The School is committed to diversity in all its missions of teaching, research and public service. We stress diversity of thought and opinion in our curriculum. The guiding philosophy in the School is that all students and faculty and staff members are enriched in an environment that reflects the diversity of the nation and the world.

Toward that end, we engage in numerous activities that enhance diversity in the School and attract and retain minority students and faculty members. Our efforts work toward increasing the diversity of people in professional mass communication as well.

We are firmly committed to enlarging our diversity. Minority students constitute roughly 16 percent of the School's enrollment. We also have six full-time faculty members of racial or ethnic minorities.

The School provides a well-rounded experience for minorities, combining scholarly and professional pursuits. Academically, the School offers scholarships and courses that explore multicultural topics. The School also has a Minority Affairs Committee.

Professionally, the School has forged strong ties to national and state diversity organizations, the National Association of Black Journalists and other ethnic professional associations, and the N.C. Press Association.

Contacts in the Profession

The School supports the Carolina Association of Black Journalists (CABJ), an active student chapter affiliated with the National Association of Black Journalists. The chapter has placed first as the best student chapter in the country and runner-up for two years. CABJ has organized for four years a weekend workshop for high school students.

With the School, the N.C. Press Association sponsors an annual minority job fair and all-day workshop. The School also takes part in American Society of Newspaper Editors’ job fairs. Each year, the School assists CABJ when it organizes minority students to participate in Howard University’s Job Fair. CABJ and faculty members are active participants in activities of the Triangle Association of Black Journalists.

The School’s Executive Education Program has sponsored seminars dealing with diversity issues. The School also has a diverse Board of Visitors with members from many areas of the mass communication profession.

Diversity Issues Courses
Besides the School’s core courses, several electives focus on minorities and minority issues, including Professor Richard Cole’s spring Mexico and Cuba travel-research course.

• JOMC 411/111, "Minorities and Communication" (3 credits). An examination of racial stereotypes and minority portrayals in U. S. culture and communication. Emphasis is on the portrayal of American Indians, African-Americans, Hispanics and Asian-Americans in the mass media.
• JOMC 342/112, "The Black Press and U.S. History" (Afro-American Studies) (3 credits). A chronological survey of the African-American press in the United States since 1827. Emphasis is on key people and issues during critical areas in the African-American experience.
• JOMC 446/146, "International Communication and Comparative Journalism" (3 credits). Topics include the flow of news and international propaganda, the role of communication in international relations, communication in the developing nations, and comparisons of mass media systems.
• JOMC 490, "Latino Media in the United States" (3 credits). An analysis of media portrayal of Latinos in the U.S. mainstream media, an examination of media catering to U.S. Latinos, and an examination of the way U.S. Latinos use multiple media offerings available to them.