RECEIVED AND APPROVED BY THE SENATE RESEARCH COMMITTEE 3/15/2010
February 23, 2010
To: Senate Research Committee
Academic Programs Review Committee
From: Research Center Review Subcommittee of the Senate Research Committee
Re: Review of the “Center for International Media Education” (CIME)
As part of the APACE academic review process of the Department of Communication in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Research Center Review Subcommittee of the Senate Research Committee reviewed CIME. This review was based entirely on the CIME review document provided by the center Director, Dr. Leonard Ray Teel, Professor of Communication.
Center History
CIME was created in 1997, with the CIME Director reporting to the Chair of the Department of Communication. There are three current faculty members (including the CIME Director) who are assigned to CIME activities. This original organizational structure remains today. The CIME report indicates that, while not designated as interdisciplinary, it works with faculty in various disciplines and colleges and with other universities. The report states that current partners in funded and potential grants include the Robinson College of Business, the College of Education, the Middle East Institute, the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and the University of Missouri-Columbia. The original center goals included the following:
1. To enhance and advance partnerships established between Middle East
universities and Georgia State University to provide more opportunities for
collaboration and knowledge exchange among scholars from the Middle East
and the United States.
2. To elevate the recognition of Georgia State University and the Department of
Communication’s academic programs nationally and internationally.
3. To enrich the academic programs of the Department of Communication with
professional, academic and research experience gathered through CIME’s
activities to develop journalism and communication curricula with international
and interdisciplinary emphasis.
4. To develop new research agendas through international academic conferences,
personnel exchange programs, and other academic activities.
5. To encourage undergraduate and graduate scholars in the Department of
Communication to participate in learning and research by organizing forums,
supporting conference presentations, and providing platforms for publishing.
6. To recruit to the Department prospective undergraduate and graduate students.
These goals have evolved over time to now include the following:
1. To establish and maintain educational and research relationships with leading
universities in China, and extend the Center’s network to additional countries in
the Middle East, creating new opportunities for the Department faculty and
students.
2. To develop, in cooperation with leading Chinese universities, academic
exchanges and study abroad programs, to enhance opportunities for graduate
students and faculty in the Department.
3. To provide educational outreach to Atlanta’s Latino media professionals,
thereby extending the Department’s opportunities for faculty and students and
strengthening the University’s relationship with the surrounding community.
4. To help retain undergraduate and graduate students, especially students from
Atlanta’s growing Latino community.
Center Funding
Since it’s inception in 1997, CIME has received 21% of its total funding from the College of Arts and Sciences ($25K x 5 years as startup funds; and $17K from China Pre-Olympics Project). The remaining 79% of its funding has come from external sources, totaling $535,990. See Table 1 for a summary of internal (fund code 10) and external funding in CIME.
Table 1: CIME fundingYear / Source / Internal $ / External $
1997 / Arts & Sciences (Fund Code 10) / 25,000 / 0
1998 / Arts & Sciences (Fund Code 10) / 25,000 / 0
1999 / Arts & Sciences (Fund Code 10) / 25,000 / 0
2000 / Arts & Sciences (Fund Code 10) / 25,000 / 0
2001 / Arts & Sciences (Fund Code 10) / 25,000 / 0
2002 / 0 / 0
2003 / 0 / 0
2004 / US State Department
US Embassy, Cairo / 0 / 99,998
35,000
2005 / US State Department / 0 / 99,998
2006 / US State Department
Communication University of China / 0 / 99,998
1,000
2007 / US State Department
China Pre-Olympics Project (Fund Code 10) / 17,000 / 99,998
0
2008 / US State Department / 0 / 99,998
2009 / 0 / 0
Totals / $142,000 / $535,990
Total Internal and External Funding / $677,990
Average Annual External Funding Since Inception / $41,230
CIME Scholarly Productivity (From 3 Faculty Associated with Center)
4 Refereed journal articles
1 Book
2 Book chapters
1 Invited, non-refereed Journal article
Other Observations
The initial goal of CIME was to enhance partnerships between Middle East universities and Georgia State University, and to provide collaborations between these entities. This initial goal was enlarged to include China and to provide educational outreach to Atlanta’s Latino media professionals. Despite these goals, it appears that much of the work of CIME has been through its “…continuous support of the Arab-US Association for Communication Educators (AUSACE),” which, it appears, provides a narrower focus than the initial goal of partnering with Middle East universities. Although not stated as a goal (old or new), CIME does work that includes Central Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Persian Gulf. As part of it’s work with AUSACE, CIME launched a new academic research journal, The Journal of Middle East Media. Faculty members involved in CIME have not used this journal as a publication outlet.
Summary
It is the assessment of the Research Center Review Subcommittee that the Center for International Media Education (CIME) has not met the goals and expectations of a Research Center. The Evaluation of Research Centers at GSU states that research center evaluations will “…be based upon evidence of extramural support generated for the programs in the center, publication records of faculty affiliated with the center, and training students and research associates affiliated with the center.” There are no data provided in the center document that clearly describe the number of students and research associates who have benefited by the presence of the center. In addition, the publication and funding history of the CIME-associated faculty are minimal given the number of years that CIME has been in operation. While contacts have been made with a variety of groups, primarily through CIME’s Director, it remains unclear how the center structure enabled these contacts.
Therefore, the Subcommittee recommends that in the Department of Communication’s Action Plan, the Center Director and affiliate faculty address the expectations that a Research Center generates external grant support to enhance affiliate faculty research and to develop programs and opportunities to enhance graduate student research activities. Without such plans, the Center should not continue to receive the designation of a Research Center.
CIME Review, Page 1