Iona College's Mass Communication and Public Relations Programs Receive Renewal for Full Accreditation

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (May 2011) The Iona College Mass Communication and Public Relations programs has received renewal for full accreditation from the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC). The full council of ACEJMC unanimously accepted the recommendations of the site team and the Accrediting Committee to renew full accreditation for Iona"s undergraduate Mass Communication and graduate Public Relations programs. Iona was first accredited by this prestigious agency in 2003 and this represents the renewal of that standing.

ACEJMC accredits only 6 programs in New York State: Buffalo State, Syracuse, Columbia, Hofstra, NYU, and Iona. There are currently 112 programs nationally that have received this distinction out of the 550 programs available nationwide. The accreditation process is repeated every six years with the department undergoing a year-long self study followed by a team site visit of educators and professionals who are members of ACEJMC. The main purpose of the site visit is to check whether the program is true to its stated goals in mass communication education. "The process is rigorous but rewarding and positions Iona as a high quality program in mass communication education," Br. Raymond Smith, CFC, PhD, chair of Iona's Mass Communications department.

Founded in 1940, Iona College is a four-year private, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers and American Catholic higher education. It is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona offers undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science, and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs.

For questions or more information please contact:
Dawn Insanalli
Public Relations Office
Iona College, 715 North Avenue, New Rochelle, N.Y. 10801
Office: (914) 637-2726
Fax: (914) 637-2711
dinsanalli@iona.edu