Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Administration And Orientation Of Undergraduate Journalism Education: Variables Affecting "Best Fit" Between Higher Education Institutions And Programs, Douglas J. Swanson

Journalism

This paper addresses different perspectives on the best administrative 'home' for undergraduate journalism education, from administrative and curriculum perspectives. The paper begins by reviewing the history of journalism as a college discipline--showing that even from its earliest years, the founders of the field disagreed on administrative and curriculum emphases. Some variables which affect 'best fit' between discipline, institution, and program today are cited--they include individual academic program and goals, the institutional academic culture, collegiate organizational structure and bureaucracy, and external environmental variables. Finally, the paper reviews typical organizational structures chosen by higher education institutions today, as they continue to struggle …