The Mass Communication Department will offer students a valuable educational experience.
Objective
Teaching Effectiveness
The Mass Communication Faculty will be effective teachers.
KPI
Assessing Teaching Effectiveness
The Mass Communication Department employed the Individual Development and Educational Assessment (IDEA) System as a quantitative instrument to assess teaching performance. The IDEA System of Instruction system quantitatively solicits student feedback for individual classes in terms of 20 instructional strategies and teaching methods. The assessment also surveys instructors regarding their overall in-class goals. The faculty in the MCOM Department will collectively score above the IDEA Database average on the IDEA System in specific quantitative assessment of Excellent Teacher and Excellent Course.
Result
IDEA Assessment Of Excellent Course/Teacher
In terms of Excellent Teacher IDEA assessments, 38% of teachers in the MCOM Department were rated at or above the IDEA Database average (4.2/5). In terms of Excellent Course IDEA assessments, 50% of the teachers in the MCOM Department were rated at or above the IDEA Database average (3.9/5).
Action
Continued Assessment Of Teaching Effectiveness
The MCOM Department will encourage all faculty, especially new faculty and adjunct faculty, to attend the SHSU annual teaching confererence in August of 2015. The department will repeat this IDEA assessment for the next SACS Report.
Goal
Faculty Productivity
The Mass Communication Department will engage in academic, journalistic and creative activity.
Objective
Faculty Productivity
The Mass Communication Faculty will be productive in pursuing research/creative agendas.
KPI
Publication And Exhibition Venues
The Mass Communication research-track faculty will pursue grants; produce research, journalism and creative work. On an annual basis each faculty member will either 1) publish a journal/proceedings article or a book chapter; OR 2) present two research papers at academic conferences; 3) OR exhibit a creative work at a peer-reviewed site; 4) OR publish two articles in recognized newspapers/magazines/peer-reviewed online sites; 5) OR receive a grant.
Action
Encouraging Faculty Productivity
The MCOM Department will continue to support and encourage faculty productivity. In addition, in the next SACS Report service contributions will be recognized as important measures of faculty productivity and included in the Performance Indicators.
Goal
Hybrid Skills-Sets Of Faculty
The Mass Communication Department will hire faculty who can present students with a hybrid course of study that offers a unique mix of theory-based courses and hands-on professional courses.
Objective
Faculty With Hybrid Skills-Sets
The Mass Communication Department will hire, maintain, and support a faculty with varied skill-sets.
KPI
Faculty For Proposed Digital Media Program
The Mass Communication Department will actively recruit and support faculty with professional and/or creative experience in the communications industry. This coming academic year MCOM will fill two (of three) open tenure track positions to support the developing MA Degree in Digital Media.
Result
Hiring Of Faculty With Hybrid Skill Sets
The MCOM Department hired two new tenure-track faculty in the summer of 2015. One has a PhD in critical theory and will be teaching online classes. One has a PhD in mass communication research and will be teaching at the undergraduate and graduate leve. The MCOM Department also hired one Visiting Assistant Professor in the summer 2015. He has experience in the public relations field and is completing his PhD. In addition, the department hired a clinical assistant faculty member to assist with TV production projects.
Action
Hiring Additional Faculty
The MCOM Department will request permission to advertise for and recruit one remaining tenure-track position (currently held by a Visiting Assistant Professor position).