University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications

Last updated
College of Journalism
and Communications
University of Florida Vertical Signature.svg
Type Public
Established1925;99 years ago (1925)
Parent institution
 University of Florida
Endowment Increase2.svg$2.379 billion (2021)
(university-wide) [1]
Dean Hub Brown [2]
Undergraduates 2,300
Postgraduates 600
Location
Gainesville
,
Florida
,
United States

29°38′52.3″N82°20′51.0″W / 29.647861°N 82.347500°W / 29.647861; -82.347500
Website www.jou.ufl.edu
Weimer Hall, home of the College of Journalism and Communications UF WeimerHall.jpg
Weimer Hall, home of the College of Journalism and Communications
Interior view of Weimer Hall, home of the College of Journalism and Communications Weimer Hall.jpg
Interior view of Weimer Hall, home of the College of Journalism and Communications
Weimer Hall Flickr UF-Journalism and Communications.jpg
Weimer Hall

The College of Journalism and Communications (CJC) is an academic college of the University of Florida. The centerpiece of the journalism programs at UF is WUFT, which consists of both a WUFT (TV) Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Public television and WUFT-FM NPR public radio station. The commercial broadcasting radio station, WRUF, is also one of the oldest stations in the state.

Contents

History

The college traces its origins to 1925 when the Department of Journalism was formed in Language Hall (now Anderson Hall). Orland K. "O.K." Armstrong was the first head of the department. The first three journalism degrees were awarded in 1928.

The department moved into Buckman Hall, a renovated dormitory, in 1937. [3]

Rae O. Weimer, the former managing editor at the New York City daily newspaper PM , began teaching in the Department of Journalism in 1949. [4] In 1950, the journalism program was accredited, although it still had only "one classroom, no equipment and only two teachers." In late 1953, broadcasting was transferred to journalism, and the department became the School of Journalism and Communications.

In 1967, the school became a full-fledged college. Weimer was named the first dean; the current journalism building, Weimer Hall, is named for him.

From 1976 to 1994, Ralph Lowenstein served as dean and carried out the digital transformation of the college. [5] [6]

On July 1, 2021, Hub Brown assumed the role of Dean. Hub Brown was an associate dean and professor at the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He succeeds Diane McFarlin, who retired after serving eight years in that role. [7]

Research

The CJC was awarded $7 million in annual research expenditures in sponsored research for 2024. [8]

Academics

The department comprises four departments:

The College of Journalism and Communications offers several Bachelor of Science in Journalism, Media Production, Management, and Technology, Advertising, and Public relations. It offers Master of Arts in Journalism, mass communications, and Advertising, along with Ph.D.

The Center for Public Interest Communications

The Center for Public Interest Communications operates as a unit of the College of Journalism and Communications. The first of its kind in the nation, the Center studies, tests, and helps organizations apply behavioral, cognitive, and social science to create strategic communication designed to achieve positive social change. [9]

Public interest communications is a science-driven approach to strategic communications that results in lasting change on an issue that transcends the interests of any single person or organization and advances our greater good. [10] [11]

The Center provides training to government agencies, universities, foundations, public interest communications agencies and nonprofits on how to incorporate elements of public interest communications in their work. It also partners with a number of organizations to help them create more effective communications strategies to drive positive social change. In addition, The Center develops workshops to share research with social change leaders and scientists to help them develop better communication strategies, and it hosts frank, an annual conference dedicated to public interest communications. It also publishes the Journal of Public Interest Communications, the first-ever, open-access, interdisciplinary journal featuring peer-reviewed research in the emerging field of public interest communications. [12] [13]

The Center grew out of The Frank Karel Chair in Public Interest Communications made possible by a $2 million grant made to the university in 2008 from Trellis Fund. The endowment was used to create a curriculum in public interest communications, and to mentor and advise students who plan to build careers in the field. [14]

In May 2019, The Center for Public Interest Communications, in collaboration with UF CJC Online, launched the nation's first master's degree program in Public Interest Communications. [15]

UF CJC Online

The College of Journalism and Mass Communications launched its online graduate program (UF CJC Online) in 2012 with an MA degree in Mass Communication specializing in global strategic communication. [16] The college currently offers a master's degree with eight areas of specialization including Audience Analytics, Digital Strategy, Global Strategic Communication, Political Communication, Public Interest Communication, Public Relations, Social Media, and Web Design. [17] Additionally, four graduate certificates are offered in Global Strategic Communication, Media Sales, Social Media and Web Design. [18] The online graduate program has been recognized as a top rated online program (Ranked #1 online Master's in Communications Program by The Best Schools in 2019) [19] UF CJC Online is administered by an in-house staff. Dr. Evan Kropp was named the Director of UF CJC Online in May 2019. [20]

ABC News at UF

ABC News opened a "mini-bureau" at the College of Journalism and Communications in September 2008. It was one of five universities chosen for the ABC News on Campus program, along with Arizona State University, Syracuse University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of Texas at Austin. [21] [22]

Student organizations

In October 2011, the University of Florida chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) was named Most Outstanding Chapter of the Year. [23] [ needs update ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Florida</span> Public university in Gainesville, Florida, US

The University of Florida is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. The university traces its origins to 1853 and has operated continuously on its Gainesville campus since September 1906.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WUFT (TV)</span> PBS member station in Gainesville, Florida

WUFT is a PBS member television station in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is owned by the University of Florida alongside low-power weather-formatted independent station WRUF-LD, NPR member WUFT-FM (89.1), and commercial radio stations WRUF and WRUF-FM (103.7). The five stations share studios at Weimer Hall on the university's campus; WUFT's transmitter is located on Northwest 53rd Avenue in Gainesville.

WUFT-FM is an NPR member radio station owned by the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, broadcasting news and public media programming from NPR along with other distributors including APM, PRX, WNYC Studios and the BBC. The station also operates a full-time satellite, WJUF in Inverness at 90.1 FM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Florida Levin College of Law</span> Public law school in Gainesville, Florida, US

The University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law is the law school of the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest operating public law school in Florida and second oldest overall in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warrington College of Business</span> Business school of the University of Florida

The Warrington College of Business is the business school of the University of Florida. About 6,300 students are enrolled in classes, including undergraduates and graduate students, including Master of Business Administration and Ph.D.-seeking students. All programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication is a constituent college of the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, United States. Established in 1915, Grady College offers undergraduate degrees in journalism, advertising, public relations, and entertainment and media studies, and master's and doctoral programs of study.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences</span> Florida University-linked organization

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is a teaching, research and Extension scientific organization focused on agriculture and natural resources. It is a partnership of federal, state, and county governments that includes an Extension office in each of Florida's 67 counties, 12 off-campus research and education centers, five demonstration units, the University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, three 4-H camps, portions of the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Sea Grant program, the Emerging Pathogens Institute, the UF Water Institute and the UF Genetics Institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American University School of Communication</span>

The School of Communication (SOC) is American University's school of mass communication, media studies and journalism, founded originally as the Department of Communication in 1893 with the founding of the university. It is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WRUF-LD</span> Independent TV station in Gainesville, Florida

WRUF-LD is a low-power independent television station in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is owned by the University of Florida alongside PBS member WUFT, NPR member WUFT-FM (89.1), and commercial radio stations WRUF and WRUF-FM (103.7). The five stations share studios at Weimer Hall on the University's campus; WRUF-LD's transmitter is located on Northwest 53rd Avenue in Gainesville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Florida College of Engineering</span> Engineering college in Gainesville, Florida

The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering is the largest professional school, the second largest college, and one of the top three research units at the University of Florida. The college was founded in 1910, and in 2015 was named in honor of Herbert Wertheim – a serial inventor, philanthropist and UF Distinguished Alumnus. Located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus, the college is composed of nine departments, 15 degree programs, and more than 20 centers and institutes. It produces research and graduates in more than a dozen fields of engineering and science including: aerospace, agricultural, biological, biomedical, chemical, civil, coastal, computer, computer science, digital arts, electrical, environmental, industrial, materials, mechanical, nuclear, and systems.

The George A. Smathers Libraries of the University of Florida constitute one of the largest university library systems in the United States. The system includes eight of the nine libraries of the University of Florida and provides primary support to all academic programs except those served by the Lawton Chiles Legal Information Center. Previously the Health Science Center Library was also separate, but it was integrated into the Smathers Libraries on July 1, 2009. The current dean is Judith C. Russell. All of the libraries serve all of the university's faculty and students, but each has a special mission to be the primary support of the specific colleges and degree programs with which they are primarily affiliated. As is common in research libraries, library materials are housed in a variety of locations depending upon discipline. The three largest libraries cover an extensive range of disciplines while the smaller libraries focus on three or fewer disciplines.

The Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications is the undergraduate and graduate college dedicated to the study of journalism, mass communications and media at Pennsylvania State University. Re-established in 2017 under its new name after the producer, screenwriter and benefactor Donald P. Bellisario, the Bellisario College is home to four departments: Advertising/Public Relations, Journalism, Film Production and Media Studies, and Telecommunications and Media Industries. Offering five undergraduate majors, a master's degree in media studies, and a Ph.D. program in mass communications, the college is the largest accredited program of its kind in the United States. The college's facilities are located on the University Park campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine</span> School of the U of F in Gainesville, Florida

The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine is the veterinary school of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The college only enrolls professional program D.V.M. students and graduate students pursuing M.S. or Ph.D. degrees. No undergraduates are enrolled in the college.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Wayne Reitz Union</span> Student union in Florida, United States

The J. Wayne Reitz Union is the student union of the University of Florida, located on Museum Road on the university campus in Gainesville, Florida, United States. The union was named in honor of J. Wayne Reitz, the fifth president of the university, who served from 1955 to 1967. The building, which was originally completed in 1967, contains dining facilities, meeting rooms, offices, a computer lab, a game room, an outdoor amphitheater, retail stores, a movie theater and a hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Florida Center for African Studies</span>

University of Florida Center for African Studies (CAS) is a center within of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) at the University of Florida (UF). The Center provides teaching and research into issues of African languages, humanities, social sciences, agriculture, business, engineering, education, fine arts, environmental studies, conservation, journalism, and law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Proctor Oral History Program</span>

The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP) is the official oral history program at the University of Florida. With over 6,500 interviews and more than 150,000 pages of transcribed material, it is one of the premier oral history programs in the United States. SPOHP's mission is "to gather, preserve, and promote living histories of individuals from all walks of life." The program involves staff, undergraduate and graduate students, and community volunteers in its operation.

The Cathy Hughes School Of Communications has four departments offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. The Departments of Communication and Culture, Journalism, and Radio-Television-Film offer the Bachelor of Arts degree in ten specializations. The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers the Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Pathology/Audiology. All departments offer 18-hour minor sequences.

A Master of Journalism is a master's degree awarded to students who have studied journalism at a graduate level. Like other master's degree programs, master of journalism programs are typically between one and two years.

Ralph L. Lowenstein was an American professor of journalism. He served as dean of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malachowsky Hall for Data Science & Information Technology</span> Educational in Florida, United States

The Malachowsky Hall for Data Science & Information Technology, or simply Malachowsky Hall, is a building on the University of Florida (UF) campus in Gainesville, Florida. Named after UF alumnus and Nvidia co-founder Chris Malachowsky, the building began construction in 2020 and opened in November 2023.

References

  1. ↑ As of June 30, 2021. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2021 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY20 to FY21 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Search for next Dean of UF's College of Journalism and Communications. » Administrative Memo » University of Florida". administrativememo.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  3. ↑ "History of the College" . Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "UF College of Journalism And Communications Founder Rae Weimer Dies At Age 93". University of Florida. November 15, 1996. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  5. ↑ Hernandez, Melissa (2020-08-11). "Former UF Journalism Dean Ralph Lowenstein Dies After Stroke". WUFT News. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  6. ↑ "Ralph Lowenstein 40". UF College of Journalism and Communications. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  7. ↑ "Syracuse University associate dean named dean of UF College of Journalism and Communications" . Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  8. ↑ "UF research spending at record $1.26 billion for FY2024". news.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
  9. ↑ "University of Florida launches nation's first center for public interest communications". news.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
  10. ↑ "The emerging field of public interest communications HQ". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
  11. ↑ "Can behavioral science help make stories and reporting more complete?". Poynter. 2018-02-20. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
  12. ↑ "About". Center for Public Interest Communications. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
  13. ↑ Goodman, Andy (May 2017). "Two Must-Reads for Public Interest Communicators" (PDF). Goodman Center. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Teaching Tomorrow's Practitioners How to Communicate for the Public's Good". The Communications Network. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
  15. ↑ "UF to Offer Nation's First Master's in Public Interest Communications" . Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  16. ↑ "UF begins online master's degree in global strategic communication" . Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  17. ↑ "UF CJC Online Master's Specializations" . Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  18. ↑ "UF CJC Online Graduate Certificate" . Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  19. ↑ "The 15 Best Online Master's in Communications Programs" . Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Evan Kropp Named New Director of CJC Distance Education" . Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  21. ↑ Weprin, Alex. "ABC News Opens "Digital Bureaus" on College Campuses." Broadcasting & Cable 7 May 2008.
  22. ↑ Wayne, Ron. "students to report for national ABC News." Inside UF (University of Florida press release). 8 May 2008.
  23. ↑ "Dr. F.H. Teahan Chapter Awards Program". PRSSA. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.