The ACEJMC report praised UM’s School of Communication for its “first-rate facilities, technology, and equipment” and also noted its hands-on teaching approach.

The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) voted unanimously at its annual meeting on April 30 to reaccredit the University of Miami School of Communication. The school’s programs in journalism, electronic media, media management, advertising, and public relations are reviewed every six years by ACEJMC, the nation’s foremost accrediting body for higher education in journalism and mass communication.

“This decision is testimony to the consistently excellent work of our faculty and the accomplishments of our students,” said Dean Sam L Grogg. “Seeking accreditation from ACEJMC is a voluntary commitment on the part of our faculty to constant improvement of the student learning experience.”

Quoting from the ACEJMC report, UM Provost Thomas J. LeBlanc said, “By all accounts the six years since its most recent accreditation review have seen a great deal of progress and remarkable advancements on a variety of fronts, from a beautiful new building to a growing faculty to a multimedia curriculum to bold outreach programs.” He added, “We are pleased that the efforts of our faculty and dean have been endorsed by the ACEJMC accreditation process.”

A team of educators and professionals visited the School of Communication in January after the school prepared an exhaustive self-study of its curriculum, governance, resources, and administration, faculty, and student accomplishments. The team also looked at service to the community and profession. The team reported that since the last review six years ago, the school has shown “a dramatic rise in the overall caliber and profile of the unit.”  The team also noted the school’s “first-rate facilities, technology, and equipment” and recognized its “committed faculty who demonstrate a high level of instruction.”

The report singled out the school’s hands-on approach to learning as a central strength with an important connection to the community. “The realm of public service is one area where the School of Communication has made remarkable and dramatic impact in recent years,” the team noted.

The team underscored the school’s contemporary approach to preparing students for a rapidly changing profession. “One hallmark,” the team commented, “has been making the school a national leader in helping traditional journalism and media industries to bridge the digital environment. Another is a penchant for thinking differently, and unconventionally, about what a ‘journalism school’ can and should do.”

The review also singled out the school’s collaboration with the Frost School of Music and College of Engineering to produce the One Water documentary on the impending freshwater crisis. The team emphasized that the film “not only represents a stunningly beautiful piece of art and journalism but serves as a template for how a school can spark a global conversation.”

Dean Grogg and Vice Dean for Academic Affairs Paul Driscoll were on hand at the accrediting council’s meeting in Washington, D.C. to receive the decision to reaccredit the school. The next review will be conducted in 2016.