The revised School of Mass Communication curriculum was approved, making the school a candidate to receive accreditation.

The Standing Council for Academic Planning approved the curriculum at their Nov. 22 meeting. This brings the program one step closer to being accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, the governing body for mass communication accreditation.

 The new curriculum has many changes that the faculty thinks will positively affect the students.

“We added courses that we believed brought our curriculum to the current standards of the profession,” said Sonya Duhe, director of the School of Mass Communication.

Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Edward Kvet said in an email that seeking accreditation is an important factor in enhancing reputation, and that seeking accreditation was a goal presented in Loyola 2012, the strategic plan for the university.

“I believe specialized program accreditation in mass communications brings the collective view of experts in the field to the organization and curricular structure of programs nationally,” Kvet said. “Having accreditation holds Loyola’s program to the same standards as the other accredited programs nationally.”

Mass communication professor Valerie Andrews said that the new curriculum reflects the evolution of the current media.

However, Andrews said the curriculum “remains grounded in the skills that have always been essential to effective communication, including excellence in writing.”

The approval of the new curriculum is the first step in a long process to receive accreditation. The school plans to hold a self-evaluation in 2013 and to host a visit from the accrediting body in 2014.

Duhe said the new curriculum will be put in place in fall 2012, but some of the new courses will be offered as early as next semester. Current students can make the decision to transition into the new curriculum.

“We anticipate current freshmen and sophomores could move seamlessly into the revised curriculum,” Duhe said. “Juniors and seniors may wish to take advantage of some of the new courses.”

Hannah Iannazzo can be reached at [email protected]