AEJMC Equity & Diversity Award

Call for Nominations

The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) is seeking nominations (self-nominations are welcome) for the 2013 AEJMC Equity & Diversity Award.

This award recognizes journalism and mass communication academic units – which may be an entire program, school or department, or a smaller sub-unit – that have implemented innovative approaches to increasing racial, gender and/or ethnic equity and diversity over the previous three years.

Applications should provide evidence of demonstrable success in one or more of these areas:

  1. Ensuring a climate free of discrimination;
  2. Improving curriculum and programming;
  3. Providing mentoring or other support for faculty, staff and students from under-represented groups;
  4. Recruiting, hiring and retaining faculty and staff from under-represented groups; and
  5. Other equity and diversity areas not listed above.

The 2013 Equity & Diversity Award will be presented during the 2013 AEJMC conference (Aug. 8 through 11, 2013) at the Renaissance Washington, D.C. Downtown Hotel. In addition, the AEJMC president will visit the winning academic unit to make an on-campus presentation of the award in 2013-14 academic year.

Application Deadline: March 15, 2013

Any AEJMC or ASJMC member, faculty member within the nominated unit, or the head of the nominated unit may submit an application. Self-nominations are welcome. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Eastern time, March 15, 2013. Please address any questions to:

Dr. Deb Aikat
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
CB # 3365, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3365.
Email: da@unc.edu | Phone number: 919-962-4090

The AEJMC Equity and Diversity Award Advisory Committee, composed of AEJMC members, will select the winner based on the award criteria (read more details below). The committee reserves the right not to present an award in any given year.

Previous Recipients

This AEJMC Equity & Diversity Award was inaugurated in 2009. The previous recipients are:

- University of Southern California Annenberg School of Journalism (2012),
- Texas State University School of Journalism and Mass Communication (2011),
- Elon University School of Communications (2010), and
- Louisiana State University Manship School of Mass Communication (2009).

Award Criteria

The selection committee will evaluate innovative efforts over the past three years in these areas:

  1. Climate: The academic unit nurtures a supportive climate of diversity and successfully strives to be free of discrimination. Examples of evidence include curriculum and programming initiatives; positive faculty, staff and student perceptions, and an environment free of recent grievances related to equity or diversity.
  2. Institutional Support: The academic unit offers formal support for equity and diversity initiatives. Examples of evidence include materials related to mentoring activities or other support for faculty, staff and students.
  3. Recruitment, Hiring and Retention of Faculty and Staff: The academic unit has made successful efforts to recruit, hire and retain faculty and staff from historically under-represented groups and communities. Examples of evidence include retention efforts, relevant tenure and promotion rates, salary equity etc.
  4. Other Initiatives to Foster Diversity: The academic unit has initiated other equity and diversity efforts not listed above. Examples of evidence include relevant activities such as outreach to underserved communities and cooperation with industry, government and other entities, alumni programs, scholastic media initiatives etc.

Required Application Materials

The following application materials are required:

a) A cover letter or e-mailed text that includes contact person’s name, phone number and e-mail address; the title and address of nominated unit and its parent institution; and the name and title of unit’s head.

b) A letter from the unit head in support of the nomination.

c) Two additional letters of support.

d) A completed EDA Demographics Form that describes the unit’s faculty, staff and students, the degrees it confers, among other information. The form is available on the AEJMC website at http://www.aejmc.org/home/scholarship/aejmc-awards/

e) A narrative of no more than four double-spaced pages describing the equity and diversity efforts of the academic unit with attention to the points list in the “Award Criteria” section of this call. The narrative may include goals, actions steps, and outcomes related to creating a work environment that promotes equity and diversity.

Applications may include additional materials, such as description of specific institutional policies or legislation outlining diversity opportunities or barriers, and documentation of other awards received.

Complete applications MUST BE COLLATED INTO A DIGITAL FILE and sent as an email attachment to Dr. Deb Aikat (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) at da@unc.edu.

Mention “AEJMC-Diversity” in the subject line of your email submission. Only e-mailed applications will be accepted. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Eastern time, March 15, 2013. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Late applications will be included in the 2014 competition.

About AEJMC

AEJMC is the oldest and largest alliance of journalism and mass communication educators and administrators at the college level. Founded in 1912, AEJMC is a nonprofit, educational association of some 3,700 journalism and mass communication educators, students, and media professionals from across the globe. The Association’s mission is to advance education in journalism and mass communication to the end of achieving better professional practice, a better informed public, and wider human understanding. Read more about AEJMC at http://www.aejmc.org/.

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