can draw to improve Drake's scholastic program, increase contributions
and minimize administrative costs.
I strongly encourage
all SJMC alumni to participate in this ongoing discussion. RPAC asks that ideas and
suggestions about the Interim Report on Academic Organization be shared with the
committee by July 1. If you have any questions or concerns about the SJMC NAB's position,
feel free to contact me.
ed.mattix@mail.sprint.com
Senior VP-Public Relations and Brand Management, Sprint Corp.
913-624-8778 (work)
816-210-6700 (PCS)
Program Review
The Priorities and Review Advisory Committee's Interim Report on Academic Organization
can be found on the Web at www.drake.edu/review/. Comments may be sent electronically
to president@drake.edu (this address automatically
distributes your comments to all members of RPAC). The deadline is July 1.
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