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News Release

Last modified: Thursday, February 7, 2008

IU School of Journalism recommended for re-accreditation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 7, 2008

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University School of Journalism has been recommended for re-accreditation by a site team from the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC).

Last week, reviewers from the Public Relations Society of America also were on campus and likewise recommended that the national organization certify the School of Journalism in all nine standards it reviewed.

"I'm proud of what all the students, staff and faculty in Ernie Pyle Hall have accomplished, and I'm pleased to see that the accreditation team believes the School of Journalism meets all of the national standards," said Brad Hamm, dean of the IU School of Journalism. "Our goal is to make this journalism school among the very best in the nation."

The ACEJMC team reported that the school successfully passed all nine of the council's standards. The council accredits 110 schools of journalism across the country. More than two-thirds of the schools reviewed in the past two years were found non-compliant in at least one standard.

The team commended the school in seven areas:

• Strong finances and endowment.
• Well-regarded faculty.
• Engaged, focused students.
• Energetic dean with a focus on outreach.
• Good relations with strong student media.
• Strong financial support for student travel.
• Good use of the school's ties to Roy Howard and Ernie Pyle, their papers and artifacts.

The team recommended improvement in these areas:

• Continuing the trend of increasing diversity among students, faculty and staff.
• Focusing on multimedia and emerging technologies.
• Hiring of additional full-time faculty to meet the needs of the growing student body.
• Exploring additional classroom, office and studio space.
• Bolstering relationship with IUPUI program.

The accrediting council will make a final decision in May. Unlike in some academic areas, accreditation in journalism is a choice, and some outstanding programs choose not to participate. However, IU's journalism program has been accredited since 1948.

The nine areas PRSA reviewed were curriculum, faculty, equipment and facilities, students, assessment, relationships with professionals and alumni, relationships with the school and university, PRSSA chapter and diversity. The reviewers met with faculty, current and former students, and with community organizations and professionals who have worked with the school's public relations classes.

Fewer than 20 of the hundreds of public relations programs across the country have been certified by PRSA, said instructor Beth Wood. "Ours is a relatively new program, so this is a major win," she said.

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