Curriculum Committee meeting
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Old Main 320, 1:00 p.m., April 29, 2011

Members Attending: Bruce Smith, Sandy Rao, Tim England, Cindy Royal, Frank Walsh, Harry Bowers, Alex Muk, Kym Fox, Judy Oskam via Skype, Kate Peirce
Guest: David Nolan

Action Items:
1) At the December 2010 CC meeting, the committee approved revising the core to include four courses: a) an introductory or foundations course, b) writing for the mass media, c) law and ethics, and d) a course combining digital/online media and visual communication. Since December, discussions have taken place to address how to accomplish the latter. David Nolan and Cindy Royal were asked to talk about these ongoing discussions. One conclusion was that digital/online and visual communication should be treated as separate courses.
Sandy Rao made a motion and Frank Walsh seconded that the fourth component of the 12-hour core should emphasize digital/online issues with visual literacy elements addressed. As part of the motion, the committee wants all sequences to address visual literacy as a learning outcome in their respective sequences. Public Relations, Journalism and Electronic Media already do. The General Mass Communication and Advertising sequences are to develop strategies to fulfill this accreditation requirement. Judy Oskam stated this change would impact the Mass Comm General major at the Round Rock campus because it replaces a flexible option with a set required course. Oskam recommended the course be offered in Round Rock in a hybrid or online format to meet the needs of our RRHEC students.
The motion was approved unanimously. The paperwork (including a syllabus) will be forwarded to create a special topics course for the Fall 2012 semester. Cindy Royal will take the lead in developing the syllabus and course outline.

2) Judy Oskam talked about a proposed Health Communications minor that would involve Communications Studies, Health Professions and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She proposed that SJMC seek to add more of its courses, where applicable and practical, to the program. Fox made a motion to proceed with the effort. Peirce seconded. The motion carried unanimously.

3) Harry Bowers talked about creating a one-hour course in career exploration under the MC 1100 course listing. The committee unanimously supported the proposed course.