STANDARD 9 APPENDIXES - High Point UniversitySTANDARD 9 APPENDIXES The 13 appendixes for Standard 9 are labeled 9.1 through 9.13. ... Strat Com n = 52 Games n = 10 Pop Culture n =

ACEJMC Standard 9 Appendix 9-1

STANDARD 9 APPENDIXES The 13 appendixes for Standard 9 are labeled 9.1 through 9.13. 9.1 Assessment Plan 9.2 Assessment Report 9.3 Electronic Portfolio Assessment 9.4 Competency Exam 9.5 Internship Supervisor Evaluation Form 9.6 Impressions of Internship Presentations 9.7 Internship Presentations Feedback Form 9.8 Themes from Graduate Exit Surveys 9.9 Assessment Committee Review of Noel Levitz Survey 9.10 Notes from Student Advisory Board Meetings 9.11 Alumni Survey 9.12 Alumni Survey Results 9.13 Analysis of Student Evaluations


APPENDIX 9.1 ASSESSMENT PLAN

The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication

Assessment Plan Adopted August 2014

The plan includes a brief description of the steps associated with the assessment of learning objectives. The implementation section includes details related to the five areas of our plan including: (a) goals for learning; (b) curriculum review; (c) decision on assessment tools; (d) implementation of the assessment (including data analysis); and (e) changes based on the assessment. The continued assessment section describes the future assessment of the learning plan. The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication assesses student learning of our values and competencies through direct and indirect measures. Direct Measures

Assessment of LinkedIn Student Portfolios: In the intro and capstone courses, all students from an outgoing cohort assemble an online portfolio with writings and projects that they have selected to demonstrate their writing skills and production skills. A random sample of portfolios will be scored by 15 members of our Dean’s Advisory Council will each review two portfolios. Each evaluator rates the students’ selected works using the rubric the faculty developed to measure each competency. This evaluation provides insight into our students’ preparation for entry-level positions. The portfolios are available for the site team review. Competency Exam: The faculty created a standardized exam that directly measures our five guiding cognitive competencies of students at various points in their program. This exam was revised in summer 2014 and implemented in fall 2014 and spring 2015. This evaluation assesses the


growth of learning from an introductory-level class to a capstone class. Demographics are also collected to allow for comparisons.

Internship Supervisor Evaluations: All students who complete an internship are evaluated by the internship supervisor who answers 28-questions about the student’s ability to learn, reading/writing/computation skills, listening and oral communication skills, creative thinking and problem solving skills, professional and career development skills, interpersonal and teamwork skills, organizational effectiveness skills, basic work habits, and character attributes. Supervisors also provide comments about the student.

Faculty Evaluations of Internship Presentations: Each student prepares a five-minute presentation to faculty, concentrating especially on how the NQSC’s curriculum prepared them to succeed in their internship and where it came up short. The faculty uses these evaluations to note areas of curriculum improvement.

Indirect Measures

1. Student Satisfaction Survey: All graduating students from the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication complete a student satisfaction survey. The survey asks the degree to which the program emphasized the values/competencies and the mastery of the values/competencies during their studies. The survey also includes demographic information to enable comparisons.

2. Dean’s Advisory Council Review: The Dean’s Advisory Council is composed of professionals in each of the concentration areas. The Council reviews and critiques the NQSC’s curriculum, mission, vision, and action plan. The NQSC faculty meets twice a year with the Advisory Council and discusses a broad range of curriculum-related issues.

3. Student Advisory Board Review: Each year, a representative group of undergraduate students is invited to participate in the Student Advisory


Board. These students meet each semester and discuss curriculum issues (largely gleaned from student evaluations), potential curriculum changes, and university-wide issues.

4. Alumni Survey. Starting in summer 2015 and continuing yearly, we will email from the prior five years and inquire about how the NQSC’s curriculum.

The following diagram displays how a student might be assessed in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication over four years. Because many of the assessments use random samples, it is unlikely that one student would participate in every assessment component; however, the diagram does demonstrate that assessment activities occur at various points in a student’s university career. Sample Assessment Activities

Sample Assessment

Timeline

Year 1: COM 1110

Competency Pretest

Year 2:Reviews by

Dean's Advisory Board

Year 2:Input from Student

Advisory Board

Year 3:Internship Supervisor Evaluation

Year 3:Faculty

Evaluation of Internship

Presentation Year 4: Competency

Posttest

Year 4:Assessment of

LinkedIn Portfolio

Post Graduation:

Alumni Survey


APPENDIX 9.2 ASSESSMENT REPORT

2012 NRQSC ALUMNI CURRENT JOB PERCENTAGE

Track Number of 2012 Grads

Number/Percent Tracked*

Number/Percent Employed in Field or In Graduate School*

ELM 25 16 (64%) 5 (31%)

Games 3 2 (67%) 0 (0%)

Journalism 8 6 (75%) 2 (33%)

Pop Culture 5 3 (60%) 0 (0%)

Strat Comm 30 29 (96.7%) 20 (71%)

OVERALL 71 54 (76%) 27 (50%)

*does not include unknowns

Overview of Students Tracked (n = 56)

Number Percent

Employed in Communication 30 53.5%

Currently in Graduate School 3 5.4%

Non-communication jobs 23 41.1%

There were 71 graduates; only 56 were tracked


ENTRANCE /EXIT EXAM (Overall max score is 25; Component max score is 5)

Entrance Fall 2014 n = 180

Exit Fall 2014 n = 44

Exit Spring 2014 n = 64

Overall Score 11.44 13.52 13.91

Analytical 2.51 2.63 2.80

Communication 2.49 2.50 2.64

Converging 2.51 3.02 2.89

Technology 1.87 2.31 2.31

Integration 2.05 3.02 3.25

ELM

n = 28 Journalism

n = 14 Strat Com n = 52

Games n = 10

Pop Culture n = 7

Overall Score 13.96 13.78 13.60 14.77 12.57

Analytical 2.57 2.71 2.76 3.00 2.71

Communication 2.54 2.64 2.62 2.60 2.28

Converging 2.89 3.07 2.98 2.60 3.14

Technology 2.85 1.71 2.07 3.22 2.00

Integration 3.11 3.64 3.07 3.50 2.42


APPENDIX 9.3 ELECTRONIC PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

In order to assess how well the NQSC prepares students for media careers, the Dean’s Advisory Board reviews a sample of our students’ electronic portfolios. The following is the evaluation form used by the Advisory Board to review and critique the portfolios.

Name of Student: Professional Material Checklist: Picture of student Resume Writing Sample Production Sample Using the items included in the electronic portfolio, please assess the following items on a five point scale 1 = strongly disagree 2 = disagree 3 = neutral 4 = agree 5 = strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 Initial appearance of the LinkedIn page is professional. Writing is clean, organized, and accurate. It demonstrates proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Writing is appropriate for the intended audience and conforms to the writing styles normally used in the communication field.

Context for the student’s work samples is clear (e.g., explains the assignment for a paper or the goal for a production piece).

Production materials meet expectations for entry-level professional work.

Given the overall quality of the portfolio, you would interview the student for an entry-level job in your organization.


APPENDIX 9.4 COMPETENCY EXAM

A cognitive competency exam was administered to underclassmen in COM 1110—Human Communication sections, and to upperclassmen in COM 3390 (now 4450)—Communication Law & Ethics class. The following is the full exam, along with the learning objectives and answer key.

NIDO R. QUBEIN SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION General information test

Dear Student: Please answer the following questions. You do not have to put your name on the exam, so do not worry about how this might affect your grade—it does not affect your grade. It will, however, allow us to know which information students already know so that we can add or delete information. (1) Are you a communication major: Yes No (2) If yes, which sequence are you in: Electronic Media Games and Interactive Media Journalism Media and Pop Culture Strategic Communication (3) Are you a: Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior (4) Are you: male female PLEASE CIRCLE THE CORRECT ANSWER FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

ANALYTICAL THINKING Extracting from various areas the knowledge required to formulate realistic responses to complex problems

Critically examine diverse audiences, situations, cases, & texts Plan actions and develop solutions


QUESTION: When delivering messages to Latino audiences which of the following is true?

a. We can expect the Latino audience to be more individualistic than other cultural groups in the U.S.

b. We can expect the Latino audience to be culturally diverse. c. We can expect that the majority of Latinos will prefer information in

Spanish. d. We can expect Latino audience members to be homogeneous in

their views. QUESTION: Which of the following is false about media globalization?

a. A handful of Western media corporations control the global flow of communication.

b. Globalization has generated not only larger global audiences but also important regional markets in different parts of the world.

c. Globalization can operate through the appeals to both global and local cultures, or what has been called “glocalization.”

d. Globalization has ended the debate among people abroad who argue that U.S. media content is a form of cultural imperialism that undermines the values of cultures around the world.

QUESTION: Imagine that you were asked to write a 5-page paper on the following topic: “Many social/ technology critics say that the “digital divide” is a major problem throughout the world and that a variety of “digital divides” will continue to drive a wedge between our society’s “haves” and “have-nots.” What are these divides? Do you think that the federal governments should use public funds to address this problem? If so, how? Or can you propose other means of addressing this important issue?”

What do you think this assignment is asking you to do? a. Write a personal opinion piece on the digital divide. b. Find several previously written pieces on the digital divide and write a

brief review of each. c. Critically evaluate information on the digital divide to identify what

solutions or alternative ways of treating the issue can be proposed. d. Using the questions as a platform for what your paper should really be

about: the existence of “haves” and “have-nots” in late capitalist societies.

QUESTION: Which of the following is false with regard to evaluating information?


a. Information that has achieved many “hits” on the Internet is typically reliable because of the “crowdsourcing” that “going viral” entails.

b. In the social sciences, peer reviewed findings are generally considered more reliable than findings promoted by think tanks.

c. Anecdotal reports can create an impression about the existence of some phenomena, but that does not necessarily mean that the phenomena are widespread or typical.

d. Media gatekeepers who take the social responsibility seriously generally prefer to send reporters to a scene to observe a situation first-hand, than simply repeating and amplifying reports from other media outlets.

QUESTION: Which type of website most likely provides the most objective information about Martin Luther King Jr.?

a. the home page of a communication professor who wrote a book on the rhetoric of Martin Luther King Jr.

b. a historical group's site on famous assassinations, with the most pages devoted to Martin Luther King Jr.

c. the site of a 20th century history group that archives Martin Luther King Jr.’s original correspondence and speeches

d. the A&E television’s Bio.com website, which has a synopsis of his life, videos of his speeches, and 25 videos of celebrities and civil rights leaders discussing MLK and civil rights.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS Developing the ability to present, listen to, and exchange written, oral, aural, and visual information in forms appropriate for the audience, purpose, and context

Write coherently Present professionally (personally or mediated)

QUESTION: Which of the following sentences uses standard grammar?

a. Eric badly felt about the situation. b. Eric felt about the situation badly. c. Eric felt bad about the situation. d. Eric felt badly about the situation.

QUESTION: Which of the following uses standard punctuation?

a. The Austrian flag has only two colors, red and white. b. The Austrian flag has only two colors; red and white. c. The Austrian flag has only two colors: red and white.


d. The Austrian flag has only two colors red and white. QUESTION: Which of the following sentences does not use standard punctuation?

a. It is too soon to tell whether Aaron’s foot broke her nose. b. Womens’ dreams are theirs to fulfill. c. Coaches’ instructions should be followed carefully by their players. d. Edna and Bob’s house was built in 1889.

QUESTION: In a speech about photo manipulation, the speaker uses jargon that you don't understand. With which part of the communication process are you experiencing problems?

a. Encoding b. Decoding c. Feedback d. The channel

QUESTION: You have an important presentation to give to your bosses. You want to “wow” them with your speaking skills and show them you are ready to make presentation to clients. Which speaking style would be most likely to convince your bosses that you have the confidence, knowledge, and skills to present to new audiences?

a. Impromptu b. Manuscript c. Extemporaneous d. Verbatim

INTERPRETATION OF CONVERGING INFORMATION Linking data, knowledge, and insight for strategic decision-making and presentation of information through media

Understand the research and evaluation process Link data to decision-making and/or advocacy

QUESTION: What differentiates quantitative from qualitative methodologies in research?

a. Quantitative methods are more accurate than qualitative methods. b. Quantitative approaches use statistical analyses to deliver more

generalizable results. c. There is really no difference.


d. Qualitative approaches are more accurate and quality-driven than quantitative methods.

QUESTION: Which research method best enables us to measure the positive or negative reactions of a large audience to a media message?

a. Content analysis b. Focus group c. Textual analysis d. Survey

QUESTION: In a recent poll of 500 likely voters in the Piedmont Triad reported in the News and Record, 45% of those polled said they would vote for Candidate A, 42% said they’d vote for Candidate B, and 13% were undecided. The poll reported a margin of error of 4%. Based on this information, which of the following would be the most accurate headline?

a. Candidate A has a lead over Candidate B. b. Candidate B can catch Candidate A if the undecideds go for Candidate

B. c. The race is too close to call. d. The polling is flawed because of the margin of error.

QUESTION: Which of the following is true? When something is proven to be statistically significant, we can conclude that

a. it is highly unlikely that the result could be due to chance. b. we can conclude that the result is important. c. we can conclude that other people would find the same result even if

using a convenience sample. d. we can conclude that the results will be published.

QUESTION: In a newspaper article, the following information was presented about sales of single-family homes. These properties sold last month for the prices listed below: 106 North Avenue $250,000 214 Farriss Avenue $780,000 14 Montlieu Avenue $220,000 1045 Skeet Club Road $590,000 717 Clodfelter Rd $360,000


QUESTION: What was the median household price? a. $250,000

b. $360,000 c. $440,000 d. $590,000

TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT Using technology in ways that add value to the communication professions

Develop media technology skills Create professional quality visual and/or audio materials

QUESTION: All of the following are NON-DESTRUCTIVE edits in Photoshop EXCEPT:

a. Applying an adjustment layer to alter the color balance of an image b. Applying a smart filter that makes a photo look like a watercolor painting c. Using a layer mask to hide the background of a photo d. Using the Image Size menu to resample an image

QUESTION: The History Panel in Adobe software allows you to:

a. Perform unlimited levels of UNDO b. Perform one UNDO c. To sequence your edits, but not UNDO them d. None of the above

QUESTION: This type of Photoshop adjustment layer has sliders that allow you to make changes to the dark tones (black), highlights (white), and midtones (gamma) on an image's histogram.

a. Hue/Saturation b. Invert c. Levels d. Photo Filter

QUESTION: Text Threading in InDesign allows you to:

a. Copy attributes from one text frame to another b. Perform a pre-flight check to look for errors in your document c. Make text flow from one text frame into another d. Type text on a shape or path


QUESTION: Adding a Text Inset to a text frame in InDesign: a. Locks the text color and style b. Indents the first line of each paragraph c. Controls the spacing between lines of text d. Creates margins within the text frame preventing text from flowing to the edge of the frame.

QUESTION: The agenda-setting theory of media effects states that

a. the media tell us what to think b. the media tell us what to think about c. the media are relatively powerless to influence people d. television is more powerful than other media in persuading people

QUESTION: The Federal Trade Commission has certain powers that can be used to regulate truthfulness in advertising campaigns. Which of the following is not among the FTC’s regulatory measures:

a. Order companies to shut down operations and stop selling products b. Issue cease-and-desist orders to stop an ad campaign c. Impose fines on advertisers d. Order the creation and distribution of corrective advertising

INTEGRATION OF THEORY AND PRACTICE Understanding how communication theory informs both research and best practices

Apply theory to research, analysis, and/or practice Evaluate historical, ethical and/or legal dimensions, including issues of diversity

QUESTION: The High Point Enterprise runs a story on how college students spend their downtime. With that story, the paper also runs a photograph of a woman sunbathing in one of the latest model swimsuits next to Oak Hollow Lake. It turns out she is not a college student, but is a newly hired teacher playing hooky from work. Her school principal sees the photo and fires the young woman, who was still in her probationary period at her new job. The woman sues the newspaper for invading her privacy. What is likely to happen?

a. She will win because the photo was taken and published without her consent.

b. She will win because the newspaper made a factual error in labeling her a college student.


c. She will lose because she was in a public place and had no expectation of privacy.

d. She will lose because she was a public school employee and therefore was a public figure.

QUESTION: A TV station collects video footage of crowds of shoppers in a mall. A few days later, during a live news broadcast, the station shows some of the mall footage while the anchor says, “One out of three Americans has contracted a sexually transmitted disease.” As the anchor says this, a woman from the mall footage is shown in close up; she is clearly identifiable and prominent in the shot. The implication is clear -- this woman has an STD. The identifiable woman retains a lawyer, who sues for invasion of privacy. What would be likely to happen in this lawsuit?

a. She wins the suit because the TV station wrongly injured her by intrusively collecting information about her.

b. She loses the suit because she was unable to prove actual malice and reckless disregard for the truth on the part of the TV station.

c. She wins the suit because the TV station invaded her privacy by putting her in a false light.

d. She loses the suit because the station had no way of knowing whether or not the woman had contracted an STD.

QUESTION: In a news release issued by a local neighborhood association, a reporter reads the following facts: “In the awards ceremony, four association members will be recognized for their contributions to improving recreational services in the neighborhood: Gina Gesualdi, a young and attractive mechanical engineer; Robert Jones, a black attorney; Sonia Suarez, an articulate Hispanic actor; and John Patterson, an assistant football coach at Madison High School.” In the interest of fairness, the reporter in charge of rewriting the release omits the words:

a. black, Hispanic b. mechanical engineer, attorney, actor, assistant football coach c. young and attractive, black, articulate, Hispanic d. association, improving


APPENDIX 9.5 INTERNSHIP SUPERVISOR EVALUATION FORM

All interns are evaluated by an instructor and a field supervisor. The following is the evaluation form used by the field supervisors.

Internship Supervisor Final Evaluation Form http://www.highpoint.edu/careerinternships/final-evaluation-form/ Student Name* First Last Student ID Number* Date Completed* Faculty Supervisor*

Organization Name*

Site Supervisor*

Site Supervisor E-mail*

TO BE COMPLETED INDEPENDENTLY BY THE STUDENT AND THE SITE SUPERVISOR. SHARE AND DISCUSS THE RESULTS OF EACH EVALUATION

This evaluation was completed by the:*

Regular evaluation of the student intern's performance is an important part of the professional development. Our objective is to provide a valuable learning experience while giving the student intern an opportunity to further improve his/her performance over the coming weeks. In this manner, we hope both the student and the organization will mutually benefit. ABILITY TO LEARN

Asks pertinent and purposeful questions* Seeks out and utilizes appropriate resources* Accepts responsibility for mistakes and learns from experiences*

READING/WRITING/COMPUTATION SKILLS Reads/comprehends/follows written materials* Communicates ideas and concepts clearly in writing* Works with mathematical procedures appropriate to the job*

LISTENING AND ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS Listens to others in an active and attentive manner* Effectively participates in meetings or group settings* Demonstrates effective verbal communication skills*

CREATIVE THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS


Breaks down complex tasks/problems into manageable pieces* Brainstorms/develops options and ideas* Demonstrates an analytical capacity*

PROFESSIONAL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT SKILLS Exhibits self-motivated approach to work* Demonstrates ability to set appropriate priorities/goals* Exhibits professional behavior and attitude*

INTERPERSONAL AND TEAMWORK SKILLS Manages and resolves conflict in an effective manner* Supports and contributes to a team atmosphere * Demonstrates assertive yet appropriate behavior*

ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS SKILLS Seeks to understand and support organization's mission/goals* Fits in with the norms and expectations of the organization* Works within appropriate authority and decision-making channels*

BASIC WORK HABITS Reports to work as scheduled and on time* Exhibits a positive and constructive attitude* Dress and appearance are appropriate for this organization*

CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES Brings a sense of values and integrity to the job * Behaves in an ethical manner* Respects the diversity of co-workers*

Student’s overall performance during the internship experience* Additional comments and/or recommendations The signatures below indicate that this evaluation was shared and discussed by the student intern and the site supervisor. Student Name* First Last Date* Site Supervisor First Last


APPENDIX 9.6 IMPRESSION OF INTERNSHIP PRESENTATIONS

September, 2014

Students all seem prepared for internships in terms of software skills. Most students report they need to learn “soft skills”—how to work with people and different types of supervisors. This is difficult to model in university setting. Noticeable difficulty with presentation skills.

Students tried to pack too much information into each presentation. Template

can be shortened: e.g. it is not necessary for students to present a slide on what

their goals for the internship were.

Don’t read slides and certainly do not include complete sentences and

paragraphs on slides.

Don’t show videos that students had nothing to do with producing. We don’t

need a three‐minute promotional video on the sponsoring organization unless

the student helped in the production.

Some students didn’t have their media set up before time. Setting up between

presentations is unacceptable. In the future, these students should not be

allowed to present.

We need to reintroduce PowerPoint presentation guidelines in upper‐level

classes. We only do it in COM 1110 but our upper‐class students need to have

this reinforced.

I suggest that students who fail to deliver a satisfactory presentation be asked to

represent in front of the Internship supervisor until it is acceptable. Only then

will a grade be recorded.

W. Tremblay


APPENDIX 9.7 INTERNSHIP PRESENTATION FEEDBACK FORM

Internship Presentation Feedback Please provide feedback about the internship presentations. Faculty member name: ______________________________________ Presentation group: Strategic Communication Journalism/Electronic Media/Event Management What classes/skills seemed especially helpful to the student? What can we do/teach to better prepare the students for the internships? Other comments:


APPENDIX 9.8 THEMES FROM GRADUATE EXIT SURVEYS

Many students wonder why they have to take gen/ed liberal arts courses and

can’t take more COM courses. Explain to them the importance of a broad curriculum, how what we learn today will be outmoded in a few years but broad-based critical thinking will not.

Students have problems with little upper-level use of Adobe package. They only learn it in 1111 and one or two other courses and then have to apply it during internships. You should be using the Adobe software in upper-level classes and not Word or Publisher. If you don’t know the software, learn it. We have Lynda.

Lots of complaints about adviser competence. Students think many advisers are unsure about curriculum and are only concerned about the checklist. All returning faculty should know the COM curriculum forwards and backwards.

Not enough challenge for better students. Effectively no audio program.


APPENDIX 9.9 ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE REVIEW OF NOEL LEVITZ

SURVEY

ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE 9/26/2012

10:00 am – 11:00 am Committee Members Present:

Sojung Kim Virginia McDermott Charisse McGee-Lazarou Dean Smith

Topic: Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory Task: Identify topics for the student advisory committee to discuss Method: We reviewed each of the questionnaire items and identified topics (a) if the gap between importance and satisfaction was around 1:00; (b) If communication was more than .2 points below other programs; and (c) the scores were lower than 6.0 and the committee thought the topics were important and needed to be discussed. Conclusions: The following 15 topics were identified as important for students to discuss and provide guidance on why NQSC received these scores and what we could do to improve it. Topic Importance Satisfaction Gap My academic adviser is knowledgeable about requirements in my major

6.27 5.38 .89

I am able to register for classes I need with few conflicts

6.29 3.94 2.35


The content of the courses within my major is valuable.

6.41 5.48 .93

The instruction in my major field is excellent

6.44 5.50 .94

Nearly all the faculty are knowledgeable in their field

6.25 5.66 .59

My academic adviser is approachable

6.27 5.53 .74

Faculty are fair and unbiased in their treatment of individual students

6.23 5.09 1.14

Major requirements are clear and reasonable

6.08 4.96 1.12

My academic adviser is concerned about my success as an individual

6.11 5.24 .87

Faculty provide timely feedback about student progress in a course

6.09 4.96 1.13

Freedom of expression is protected on campus

6.13 4.61 1.52

Adjunct faculty are competent as classroom instructors

5.70 5.04 .66

My academic adviser helps me set goals to work toward

5.74 4.93 .81

Channels for expressing student complaints are readily available

5.88 4.83 1.05

There is a strong commitment to racial harmony on this campus

5.54 4.58 .96


APPENDIX 9.10 NOTES FROM STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD MEETINGS

Nido R. Qubein School of Communication

Notes from Dean’s student advisory board 10/25/13

Discussion facilitated by Matt Ritter

(transcribed from audio recording by Wilfred Tremblay) The top items identified in the Noel Levitz spring survey as discrepancies between expectations and deliverables were discussed by members of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council. The Dean was not in the room and discussion was facilitated by Matt Ritter, a recent grad student alum and current adjunct professor for the department. Class registration The number one identified discrepancy was “registering for classes.” Have trouble unless you’re honors, seniors or athletes. My junior year I couldn’t get what I need. I’m on my third adviser and they don’t seem to help me at all. They don’t

know the programs and don’t seem interested. Sophomores and juniors have trouble. Not a ton of sections. I had to take courses I didn’t want to as a junior. MPC

studies has lots of courses that aren’t offered. MPC classes have to bank on fact that they’re going to be offered. Entire

time I’m here some classes have never been offered. As Journalism major, I never had a problem. But I do think it is a problem in

other sequences. My adviser has always been helpful finding other class. In terms of universities, you’re always going to have problems Limited amount of sections in strategic com. MPC hasn’t grown as much. The university is willing to work with you if you can’t get a course in last

semester. There’s got to be flexibility from the university. The administration has a lack of respect for our field since anyone can take a

MPC course. No prereqs. necessary for 4000-level courses.


Be more flexible in giving priority within COM majors before everyone else. GPA should be a part of registering—one way to fix the issue, i.e., high GPAs go first.

Com majors should register before non-majors. Lot of trouble getting strategic com classes. I’m trying to graduate in three

years and system won’t let me register at appropriate year. It’s the university’s responsibility to make sure courses are offered. If not, they

should waive it. Helpful of advisers. Track sheets (on MyStuff page) are confusing. Senior audit and bulletin are

incompatible.

Advisers Track sheet is a literal check list. My two advisers have been good and

helpful. In MPC only two advisers—hard to get competing messages. Need to educate freshmen on track sheet on the front end. I know the journalism advisers are very up on the program. Study abroad is a big problem. Students need to look ahead and plan

schedule accordingly. Advisers don’t help you get into classes you need. Com advisers don’t know

about other minors. Have ENG minor and that was really confusing. Have someone available to help with minors—maybe a secretary—so someone can talk about minors (e.g., a marketing professor available at a certain time to talk about the minor).

Faculty and treatment of students For most part they’re unbiased. Production classes are subjective because

you can’t always use rubrics. How do you do well in those classes: suck up to the professor. (Similar to Art.)

In the real world, lots of people will tell you they hate your work. This is direct reflection of the real world. The 20% subjective grade is good as long as the rest is objective. Love rubrics even if they have a little subjective component.

Never had a COM class without a rubric.


Feedback I hate that we’re only required to post bad grades on MyStuff at mid-term.

Should be required to post at midterm. All professors don’t use Blackboard and you don’t know how much they weight assignments.

Like the way Professor X does it. Need to be informed on how to calculate grades. (Tell you what number to divide your score by.)

Students think employers see mid-term grades so if you’re getting a low grade, that’s the only thing they’ll see on the transcript.

I would prefer actual letter grade and number grade. Should have a unified grading system within the university. At least a

common scale across the department. Some departments give A’s for 85%, for example.

Just needs a little more clarity.

Freedom of Expression Upset me it was so low on the survey. It should be first or second thing. We have almost no public speaking expression. Communication and Culture

won’t let anything out they don’t approve. We want the School of COM support for getting SPJ independent paper

going and protecting it. If you’re opinion doesn’t get approved by administration, it won’t get

published. Your opinion must be approved by Communication and Culture and

Admissions. Otherwise, it’s not going to go through. University has no public forum for students. MPC studies gets no respect from department. There should be a constant opportunity to have open channels. Community

Affairs Board and suggestion boxes all over campus are insufficient. In school, you can go to your advisers if you want. Waste of money having foreign TV stations on third floor of COM building—

channels we can’t understand. Would prefer to have American channels. The speakers should be in English.

That’s not the point. Not for students to sit in front and watch a bunch of channels.


Faculty knowledgeable A lot have real world experience. Difference between learning something

from the textbook and real world. A lot of faculty are published. In sports management only one faculty member. Sports Management is in a

bad place right now. One person can’t teach so many different specializations.

In Strategic Communication all professors have worked in the real world. Foreign language problem with some professors. Hard to understand them. Sports management and MPC need more attention. Outstanding Journalism

dept., but glaring weakness is loss of Dr. Weist copyediting. I hope they fill that spot.

Adjunct faculty: I love them because of real world experience. I had one last year and this summer he offered me a job. They’re not worried about tenure and are more open to class discussion. They’re very knowledgeable and provide current experience. They’re very real with you.

Never had a problem with adjuncts until this semester. (One particular class) is my most disappointing class I’ve had at High Point. It’s bad when we know more than the teacher does.

Racial Harmony 90% white people. Nothing we can do about that. Harmony is not an issue in the program but needs to be a stronger university

initiative. Diversity in faculty has increased since we’ve been here but it’s decreased

with students. School of Health Sciences is going to bring in a bunch of diverse people. Even if there is harmony and they can make friends, the culture itself is a

white and rich culture. No need for COM department to do more for racial harmony. But diversity is

a university wide problem.

--End of 49 minute discussion—


APPENDIX 9.11 ALUMNI SURVEY

ALUMNI SURVEY

Q1: The Curriculum for the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication...

Strongly Disagree Disagree

Neither Agree nor Disagree

Agree Strongly Agree

Prepared me to think analytically

Improved my written and verbal communication

Enhanced my strategic decision making and research skills

Increased my technological skills

Helped me understand how communication theory should inform professional practice

Prepared me for my current employment

Q2:Are you employed right now?

Yes, I am employed full time Yes, I am employed part-time


Yes, I am employed but currently on leave No, but I am looking for employment right now No, and I am not looking for employment right now

Q3: How often do you use the skills or knowledge learned within the School of Communication in your daily work?

Never Rarely Sometimes Quite Often Very Often

Q4: How satisfied are you with your current occupation/employment?

Very Dissatisfied Dissatisfied Neutral Satisfied Very Satisfied

Q5: If you had to do it all over again, how likely would you be to select the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication?

Very Unlikely Unlikely Undecided Likely Very Likely

Q6: What was your concentration area? Q7: What year did you graduate?


Q8: Was there any information you wanted to learn within this program that was not offered? If so, please explain.


APPENDIX 9.12 ALUMNI SURVEY RESULTS

ALUMNI SURVEY

Summer 2015

Initial Report Last Modified: 09/03/2015


1. The Curriculum for the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication...

# Question Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither Agree nor

Disagree

Agree Strongly Agree

Total Responses

Mean

1 Prepared me to think analytically

0 1 7 24 12 44 4.07

2

Improved my written and verbal communication

0 2 2 19 21 44 4.34

3

Enhanced my strategic decision making and research skills

0 1 4 25 14 44 4.18

4 Increased my technological skills

0 3 9 19 13 44 3.95

5

Helped me understand how communication theory should inform professional practice

1 2 12 23 6 44 3.70

6 Prepared me for my current employment

2 3 11 19 9 44 3.68


Statistic

Prepared me to think

analytically

Improved my written and

verbal communicatio

n

Enhanced my

strategic decision making and

research skills

Increased my

technological skills

Helped me understand

how communicatio

n theory should inform professional practice

Prepared me for my current

employment

Min Value

2 2 2 2 1 1

Max Value

5 5 5 5 5 5

Mean 4.07 4.34 4.18 3.95 3.70 3.68 Variance 0.53 0.60 0.48 0.79 0.72 1.06 Standard Deviation

0.73 0.78 0.69 0.89 0.85 1.03

Total Responses

44 44 44 44 44 44


2. Are you employed right now? # Answer

Response %

1 Yes, I am employed full time

35 80%

2 Yes, I am employed part-time

6 14%

3

Yes, I am employed but currently on leave

0 0%

4

No, but I am looking for employment right now

1 2%

5

No, and I am not looking for employment right now

2 5%

Total 44 100% Statistic Value

Min Value 1Max Value 5Mean 1.39Variance 0.94Standard Deviation 0.97Total Responses 44


3. How often do you use the skills or knowledge learned within the

School of Communication in your daily work? # Answer

Response %

1 Never

0 0% 2 Rarely

3 7% 3 Sometimes

11 25% 4 Quite Often

15 34% 5 Very Often

15 34% Total 44 100%

Statistic Value


4. How satisfied are you with your current occupation/employment? # Answer

Response %

1 Very Dissatisfied

0 0%

2 Dissatisfied

3 7% 3 Neutral

8 18% 4 Satisfied

17 39% 5 Very Satisfied

16 36% Total 44 100%

Statistic Value



5. If you had to do it all over again, how likely would you be to select

the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication? # Answer

Response %

1 Very Unlikely

1 2% 2 Unlikely

2 5% 3 Undecided

6 14% 4 Likely

14 32% 5 Very Likely

21 48% Total 44 100%

Statistic Value


6. What was your concentration area?


Text Response

Strategic Communication Game Design Electronic Media Strategic Communication Public Relations and Advertising Journalism Strategic Electronic Media Advertising and PR Strategic Communication Media and Popular Culture Electronic Media Media and Popular Culture Studies Electronic Media Strategic communication Strategic Communication Electronic Media Electronic media Strategic Communication Strategic Communication Public Relations Journalism Strategic Communication with a minor in marketing Broadcast Journalism Strategic Communications Strategic Comm Game and Interactive Media Design Electronic Media Strategic Electronic Media Production Journalism Strategic Journalism Journalism strat comm Journalism Electronic Media Electronic Media Electronic Media Electronic Media


strategic com Strategic Communications Media & Pop Culture Strategic Statistic Value

Total Responses 44


7. What year did you graduate? Text Response

2013 2014 2012 2013 2014 2014 2014 2013 2013 2014 2014 2009 2014 2013 2013 2014 2014 2013 2013 2014 2015 2014 2013 2014 2013 2014 2013 2013 2014 2014 2013 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2012


2012 2014 2014 2014 2014


Statistic Value

Total Responses 44

8. Was there any information you wanted to learn within this

program that was not offered? If so, please explain.

Programming and practical skills, degree was mainly theory. There needs to be more upper level electronic media courses. Or the ability to test out of intro classes. You wouldn't put a French kid in an intro level French class, so why would you put a tech savvy kid in an intro class. It just wastes the students time and doesn't challenge them. More social media classes Social Media Management (maybe it's on the curriculum now) There need to be detailed courses in Excel and PowerPoint. Despite the use through the courses, there is never any specific technical training. In my first year out in Corporate America working for a Fortune 500 company, I was expected to use Excel everyday and was at a great disadvantage not having training in it. There also should be some more cross-functional courses within the School of Business in marketing courses. Despite a communication degree, I've found that many of my peers have gone down the marketing route. I think that a dual degree would be excellent. I think I learned a lot more than I would have in any other Communication track. N/A - I wish there were more classes offered in Broadcast Journalism production. I learned how to apply skills to films but never in a newsroom setting. It is so different and requires you to know a completely different skill set then I was at times prepared for. No I wanted to learn more about starting my own website. Going through the program, it seemed comprehensive. Now, in my current position where I do everything communication related, I see some gaps. One is social media from a business stance. Yes, I am under 25 and grew up with social media, but I grew up using it for personal reasons, not for money, advertisements or analytics. It would be helpful to have a class in which students operate a business profile on various social media platforms (FB, Twitter, Instragram, YouTube, etc.). Students should learn the difference between using a personal page and a business page, how to integrate one business profile to another, how advertisments work and if they're worth the money, and how to substantially grow page likes, post likes and followers. The second gap I now see is, handling sales calls. I receive sales calls from Google, YP, MeltWater and other various marketing agencies about once a week. It would have been helpful for someone to give us background on how to handle these. How do we weed out the important ones from the useless ones? Third, HPU students should have coursework in how to run a meeting. I'm in meetings all day everyday and sometimes, I'm in charge. This is challenging and foreign because I'm used to sitting and listening. Additional challenges are that I'm young and female. Having practice at


(politely) commanding attention and keeping order in a meeting would really set HPU grads apart from the rest. PR (more in depth ), magazine editing such as maybe a fashion side to PR and publications. I think that there should be a commuter programming class integrated into the 100 level courses. Computer programming/coding is huge and I wish I had that skill set or at least basic knowledge when I started on my career search. My concentration was journalism, but now I am employed in a Public Relations position. PR classes were not necessarily encouraged if you were on the journalism track, but would have been beneficial. Nope! I use my skills daily! I wish that there was more of an opportunity to take classes in other concentrations i.e. a PR class or broadcasting without falling behind in my own track. For journalism students to succeed at the highest level after graduation, it is imperative that the School of Communications or the HPU student body operates a student newspaper separate from school administration and the Office of Communications. Would have been better if there were more sports broadcasting and combination with the Sports Link. How to start your own production business. How to stay ahead of the curve with technology and what tools to use in order to keep up with all the developments. How to make/create connections and effectively use them. How to make a good video reel. none that I can think of How to apply lessons learned in campaigns class more and also exploring pitching for different fields, example music, fashion, consumer products, healthcare, etc. I love high point though! Statistic Value

Total Responses 22


APPENDIX 9.13 Analysis of Student Evaluations

Student evaluations, which are given at the conclusion of all HPU graded courses, are used by the NQSC administration to garner a global view of how the curriculum is perceived. Some personnel decisions have been made, in part, due to the results derived from these instruments. However, curriculum decisions are not typically made based on the evaluations so they are not considered a measure of student learning here. However, we do use student evaluations to provide “themes” identifying how students have perceived the quality of their instruction. Of course, the literature is clear that perception of learning does indeed affect level of learning. Accordingly, the dean and department chairs read all student evaluations each semester and provides faculty with a thematic analysis on what issues appear to be problematic. Faculty are free to use this feedback in redesigning their courses. An example of this thematic analysis follows:


Feedback from Spring 2014 Assessments Perceptual Themes from Spring Evaluations

1110 Lot of material is trite, basic common sense. Students want more speaking and less other stuff Faculty should reiterate the relevance of career building component and why

it’s included in the course

1111 Strong dislike for Lynda tutorials Need class assistants in 1111 Too much material, too fast Faculty need to be more cognizant of technophobia in students

Electronic Media Students complain about working in studio. They need to be told why studio

is valuable. Students complain of redundancy between Video 1 and Video II. Many of the

same projects. Students want more green screen work in Video II Students complain of weekend work and long hours in some classes. The

purpose of this should be addressed early and reiterated often.

Games Lots of complaints about outdated computers Not enough time to do game in one semester (Collaborative Game Design

Course) Not enough hands-on with game software at earlier levels

Journalism Not enough emphasis on new technology (coding, for example) All the classes seem the same Lots of complaints about the newscast!!!!! (Students say they’re unprepared

and think one-package/week is too much work)


Some students complain that there is more interest in teaching diversity than in developing journalism skills

Media and Pop Culture Some students complain of biased instruction

Strategic Communication Students complain that there’s no follow-up in using 1111 programs in

other, upper level courses Students complain about the relevance of 3385, Research Methods

Overall (perceptual things that will automatically get you some bad evaluations) Students think elective courses should be easier than required courses.

Explain time expectations clearly and often. Faculty have favorites. Be careful about calling on the same students. Don’t threaten students with bad grades. Just give them if earned. Be careful about agreeing to read drafts of papers. Students hate it if you

don’t comment on something in the draft then ding them for it in the final. Tell why stuff taught in class is relevant. (e.g., “I’ll never conduct research

like 3385 in public relations so why do I have to take it.”) Seniors expect easy courses their final semesters. Lots of complaints about lack of faculty response to emails. Provide a grading system students can figure out at any time without having

to come to faculty. Give them the formula for figuring out grading without having to do an intricate math formula. (Intricate is anything that requires more than one arithmetic operation.)

Don’t look weak or suggest you don’t know something in class or during advising.

Students expect to receive A’s. Spend more time talking about grading expectations.

Never change the syllabus after class has started except to adjust the schedule for sick days, snow days, etc. Don’t add projects. DO NOT EVER!!!

Smile


Group grading is a problem for all. Find a way that students can also be rewarded/penalized for their individual participation in group projects.

Relevance of textbooks. If you require one, use it. (Quizzes, etc.) Students think our expectations are too high. Explain about competition.

Documents

STANDARD 9 APPENDIXES - High Point UniversitySTANDARD 9 APPENDIXES The 13 appendixes for Standard 9 are labeled 9.1 through 9.13. ... Strat Com n = 52 Games n = 10 Pop Culture n =