Tuscaloosa, Ala. — The College of Communication and Information Sciences was reaccredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) earlier this year.
“ACEJMC reaccreditation is the gold standard for Journalism, Advertising, and Public Relations programs,” said Dr. Brian Butler, Dean of the College. “Reaccreditation in full compliance with the ACEJMC standards and strong positive comments from the review committee is clear recognition of the exceptional quality of our faculty and their dedication to preparing students for leadership in these critical mass communication professions.”
The process of reaccreditation is extensive, including an 1,800-page report with evidence constructed by a team from the College, as well as an on-site visit from a team with ACEJMC. Both parts of this process are designed to examine every aspect of the academic units to ensure it is all meeting the standards set but the council. “The self-study requires an enormous amount of data,” said Dr. Michael Bruce, one member of the accreditation self-study team. “Finding the data, condensing it and organizing it into a meaningful story of our department was a challenge.”
Dr. Suzanne Horsely, who led the efforts on reaccreditation, said that the team persevered through times of leadership change, completing all the components necessary while facing a possible loss of institutional knowledge: “We discovered some small things we can tweak in the coming years. But most of all, we confirmed what we already knew anecdotally, that we have terrific faculty and staff running meaningful programs that prepare our graduates to make a difference.”
The ACEJMC is dedicated to excellence and high standards in professional education in journalism and mass communications. The Council endorses professional education that recognizes and incorporates technological advances, changing professional and economic practice, and public interests and demands.
