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K-State Today

May 27, 2014

Reaccreditation approved for A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications

Submitted by Tom Roesler

The A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications in the College of Arts & Sciences was approved for reaccreditation by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications at its meeting on May 2 in Arlington, Virginia.

"This is a major milestone and a proud moment in the history of the A.Q. Miller School," said Birgit Wassmuth, director of the Miller School, who joined K-State in July 2013. "If it weren't for accreditation, we would not be a school, and we would not be the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications."

"Accredited status speaks volumes about the curriculum and the faculty of the school," said Peter Dorhout, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. "Students and alumni should be proud of the continuous accredited status that the school has enjoyed – it is a national value-added statement about their degrees."

Accreditation by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications is voluntary. Currently, about 110 journalism and mass communication programs are accredited in the U.S., plus two abroad, in Chile and in Quatar.

The council uses nine standards by which a program is evaluated:

  1. mission, governance and administration;
  2. curriculum and instruction;
  3. diversity and inclusiveness;
  4. full-time and part-time Faculty;
  5. scholarship: research, creative and professional activity;
  6. student services;
  7. resources, facilities, and equipment;
  8. professional and public service; and
  9. assessment of learning outcomes. An accredited program is reviewed every six years.

"As our student population grows and our collaborations with other academic disciplines across campus mature, we are looking forward to strengthening our curriculum and building a program of distinction with national and international reach to actively contribute to the K-State 2025 Vision of becoming a Top 50 research institution," Wassmuth said.