SEMO's Department of Mass Media reaccredited

The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) unanimously approved reaccreditation for Southeast Missouri State University’s Department of Mass Media.

The department’s reaccreditation will last for six years, through the 2029-30 academic year.

"I’m incredibly proud of all the hard work our faculty, staff and students have done to maintain a quality program worthy of accreditation,” Department of Mass Media chairwoman Tamara Zellars Buck said in a news release. “The standards for diversity and assessment have been problematic for a number of schools, so it’s also an honor for us to stand out in those areas.”

SEMO’s mass media department met all eight of the ACEJMC accreditation standards, which include the program’s mission, governance and administration; curriculum and instruction; continuous assessment of learning outcomes; diversity and inclusiveness; faculty; student services; resources, facilities and equipment; and professional and public service. In addition, the program received praise from ACEJMC for its partnerships with Rust Communications and KFVS12, its "excellent assessment plan", and the use of key performance indicators to monitor the progress of diversity and inclusion.

SEMO and the University of Missouri have the only nationally accredited mass media departments in the state, and only 119 programs are certified nationwide. SEMO first received accreditation from the ACEJMC in 2005 and was most recently reaccredited in 2017.