To perform with excellence in classroom instruction.
Objective
Teaching Excellence
Faculty members will sustain an above average level of classroom instruction.
Indicator
Student Evaluation of Teaching
The measure of teaching effectiveness will be the average IDEA System score for all classes taught during the evaluation period.
Criterion
Student Evaluation of Teaching
An average grade for all classes taught in the evaluation period of 4.25 or better will indicate excellence in classroom instruction.
Finding
Teaching Excellence
The average grade for all classes taught in the evaluation period was 4.3.
Action
Teaching Excellence
In spite of exceeding the criterion and having an ongoing pattern of excellence in teaching as measured by IDEA scores, the faculty plans to explore other avenues of teaching excellence through the development of online course offerings in the coming year.
Goal
Research Productivity
To establish and maintain an ongoing program of research and publication by the tenured and tenure-track faculty.
Objective
Research Productivity
Tenured and tenure-track faculty members will maintain an ongoing program of research and publication.
Indicator
Research Productivity
The measure of research productivity will be the number of convention presentations and publications (published or accepted for publication) during the evaluation period.
Criterion
Research Productivity
A total of two convention papers or one paper published or accepted for publication and two papers submitted for publication during the evaluation period will indicate an ongoing program of research and publication.
Finding
Research Productivity
The faculty exceeded the criterion substantially. One faculty member had 8 convention presentations, 4 published articles, and 2 more articles accepted for publication. Another had a book published.
Action
Research Productivity
Although this is a well-rounded faculty, research productivity is its strongest attribute. This is evident in a pattern of ongoing research that has been in place now for several years. The faculty continues to be committed to this level of research productivity.
Goal
Professional Activity and Service
To promote regular faculty participation in and service to state, regional, national, and international professional organizations.
Objective
Professional Activity And Service
Tenured and tenure-track faculty members will participate regularly and perform service in the state, regional, national, and international professional organizations of the field.
Indicator
Professional Activity and Service
Professional activity and service will be measured by the number of professional organization conventions attended during the evaluation period or by service performed as a member of a professional organization.
Criterion
Professional Activity and Service
Participation in two regional or national, or one international, professional organization meeting during the evaluation period will indicate a satisfactory level of professional activity. Service as a committee member or the like equals participation in one organization meeting.
Finding
Professional Activity And Service
All departmental faculty members met the criterion. Four exceeded it. A total of four (of six) faculty members attended an international conference, and one attended two. One faculty member attended only one regional convention but met the criterion by serving as the editor of a scholarly journal.
Action
Professional Activity And Service
The Communication Studies faculty is uniformly active in professional organization activity and service. In addition to the activities noted, one faculty member is Vice-President of the Southern States Communication Association and another has just been chosen Editor-Elect of the Southern Communication Journal. The department is committed to sustaining its high level of professional activity and service.
Goal
Graduate Recruitment And Admission
To increase the enrollment of graduate students.
Objective
Graduate Recruitment And Admission
The graduate faculty will recruit and admit four or more new qualified applicants.
Indicator
Graduate Recruitment And Admission
This objective will be attained by identifying qualified graduate applicants and admitting them to the program.
Criterion
Graduate Recruitment And Admission
Recruitment and admission of four or more qualified graduate students will satisfy this goal.
Finding
Graduate Recruitment And Admission
The faculty recruited and admitted four new graduate students to the program.
Action
Graduate Recruitment And Admission
The faculty, with the financial support of Graduate Studies. has actively recruited for its graduate program through mailings to recent graduates in Communication Studies and Mass Communication, regional newspaper advertising, and notices on Facebook. It will continue these efforts in an effort to increase the number of new students admitted per year. Additionally, the department will actively seek to offer some of its graduate classes online to attract students who are not able to attend conventional classes.