Reimagining ElonComm’s curriculum

For three years, the School of Communications and its dedicated teachers, scholars and mentors collaborated to reimagine the school’s curriculum.

As part of the school’s curriculum revision process, faculty and administration examined the current communications and sport industry trends and what lies ahead. Additionally, they sought the advice and counsel of national advisory board members, industry partners and alumni; participated in challenging conversations about how the school can best educate and prepare students for industries moving at lightning speed; and contemplated how the school can meet – and hopefully exceed – the standards of their accrediting bodies, the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications and Commission on Sport Management Accreditation.

A cinema and television arts professor stands before a class in a bright classroom.

Staci Saltz, lecturer and chair of the Department of Cinema and Television Arts, helped shepherd the curriculum revision process as chair of the school’s curriculum committee. “Her leadership and hard work throughout the three years of curriculum revision deserve a special acknowledgment,” said Associate Professor of Cinema and Television Arts Vic Costello.

Every decision was made to serve and meet the needs of students.

“This has been the most comprehensive, thoughtful and collaborative curriculum revision I have been a part of since joining Elon in 2001,” said Associate Professor of Cinema and Television Arts Vic Costello, who was close to the process as the director of the communications core and minor. “The entire School of Communications faculty contributed to what turned out to be an intensive three-year process that involved countless meetings and hours of listening, discussion and research, both internally with faculty and students, as well as outside constituency groups. The new curricula reflect the broad consensus of everyone involved and is a testimony of our school’s hard work.”

Prior to this recent curriculum revision, it had been more than a decade since the school engaged in a comprehensive assessment and review of its entire curriculum.

According to Costello, the process’ overarching goal was to maintain a common communications core curriculum while allowing departments and programs an opportunity to deepen their curriculum by addressing potential gaps in diversity, equity and inclusion, media analytics, and current industry business practices and standards.

Throughout the process, faculty and administration leaned heavily on the themes and objectives outlined in the university’s Boldly Elon strategic plan. As a result, the new curricula reinforce a commitment to undergraduate research and advancing students’ data competency. Notable changes also include a streamlined communications core curriculum and a required two-credit Inclusive Communications course, which will examine foundational social and theoretical communication concepts related to DEI. Some departments and programs have opted to retain versions of the deleted core courses in their major requirements while others have replaced them with new courses.

Likewise, the recently accredited Department of Sport Management underwent its own curriculum revision process, identifying and implementing scaffolded leadership and DEI learning objectives into its curriculum. The department also expanded its elective course options.

“As I see it, the overall impact on students will be a stronger and more relevant academic program that better prepares them for today’s workplace,” Costello said.

The school’s new curriculum will gradually launch in fall 2023.

Sport Management Department earns COSMA accreditation

In February, the Department of Sport Management was formally granted accreditation by the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA), a national accrediting body that promotes and recognizes excellent sport management higher education. It is the only organization offering discipline-specific accreditation in sport management.

Dr. Kim stands in a tie before a class in Long Building.

Associate Professor of Sport Management Young Do Kim (far right) is one of eight full-time faculty members in the Department of Sport Management.

With its accreditation, Elon becomes one of 35 accredited programs in the United States, joining institutions like Ohio University, Louisiana State University, Northeastern University, Troy University and the University of Louisville.

“To receive this accreditation is affirmation of what we have known for some time – our sport management program and its curriculum, initiatives, faculty and students are among the best in the nation,” Dean Kenn Gaither said. “We have long been fortunate to have faculty committed to producing students who are outstanding in their chosen field. We are delighted to receive this stamp of approval, and we will remain committed to producing industry-ready graduates.”

According to Associate Dean Tony Weaver, the sport management faculty initially began conversations about accreditation in 2010, shortly after the department moved into the School of Communications. With support from former Deans Paul Parsons and Rochelle Ford, faculty members became active COSMA members and eventually conversations turned to serious consideration, followed by preparation to apply.

As part of the process, the department redesigned its student learning outcomes, reviewed its curriculum, rubrics, measurements, resources and faculty, and submitted a comprehensive self-study document. Elon also hosted a site team visit in fall 2022.