Department of Journalism & Mass Communication

Lyle Olson, Interim Department Head
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
Yeager Hall 211
605-688-4171
E-mail: lyle.olson@sdstate.edu
www.sdstate.edu/journalism-mass-communication

Faculty

Professors

Roxanne Lucchesi, Lyle Olson

Assistant Professors

Jessica Bertapelle, Brian Britt, Rebecca Britt, Rocky Dailey, Teri Finneman

Instructors

Terry L. Harris, James Helland

Emeritus

Mary Arnold, Charles Cecil, Jack Getz, Doris Giago, Ruth Laird, Richard Lee, Mary Perpich

Overview

South Dakota State University’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication’s mission is educating the next generation of media professionals – including journalists, advertising and public relations practitioners, teachers and researchers. To fulfill our land-grant university mission, the Department works with advertising, journalism, and public relations professionals, along with scholastic journalism, community and Native American partners through experiential learning and other endeavors.

Accreditation

The Department is accredited by the national accrediting body of journalism and mass communication, the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC). The Department has been accredited continuously since accrediting began in 1948.

Programs

Majors

Advertising (B.A./B.S.)
Agricultural Education, Communication and Leadership (B.S.) - Communication Specialization (with the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences)
Journalism (B.A./B.S.)
Public Relations (B.S.)

Minors

Graduate Programs*

Mass Communication (M.M.C.)
Communication Studies and Journalism (M.S.) - Journalism Specialization

* Graduate degrees are offered in collaboration with the Graduate School. For details, see the Graduate Catalog.

Facilities & Services

The former Printing and Rural Journalism Building was renamed Yeager Hall in recognition of the contributions of Anson and Ada May Yeager. Mr. Yeager was longtime editor of the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls. The Department moved into expanded and renovated facilities in 2000 that cost $2.4 million. The Yeager Media Center, completed in 2012, is a high-definition television and new media facility and the primary center for SDSU campus television and media production. Newly remodeled classrooms enhance teaching space in the modern educational facility. The Joe L. Floyd News Media Laboratory is connected to digital video and audio production suites. The second floor of Yeager Hall includes a conference room, a reading room, a student lounge, and individual offices for the Department’s faculty members.

Student Support & Engagement Opportunities

Students are invited to participate in one of the student organizations advised by faculty in the Department:

Advertising Club (Advised by Professor Roxanne Lucchesi)
Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (Advised by Lora Berg and Professor Lyle Olson)
Journalism Club (Advised by Assistant Professor Teri Finneman and Instructor Jim Helland)
Public Relations Student Society of America (Advised by Assistant Professor Jessica Bertapelle)