Twelve Online Summer 2004
Twelveonline Volume 15, Issue 1
link to aejmc site
 
 
 

Felecia Jones Ross
CSM Chair
Ohio State

 Hayg Oshagan
Vice Chair
Wayne State

 Evonne H. Whitmore
Secretary
Kent State

Curtis Lawrence
Newsletter Editor
Columbia College Chicago

CSM Executive Committee
 
Lillie Fears
MAC Chair
Arkansas State University

Camilla Gant
MAC Vice Chair
University of West Georgia
 
Progressive Activism Is Needed
Let’s Systematically Monitor Diversity
By Felecia Jones Ross
CSM Chair

Greetings to everyone! At our annual meeting in San Francisco,we focused on giving diversity issues more consistent visibility in AEJMC. We suggested giving it more currency and visibility on the AEJMC website; we discussed asking AEJMC to give an annual "State of Diversity" report that would include the extent to which AEJMC membership reflects diversity, as well as the extent to which AEJMC conventions and other programs address diversity issues. Of course, we want to continue monitoring the state of diversity in mass communication education, as well as in the profession.

I'm pleased to report that AEJMC has re-designed its website and that the diversity database link is visible when we click on the search button. Updating the database remains to be a challenge. We need to develop a strategy to contact the subjects so that they can complete all of the fields, as well as identify and ask new subjects to be included.

In the coming months AEJMC will be focusing on capacity building, a strategic planning process that identifies AEJMC's strengths, weaknesses and future direction. During the Midwinter Board of Directors meeting, the extent to which AEJMC handles diversity was a prominent issue with respect to this planning. AEJMC will be creating teams to work on various aspects of the planning. The January issue of AEJMC News outlined this process as follows:
  • The creation of a design team to oversee the process
  • The creation of an environmental scan team to gather and assess data to get an idea of where AEJMC is now
  • The creation of a convention/roundtable team that will work on public roundtables during the 2007 and 2008 national conventions
  • The creation of a writing team that will write the final version of the strategic plan
  • The creation of a communication team that will provide progress reports to the members
This strategic planning is an excellent opportunity for us to assess the "State of Diversity," at least in AEJMC.  I am pleased to announce that I’ve been selected to serve on the Strategic Design Team which may create additional teams, but will set the direction of this plan. If there are issues that should be raised in this process, please let me know at ross.256@osu.edu.

I look forward to another year of leadership. I encourage your input. If we want to achieve the diversity we want, our progressive activism is needed.