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Journalism

B.S., B.A. revived at Texas A&M proceeding 19 year drought

By Ana Renfroe @aeoenia

On Thursday, July 27, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, or THECB, unanimously approved Texas A&M’s reinstated journalism degree program.

The degree will fall under the College of Arts and Sciences and be administered by the Department of Communication and Journalism. Students will be able to enroll in the major on a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree track starting in the fall. University Provost, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Affairs Officer Alan Sams, Ph.D, led the presentation to the board.

The journalism major returned after A&M stopped offering its then-55-year-old major in 2004 after it was consolidated into the communication department — a “victim of a budget reduction,” Sams said.

“Journalism has drastically changed in the digital age, and there is a great need to bring it back,” Sams said. “Journalism never went away when we consolidated the program. Just the major was sunsetted as it was merged, but now we seek to bring it back in its own right.”

Sams said there is a need for journalism graduates in Texas, citing over 1,500 available journalism positions in Texas alone, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Sams said the number of jobs for journalists is expected to increase in the coming decade.

Sams also said graduates also work outside of the media industry, such as in corporate communication, public relations and as content creators for nonprofit organizations, marketing agencies and educational institutions.

“As journalism has continued to develop in the digital age, the information itself, as well as the technologies and functions, have all rapidly changed as well so that students need a multidisciplinary approach to their education,” Sams said.

Sams said A&M’s approach to a multidisciplinary program is what makes it unique, compared to other institutions.

“Through our extensive academic and strategic partnerships, and our propensity for blending disciplines, [A&M] is strongly and uniquely positioned to provide students with such an education and a wide array of immersive professional experiences to make them uniquely competitive in the job market,” Sams said.

The B.S. track will require students to have a specialization by minoring in a sciences discipline, encouraging students to pursue studies in A&M’s Institute of Data Science or its world-renowned visualization program.

Sams said A&M also has a vast network of partners to help all journalism students complete their required internship for the program.

The B.A. track will allow students to take advantage of both science and humanities programs at A&M, Sams said.

“Through our partnerships with the Bush School of Government and Public Service, just as an example, in both Texas and Washington D.C., we are strongly positioned to prepare students for careers in government reporting, public policy and community development,” Sams said. “Our land grant institution status also provides us community and local networks to help address news and information deserts in rural areas.”

Now that the program has been approved, the department has secured funding for a director position.

Sams said the Department of Communication and Journalism has strong leadership under its experienced head, Hart Blanton, and has 45 full-time faculty members. There are four full-time journalism faculty and an additional seven faculty members teaching courses in both communication and journalism.

Additionally, eight new full-time hires have been approved for hiring over the next three years, with four being approved for this coming year, Sams said.

Upon hearing the news that the reinstatement of the degree was approved, journalism professor Tom Burton was excited but felt cautious since the program has yet to secure a director.

“I’m encouraged that the journalism degree has been approved by the board and that we can move forward with those plans,” Burton said. “It’s been a difficult couple of weeks for sure, as we had outside problems that we didn’t anticipate. The university said they’re backing this program, and we have to take them at their word for that and work as hard as we can to make it happen.”

By Jack Lee @Jackthebatt

In a release obtained by the Texas Tribune, the Texas A&M Board of Regents will hold a special meeting on the evening of July 30 to discuss, among other things, the confirmation of interim university President Mark Welsh III and a possible settlement with Kathleen McElroy.

While Welsh was tapped by the Chancellor’s office to lead the university after M. Katherine Banks’ resignation, he still must undergo an appointment vote by the board.

“The board appoints the university presidents,” The Texas A&M system bylaws state. “Prior to appointment, the chancellor makes recommendations for the position.”

On July 26, Welsh emailed all students, faculty and staff, where he affirmed his commitment to leading A&M through the myriad controversies the university is currently facing.

“Texas A&M has weathered many storms over its 147-year history, and we’ll weather this one,” Welsh wrote. “The quickest way to get past it is to walk side-by-side and recommit to showing the world what it means to be an Aggie. I’m looking forward to the journey.”

The release also contains an agenda item concerning a vote to authorize negotiating a potential settlement with Kathleen McElroy. McElroy previously said she believed she faced discrimination during her hiring process.

“I feel damaged by this entire process,” McElroy said. “I’m being judged by race, maybe gender. And I don’t think other folks would face the same bars or challenges.”

Additionally, in a July 21 document, head of the Department of Communication and Journalism Hart Blanton said at least one administrator attributed the scrutiny McElroy’s offer received from the university to her race.

“The unusual level of scrutiny being given to the hiring of Dr. McElroy was acknowledged by one administrator to have been based, at least in part, on race,” Blanton said. “Regardless of the source of any such pressure, I understand it to be illegal for any employer — much less a public university — to subject a job candidate to stricter scrutiny due to her race or color.”

Blanton also said his signature was forged on the subsequent offer made to McElroy containing a one-year professor of practice contract instead of tenure upon arrival.

“I was shocked to learn an earlier draft of a job offer letter for Dr. McElroy was altered and sent to her without my advance knowledge,” Blanton said. “The altered draft retained my electronic signature but reduced the appointment from an earlier-discussed multiyear term to one.”

It is unclear which portions of the McElroy controversy will be addressed during the meeting or possible subsequent negotiations.