Accreditation
The Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture is one of 118 select journalism and mass communication programs accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.
About the Accreditation Process
Accreditation is granted after an extensive self-study based on eight standards. According to the ACEJMC website, "Accreditation provides an assurance of quality to students, parents, and the public." Only about one in four mass communications programs around the country earns accreditation.
The accreditation process occurs every six years and involves several steps:
- An exhaustive self-study conducted by the faculty and staff
- A multi-day site visit by media educators and professionals, during which they meet with faculty and campus leaders, visit classes, complete their report and make a recommendation for full accreditation, provisional accreditation or denial of accreditation
- A meeting of, and recommendation by, the national Accrediting Committee
- A meeting of, and final vote by, the national Accrediting Council
ACEJMC’s Eight Accrediting Standards
The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication assesses the school’s compliance with eight standards, addressing:
- Mission, Governance and Administration
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Assessment of Learning Outcomes
- Diversity and Inclusiveness
- Faculty
- Student Services
- Resources, Facilities and Equipment
- Professional and Public Service
Reaccreditation
The school’s undergraduate program was re-accredited in 2020.
The site team got the strong impression that students love the faculty.
The school is committed to domestic and international diversity and inclusion and is seen as a leader at the university.
The site team was impressed with the professional focus of the Robertson School. Students appreciate the industry savvy faculty who work hard to provide rich learning opportunities both in and out of the classroom.
Students are well monitored by a caring and competent advising staff who work hard to ensure that they stay on track for graduation.
ACEJMC Review Committee, 2020
Assessment
As required by VCU and our national accrediting organization ACEJMC, the Robertson School has a plan to assess student learning outcomes, the Undergraduate Programs Assessment Plan, including indirect and direct measures to assess overall student learning. According to ACEJMC, "Direct measures require students to demonstrate their learning....Indirect measures capture perceptions, attitudes and outcomes of the learning experience."
"One of the Robertson School’s top goals is delivering curricula that provide students with a solid foundation in both the theory and practice of media and communications, especially in the fields of advertising, journalism and public relations.
Achieving that goal requires that the school’s faculty continuously reviews curricula through assessment efforts to ensure that in our rapidly changing fields curricula keep pace with and emphasize best practices, technological advances and philosophical shifts. Another goal is to ensure that the school’s curricula foster collaborative learning, with students learning from each other, from experts in the professions and from faculty."