鶹Ƶ

Progress

Two students in 鶹Ƶ studios

Accreditation

鶹Ƶ Comm earns reaccreditation, praised as ‘all-star’ program

In May, the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) unanimously voted to grant full reaccreditation to the School of Communications, continuing a streak of success that began in 2006 and continued with renewals in 2012, 2018 and now 2025.

The decision, announced during the ACEJMC Council meeting in Washington, D.C., praised 鶹Ƶ’s program as an “all-star” in the field. The council cited strong leadership, state-of-the-art facilities, and a commitment to student-centered learning. The school was also recognized for helping address the region’s local news desert and for exemplifying excellence tied to the university’s No. 1 national ranking in undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report.

To receive reaccreditation, the school underwent a yearlong review process. Faculty and staff completed a 171-page self-study addressing ACEJMC’s eight core standards.

In November, a six-member site team visited campus, meeting with faculty, staff, students, and university leaders. After a four-day visit, the team submitted a 50-page report recommending full reaccreditation for six years. That recommendation was upheld in March and formally approved in May.

CAPTION: As part of a class exercise, students prepare for a broadcast in the Jane and Brian Williams Studio, one of the many cutting-edge facilities that helped earn the School of Communications high praise during its recent reaccreditation process.

Reaccreditation by ACEJMC is more than a badge of honor – it’s a testament to our faculty’s dedication, our students’ ambition, and the university’s unwavering support.
– Dean Kenn Gaither

The ACEJMC report identified the following strength:

  • A program that reflects the university’s U.S. News & World Report No. 1 ranking in undergraduate teaching.
  • A dean who is highly respected across campus and the discipline.
  • Student media that fill a void in a geographic area that would otherwise be a local news desert.
  • An award-winning student-run strategic communications agency working with real-world clients.
  • Cutting-edge facilities that serve as a showcase for student and faculty work.
  • A strong sense of belonging and shared mission among faculty, staff and students – affectionately described as “Camp 鶹Ƶ.”
Two female 鶹Ƶ students with cameras

New Major

Preparing the next generation of digital creators

The School of Communications will launch a new undergraduate major, digital content management (DCM), to prepare students for careers in digital storytelling, content strategy, and audience engagement across emerging platforms. The school’s first new undergraduate program in more than a decade will welcome its first students in fall 2025.

Designed for the next generation of content creators and strategists, the program equips students to manage the full content lifecycle – from creation to distribution and analysis – across platforms like social media, websites, apps, and streaming services. The curriculum blends analytics, branding, multimedia storytelling, and emerging technologies like AI, helping students navigate both opportunities and ethical challenges in the digital landscape.

“This program was developed in direct response to the evolving needs of the digital media industry,” said Staci Saltz, chair of the Department of Cinema and Television Arts and co-proposer of the major.

Drawing on the School of Communications’ strengths, DCM integrates coursework from cinema and television arts, communication design, media analytics and strategic communications. Students take foundational courses in branding, persuasive messaging, and visual storytelling, followed by advanced classes in digital strategy and multiplatform production.

The program introduces two new courses: a gateway class titled Digital Content and the Creator Economy and a senior capstone in which students develop strategies for real-world clients. Like other communications programs, DCM includes a required professional internship.

Vic Costello, associate professor of cinema and television arts, will serve as DCM’s program director.

CAPTION: One of the new major’s signature elements is its appeal as a double-major option. Students pursuing this option can apply up to 12 credit hours from their second major toward digital content management (DCM) electives – enabling them to complete the DCM requirements in 45 hours while gaining added depth and specialization in another area of interest.

The DCM major reflects 鶹Ƶ’s forward-thinking approach to education. We’re equipping students with the skills to lead, adapt, and thrive in industries that are constantly evolving.
–  Vic Costello, Associate Professor, Cinema and Television Arts

Digital content management: Curriculum overview

Communications Core Curriculum (17 hours)
Major Requirements (28 hours)

  • DCM 2500 Digital Content and the Creator Economy
  • CDE 2580 Principles of Communication Design
  • STC 2600 Brand Identity
  • MEA 2800 Data-Driven Strategies for Digital Media
  • COM 3000 Persuasive Messaging
  • CTA 3230 Media Production for Digital Platforms
  • DCM 4970 Digital Content Management Capstone

Electives (12 hours)

Mackenzie Smith ’25 at Southeast Colloquium

Research

An 鶹Ƶ Comm takeover at AEJMC’s Southeast Colloquium

In a setting traditionally geared toward graduate students and early-career faculty, a group of 鶹Ƶ undergraduates made a powerful impression by presenting original research at the AEJMC Southeast Colloquium, held in March at UNC-Chapel Hill. Their inclusion in the peer-reviewed program is a noteworthy accomplishment, as undergraduate researchers are rarely featured among presenters.

Four 鶹Ƶ Comm students – Claire Kenealy ’25, Callie Reing ’25, Betsy Schlehuber ’25 and Mackenzie Smith ’25 – explored topics such as digital media trends, audience behavior, and the changing role of journalism.

“Several faculty from other institutions noted the high quality of our students’ research and praised the professionalism of their presentations,” said Professor Harlen Makemson, who mentored Kenealy. “Our students were not at all intimidated – in fact they showed they belonged.”

Reing, Schlehuber and Smith were mentored by Dan Haygood, professor of strategic communications.

Shannon Zenner, assistant professor of communication design and chair of AEJMC’s Visual Communication Division, highlighted the significance of 鶹Ƶ’s student participation.

“What’s impressive is that the reviewers didn’t know our students were undergraduates,” she said. “They were evaluated alongside graduate students and held their own. That speaks volumes about their work and preparation.”

鶹Ƶ faculty also contributed to the event, presenting refereed papers and abstracts, as well as joining panels on AI, visual communication, media history and more.

CAPTION: Mackenzie Smith ’25 addresses audience members at the 50th Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Southeast Colloquium held in March at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The 鶹Ƶ senior’s research was titled “Model Queerness: Intersectionality Within the Representation of Mainstream Queer Film Post-Obergefell v. Hodges.”

Throughout the conference, I had the pleasure of listening to numerous thought-provoking presentations and panels, which deepened my understanding of the evolving communications world.
–  Callie Reing ’25, who analyzed TikTok strategies following the 2024 presidential debate

Max Wallace ’26 (left) and Charlotte Pfabe ’27 at BEA event

National stage

鶹Ƶ crew runs BEA’s national awards show

Amid the glitz of Las Vegas, a team of 鶹Ƶ students took on a starring role behind the scenes, producing the Broadcast Education Association convention’s signature event – the Best of Festival Awards Ceremony. Tasked with scripting, editing and orchestrating the April 2025 show, the students helped celebrate top media projects from across the country with creativity and professionalism.

Led by Bryan Baker, director of technology, operations and multimedia projects, seven 鶹Ƶ students created 19 video packages to recognize the award-winning projects and built a run of show that featured interviews and b-roll of honorees. The production was presented to an audience of educators, students and industry professionals.

“I truly enjoyed collaborating with the award winners, BEA administration, and especially our 鶹Ƶ student team, who did a magnificent job – from the initial invitation to the creative development and final execution,” said Baker, who served as the show’s creative director. “It was rewarding to hear that our work was so well received, that the winners felt honored, and that the audience was entertained.”

Heather Birks, BEA’s executive director, echoed Baker’s praise, noting the team’s engagement and professionalism from their first planning meeting on Zoom in January.

“Bryan Baker and his team of students were exactly as I would expect from 鶹Ƶ,” she said. “Perfect for the job of producing an awards ceremony to showcase the best of the best in student and faculty work.”

The opportunity came together thanks to the longstanding relationship between BEA and 鶹Ƶ. Associate Professor of Cinema and Television Arts Vic Costello, a longtime member of the BEA Board of Directors, including a stint as president, recommended Baker and his team. BEA was already familiar with Baker, who had previously collaborated with Birks on a separate project.

CAPTION: Max Wallace ’26 (left) and Charlotte Pfabe ’27 co-emceed the BEA Best of Festival Awards Ceremony on April 7 as part of BEA’s annual convention in Las Vegas.

Frankly, there was nothing not interesting about this experience. The convention is filled with all of the coolest and most interesting companies in the world – at least to a cinema major like myself. Meeting peers passionate about the industry, while also seeing all of the current professionals showing off their latest achievements, was thrilling.
–  Will Calkins ’25, a cinema and television arts major