UNIVERSITIES Ohio regents officially OK journalism major at YSU

Approval is still pending for the master of fine arts in creative writing.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Ohio Board of Regents has granted final approval of an official journalism major at Youngstown State University.
Previously, students who wanted to major in journalism had to follow an individualized curriculum plan.
"This has been coming for about five years," said Dr. Dale Harrison, director of the journalism program. At that time, one student was majoring in journalism, today there are 57.
Without an official journalism program, Harrison said, "it took incredible recruiting efforts to get good students."
With an official program, recruiting should be easier and the number of students enrolled in the program should grow even quicker, he said, adding, "This is a very exciting time for journalism in the Valley."
No extra courses: The new major is effective immediately and will not require the addition of any courses. "We have a full complement of courses from basic journalism to press law," Harrison said. The number of class sessions offered, however, has been increasing steadily as the number of students pursuing journalism degrees under the individualized curriculum program has grown.
The new major will likely result in the addition of a tenured faculty position within the next year, Harrison said.
This would not be a new position, he clarified, but the transformation of a full-time temporary position that has been renewed on an annual basis for the past several years.
MFA approval: YSU is still waiting for approval of a master of fine arts in creative writing.
The MFA will be a joint program with the University of Akron, Cleveland State University and Kent State University.