This report relies on multiple measures such as portfolios, focus groups, and surveys. Methods and processes for assessment include: course-embedded assessment, exit interviews, internship evaluations, and employment surveys.

>High level of academic achievement revealed through course-embedded assessment

>National and international production awards for student projects and internal portfolio reviews

>Exit interviews that revealed overall satisfaction with the experience offered by the School

>Internship evaluations that revealed students performed at an exceptionally high level.

>Surveys that indicate student satisfaction with career preparation.

>A PACE position was implemented to provide assistance to the internship coordinator.

>Over the year approximately $150,000 was spent on production equipment upgrades.

>A new multimedia production lab was established with the School of Visual Communications.

>New initiatives begun with the Telecommunications Center.

>New experimental Freshmen course initiated to provide a stimulating, enjoyable, and focused introduction to the School and the field.

>Renovations of the School’s facilities will begin during summer 1997.

>New computer servers have been obtained to facilitate communication.

>An internship coordinator will be hired for the College of Communication to offer support to coordinators within the schools.

>Developmental assistance will be provided to ACRN.

>Restructuring of the core-curriculum will be implemented during 1997-1998 academic year.

>Discussions are underway with the Telecommunications Center regarding the integration of ACTV-7 into the operations of the School.

The mission statement of the School of Telecommunications clearly states our goals for student learning:

Our mission statement grew out of several months of wide-ranging faculty discussion and debate at meetings and retreats during fall quarter 1993. It has provided the School with a clarity of purpose that has driven our programmatic development. We are a leader in the internationalization of the curriculum and the recognition of multicultural perspectives in our field. Though not always cutting edge in the technology we have access to, we provide a curriculum that deals pragmatically with technology while recognizing its global implications. The educational goals expressed in our mission statement continue to provide us with direction.

The 1996 Assessment Report has not led to a modification of our goals. However, it has suggested the need for us to break down the broad vision expressed in the statement to more specific strategies and plans. We have a vision. It is important for us to now develop a more organized means of realizing the vision, implementing changes and innovations, and responding to our students and the professional environment. We view the assessment process as a key element in this next step.

This report relies on multiple measures such as portfolios, focus groups, and surveys. Methods and processes for assessment include: course-embedded assessment, exit interviews, internship evaluations, and employment surveys.

Course-embedded assessment. Of primary concern is the academic achievement of students within our program. To evaluate students' success in academic course work, we considered the level of mastery acquired in the current core courses. This included the performance of all students in TCOM 170, TCOM 200A, and TCOM 206 as measured by the number of students earning a grade of C or better in the courses. For students in audio and video production courses it also included the evaluation of portfolios presented in their senior year.

Exit interviews by focus groups. The overall experience of students in the School of Telecommunications was also evaluated through a series of focus groups facilitated by Ph.D. students in the graduate program. Graduating seniors were asked to discuss their experiences in terms of course work, advising, and preparation for employment.

Internship evaluations. Because the School of Telecommunications prepares students for professional careers, experience or apprenticeships in the field are valuable to students. Therefore, using interviews and surveys with employers and students, we evaluated students’ experiences in internship placement.

Employment survey. Graduating seniors were surveyed for their post-graduation employment experience. In addition, data compiled by the Office of Institutional Research were used as a measure of the School's success in placing graduates into positions in the field of electronic media.

Modifications Since the 1996 Report.

Course-embedded assessment. Recognizing the limitations of the methodologies employed in our 1996 Assessment Report, this report will place increased emphasis on the evaluation of student learning through course-embedded assessment data.

Exit interviews. The School of Telecommunications has changed the system for exit interviews from informal conversations to a series of formal focus groups with Ph.D. students acting as facilitators. We found that, with graduate students as group facilitators, graduating seniors were more open to responding. In addition, this system allowed our Ph.D. students the opportunity to participate in the research process.

Course-embedded Assessment.

It was determined by the Assessment Committee that an efficient measure of foundational skills mastery could be attained through a grade distribution analysis of the core courses required of all students enrolled in the program. TCOM 170 Media Perspectives, TCOM 200A Telecommunications Writing and Production Planning, and TCOM 206 Professional Options, are core courses that provide all TCOM majors with the foundation needed for intermediate and advanced study. Table 1 presents the number and percentage of students enrolled in our core course during the past year who received grades below a C. The assumption is that one must receive, at minimum, a grade of C (2.0) to demonstrate content mastery.

TCOM 200A 171 4 2.3

TCOM 206 80 6 7.5

The low percentage of students who receive less than a 2.0 in these courses probably reflects our students’ commitment to the major. Most students enter the telecommunications program with a strong sense of direction and are knowledgeable about the broadcast industry. They know this is what they want to do and where they want to be; consequently, they are motivated to do well.

In addition to evaluations based on the mastery of core course content, graduating seniors in the Audio and Video Production Sequences are evaluated on project-based work they have completed in their final quarters.

Advanced students in audio and video were enrolled in a course titled "Advanced Narrative Single Camera Production." In this course 40 students experienced a simulation of working on a professional production crew. The students were hired (and possibly fired) by a student producer. They signed deal memos which are actual professional contracts and observed union protocol on and off the set. This experience involved preproduction in the first academic quarter and production and post production in the second quarter. Therefore, in the first quarter, students worked on story development, shot design, budgeting, casting, scheduling, lighting plots and location surveys for sound problems. The second quarter consisted of working with actors, shooting the piece on location, sound design with original music and working with a composer, and editing on the Avid non-linear system.

Two videos were produced in this course: a comedy titled Venus Envy and a drama titled The Middle Man. These two projects are being submitted to national and international film and video festivals.

The high quality of work accomplished in the production sequences is also marked by the number of national and international awards received by the students. During this past academic year our students have won a number of awards at national and international juried competitions.

Exit Interview Reports.

Exit interviews were conducted with graduating seniors during the last week of classes. There were two groups from each of the School’s sequences: Audio Production, Management, Media Studies, and Video Production. The students were asked a series of questions that addressed their satisfaction with the program's 1) career placement support; 2) academic rigor; 3) preparation for initial employment; and 4) their sense community within the School. The students were also asked what aspects of the program they would keep and what they would change. (See Appendix A for Questions)

Overall the students were very positive about the School and the education they received both in and out of the classroom. They often expressed the value of training at ACRN, ACTV-7, AVW, and the Telecommunication Center. None the less, many did not feel prepared to start a professional job; often they acknowledged this was probably the result of pre-graduation nerves. As a group, they expressed dissatisfaction with the support the School gave them in finding internships and employment. A few felt they had not become a part of the community or had a sense of belonging. However, after the freshmen and sophomore years, the majority said that by working together on projects and productions and taking classes together, they did gain a sense of community.

There were some issues specific to the particular sequences but, for the most part, comments cut across sequences.

The students would keep the "hands-on" professional training they received; the sequencing of courses at the upper-level; and the supportive and accessible faculty.

The students would like to see:

• increased support for the internship program;

• revisions to the core sequence of courses;

• better communication between the School and students;

• improvements in equipment and more funding for equipment and extracurricular activities such as ACRN, AVW, and ACTV-7.

Internship Evaluations.

For many years the School has maintained a reputation for combining classroom theory with a considerable amount of practical experience in the field of telecommunications. Students receive credit for a wide variety of on-campus media management and production experiences through the University’s numerous radio and television facilities and other media outlets. Lab experiences such as the All-Campus Radio Network (ACRN), a 24-hour commercial radio station run by students, and AVW Productions, the student-run production house of the School of Telecommunications, serve over 200 undergraduates in all sequences. The University’s Telecommunications Center, which manages public radio and television stations as well as local cable and closed-circuit channels, provide professional experiences for over 500 undergraduates, most of whom are telecommunications majors. Therefore our students are generally well-prepared for internship opportunities.

Student evaluations from internship sponsors this year revealed that a majority of our students performed at an exceptionally high level, and that all of the sponsors were interested in working with a student from the program in the future. Evaluation forms returned by the sponsors indicate that, on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being highest, across the questions, students averaged a 4.5 (see Appendix B for Evaluation Criteria). In fact, many of the sponsors noted that students exceeded expectations. Below is a list of the most competitive internships completed this year:

Very often internships lead to full-time positions.

Employment Feedback.

Based on the alumni information gathered by the Office of Institutional Research, students from the School of Telecommunications are increasingly satisfied with their major courses. They are also satisfied with the way they have been prepared for their career goals. Table 2A illustrates the increase in satisfaction with major courses, and preparation for career goals; Table 2B demonstrates the employment status for School of Telecommunications alumni from 1991 through 1995 as compared to the University as a whole (Source: Follow-up Studies of Graduates, 1997; Ohio University, Office of Institutional Research).

Very Satisfied 30% 38% 30% 46% 37%

Somewhat Satisfied 43% 42% 45% 36% 38%

Not at All Satisfied 17% 11% 14% 10% 12%

Extremely Well 8% 8% 14% 13% 17%

Very Well 41% 40% 54% 56% 42%

Somewhat Well 47% 47% 26% 29% 40%

Not at All Well 4% 5% 6% 2% 2%

Response Rate n=96 n=84 n=86 n=71 n=65

(55%) (46%) (59%) (54%) (55%)

Satisfaction with courses in the major ["extremely" or "very satisfied"] have increased from 40 percent in 1991 to 50 percent in 1995. Preparation for career goals ["extremely" or "very well"] increased from 49 percent to 59 percent. These numbers, though demonstrating an increase, are not acceptable and represent one of the areas to receive continued attention.

"Employment Status" also reflects the success of graduates from the School. Table 2B compares the employment status of University graduates and those from the School of Telecommunications (Source: Follow-up Studies of Graduates, 1997; Ohio University, Office of Institutional Research)

Employed 83% 82% 84% 86% 92%

Full-time (% of Total Employed) (74%) (77%) (78%) (82%) (84%)

Part-time (% of Total Employed) (26%) (23%) (22%) (18%) (16%)

Unemployed and in School 7% 7% 6% 4% 2%

Unemployed and Not in School 10% 11% 10% 10% 6%

Response Rate n=96 n=84 n=86 n=71 n=65

(55%) (46%) (59%) (54%) (55%)

Employed 81% 79% 83% 81% 82%

Full-time (% of Total Employed) (80%) (81%) (85%) (85%) (84%)

Part-time (% of Total Employed) (20%) (19%) (15%) (15%) (16%)

Unemployed and in School 10% 11% 10% 12% 12%

Unemployed and Not in School 9% 10% 7% 7% 6%

(53%) (48%) (60%) (60%) (59%)

Many telecommunications students have found jobs with major media companies including Nationwide Communications, Jacor Broadcasting, Nickelodeon, Nielsen Media Research, CBS, CNN, and Mills-James Productions. The commencement speaker at this year’s graduation is a graduate of the School who is currently co-host of The Today Show. He is one of many successful Telecommunications graduates. (See Appendix C for a representative list of graduates)

Further illustration of the success of the School of Telecommunications in training professionals for the field is illustrated using data obtained from "Ohio University Career and Further Education Study: published by the Office of Institutional Research. According to that report, telecommunications graduates placed in a wide variety of jobs representing all of the professional sequences. In 1994, of 68 jobs held by telecommunications majors documented in the report, 46 were media-related. In 1995, of 62 jobs, 46 were media-related. (See Appendix D for list of placements)

Internships.

As a response to the 1996 report, the School applied for and was awarded a PACE position to provide assistance for the internship coordinator. The PACE student assisted by establishing an internship database and publishing a newsletter to inform students of internship opportunities.

Production Equipment.

The maintenance of a reasonable quantity and quality of audio and video production equipment is a constant challenge. This year we were able to respond to the needs of our students to have access to high quality hardware in a number of ways:

• Television Studio C received new cameras, lights, audio board, and other upgrades;

• a Betacam unit was obtained for full professional quality single-camera production

• audio and video digital editing units were purchased.

Approximately $150,000 worth of hardware upgrades were implemented this year.

In response to the needs and demands of our students for experience in multimedia design and production, the School of Telecommunications joined with the School of Visual Communication to establish a multimedia production lab. The lab provides high-end production capability to our students and represents an investment of over $50,000.

In order to open new opportunities for practical experience for our students, the School began discussing possibilities for greater cooperation with the Telecommunications Center. In a good-faith gesture, the School funded half a position that was used to facilitate student production projects for WOUB Radio. A number of projects were aired as a result of this initiative.

Freshmen experience. In an effort to provide a stimulating and enjoyable introduction to the field of telecommunications, and as a response to the findings that indicate our students would like a more focused introductory experience, the School will offer a required experimental course for incoming freshmen in the fall of 1997. The course will be designed to build a sense of community and provide students with an introduction to the School and critical issues in media studies.

Facilities renovation. When asked what they would change about the School of Telecommunications, a number of students said "the building." Both students and faculty have been working in an environment that is aesthetically barren. This will change over the summer of 1997 as the first phase of a long-term renovation program begins. Hopefully it will provide students and faculty with a stronger sense of place and an aesthetically pleasing environment.

Communication. Both students and the School recognize that internal communication is a problem. To address this, the School has obtained two servers -- one for an intranet and the other to house the School’s website. The intention is to improve access to information for our students, alumni, and faculty.

Internship support. The College of Communication has committed resources to hiring an internship coordinator for the College. The college coordinator will assist the school coordinator and provide a centralized source of internship information. The support this new person will provide should begin to alleviate many of the frustrations our students are experiencing.

ACRN. The School has offered ACRN (All Campus Radio Network) a development package that will begin to address some of the facility problems the student organization is facing. We value the opportunities ACRN provides for hands-on experience and will continue to work with the station to see that it’s adequately equipped.

Core curriculum. The 1996 Assessment Report revealed that there was a clear need to review the School's curriculum. In Fall 1996 a committee was appointed to evaluate and restructure the core curriculum. After a year of examining other programs, assessing the current program, and discussing the wide range of options a report was presented to the full faculty. Restructuring of the program, based on this report, will begin during the next academic year.

ACTV-7. Discussions are underway with the Telecommunications Center on the possible integration of ACTV-7, the University’s cable channel, into the operations of the School of Telecommunications. This would create new opportunities for students to gain experience in media management and operations, and provide easier access for production students to a means of distribution. This is an effort to address the requests of our students for more professional opportunities and a closer relationship with the Center.

Improvement of the assessment process. Two changes are anticipated that will improve the assessment process. First, as changes are made to the curriculum, the School of Telecommunications will have an opportunity to collect base-line data. Second, it has become apparent that we have limited knowledge of employers' perceptions of our students and so next year we will implement an industry survey of those who have hired School of Telecommunications graduates. Finally, a number of students expressed their pleasure in the opportunity to participate in the focus groups; these should be continued.

Funding for extracurricular activities. Many students depend on AVW, ACTV-7, WOUB, and other opportunities to obtain professional experience and build a resume. Yet there is very limited funding for some of these activities. We will continue to devote time and energy and effort into developing these resources.

CONCLUSION

The School of Telecommunications continues to successfully educate media professionals. Students, administration, and faculty all recognize problem areas and developmental needs. The assessment process allows us to both discover our successes and pinpoint areas that need attention. Again this year, the process has yielded valuable information that will help shape our agenda.