If University of Memphis journalism faculty members seem like they're on pins and needles this week, they've got good reason.
The Department of Journalism is up for reaccreditation and a site team is on campus through Wednesday. The process occurs every six years and determines whether the department is offering an excellent journalism education.
"Our program was first accredited in 1971," journalism department Chair Jim Redmond said.
Accreditation is important for a school, because it may determine whether the school will receive monetary assistance from the Tennessee Board of Regents.
Daniel Poje, Academic Programs Assessment director, said few University of Memphis departments have been denied accreditation.
"We've never not had all our programs fully accredited," Poje said. "If (we) are not accredited, then we lose that extra funding."
"Twenty-five percent of all programs that teach journalism are accredited," Redmond said. "This is a big deal."
According to Redmond, faculty members have to submit a list of services they have performed within the time period for the team to review. The information is documented into three binders: faculty vitae, supplementary information and self-study.
"It's an arduous process," Redmond said. "We self-analyze our performance on 12 standards.
"In vitae it lists publications by faculty to see if faculty are performing all their duties: teaching, research and service," Redmond said.
The accrediting team consists of Richard Cole, Steve Geimann, Robert Richards, Maria Russell and Linda Shipley. According to the Journalism and Mass Communication Accreditation booklet, the team is looking for standards such as internship opportunities, public service, diversity, etc.
"If a program doesn't have enough evidence, they (accrediting team) can find you in non-compliance," Redmond said. "If you're under two standards or more, you are in provisional status and (the accrediting team) comes back the following year and re-examines (the department)."
"They give you a list of things that need to be approved and give you some time to get things in order," Poje said.
