UNT journalism school and its graduate institute receive diversity award from AEJMC

Monday, August 8, 2016 - 14:06

DENTON (UNT), Texas -- The Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas and the school's Frank W. Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism have received the 2016 Equity & Diversity Award from the Association of Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Mayborn representatives received the award at the AEJMC's annual conference, held Aug. 4-7 in Minneapolis.

Presented annually since 2009 to one college or university journalism or mass communication academic program, the Equity & Diversity Award recognizes a program that has attained measurable success and innovation in racial, gender and ethnic equity and diversity over the past three years. The Mayborn School received this year's award for its commitment to increasing the enrollment and retention of students of color and hiring more diverse faculty.

Dorothy Bland, dean of the Mayborn School of Journalism and Graduate Institute of Journalism director, called the award "a national honor and testament to the fine work being done by our faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders."

During the 2014-15 academic year, 22.13 percent of the Mayborn School's more than 1,000 students were Hispanic, while 18.07 percent were African-American. These percentages were larger than those for the entire UNT student population. In addition, females make up the majority of Mayborn students, and retention rates for all of the school's students run 3 percent to 5 percent higher than the university overall.

The Mayborn School also was recognized for:

  • Hiring more faculty members of color and female faculty.
  • Offering two upper-level courses that focus specifically on race and gender in the media and including diversity and cultural sensitivity components in courses for advertising, comparative media studies, news writing and other academic areas.
  • Offering faculty-led study abroad programs to London and Mexico that attract students of color, and launching a new program in Japan this summer that is expected to further increase the diversity of students choosing to study abroad.
  • Increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of speakers at the annual Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference, which the Graduate Institute of Journalism has offered since 2005, and collaborating with the Dallas Morning News to provide conference scholarships to students of color.
  • Hosting the 2104 Barbara Jordan Media Awards ceremony and luncheon, which honors coverage of disability issues by Texas media.

About the Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism:

Established in 2009, the Mayborn School of Journalism offers undergraduate degrees with concentrations in advertising, broadcast journalism, photojournalism, print/digital journalism and public relations.

The school also houses the free-standing Frank W. Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism, which administers the only nationally-accredited professional master's degree program at a Texas college or university. The institute was founded in 1999 after UNT received a gift from the Frank W. and Sue Mayborn Foundation. Frank W. Mayborn was the longtime editor, publisher and owner of the Temple Daily Telegram and the Killeen Daily Herald in Central Texas and owner of KCEN-TV, Temple's NBC affiliate.

About the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication:

Founded in 1912, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication is a nonprofit organization of more than 3,700 educators, students and practitioners from around the globe. Its mission includes promoting the highest possible standards for journalism and mass communication education.

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