ACEJMC Assessment Plan

School of Communication, Film, and Media Assessment Plan
Updated and Approved Fall 2023
Updated and Approved Fall 2021
Originally Approved Spring 2017

The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications requires that graduates of accredited programs be aware of certain core values and competencies and be able to:

1. Apply the principles and laws of freedom of speech and press, in a global context, and for the country in which the institution that invites ACEJMC is located; 
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the multicultural history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping communications; 
3. Demonstrate culturally proficient communication that empowers those traditionally disenfranchised in society, especially as grounded in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and ability, domestically and globally, across communication and media contexts; 
4. Present images and information effectively and creatively, using appropriate tools and technologies; 
5. Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences, and purposes they serve; 
6. Demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness, and service to all people and communities;   
7. Apply critical thinking skills in conducting research and evaluating information by methods appropriate to the communications professions in which they work; 
8. Effectively and correctly apply basic numerical and statistical concepts; 
9. Critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness;
10. Apply tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions in which they work;

ASSESSMENT MEASURES
SCFM uses two direct measures and two indirect measures to assess the student learning outcomes that align with ACEJMC’s 10 values and competencies. The direct measures evaluate student performance through course-embedded assessments and internship supervisor evaluations, while the indirect measures consist of a senior exit survey and student achievement in collegiate competitions. 

DIRECT MEASURES 

Student Performance Measures: The Mass Communications degree program’s concentrations include at least one assessment measure aligned with one or more of the 10 ACEJMC student learning outcomes. The elective course, Diversity and Mass Media, is included because a substantial majority of students complete the course and because it provides the most comprehensive assessment of SLO 3. Assessment measures consist of exam averages, major projects, and capstone assignments. Faculty report student performance results for each measure, and the Associate Dean aggregates the data across courses to evaluate the effectiveness of each measure in assessing the corresponding learning outcome.

Assessment measure scores are submitted using a standardized Excel spreadsheet template. The template captures the faculty member’s name, course and section number, semester, and assessment measure, and files are saved using the following naming convention: LastName_CourseNumber_Semester.

To protect student privacy, individual scores are reported as Student 1, Student 2, and so forth, with no student names or identification numbers included. Faculty report the percentage of students performing within each of five learning levels:

• Highly Developed (90-100)
• Developed (80-89)
• Emerging (70-79)
• Beginning (60-69)
• Insufficient (59 or below)

After entering assessment scores and categorizing student performance across the five levels of learning, faculty reflect on the results in relation to the 10 student learning outcomes (SLOs), as well as feedback from student evaluations and their annual self-evaluations. As part of the closing-the-loop process, faculty provide concise responses, in seven sentences or fewer, to the following four questions: 

• What do the results tell you?
• What are student performance strengths and weaknesses or opportunities for development?
• What is at least one action you have implemented within the last academic year to address student performance weaknesses or opportunities for development?
• What is at least one action you plan to implement within the next academic year to address student performance weaknesses or opportunities for development?

 

COURSE NUMBER	COURSE TITLE	ASSESSMENT MEASURE
COMM 1154	Introduction to Mass Communications	Exam Average
COMM 2254	Media Ethics	Exam Average
COMM 2256	Film Form and Aesthetics	Exam Average
COMM 3301	Fundamentals of Newswriting	Inverted Pyramid News Story
COMM 3302	Writing Across Media	Writing Projects Average
COMM 3303	AI-Powered Multimedia & Visual Design	Final Layout/Design Project
COMM 3305	Short-Form Screenwriting & Analysis	Final Screenplay
COMM 3313	Principles of Public Relations	Exam Average
COMM 3350	Digital Media Industries	Exam/Quiz Average
COMM 3351	Radio & Audio Production	Commercial/PSA
COMM 3352	Fundamentals of Television Production	Final News Package
COMM 3353	Fundamentals of Film & Video Production	Final Video Project
COMM 3354	Foundations of Digital & Social Media	Final Project
COMM 3355	Digital Media Programming, Management & Measurement	Exam Average
COMM 3356	Film & Culture	Diversity-Based Film Response
COMM 3357	Diversity and Mass Media	Final Exam Average
COMM 4402	Feature Writing	Final Feature Story
COMM 4403	Photojournalism	Photo Essay
COMM 4405	Sound Design	Audio Final Project
COMM 4406	Camera in Cinematography	Image Final Project
COMM 4407	Film and Video Editing	Editing Final Project
COMM 4413	Public Relations Cases	Case Analysis
COMM 4414	Public Relations Management	Exam Average
COMM 4421N	Practicum – The West Georgian	Published Article
COMM 4421R	Practicum – WOLF Radio	PSA
COMM 4421T	Practicum – WUTV	Demo Reel
COMM 4425	Documentary Production Practices	Documentary Final Project
COMM 4426	Fiction Film Production	Fiction Final Project
COMM 4444	Public Relations Campaigns	Campaign Plan
COMM 4450	Advanced Media Writing and Reporting	News Package
COMM 4451	Public Relations Writing	Press Release
COMM 4452	Advanced Film & Video Production	Final Project
COMM 4454	Media Law	Exam Average
COMM 4455	Contemporary Issues in Mass Communications	Exam Average
COMM 4456	Digital Content Creation	Final Project
COMM 4484	Mass Communications Research Methods	Applied Research Project

Internship Supervisor Evaluations: A supervisor evaluation survey is distributed to each internship site supervisor near the end of every semester for students enrolled in COMM 4486: Internship. The evaluation assesses students’ achievement of ACEJMC’s 10 Professional Values and Competencies and includes additional measures related to professional attitudes and workplace behaviors.

INDIRECT MEASURES

Senior Exit Survey: An exit survey is administered to graduating seniors each semester as part of the major requirements of the bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications. The survey asks students to report their level of agreement (using a 5-point Likert scale) with the 10 professional values and competencies as it relates to their own learning. The Qualtrics survey is distributed via email to graduating seniors, with follow-up as needed to ensure students completed the survey as required in the degree program. 

Student Competitions: Student success in collegiate competitions, as evaluated by professional reviewers, serves as an indirect measure of the quality of the educational experiences provided through SCFM’s classrooms and experiential learning environments. SCFM students have earned numerous honors in a wide range of regional, national, and international competitions, film festivals, and academic forums, including: 

• Broadcast Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts
• College Broadcasters, Inc. National Student Production Awards
• College Media Association Pinnacle Awards
• Intercollegiate Broadcasting System College Media Awards
• International Student Broadcasting Championship (ISBC)
• NBS-AERho National Undergraduate Student Electronic Media Competition

In addition, student scholarship and creative works have been selected for presentation at the university’s annual Scholars’ Day event, as well as at conferences sponsored by the Broadcast Education Association, the Georgia Communication Association, and the Southern States Communication Association. Over the past several years, SCFM students have consistently received recognition while competing against peers from leading journalism and mass communication programs nationwide. These achievements provide evidence of the quality and effectiveness of the school’s instruction, mentoring, and experiential learning opportunities.