Foster high-quality teaching and dynamic educational experiences that empower all students to achieve their aspirations.

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication is committed to providing every student with high-quality teaching and dynamic educational experiences that empower all students to achieve success. Key to transformative student experiences is promoting learning both in and out of the classroom; establishing meaningful relationships with peers, faculty, staff, alumni, community partners, and industry leaders; providing instructors the resources and support they need to be world-class scholars, creators, and teachers; and providing supportive spaces to every member of SJMC.

Objective (A)

Ensure equitable access to high-impact learning experiences by expanding partnerships with community and professional organizations by Fall 2026.

Strategies

• Integrate high-impact practices into courses.

• Develop, promote, and sustain partnerships with community and professional organizations for real-world learning.

• Support students with workshops, guest speakers, and professional experiences.

Objective (B)

Continuously refine the curriculum to emphasize writing and multimedia proficiency, integrating emerging technologies (including AI) responsibly and revising the AI policy annually.

Strategies

• Provide opportunities for writing and multimedia storytelling in introductory and foundational courses (1000- and 2000-level).
• Regularly review curriculum for technology integration and update AI policy.
• Document skills and expectations for writing and multimedia courses for faculty.

Objective (C)

Enhance visibility of SJMC by showcasing student work and achievements through events, digital platforms, and outreach each year.

Strategies

• Showcase student work at annual events to foster professional connections.
• Create a website and digital display featuring student portfolios.
• Support classes and internships with outlets that publish student work.
• Maintain strong social media presence highlighting student achievements.
• Nominate student work for regional and national awards.

Goal 1. Evaluation Metrics

# of SCRIPT courses offered

# of students completing SCRIPT courses

# of community/professional partnerships

# of student org activities

AI policy adoption rate

Attendance at showcase events

# of student pieces published

# of nominations and awards for student work

Social media metrics for SJMC accounts (e.g., Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube)

Website launch and update frequency

Objective (A)

Offer comprehensive advising and career preparation resources by implementing a two-year course plan and digital portfolio program by Spring 2026.

Strategies

• Implement two-year course plan to use as a planning and advising tool.

• Launch digital portfolio program culminating in capstone courses.

• Increase the number of mock interviews and portfolio review sessions with industry professionals.

Objective (B)

Expand mentoring networks connecting students with alumni, faculty, and peers, with a functioning database and resources by Fall 2026.

Strategies

• Establish alumni mentor database and pairing system.

• Provide incentives and recognition for mentors.

• Offer mentoring training and resources for students serving as peer mentors and undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs).

Objective (C)

Ensure that faculty have information and resources they need to prioritize and support student well-being at biannual retreats and regular school meetings.

Strategies

• Refine, update, and share university and college resources related to student wellbeing with faculty to implement into their courses and advising.

• Partner with UI and CLAS student care services for SJMC support programs.

• Provide resources for faculty to engage in relevant student-support trainings.

Goal 2. Evaluation Metrics

Completion and update of two-year course plan

# of portfolios created and assessed

# of mentoring sessions and participants

Faculty participation in programs or trainings

Objective (A)

Provide faculty with training and funding for pedagogical innovation through annual workshops, speakers, and funding.

Strategies

• Facilitate training sessions with the UI Center for Teaching and other campus partners.

• Provide funding for professional development related to teaching.

• Invite expert speakers on pedagogy and innovation.

• Provide support for new instructors to ensure they understand UI, CLAS, and SJMC policies and procedures, curriculum, and the mission of school.

• Share teaching and curricular resources with new faculty as part of onboarding. 

Objective (B)

Recognize faculty excellence with awards and nominations each academic year.

Strategies

• Recognize faculty for innovation and excellence in SJMC.

• Nominate faculty for campus-wide and external teaching awards.

Goal 3. Evaluation Metrics

# and variety of training sessions

Amount of funding allocated

# of awards and nominations

Faculty attendance at workshops and events

Advance faculty and student success and build on university strengths in writing and communication.

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication is dedicated to advancing faculty and student success and positioning the school as a hub for groundbreaking research and creative activity. We strive to create an environment that supports scholarly excellence through equitable workloads, targeted investments, robust professional development, and national and international intellectual exchanges. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and strengthening our undergraduate and graduate programs, we aim to produce research and creative work that influences the media professions, enriches academic discourse, and addresses pressing societal challenges. We are committed to supporting collaborative research among faculty and students.

Objective (A)

Create an environment that enables faculty to pursue research and creative activity by ensuring equitable service distribution and teaching loads by regularly reviewing and sharing faculty service commitments.

Strategies

• Maintain equitable distribution of service aligned with faculty rank and type.

• Organize teaching loads to allow faculty ample time for research/creative work.

Objective (B)

Increase faculty capacity for external funding and recognition through grant training and nominations each academic year.

Strategies

• Leverage college and university resources for grant-seeking training.
• Nominate faculty for professional recognition and awards.

Objective (C)

Foster the exchange of innovative ideas and research connections at the regional, national, and international levels.

Strategies

• Create spaces for research labs, working groups, and reading groups.

• Host regular events with guest speakers to share their scholarship.

Goal 1. Evaluation Metrics

Service reports shared annually

# of faculty participating in grant training sessions

# of faculty nominated for awards

# pf faculty receiving recognition

# of invited scholars

Updates from working groups and research labs

Objective (A)

Invest in the graduate program through targeted funding and resource allocation annually.

Strategies

• Make targeted investments in recruiting and retaining top graduate students.

• Provide funding to support innovative graduate research/creative activity.

Objective (B)

Recruit and retain high-performing graduate students with recruitment events and retention strategies to achieve a high rate of degree completion.

Strategies

• Host annual recruitment and admitted student events.

• Implement retention initiatives for graduate students.

Objective (C)

Secure additional resources to support faculty and student research/creative activity by 2027.

Strategies

• Actively seek additional resources for research and creative activity.

• Engage donors to support research and professional development.

Objective (D)

Encourage active involvement of undergraduate and graduate students in collaborative research and creative activities with faculty. 

Strategies

• Provide funding for graduate and undergraduate students for research and creative collaborations. 

• Design coursework that supports collaborative research and creative projects.

Goal 2. Evaluation Metrics

Types and amounts of investment in the doctoral program

Recruitment and retention rates for graduate students

# of students completing degrees within four years

Funding/resources secured for faculty research and development

Provide a welcoming, inclusive environment and develop culturally proficient communicators.

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication provides a welcoming and respectful environment for all our students, faculty, and staff. We emphasize a comprehensive and inclusive curriculum that “develops skilled and culturally proficient communicators capable of collaborating through multicultural teams and understanding global perspectives” (ACEJMC). We provide a supportive climate of working, learning, and achieving for faculty, staff, and students. We strive to ensure that all students have fair access to resources, opportunities, and advancement within the school. Through our curriculum and assessment, we strive to develop students who are culturally proficient communicators able to enter the ever-evolving, global workforce.

Objective (A)

Ensure that SJMC majors have access to participate in experiential learning opportunities by their graduation date.

Strategies

• Create experiential learning opportunities that are accessible to students.

• Award scholarships and funding to offset costs and reduce barriers.

• Expand access to professional networks and opportunities for students.

• Promote opportunities to students, advisors, and faculty.

• Develop experiential learning capstone courses for all undergraduate majors.

Objective (B)

Deliver an inclusive curriculum that focuses on professional standards and developing culturally proficient communication skills.

Strategies

• Partner with community organizations to provide real-world experience for students to communicate with diverse groups.

• Regularly offer courses that emphasize culturally competent communication and collaboration, and career readiness, including addressing equal opportunity, harassment, and discrimination in educational settings and the workplace.

Goal 1. Evaluation Metrics

# of experiential learning opportunities created

Student participation rates in experiential learning

# of scholarships awarded and funding amounts

# of courses with culturally competent content/modules

Objective (A)

Implement a faculty hiring plan that prioritizes intellectual, scholarly, and creative diversity.

Strategies

• Create a hiring plan that prioritizes recruiting and retaining a diverse group of high-performing faculty.

• Advertise faculty positions widely to attract a talented applicant pool.

Objective (B)

Invest in retention methods for faculty and staff.

Strategies

• Support mentorship programs for faculty and staff.

• Support faculty and staff professional goals with school resources.

• Recognize faculty and staff achievements in SJMC and through nominations for external awards/recognition.

Objective (C)

Invest in recruiting a diverse student body.

Strategies

• Attend the Journalism Education Association (JEA) fall and spring conventions to recruit students from across the United States.

• Partner with UI Admissions and Enrollment Management, Internationals Programs and other UI offices to support recruitment and retention.

• Participate in Hawkeye Visit days and other UI visiting student events.

• Expand Iowa Summer Journalism Workshop offerings and seek additional resources to support the program.

• Engage with the Iowa High School Press Association throughout the year and support the fall high school journalism conference.

Objective (D)

Increase first-year retention rates for JMC majors to 73% or above for the major and 92% or above for UI by Spring 2028.

Strategies

• Actively seek resources to support all students.

• Maintain a vibrant student center with a welcoming environment.

• Conduct listening sessions with students to understand barriers to success and opportunities for achievement.

• Establish and support a mentorship program.

• Maintain an active Student Advisory Board.

Goal 2. Evaluation Metrics

Participation in faculty/staff mentorship programs

Participation in student recruitment events

Student retention and graduation rates

# of listening sessions and mentorship participants

Objective (A)

Conduct annual listening sessions with students and climate surveys every two years and review, share, and act on data.

Strategies

• Conduct listening sessions with students to gather their perspectives on SJMC’s environment.

• Conduct climate survey of faculty, staff, and students.

• Create an action plan based on data analysis.

Objective (B)

Review, share, and act on employee survey (Working at Iowa) data and implement action plans based on findings.

Strategies

• Review Working at Iowa survey data for SJMC faculty and staff.

• Create an action plan based on Working at Iowa survey data analysis.

Goal 3. Evaluation Metrics

Climate survey completion rates

Action plan implementation following climate survey results

Working at Iowa survey completion rates

Action plan implementation following Working at Iowa survey results.

Support the work of faculty, students, and staff in building partnerships with communities throughout the state, region, and nation. 

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication values strong connections with alumni, industry professionals, and community partners. We aim to expand community-engaged teaching and research, foster interdisciplinary collaborations and innovative engagement strategies, and create meaningful opportunities for students to engage with the professions. By promoting faculty expertise and student achievements through public-facing initiatives, we strengthen our reputation as a leader in journalism and strategic communication.

Objective (A)

Increase faculty capacity for community-engaged research by supporting training opportunities for all interested faculty annually.

Strategies

• Ensure all workshops, learning communities and webinars offered by UI Office of Community Engagement and other partners are shared with faculty via email and school meetings.

• Promote and encourage attendance at these workshops.

Objective (B)

Integrate recognition of community-engaged research and teaching into SJMC promotion and tenure policies by Fall 2026.

Strategies

• Revise promotion and tenure standards to include assessment of community-engaged research.

• Nominate faculty for internal and external awards to recognize community engagement.

Objective (C)

Increase the number of SJMC courses designated as community-engaged by 20% by Spring 2028 to support experiential-learning goals.

Strategies

• Provide professional development funds for faculty to develop and teach community-engaged courses (CEC).

• Connect faculty with campus resources for facilitating community partnerships (e.g., Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities).

• Develop community-engaged learning modules and reflective assignments for integration into courses.

• Incorporate additional CEC into the experiential learning requirement for JMC majors, including new courses from the Office of Community Engagement.

Goal 1. Evaluation Metrics

# of faculty participating in trainings

Completion of revised promotion and tenure standards

# of award nominations submitted

# of awards won

# of faculty receiving community engagement-related funding

# of faculty engaging with campus resources

# of community-engaged learning modules developed

# of courses designated as CEC

# of students enrolled in CEC

Objective (A)

Continually improve alumni engagement through events, communications, and mentorship programs.

Strategies

• Maintain alumni communications via social media, website, and newsletters.

• Survey alumni at regular intervals about SJMC preparation and career goals.

• Invite alumni to give guest lectures and participate in the professionals-in-residence programs.

• Engage alumni in assessment of student work (capstone projects and portfolios).

• Host on-campus, off-campus, and virtual alumni events.

• Target outreach to recent alumni (graduated within the past 3 to 5 years)

Objective (B)

Strengthen professional partnerships to enhance student readiness and career opportunities annually.

Strategies

• Survey internship supervisors to assess student readiness for internships and entry-level roles.

• Survey students to assess their experience.

• Create an action plan based on supervisor and student survey data.

• Encourage students to join professional organizations, particularly those associated with student organizations (e.g., PRSSA, NABJ, SPJ, AWSM).

Objective (C)

Enhance the reputation of SJMC faculty through the promotion of public-facing research and creative work each year.

Strategies

• Promote faculty research and creative work across social media, website, and newsletters, highlighting relevance to current social issues.

• Maintain and support media engagement of SJMC faculty by collaborating with collegiate and university strategic communication teams.

• Recognize and reward public scholarship and outreach in promotion and tenure guidelines and merit review.

Goal 2. Evaluation Metrics

Frequency and reach of alumni communications

Alumni survey response rates and key insights

# of alumni visits

# of alumni involved in assessment of student work

# of alumni participating in career and networking events

# of students joining professional organizations

Internship supervisor feedback and % reporting satisfaction with student readiness

# of posts and stories about faculty research/creative work

# of media appearances by faculty

# of faculty receiving recognition for public engagement

Objective (A)

Establish an interdepartmental committee to develop more points of connection with units focused on communication, media, and writing by Spring 2028.

Strategies

• Create a committee composed of faculty from SJMC and other relevant units.

• Use the committee to explore and promote collaborative courses, research projects, and student engagement opportunities.

• Identify and promote opportunities for joint courses, shared student experiences, and collaborative programming.

• Encourage faculty participation in cross-unit collaboration.

Objective (B)

Continuously promote interdisciplinary research.

Strategies

• Support faculty involvement in existing interdisciplinary research initiatives (e.g., Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, Center for Social Science Innovation).

• Provide mentoring and resources for faculty seeking interdisciplinary grants.

Goal 3. Evaluation Metrics

# of faculty serving on cross-unit committee

# of opportunities organized with other units

# of interdisciplinary research collaborations initiated

# of grant applications submitted for interdisciplinary initiatives and % awarded