The following Hall School of Journalism and Communication students were named Outstanding in their majors this year:

• Outstanding Graduate Student – Robbyn Brooks Taylor
• Outstanding Broadcast Journalism Student – Danielle Percival
• Outstanding Communication Studies Student – Aaron Wine
• Outstanding Multimedia Journalism Student – Tyler Spivey

HSJC/JAA Outstanding Alumni Awards were given to:

• Print Journalism – Robbyn Brooks Taylor
• Broadcast Journalism – Tom Foreman
• Public Relations – Gerrianne Plant Miller
• Outstanding Service – Faith West Ward

These awards were given on April 6, 2013, at the HSJC/JAA Awards Banquet on the Troy campus.

The Troy University Undergraduate Academic Council approved several changes to the Hall School’s courses. These include:

• JRN 2220 Introduction to Advertising is now ADJ 2220 Introduction to Advertising
• JRN 3322 Advertising Copywriting is now ADJ 3322 Advertising Copywriting
• JRN 3350 Advertising Sales is now ADJ 3350 Advertising Sales
• JRN 4451 Advertising Media Planning is now ADJ 4451 Advertising Media Planning
• JRN 2230 Introduction to Public Relations is now PRJ 2230 Introduction to Public Relations
• JRN 3321 Public Relations Cases and Strategies is now PRJ 3321 Public Relations Cases and Strategies
• JRN 4419 Advanced Public Relations Tactics is now PRJ 4419 Advanced Public Relations Tactics
• JRN 4423 Public Relations Case Studies is now PRJ 4423 Public Relations Case Studies

CHANGES IN COURSE LEVELS:

• JRN 2210 Global Journalism and International Media Systems is now JRN 3380 Global JRN and International Media Systems
• JRN 2203 Broadcast News Writing is now JRN 3360 Broadcast News Writing

NEW COURSES:

• COM 3360 Communication Research
• COM 3365 Fundamental of Speechwriting
• COM 4460 Crisis Communication

REACTIVATED COURSE:

• JRN 3375 Public Relations Writing as PRJ 3375 Public Relations Writing

CHANGES IN HSJC MINORS:

• Multimedia Journalism (This replaces the broadcast and print minors)
• Advertising
• Public Relations
• Public Information

CHANGES IN HSJC MAJOR ELECTIVES:

• The Group II Major Electives for Communication Studies, Multimedia Journalism and Broadcast Journalism are now any ADJ, COM, JRN or PRJ 3000 or 4000 level courses.

CHANGE IN MAJOR NAME:

• The Troy Undergraduate Academic Council approved the action taken by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education that changed the name of the Hall School’s print major to Multimedia Journalism.

These changes are effective starting the Fall 2013 semester.

Hall School of Journalism and Communication students won five Mark of Excellence Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists Region Three. Congratulations to the following students:

• Edward Bailey (Tropolitan) for In-Depth Reporting (Medium)
• Andrew Clay (Tropolitan) for Sports Column Writing (Medium)
• Natalie Boyd (Troy Public Radio) for Radio Feature
• Natalie Boyd and Paul Boger (Troy Public Radio) for Radio Feature
• Brandon Murray (Tropolitan) for Editorial Cartooning (Medium)

The awards will be presented during the Region 3 SPJ Convention in Atlanta on March 15 and 16.

As you know, Monday, March 18 is the first day back from the Troy Campus spring break.  Students who are planning to drop or withdraw should consider doing so prior to spring break.

Any student who fails to drop or withdraw by 12:01 a.m. Tuesday March 19 will be assessed a grade (or grades) in their classes.  Typically offered reasons for failing to complete the drop or withdrawal process (“advisor was not available,” “forgot to do this,” “had to go to work,” etc) will not be sufficient to warrant a review for an administrative drop/withdrawal.

Students can drop individual courses online.  However, students may not withdraw from all of their classes using the online system.  Students wishing to withdraw from all of their classes must come to the Student Development office in Eldridge Hall.

Troy University’s Undergraduate Academic Council approved the Hall School’s proposal to replace the Public Relations and Advertising contracts with minors. These minors will be phased in as quickly as possible.

If you currently have a PR or advertising contact, you will be allowed a reasonable time to complete it. No additional contracts in these areas will be allowed.

The Sports Information and Photojournalism contracts will continue to be offered.

In other actions, the Undergraduate Academic Council approved new minors in Multimedia Journalism and Public Information. The Multimedia Journalism minor replaces both the Broadcast and Print Journalism minors. The UAC also approved revisions in the Communication Studies, Multimedia Journalism and Broadcast Journalism majors.

Please see you academic adviser for more information about these changes.

Congratulations to our students and all involved in the Best of the South Awards given Friday night, Feb. 22, 2013, at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., at the Southeast Journalism Conference meeting.

Troy won these awards:

• First place (tied with Southeastern Louisiana) for Best College Television Station
• First place to Baillee Majors for Best Television News Feature Reporter
• Second place to Danielle Percival for the onsite competition for News Reporting
• Second place for Best College Video News Program
• Third place to Courtney Steele for Best Television Hard News Reporter

Starting T4/2013, the Hall School of Journalism and Communication will double the number of graduate classes offered each term. This addition is in response to the strong growth in students enrolling in the Hall School’s new Master of Science in Strategic Communication degree program being offered through eTROY.

The graduate classes scheduled during the T4/2013 term are:

• COM 6605 – Strategic Communication Theories (Professor: Dr. Hoppin)
• COM 6620 – Contemporary Issues in Strategic Communication (Professor: Dr. Sarapin)
• COM 6630 – Strategic Communication and Emerging Media (Professor: Dr. Padgett)
• COM 6691 – Strategic Communication Inquiry and Research (Professor: Dr. Colaco)

“The Hall School is known for offering an innovative and state-of-the-art curriculum plus having an outstanding faculty,” said HSJC Director Dr. Steven Padgett. “The School’s Strategic Communication graduate degree program is an exciting, challenging and cutting-edge program enjoying a period of dynamic growth.” There are currently more than nine times as many students in this program than projected.

This exciting and cutting-edge graduate degree program can be completed in one year and all classes are taught via the World Wide Web. That means you can continue building your career while earning the graduate degree needed for advancement.

Contact Dr. Bridgette Colaco, the Hall School’s Graduate Program Officer, for more information about the Master of Science in Strategic Communication program.

The Alabama Commission on Higher Education approved renaming the Hall School of Journalism and Communication’s print journalism program to multimedia journalism. This change recognizes the dramatic changes taking place in the field and the Hall School’s aggressive efforts to teach the cognitive and technical skills needed to succeed as vital communication leaders in journalism’s digital and multimedia future.

Dr. Padgett

Hall School director Dr. Steven Padgett said, “New and developing technologies are transforming how people interact with the mass media and how the media inform the public. Troy University has a rich tradition of providing journalism and communication students with the skills needed to have distinguished careers. The Hall School’s degree programs have moved beyond simply teaching the traditional skills and are adding how to tell compelling and interactive stories that engage the global audience via the Internet through text, audio, photos, illustrations, video plus digital, mobile and social media. We are multiplatform and multimedia.”

The Hall School’s students continue to learn how to be ethical, critical thinkers and excellent writers. The multimedia aspect weaves together the strong traditions of journalism’s past with its exciting and digital future.

“We are thrilled about our print program’s new name and our plans for the future,” said Dr. Padgett. “This is an amazing time to be a Hall School student as we stretch the traditional boundaries of communications and prepare the industry’s future leaders.”

Prof. Stewart

Professor Steve Stewart said, “Print journalism remains vital, as does broadcasting. But the Internet is constantly introducing new ways of producing and consuming news, and there are few sharp lines anymore among publishing companies. On the Internet, newspaper companies provide sound and video, broadcast companies provide text, and radio broadcasters provide visual media. Some companies and individuals publish only on the Internet. Publishers collaborate with other publishers and with readers to produce content. Our goal is to prepare students to do journalism on all platforms, and to teach them to innovate and adapt fast. We want our students and graduates to offer employers, including newspaper companies, the skills, flexibility, vision and sound judgment necessary to publish outstanding journalism, today and in the future.”

Contact the Hall School of Journalism and Communication to learn how to become a Troy University student or to enroll as an undergraduate degree-seeking student in Multimedia Journalism.

The Hall School of Journalism and Communication’s recent J-Day event was another great success. Feedback from both students and faculty members attending this year was very positive.

J-Day was attended by 399 students and teachers this year. Some of the well-attended sessions included:

• Using social media
• Digital photography
• Television news and production
• Student press law
• Yearbooks
• Sports reporting
• Layout and design
• Digital media

Comments from J-Day are being evaluated and will be used to improve next year’s J-Day.

The Hall School of Journalism and Communication welcomes more than 350 high school students to J-Day on Thursday, September 27. These students are on campus to learn about multimedia journalism.

The J-Lab will be closed Thursday morning for J-Day. The lab will reopen Thursday afternoon.