We revised our curriculum 4 years ago and have been rolling in new courses each fall. This spring's graduating class is the first to go through completely under the new curriculum.
When it comes to skills courses, we shook up the order that they learned various skills. They take two production courses their freshman year (choosing from Online, Copyediting, Radio News production and TV News Photography).
In the past we taught them how to write before we taught them how to report. This way we've reversed the order. Their sophomore year everyone takes the Information Gathering course, no matter which medium they want to work in. We still break them apart to learn to write for either broadcast or print the semester after Info Gathering.
They finally put it all together their junior year with two semesters of News Practicum in which they report for the newspaper, radio station or TV. They can report for one medium fall semester and a different spring semester, if they wish.
All practicum students are together in one weekly class meeting where we discuss challenges and successes, watch/listen to newscasts and read the Student Voice online. Additionally they are required to critique randomly assigned stories on a weekly basis that can be from any of the student media.
And of course electives and theory courses fit in around all of these along with their general education and minor courses.
Sandy Ellis
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Sandy Ellis
Journalism Dept.
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
