Self Study Part 1
Name of Institution: University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Name of Unit: Department of Communication
Year of Visit: 2019-2020
- Check regional association by which the institution now is accredited.
_X_ Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Indicate the institution’s type of control; check more than one if necessary.
_X_ Public
- Provide assurance that the institution has legal authorization to provide education beyond the secondary level in your state. It is not necessary to include entire authorizing documents. Public institutions may cite legislative acts; private institutions may cite charters or other authorizing documents.
The university is part of the University of Tennessee system. The UT system is governed by Title 49, Chapter 9 of Tennessee Code. According to TN Code § 49-9-901:
(a) There is created and established by the state a campus of the University of Tennessee in Hamilton County, to be known as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
(b) The trustees of the University of Tennessee are given the same power, authority and discretion to prescribe and offer courses, curricula and degree programs, acquire land and construct buildings, inaugurate and carry out all necessary supporting work and activities and award degrees of the University of Tennessee at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as the trustees now have and exercise at the other colleges and schools of the University of Tennessee.
- Has the journalism/mass communications unit been evaluated previously by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications?
_X_ Yes
If yes, give the date of the last accrediting visit: February 2-5, 2014
- When was the unit or sequences within the unit first accredited by ACEJMC?
1996
- Provide the unit’s mission statement. Statement should give date of adoption and/or last revision.
The principal mission of the Department of Communication at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is to provide a strong preparation in communication practice and research based on a firm grounding in the liberal arts and sciences. The department aims to provide its students hands-on opportunities to help them develop into thoughtful, caring, engaged, and skilled communication professionals and global citizens. We offer our students a flexible curriculum that allows them to pursue their own interests and professional goals under faculty guidance. The faculty is committed to making contributions to the discipline of communication through scholarship and professional practice.
Adopted by the faculty of the Department of Communication on April 12, 2017.
- What are the type and length of terms?
Semesters of 15 weeks
Summer sessions of 5 (short) and 12 (long) weeks
- Check the programs offered in journalism/mass communications:
_X_ Bachelor’s degree
- List the specific undergraduate degrees as well as the majors or sequences being reviewed by ACEJMC. *Indicate online degrees.
B.A. Communication
- Credit hours required by the university for an undergraduate degree:
120 credit hours (semester hours)
- Give the number of credit hours students may earn for internship experience.
3 credit hours (semester hours)
- List each professional journalism or mass communications sequence or specialty offered and give the name of the person in charge.
The degree has no sequences or concentrations.
- Number of full-time students enrolled in the institution:
In Fall 2019, undergraduate enrollment was 10,297, with full-time equivalency (FTE) at 9,548.7.
- Number of undergraduate majors in the accredited unit, by sequence and total (if the unit has pre-major students, list them as a single total):
Name of Sequence or Specialty: Undergraduate majors in:
B.A. Communication 451 (Fall 2019)
- Number of students in each section of all skills courses (newswriting, reporting, editing, photography, advertising copy, broadcast news, public relations writing, etc.). List enrollment by section for the term during which the visit will occur and the preceding term. Include a separate list for online skills courses, which also must meet the 20-1 ratio. (The Council has ruled that campaigns courses are exempt from the 20-1 ratio.)
|
|
Skills Course |
Fall 2019 |
|
COMM 2300 – Media Writing I (Section 0) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 2300 – Media Writing I (Section 01) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 2300 – Media Writing I (Section 02) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 2300 – Media Writing I (Section 03) |
15 |
|
|
COMM 2300 – Media Writing I (Section 04) |
15 |
|
|
COMM 2300 – Media Writing I (Section 05) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 2300 – Media Writing I (Section 06) |
15 |
|
|
COMM 2310 – Media Writing II (Section 01) |
15 |
|
|
COMM 2310 – Media Writing II (Section 02) |
15 |
|
|
COMM 2310 – Media Writing II (Section 03) |
14 |
|
|
COMM 2310 – Media Writing II (Section 04) |
9 |
|
|
COMM 2310 – Media Writing II (Section 05) |
14 |
|
|
COMM 3330 – PR Writing (Section 0) |
5 |
|
|
COMM 3330 – PR Writing (Section 01) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 3350 – Publication Design I (Section 01) |
13 |
|
|
COMM 3450 – Video I (Section 0) |
10 |
|
|
COMM 3450 – Video I (Section 01) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 3500 – TV News Production (Section 0) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 3630 – Feature Writing (Section 0) |
11 |
|
|
COMM 3700 – Photojournalism (Section 0) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 3700 – Photojournalism (Section 01) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 4000 – Special Topics: Social Media & Marketing (Section 0) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 4000 – Special Topics: Social Media & Marketing (Section 06) |
15 |
|
|
COMM 4000 – Special Topics: Podcasting (Section 01) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 4000 – Special Topics: Rising Rock (Section 03) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 4000 – Special Topics: Sports Writing II (Section 04) |
14 |
|
|
COMM 4000 – Special Topics: Screen Writing (Section 05) |
9 |
|
|
COMM 4750 – Photojournalism 2 (Section 0) |
8 |
|
Online Skills Course |
Fall 2019 |
|
|
COMM 3350 – Publication Design I (Section 0) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 3350 – Publication Design I (Section 03) |
20 |
|
|
COMM 3610 – Advanced Reporting (Section 0) |
15 |
|
Skills Course |
Spring 2020 |
|
|
COMM 2300 – Media Writing I (Section 0) |
15 |
|
|
COMM 2300 – Media Writing I (Section 01) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 2300 – Media Writing I (Section 02) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 2300 – Media Writing I (Section 03) |
15 |
|
|
COMM 2300 – Media Writing I (Section 04) |
15 |
|
|
COMM 2310 – Media Writing II (Section 0) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 2310 – Media Writing II (Section 01) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 2310 – Media Writing II (Section 02) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 2310 – Media Writing II (Section 03) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 3330 – PR Writing (Section 0) |
12 |
|
|
COMM 3350 – Publication Design I (Section 02) |
13 |
|
|
COMM 3370 – Web Design (Section 0) |
14 |
|
|
COMM 3450 – Video I (Section 0) |
14 |
|
|
COMM 3500 – TV News Production (Section 0) |
6 |
|
|
COMM 3630 – Feature Writing (Section 0) |
9 |
|
|
COMM 3700 – Photojournalism (Section 01) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 3700 – Photojournalism (Section 02) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 4010 – Special Topics: Social Media and Marketing (Section 0) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 4010 – Special Topics: Sports Writing II (Section 01) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 4010 – Special Topics: Social Media and Marketing (Section 02) |
13 |
|
|
COMM 4010 – Special Topics: Podcasting (Section 03) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 4010 – Special Topics: Screen Writing (Section 05) |
10 |
|
|
COMM 4010 – Special Topics: Travel Writing (Section 06) |
13 |
|
|
COMM 4010 – Special Topics: Rising Rock (Section 07) |
15 |
|
|
COMM 4020 – Special Topics: Advertising Video Production (Section 01) |
10 |
|
|
COMM 4350 – Publication Design II (Section 0) |
14 |
|
|
COMM 4450 – Video II (Section 0) |
7 |
|
|
COMM 4750 – Photojournalism 2 (Section 0) |
8 |
|
Online Skills Course |
Spring 2020 |
|
|
COMM 3350 – Publication Design I (Section 0) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 3350 – Publication Design I (Section 01) |
16 |
|
|
COMM 3610 – Advanced Reporting (Section 0) |
16 |
- Total expenditures planned by the unit for the 2019–2020 academic year: $50,471 (operating, excluding salaries).
Give percentage increase or decrease in three years: decrease 6.1% (operating)
Amount expected to be spent this year on full-time faculty salaries: $779,304
- List name and rank of all full-time faculty in the accredited unit in fall 2019. (Full-time faculty refers to those defined as such by the university.) Identify those not teaching because of leaves, sabbaticals, etc.
Jessica Freeman, Assistant Professor
Elizabeth Gailey, Associate Professor
Angelique Gibson, Lecturer
Randy Golson, Lecturer
Chandler Harriss, Assistant Professor
Michael McCluskey, Professor
Felicia McGhee, Associate Professor and Interim Department Head
David Sachsman, Professor and George R. West, Jr. Chair of Excellence
Charlene Simmons, UC Foundation Associate Professor
James Tanner, Lecturer
Billy Weeks, Lecturer
Nagwan Zahry, Assistant Professor
John Zublick, Massengill Professor
- List names of part-time/adjunct faculty teaching at least one course in fall 2019. Also list names of part-time faculty teaching spring 2019. (If your school has its accreditation visit in spring 2020, please provide the spring 2020 adjunct list in the updated information.)
Michael Andrews (Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020)
Angela Ballard (Spring 2020)
Nicole Brown (Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020)
William Davis (Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020)
Christopher Dortch (Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020)
Jessica Harthorn (Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020)
Mark Kennedy (Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020)
Michael Miller (Spring 2019)
Catherine Morrison (Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020)
James Tanner (Spring 2019)
- Schools on the semester system:
For each of the last two academic years, please give the number and percentage of graduates who earned 72 or more semester hours outside of journalism and mass communications.
72 or more semester hours outside of journalism and mass communications
Total Number
Year Graduates in Compliance Percent
2018-2019
academic year 79 78 98.7%
2017-2018
academic year 111 111 100%
2019 Self-Study Table of Contents
- Self Study Home
- Part I: General Information
- Part II: Supplementary Information
- Part II, Standard 1: Mission, Governance and Administration
- Part II, Standard 2: Curriculum and Instruction
- Part II, Standard 3: Diversity and Inclusiveness
- Part II, Standard 4: Full-Time and Part-Time Faculty
- Part II, Standard 5: Scholarship: Research, Creative and Professional Activity
- Part II, Standard 6: Student Services
- Part II, Standard 7: Resources, Facilities and Equipment
- Part II, Standard 8: Professional and Public Service
- Part II, Standard 9: Assessment of Learning Outcomes