Responsibilities
Student Responsibilities: Students are responsible for fulfilling all of the graduation requirements of the university, the college and the school that are described in publications such as the university catalog, the directory of classes and the school’s undergraduate manual. Advising assists students in meeting these requirements.
The school undergraduate program assistant will help students in understanding school admission requirements, transfer policies, and university, college and school policies and graduation requirements. The program assistant also will provide degree audits, which detail student progress.
Faculty advisers, who are experts in their respective fields, will help students select major courses (most of which must be taken in a strict sequence) and will provide advice regarding internships and other professional opportunities.
Students should make advising appointments as needed (and students should keep all appointments that are made). Students should take notes during all of these advising appointments and should ask questions if suggestions or requirements are unclear.
There is one other important student responsibility. A college degree is no guarantee of professional employment because employment in the communication industries is very competitive. To be successful in this competitive environment, students should strive for academic excellence. In addition, students should join and participate in student media organizations such as the campus newspaper and the campus chapters of the American Advertising Federation, the Public Relations Student Society of America, the Radio-Television News Directors Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. Students should plan to include in their degree plans paid or unpaid internships or cooperative education experiences. Finally, students should take advantage of part-time professional employment opportunities. In summary, about two-thirds of the school’s graduates find degree-related jobs. Those who succeed do so because of academic excellence and a combination of internships, cooperative education experiences and part-time professional jobs.
School Responsibilities: The School of Mass Communications has been accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications since 1977. Although accreditation is voluntary, an application for reaccreditation is required every six years. To be accredited or reaccredited, a school should meet ACEJMC standards. Information about the accrediting process and each standard is available from the ACEJMC website at http://www.ku.edu/~acejmc or by calling 785-864-3986.
ACEJMC invites all students, faculty, staff, administrators and other persons to report incidents in which they can present evidence that the school or ACEJMC has violated accreditation standards, policies or procedures. Such complaints must be made in writing and addressed to: President, ACEJMC, University of Kansas, Stauffer-Flint Hall, 1435 Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence, KS 66045-7575. A copy of the complaint should be sent also to the chief academic officer of the school at the following address: Director, School of Mass Communications, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, CIS 1040, Tampa, FL 33620. Complaints must be accompanied by documentation showing a specific, substantive violation of one or more standards, policies or procedures. ACEJMC does not adjudicate, arbitrate or mediate individual faculty or student grievances against a school nor does it act as a court of appeals in individual matters of admissions, appointment, promotion or dismissal of faculty, staff or students. In considering complaints, ACEJMC will give careful attention to due process for both the complainant and the school.