How are things in the J-school?

I am asked this question nearly every day. In an era of tight state budgets, alumni and friends are concerned about the School’s ability to maintain our tradition of excellence and innovation.

We are managing well in tough times. Student enrollment remains at an all-time high. In fall 2003, we enrolled more than 1,400 undergraduate majors and premajors and 82 graduate students. SOJC classes are full, even as we’ve expanded the number of course offerings and brought more area professionals into Allen Hall as adjunct professors.

And future demand looks strong. In fall 2003, journalism remained among the top four declared UO majors for incoming freshmen. About 450 prospective students and parents attended the first SOJC orientation sessions for the 2004 freshmen class.

At the same time, SOJC admission requirements are among the most demanding on campus. J-school students tell us that they are proud of the School’s reputation for challenging classes and rigorous standards.

Our students work hard and do well. The accomplishments reported in Flash are but a handful of the great stories we can tell about today’s students. Every indicator of student quality—from the higher grade point and SAT average scores of incoming UO freshmen (3.54 GPA and 1110 SAT) to the reports of internship providers and employers—tells an exciting story about SOJC students.

One example:
Steve Smith, ‘73, the editor of the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Wash., and a member of the Journalism Advancement Council, told the JAC that UO J-school graduates are known in Northwest newsrooms as journalists with strong journalism skills, good “street smarts” and a clear sense of ethical standards.

This is high praise.

How are we improving students’ educational experience in the face of state budget cuts?

The first element of the strategy is not popular, but it is essential to maintain quality: higher tuition. As state support for higher education declines, we are forced to raise tuition. This year, Oregon resident undergraduates are paying tuition of $4,875 to attend the UO and tuition for out-of-state undergraduates is $16,416. Even with higher tuition costs, the UO is still rated a “best buy” by the Fiske Guide to Colleges.

The second element is private philanthropy. It is impossible to overstate the importance of private giving. Because of the support of our alumni and friends, we provide nearly $250,000 a year in scholarships for SOJC students; have nearly completed the renovation of Allen Hall; created six endowed chairs and professorships and an endowed deanship; successfully competed for the best faculty; and funded student travel to competitions and conferences. I could go on.

Private giving makes the difference. It keeps the J-school among the best in the country and allows us to imagine and plan to be even better in the future.

So how are things going in the J-school? They are good and getting better. We have great students, a faculty with outstanding national and international credentials, a talented and committed staff and an almost completely renovated Allen Hall.

With your support, we will continue to build on the School’s tradition and strengths to provide the best possible education for J-school students.

—Tim Gleason

P.S. We are beginning a design review of Flash. Please let me know your thoughts about ways in which we can improve Flash or any other aspect of the SOJC. My email address is tgleason@uoregon.edu.