In, but left out

Due to a reporting error, the original version of this story misstates that higher GPA requirements would affect current sophomores applying to the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.

Last spring, I received an email from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication notifying me of my acceptance to the school.

Apparently, my GPA was above the 2.9 requirement and — boom — I was admitted.

But current sophomores might not have it so easy. At a Sept. 16 meeting, the school’s faculty voted to raise the GPA requirement from 2.9 to 3.1. And even though the decision had no bearing on my future in the journalism school, I couldn’t have been more surprised. Neither could most of my classmates in Carroll Hall.

Of all the schools at UNC, the journalism school should put the most value on transparency, open meetings and publicizing those meetings. But no notice was given in the school’s newsletter or on the school’s website, said public relations professor Napoleon Byars, the school’s associate dean for undergraduate studies.

Byars said he had spoken with between 30 and 40 students about increasing the GPA before the vote. He said other professors had also discussed the increase with their students.

But that small number of students couldn’t possibly have spoken for all 830 students in the journalism school — including me — who didn’t have an equal chance to weigh in on this decision. Some didn’t know the increase was even being considered.

But that wasn’t the extent of my concerns. As a journalism major who also has an interest in chemistry, I worried that future applicants like me would find the increase discouraging, as science classes have slightly harsher grade distributions.

Granted, the increase in the GPA for admission is justified. The new GPA will better reflect recent trends in grade inflation and increase selectivity. And Byars said students who fall below the required GPA can join the school with special approval from the senior associate dean.

But the requirement could be sending a troubling signal to students with an interest in challenging science courses, especially at a time when the school is blazing the trail into science journalism.

Science journalism is a niche field with promise for growth in an otherwise struggling industry. The school has one of the only master’s programs in medical and science journalism in the nation. Byars said the school takes class choice into consideration when admitting students. But by increasing the GPA, UNC could be scaring away students who break the mold.

To ensure this isn’t the case, the school should put its public relations savvy to use and notify students that they stand a chance, even with GPA struggles.

Since this increase affects every student applying to the school in 2012, administrators should keep every student’s interests in mind, regardless of major.

As a student actively taking classes in the school, I heard nothing about the increase until after the vote. By then, the increase was official and there was no turning back.

The vote on the increase occurred at an open faculty meeting. Byars said that roughly two-thirds of the journalism school’s faculty meetings are open to the public. The school opts to close meetings when there are discussions involving personnel records. Aside from this, all other meetings are considered open to the public — but this doesn’t mean that the school is doing enough to inform its students.

If these meetings are open like Byars said they are, the school should let students know when they are. There are no meeting dates or agendas on the journalism school’s website. Notifications in the weekly journalism school newsletter of upcoming faculty meetings and decisions shouldn’t be too much to ask for.

Out of any professional school at UNC, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication should know to set a campuswide example for keeping everyone informed. As future journalists, the school’s students deserve more accessible information, especially when it concerns their education.