Senate Document Number 2200S

Date of Senate Approval 2/10/00

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

APC Document 17: New Prerequisites for Mass Communication Core Courses

Effective Date: Fall, 2000

Delete:
"Prerequisite: MCOM 201 or 205, or permission of instructor."

On Page 160 under heading Mass Communication 390 History of American Media.
"Prerequisite MCOM 201 or 205 or permission of instructor."

On Page 160, in heading Mass Communication 490 Media Law and Ethics.
"Prerequisite MCOM 201 or 205 or permission of instructor.

On Page 160, in heading Mass Communication 492 Mass Communication Theories.

On Page 160, in heading Mass Communication 390 History of American Media.
"Prerequisite: A grade of C or better in MCOM 201 and 205, or MMAS 121 or permission of instructor."

On Page 160, in heading Mass Communication 490 Media Law and Ethics.
"Prerequisite: A grade of C or better in MCOM 201 and 205, or MMAS 121, or permission of instructor."

On Page 160, in heading Mass Communication 492 Mass Communication Theories.

Multi-Media Majors will have to complete MMAS 121 before enrolling in MCOM 490. See attached concurrence.

In the short run this change will reduce enrollments in the above courses by three to five students. Now students are taking the courses while having completed only MCOM 201 or 205.

Rationale:
This document proposes a reversion to a previous set of prerequisites for core courses in Mass communication. Currently, a student must earn a grade of C or better in MCOM 201, Newswriting, in order to declare a major. Students who have earned a D or failed MCOM 201 are persisting in taking other courses in the major even though they are not eligible to declare. The result is that we are running into hardship cases of marginal students who in their senior year are still unable to declare the major because they cannot earn a C in Newswriting. Our hope is that these prerequisites to the core courses will convince these marginal students that they really ought to consider changing majors. We have added MCOM 205 to the prerequisites because we want students to demonstrate a basic level of understanding both of video and print before they enter the advanced core courses.