As proud alumni and the founding chair and current chair of the Advisory Council for the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism & Mass Communications at Marshall University, we would be remiss not to inform the public of the good work and recent successes of this important academic program.
As anyone reading this medium knows, journalism finds itself in a time of constant change. From shrinking newsrooms to an increasingly hostile social media landscape, how we learn about the world around us each day has changed significantly and will likely continue to change as news sources come and go with technological changes.
As enrollments and interest in studying journalism, advertising and public relations wane nationally, we are seeing the opposite trend at Marshall University. Bolstered by overall improvement in Marshall University’s student enrollment, the School of Journalism outpaces the improved institutional enrollment of 7.5% with an impressive 31% increase from last year. Retention has jumped from 80% to 94.7% from first to second year students, and in just two years there are 54% more seat enrollments in all journalism classes. There are many reasons for these successes, ranging from excellent faculty, a shift to “Tell The Story” marketing of our courses that connect with the new generation of influencers and podcasters, and the enthusiastic leadership of the program by Director Rob Quicke.
In two short but busy years, Dr. Quicke has injected new energy and ideas into a program that many of us credit for our careers but was also suffering from the national trend that we mentioned earlier. From forging alliances with other much larger journalism programs and organizations that create collaborative experiences for students, to authoring an award-winning textbook, Finding Your Voice in Radio, Audio, and Podcast Production, that is being used in numerous classrooms across the country, Dr. Quicke’s work is allowing this program to reach new heights. Perhaps most impressive is the School of Journalism working with West Virginia Public Radio to give students a “real world” opportunity by sharing their stories through this medium, which gives graduates the combination of education and work experience that all employers like to see. Those same radio students at
WMUL are also about to visit NYC to pick up their first national Edward R. Murrow Award. Simply put, the School is gaining a national reputation.
None of this progress happens without funding. It is also worth noting that alumni donations are also up significantly, which gives the School of Journalism more opportunities for their students and faculty. While an increase in the number of faculty needs to be considered as this program’s enrollment grows, it is common in higher education for the necessary personnel to be added after growth, so we can properly educate and prepare graduates for their future.
With the 100th Anniversary of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism & Mass Communications at Marshall University occurring next year, we thought it important to share an update of an academic program that is not only doing well but also preparing the next generation of storytellers who will inform us about the issues and information that creates readers, listeners and viewers. While the program continues to meet the needs of both students and potential employers with courses like online journalism and podcasting, our legacy of adhering to the traditional tenets of journalism remains the hallmark of the School. We do believe that journalism plays an important role in our society, and this role requires education and professionalism to defend itself from critics who do not see its importance. As we have an understandable debate in our country about subjective journalism, how we get our news, and the role of social media in shaping our opinions and public discourse, there remains a need for programs like Marshall University’s School of Journalism & Mass Communications. It’s where we not only advance the careers of our graduates but also bolster this important part of our democracy and how we discover the news of the day.
Bill Bissett, Ed.D., is three-time graduate of Marshall University who earned his Master of Arts in Journalism in 1997. Chris Dickerson is a 1992 SOJMC graduate and founding editor of The West Virginia Record. The views expressed here are their own.
