The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) voted unanimously to reaccredit the undergraduate and graduate programs in St. Bonaventure University’s Jandoli School of Communication on Friday, May 3.

The council accredits 119 journalism and mass communication programs, just 19 of which are at private universities, like St. Bonaventure.

“For 75 years, this program has been producing ethical and committed journalists and communicators who make a difference with their work,” said Aaron Chimbel, dean of the Jandoli School. “This reaccreditation is a testament to the exceptional effort by students, alumni, faculty and staff over many years and a nod to the bright future ahead for the Jandoli School.”

Russell J. Jandoli founded the journalism department at St. Bonaventure in 1949. In 1992, a year after Jandoli’s death, the program was renamed the Russell J. Jandoli Department of Journalism and Mass Communication. In 1995, the program was elevated to school status and became the Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The school was renamed the Jandoli School of Communication in 2016 to better reflect its diverse offerings.

Programs are evaluated by ACEJMC on eight standards: Mission, Governance and Administration; Curriculum and Instruction; Assessment of Learning Outcomes; Diversity and Inclusiveness; Faculty; Student Services; Resources, Facilities and Equipment; and Professional and Public Service.

The ACEJMC Accrediting Committee voted unanimously in March to support the school’s reaccreditation.

A team of five distinguished professionals and academics reviewed the Jandoli School during a site visit in November. The visitors included Dr. Joe Foote (chair), former dean of the University of Oklahoma’s journalism school; Charlotte Hall, former editor of the Orlando Sentinel; Cheryl Procter-Rogers, a PR strategist and executive coach/director for Ernst & Young’s coaching practice and former national president and CEO of the Public Relations Society of America; Dr. James Stewart, mass communication department head and professor at Nicholls State University in Louisiana; and Diane McFarlin, former dean of the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida and former executive editor and publisher of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, who reviewed graduate programs remotely.

The Jandoli School sought initial accreditation during the 2016-2017 academic year and received full initial accreditation in 2019.

The Jandoli School offers seven undergraduate degrees and four online master’s programs.

For more information about the school, visit www.sbu.edu/Communication.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #6 for value and #14 for innovation by U.S. News and World Report (2024).