3.5.4
At least 25 percent of the course hours in each major at the baccalaureate level are taught by faculty members holding an appropriate terminal degree, usually the earned doctorate, or the equivalent of the terminal degree. (Terminal degrees of faculty)
Compliance Judgment
X In compliance Partially compliant Non-compliant
Narrative
Throughout the university’s baccalaureate degree programs, faculty with terminal degrees teach the greatest number of discipline courses. The faculty roster in Comprehensive Standard 3.7.1, organized by departments and schools, lists each faculty member, courses taught, degrees earned, and other relevant qualifications. In addition, an Excel spreadsheet developed by the Registrar’s Office presents the discipline courses and credit hours taught by faculty with and without terminal degrees (highlighted in yellow) for Fall 2016 [1] and Spring 2017 [2] semesters. For Fall 2016, the percent of courses taught by faculty with an appropriate terminal degree across all undergraduate courses (excluding courses not required for majors) was 83 percent, and the percent for Spring 2017 was 80 percent.
Methodology
Francis Marion uses courses (excluding general education) required for academic program completion to calculate support of compliance with the standard that at least 25 percent of the course hours in each undergraduate major are taught by faculty holding an appropriate terminal degree. Francis Marion considers the earned doctorate to be the terminal degree. Examples of terminal degrees include Ph.D., D.B.A., Ed.D., D.N.P., D.A., D.M, and D.M.A. Examples of non-terminal doctorates include J.D. and D.V.M., although faculty holding a J.D. and teaching a law course for the Department of Political Science and Geography can be considered as having an appropriate terminal degree as would faculty holding a D.V.M. and teaching a life science laboratory course for the Department of Biology. Francis Marion considers all master’s degrees to be non-terminal except for the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.). Very few institutions in the United States offer the D.F.A.
The Registrar’s Office provided a list of all courses taught in Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 with the names and credentials of the faculty members who taught them. From these listings, courses were then selected if required by the major as described in the undergraduate academic program sections of the University catalog. General education courses were excluded unless required by the major. The following tables demonstrate that only one of the 48 baccalaureate programs at Francis Marion University have fewer than 25 percent of discipline courses taught by faculty with terminal degrees: the Department of Mass Communication.
Fall 2016 Academic Programs and Terminal Degree Faculty |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Program / Degree | Total Discipline Courses Offered | Total Discipline Courses Taught by Terminal Degree Faculty | Percent Taught by Terminal Degree Faculty |
| Accounting / B.B.A. | 83 | 61 | 73% |
| Art Education / B.S. | 54 | 48 | 89% |
| Biology / B.A. | 46 | 41 | 89% |
| Biology / B.S. | 46 | 41 | 89% |
| Biology (Med. Tech.) / B.S. | 46 | 41 | 89% |
| Business Admin. / B.B.A. | 76 | 61 | 80% |
| Chemistry / B.S. | 28 | 28 | 100% |
| Computer Science / B.S. | 26 | 20 | 77% |
| Early Childhood Education / B.S. | 61 | 52 | 85% |
| Economics / B.A. | 24 | 22 | 92% |
| Economics / B.S. | 24 | 22 | 92% |
| Economics / B.B.A. | 83 | 61 | 73% |
| Elementary Education / B.S. | 204 | 178 | 87% |
| Engineering Technology / B.S. | 56 | 52 | 93% |
| English / B.A. | 30 | 30 | 100% |
| Finance / B.B.A. | 22 | 17 | 77% |
| General Liberal Arts & Sciences / B.G.S. | 247 | 222 | 90% |
| Healthcare Admin. / B.S. | 14 | 12 | 86% |
| History / B.A. | 24 | 23 | 96% |
| History / B.S. | 24 | 23 | 96% |
| Industrial Engineering / B.S. | 34 | 34 | 100% |
| Management / B.B.A. | 83 | 61 | 73% |
| Management Information Systems / B.B.A. | 83 | 61 | 73% |
| Marketing / B.B.A. | 83 | 61 | 73% |
| Mass Communication / B.A. | 14 | 1 | 7% |
| Mathematics / B.A. | 18 | 17 | 94% |
| Mathematics / B.S. | 18 | 17 | 94% |
| Middle Level Education (Math/English) / B.S. | 67 | 59 | 88% |
| Middle Level Education (Math/Science) / B.S. | 99 | 92 | 93% |
| Middle Level Education (Math/Social Studies) / B.S. | 93 | 88 | 95% |
| Middle Level Education (Science/English) / B.S. | 82 | 73 | 89% |
| Middle Level Education (Science/Social Studies) / B.S. | 108 | 98 | 91% |
| Middle Level Education (Social Studies/English) / B.S. | 87 | 77 | 92% |
| Modern Languages / B.A. | 36 | 26 | 72% |
| Music Industry / B.S. | 26 | 21 | 81% |
| Nursing (RN to B.S.N.) / B.S.N. | 10 | 8 | 80% |
| Nursing (RN to B.S.N.) Blended Distance Education / B.S.N. | 10 | 8 | 80% |
| Nursing Generic (No RN) / B.S.N. | 47 | 34 | 72% |
| Pharm. Studies / B.S. | 49 | 44 | 90% |
| Physics / B.S. | 49 | 41 | 84% |
| Political Science / B.A. | 32 | 26 | 81% |
| Political Science / B.S. | 32 | 26 | 81% |
| Psychology / B.A. | 76 | 64 | 84% |
| Psychology / B.S. | 76 | 64 | 84% |
| Sociology / B.A. | 21 | 21 | 100% |
| Sociology / B.S. | 21 | 21 | 100% |
| Theatre Arts / B.A. | 6 | 6 | 100% |
| Visual Art / B.A. | 21 | 21 | 100% |
Table 1. Fall 2016 Discipline Courses Taught by Terminal Degree Faculty
Spring 2017 Academic Programs and Terminal Degree Faculty |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Program / Degree | Total Discipline Courses Offered | Total Discipline Courses Taught by Terminal Degree Faculty | Percent Taught by Terminal Degree Faculty |
| Accounting / B.B.A. | 84 | 62 | 74% |
| Art Education / B.S. | 55 | 49 | 89% |
| Biology / B.A., B.S. | 52 | 40 | 77% |
| Biology (Med. Tech.) / B.S. | 52 | 40 | 77% |
| Business Admin. / B.B.A. | 75 | 62 | 83% |
| Chemistry / B.S. | 24 | 24 | 100% |
| Computer Science / B.S. | 26 | 20 | 77% |
| Early Childhood Education / B.S. | 70 | 61 | 87% |
| Economics / B.A., B.S. | 24 | 22 | 92% |
| Economics / B.B.A. | 84 | 62 | 74% |
| Elementary Education / B.S. | 209 | 183 | 88% |
| Engineering Technology / B.S. | 53 | 48 | 91% |
| English / B.A. | 32 | 32 | 100% |
| Finance / B.B.A. | 15 | 10 | 67% |
| General Liberal Arts & Sciences / B.G.S. | 281 | 254 | 90% |
| Healthcare Admin. / B.S. | 15 | 13 | 87% |
| History / B.A., B.S. | 18 | 18 | 100% |
| Industrial Engineering / B.S. | 29 | 28 | 97% |
| Management / B.B.A. | 84 | 62 | 74% |
| Management Information Systems /B.B.A. | 84 | 62 | 74% |
| Marketing / B.B.A. | 84 | 62 | 74% |
| Mass Communication / B.A. | 20 | 0 | 0% |
| Mathematics / B.A., B.S. | 17 | 17 | 100% |
| Middle Level Education (Math/English) / B.S. | 78 | 71 | 91% |
| Middle Level Education (Math/Science) / B.S. | 109 | 95 | 87% |
| Middle Level Education (Math/Social Studies) / B.S. | 100 | 91 | 91% |
| Middle Level Education (Science/English) / B.S. | 94 | 81 | 86% |
| Middle Level Education (Science/Social Studies) / B.S. | 121 | 106 | 88% |
| Middle Level Education (Social Studies/English) / B.S. | 96 | 88 | 92% |
| Modern Languages / B.A. | 27 | 18 | 67% |
| Music Industry / B.S. | 26 | 21 | 81% |
| Nursing (RN to B.S.N.) / B.S.N. | 11 | 11 | 100% |
| Nursing (RN to B.S.N.) Blended Distance Education / B.S.N. | 11 | 11 | 100% |
| Nursing Generic (No RN) / B.S.N. | 41 | 27 | 66% |
| Pharm. Studies / B.S. | 46 | 34 | 74% |
| Physics / B.S. | 49 | 36 | 73% |
| Political Science / B.A., B.S. | 24 | 22 | 92% |
| Psychology / B.A., B.S. | 75 | 59 | 79% |
| Sociology / B.A., B.S. | 23 | 23 | 100% |
| Theatre Arts / B.A. | 9 | 9 | 100% |
| Visual Art / B.A. | 19 | 19 | 100% |
Table 2. Spring 2017 Discipline Courses Taught by Terminal Degree Faculty
Faculty Credentials and the Mass Communication Curriculum
All members of the Mass Communication faculty should be considered fully credentialed by virtue of professional experience. However, only one member holds the terminal degree. Currently, the department consists of these faculty listed with their year of appointment: David Baxley (2016), Jack Griffith (2007), Tim Hanson (1996), Maria Lundberg (2007), Matthew McColl (2012), and Kay Packett (2013), all with master’s degrees except Dr. Griffith who has a Ph.D. in Communications. Dr. Bryan Fisher (2003) has a terminal degree and is a tenured member of the faculty but teaches only speech courses. The Mass Communication program desires faculty with a Ph.D. degree in the field. However, the applicant pool contains few candidates with both a terminal degree and substantial and credible working experience in the media.
The Mass Communication Program at Francis Marion has evolved from a minor in 1984, to a major approved by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education in 1995, to a university department in 2003. Throughout this evolution, the focus of the curriculum has remained on skill-centered courses. Those courses have primary objectives of introducing, advancing, and refining the communication skills that are required of students in journalism and public relations.
Of the 25 courses now in the curriculum, 17 are skill-centered as described in the Catalog 2016-2017 [3]. The credentials deemed most crucial in teaching this focus, historically here and generally reflected elsewhere, are the skills that have been honed by professional practice.
Measuring Experience
For more than 30 years, the continuous standard of appointed faculty to teach Mass Communication courses at Francis Marion has emphasized that candidates have a significant and credible work history with the media. Significant refers to amount of time and variety of assignments and credible refers to the stature of the media employer and the recognition each candidate gained in the profession. The five persons mentioned above without terminal degrees have compiled an average of nearly 20 years of daily experience in journalism and Mass Communication, working as press secretary, editors, reporters, producers, announcers, co-anchor, supervisors, consultants, and vice president and in-training roles for wire services (AP and UPI), newspapers (Spokane Spokesman-Review and Stars and Stripes), magazines (Reader’s Digest), and television stations (KTVY-TV, NBC, KSWO-TV, ABC, WAKA-TV, CBS, and UNC-TV, PBS).
The public relations experience was gained at The Tobacco Institute, the North Carolina Symphony, and the South Carolina Department of Education. From these workplaces they have collected awards and recognition from peer professional organizations and acclaim from supervisors. Their individual qualifications in the profession are shown in Comprehensive Standard 3.7.1. Further details about the Mass Communication faculty without terminal degrees are described below. Resumes are hyperlinked to names.
Credential Equivalency by Faculty Member
David Baxley, tenure-track assistant professor, M.A. (Journalism), University of Mississippi, 2007.
Before joining the Francis Marion faculty, Professor Baxley spent 18 years as news producer, reporter, assignment manager and investigative producer at various television stations (1998-2016), including WVTM-TV in Birmingham, AL, WHHT-TV in Huntsville, AL, KSWO-TV in Lawton, OK, WAKA-TV in Montgomery, AL, and WIAT-TV in Birmingham, AL. He has received numerous awards: Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, RTNDA, 2015; National Headliner Award, 2015; Best Investigative Reporting, Alabama Associated Press, 2015; Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters’ Award, 2010; and Best Spot News, Alabama Associated Press, 1999.
Tim Hanson, tenured associate professor, M.A. (Journalism), University of Montana, 1996.
Prior to his position at Francis Marion, Professor Hanson spent more than 20 as a newspaper writer, wire service reporter, magazine editor, news bureau chief, and foreign correspondent. He worked abroad for nine years, serving as assistant Pacific Editor and Philippines News Bureau Chief for Stars and Stripes. He was based in Tokyo for the former, in New Delhi as South Asia Correspondent for United Press International (UPI), and Hong Kong as managing editor for Reader’s Digest. Professor Hanson received two Thomas Jefferson writing awards at Stars and Stripes, and awards for spot news and investigative reporting for the Spokane Spokesman-Review.
Maria Lundberg, tenured associate professor, M.A. (Journalism and Mass Communication), University of Oklahoma, 1985.
Professor Lundberg has more than 25 years of experience working in broadcast journalism, both on camera and as a producer, and public relations. She researches, writes, and produces segments for UNC-TV, the statewide PBS network. UNC-TV has broadcast more than 100 of her news features since 1990. Lundberg began her career in commercial television as an associate producer of special news projects at KTVY-TV in Oklahoma City after graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Oklahoma. She joined UNC-TV in 1990, worked there as full-time producer-reporter for the next seven years and thereafter continued her work on a freelance basis. She also served as the public relations director of the North Carolina Symphony.
Matthew McColl, part-time instructor, M.M.C., University of South Carolina, 2010.
Mr. McColl currently is Director of Media Relations at Francis Marion University and editor of The View magazine, published biannually for alumni, friends, and the Francis Marion University community. Prior to this position, he worked as Marketing Director for a regional economic development organization that serves a nine-county region in the northeast corner of South Carolina (2012-2016), North Eastern Strategic Alliance, Florence, South Carolina. He served as editor and publisher for The Convergence Newsletter, a scholarly monthly online publication that dealt with issues within the field of journalism, marketing and advertising, and he was editor of The Patriot, the student newspaper for Francis Marion University.
Kay Packett, tenure-track assistant professor, M.A. (Journalism), University of South Carolina, 1985.
Professor Packett worked 18 years in the field of public relations before joining the Francis Marion faculty. She served as press secretary for Arthur Ravenel, Jr. in the United States House of Representatives (1987), press secretary for Strom Thurmond in the United States Senate (1987-1988), and press secretary for Inez Tenenbaum in the United States Senate (2003-2004). In addition, she managed one of the most current and controversial issues for one of Washington D.C.’s most active and aggressive trade associations, The Tobacco Institute (1988-1993). As Senior Issue Analyst for The Tobacco Institute, she provided support for a network of federal and state lobbyists, worked closely with federal regulatory agencies, initiated and fostered public relations partnerships, managed public information, and developed public information materials. Professor Packett currently owns and operates a public policy consulting service specializing in education issues, with clients including the South Carolina Department of Education and the South Carolina School Boards Association.
Elsewhere
The University of South Carolina’s College of Information and Communications is the closest program to Francis Marion that is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. The dean, Charles Bierbauer, has no terminal degree, nor do many who teach the undergraduate courses. The school has a professional track and academic track of faculty, the latter holding terminal degrees. The University of South Carolina model is not unlike many around the country. Their faculty support both an undergraduate and graduate curriculum and the skills-centered courses are most often taught by those who have had significant experience on the job.
Conclusion
The university’s guiding principle of putting the most weight on media experience among the credentials of faculty appointments has never implied a denigration of candidates who have earned terminal degrees. Every position advertisement for the past three decades has included the wording, “PhD degree preferred.” The candidate must also have significant and credible work history with the media to be a good fit with the Mass Communication program at Francis Marion. With few exceptions, the candidates with terminal degrees who have applied lacked significant and credible work experience in the media. Since the Mass Communication program at Francis Marion embraces an undergraduate, skills-centered curriculum, the best fit for the department appears to be those who want to teach those types of courses and who have refined their own skills through years within the craft of daily peer-reviewed publications and an understanding of both the practice and the theory.
As demonstrated above, each member of the Mass Communication faculty brings a wealth of experience to the program and meets high standards for educational preparation. As the program continues to grow, the department will continue seeking faculty members with appropriate experience and terminal degrees.