THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE FACULTY SENATE Senate Document Number 0493F Date of Senate Approval 12/16/93 Signature of Senate Chair ___________________________ Date _________________ Action of Vice Chancellor: Approval __________________________________ Date ____________________ Denied __________________________________ Date ____________________ Reasons for denial and suggested modifications: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Statement of Faculty Senate Action: IDC #1: Amendment to the General Education Guidelines TO: Institutional Development Committee FROM: Alan Hantz, Chair -- Mass Communication SUBJ: Amendment to the General Education Guidelines In recent years the natural science general education guideline has been modified to enable interdisciplinary science departments to participate in the offering of general education science courses. Such changes seem consistent with the liberal focus of the campus. In the same spirit, we propose that the Department of Mass Communication be added to the list of departments recognized as eligible to propose and offer courses that satisfy the social science requirement for general education. The interdisciplinary nature of the mass communication field is reflected in UNCA's department. Several faculty focus exclusively on social science aspects of communication processes and effects in both their scholarship and their teaching, while others maintain a focus in the humanistic tradition. The Mass Communication department did not exist at UNCA at the time of the creation of the general education document, and thus had no opportunity to step forward for inclusion. We are doing so now. Clearly, mass communication represents one of the most profound influence processes in societies of the twentieth century and beyond. While current social science courses touch on media issues, only the direct inclusion of mass communication in general education will allow students to explore these concerns as fully as they should. It is in the mass communication department that students will find faculty specifically trained to teach them about media analysis, and the impact of media on the individual, on society and on culture. I will be happy to elaborate on the ways mass communication qualifies as a legitimate social science discipline, on the specific qualifications of our faculty, or on any other questions this proposal raises. Memorandum TO: University Planning Council FROM: Alan Hantz; Chair, Mass Communication SUBJ: Clarification of Proposal distributed on 10/14 I have been asked to clarify several points regarding our proposal to modify the Social Science General Education Requirement to allow for the inclusion of appropriate Mass Communication courses. Should this proposal find approval with the UPC and the Senate, we would then, as the other social science departments have done, develop and submit courses to the APC and senate for endorsement relative to general education. I have attached some notes on the possibilities for such a course at the 100 level. 1. University politics vs. University Curriculum. We do not seek to have the names of mass communication faculty moved from the humanities column to the social science column on ballots used in resolving UNCA's political issues as a part of this proposal. We see the issue of voting blocks as an entirely separate one from the much more important issue of curriculum. Although we feel we certainly belong in the social science category of faculty, to request a change in the structure of the voting blocks would result in a long and complex university-wide negotiation that could only delay the accomplishment of our true objective, delivering needed instruction to UNCA students. Further, the inclusion of faculty from a variety of disciplines in one or another voting category in not without precedent. For example, we have librarians with science degrees voting in the Humanities column. You will also note that faculty campus-wide teach in the Humanities program. That general education offering is not held as exclusive to faculty in designated departments. The primary consideration is the ability of the faculty to deliver the appropriate content to students, not the political homes of those faculty. The fact is that the content offered in mass communication courses crosses UNCA's category system, depending on what courses you're talking about. 2. Mass Communication and Social Science General Education. How is it that the content of Mass Communication courses is a concern of the social sciences rather than the Humanities? Mass communication is an interdisciplinary field. It draws into its ranks humanists, social scientists, technologists and natural scientists whose concern is the phenomenon of human communication -- a social and human phenomenon. Some of the courses taught in mass communication, such as Film Criticism, do not take a social science perspective. Others, such as Mass Media in Society, Mass Communication Theory, and Media History take an approach that directly explores the social science roots of our discipline. At many institutions, the communication disciplines are housed in a separate College of Communication, while at others mass communication faculty may find a home among the social sciences or the humanities. Harvard, for example, houses its mass communication faculty and their courses in the social sciences. Regardless of the political home of the faculty, though, our interest here is the inclusion of mass communication courses on social science general education menus. Even at institutions where there is a humanities menu rather than an integrated program such as ours, you do not find mass communication general education courses in the humanities category. At many institutions, a menu of both skills and social science communication courses is required over and above all other general education requirements, which speaks to the significance held by communication education. Other institutions place the communication general education offerings in the social science category. I have attached a notes on a sample course description to give you a sense of what we intend for this program. Of course, should the Planning Council approve this proposal, a full course proposal will be developed for APC consideration. 3. Resource questions. The model for staffing a general education course we have in mind is the SOC 240 course, rather than the PSYC 100 course. That is, one section per semester or per year, limiting the enrollment of the course to from 35 to 50 students. We have staffing for this from our existing faculty resources. With the changes in curriculum at North Carolina's junior colleges, we have cut back the number of sections of MCOM 269, Communication for Management, as many management students are now transferring that credit rather than taking our course. We are also considering dropping several electives that have not proved as popular as we thought they might. We may also consider dropping the MCOM 190 course, since our majors get much of the content in upper level courses. Several UPC members were concerned that our department would use heavy enrollments the general education course to argue for more faculty positions. It is not our intention to use participation in general education as a means of empire building. Our intention is as we have stated, to provide needed content to students in the appropriate general education category. If we wanted to build a larger department, we could easily increase the size of the major without consultation with anyone. Right now, as a result of our current requirements, we turn away about half the potential majors who arrive at our doorstep. We could double the size of major tomorrow without any Senate action whatsoever simply by lessening the pressure of our beginning courses, turning away fewer students. Why have we not done so? Our 1986 self-study concluded that the optimum size for our department, given the overall size of the institution, was five faculty graduating about 20 students per year. We made a strong commitment to quality over quantity, as have most departments on campus. Without getting into the factors that led to this conclusion, you need to know that with University Planning Council approval, we worked toward that goal and achieved it in 1988. For the past five years we maintained our department at that level, and found that the self-study was right. We are able to work carefully and closely with as many majors as we have had, and have produced quality graduates. There is no reason to seek any change in the realm of size. Finally, what if things at UNCA change and we do find ourselves in need of additional resources? First, it is the task of the VCAA, with the advice of the Council of Chairs, to make decisions about departmental staffing. It is always the right, indeed the duty, of every chair to ask for needed resources with the understanding that asking is not always getting. Should I find my department needing additional resources, my duty as chair demands that I make my best case, and I will certainly do so. As in the past, if a position is requested that has some tie to general education, that tie is formalized in a memorandum of understanding with the VCAA. For example, we have a commitment to the Humanities Program as a part of one of our current positions. We have honored or exceeded that commitment every year. Attached is a sample course outline for a possible social science general education offering. The course provides insight for students into the functions and effects of mass communication for individuals, society and culture. The content cuts across the fields of the social sciences, thus meeting the interdisciplinary criterion of the general education document. It provides historical insight about mass communication as a social science, and explains the social science methods used in the study of mass communication. If you have further questions about this proposal or my response to your inquiries, I'd be happy to oblige. SAMPLE DRAFT SYLLABUS MEDIA, SOCIETY AND CULTURE SAMPLE CATALOG DESCRIPTION: A study of the structure and function of mass communications in society, including their potential as propaganda and sources of social influence. Course primarily covers print and video, although film and other electronic media are also discussed. SAMPLE COURSE OBJECTIVES: 1) To introduce students to the criteria used in making choices about the selection and presentation of news and entertainment media content. 2) To provide students with an understanding of the ways media are organized, financed, and controlled. 3) To assist students in understanding the functions served by media and the effects media have on individuals, as well as social and political institutions. SAMPLE REQUIRED TEXT: Dominick, Joseph R. The Dynamics of Mass Communication, 4th Ed. Random House, (1993). GRADING: Three essay examinations and one comprehensive final examination counting 20% each. Three short out of class reports -- one with each unit, counting 5% each. Participation 5%. REPORTS: To be detailed on separate handouts, but briefly, 1) Summary of three journal articles on the effects of mass media in the student's area of interest. 2) Either summarize a recent Supreme Court decision affecting mass media, or trace the corporate ownership structure of a television station or newspaper of choice. 3) Brief description of the media system in another country. Sample Course Schedule Part One: Introduction -- Functions and Effects of Mass Communication in Society. The Communication Process Mass Communication Functions Exposure to Mass Communication Methods of Mass Communication Research Mass Communication Effects: Direct and Limited Effects Mass Communication Effects: Agenda Setting and Cultivation Exam over Part One. Part Two: Impact of Laws and Economics on American Media. Advertising Ratings and Revenues Corporate Ownership of Media Theories of the Press The Courts and the Press Media Self-Regulation Exam over Part Two Part Three: Media as Social and Cultural Institutions Depiction of Gender in Media Depiction of Minorities in Media Portrayal of Sex and Violence in Media News and Advertising in Political Campaigns American News Values in the Global Village Impact of Media Technologies on the International Scene Exam over Part Three