The other day I posted my answer to a question posed by the Journalism/Mass Comm School here at St. Bonaventure. In a nutshell, all of us were asked what three things we think it’s essential that our students know when they graduate.

The full list of faculty answers has now been compiled, and I thought I’d share it with you. Good people I work with, to be sure….
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Lee Coppola (Dean, J/MC)

I would be [upset] if, at graduation, our students…

1–Did not know how to communicate effectively with a specific audience of their choice

2–Did not consider the ramifications of their decisions on others and on society as a whole, and did not exhibit compassion and care in dealing with others.

3–Were not prepared to be participatory and knowledgeable citizens in their various communities.

John Hanchette

They need a better grasp of how personal finances work — not only for reporting opportunities but for their own lives. There will be no traditional retirement funds by the time they’re contemplating an end of work (nor for you, for that matter).

They will need to know how the stock markets work, for their 401(k)s and successor programs will carry their financial futures. They will need to know about taxes and assessments, because it will dictate where they live. They will need to know about government budgets, because they have at least some input. They will need to know about the monies involved in health insurance, because there will be about a thousand options. Etc.

Carole McNall

1. Write clearly, with correct use of the English language

2. Research critically, meaning to be properly skeptical of sources until you know why you should trust them

3. Be able to shift gears and quickly pick up at least some information about almost any subject

Sam Smith

1. Our students need to be able, when presented with a new, novel or obscure subject, to quickly and effectively research their way to the information they need to understand and analyze it.

2. When presented with a new subject, or when confronted by new information on a topic (especially if that information is in some way misleading), they need the tools required to think their way to the truth of the matter before them. We live in an age of information overload, and what is needed isn’t information or MORE information – what we need are FILTERS. Our grads need to be walking, talking credibility assessment machines.

3. Our students, when they leave school, need to have the integrity and courage required to stand up in the face of convention and challenge those who would shape our society through deception, misdirection and the suppression of truth.

Basil Valente

Our students need to…

1. communicate successfully and therefore embrace a fulfilling career;

2. integrate their learning and critical thinking skills and therefore apply multiple disciplines on the job;

3. understand the Franciscan dimension of a St. Bonaventure education and therefore apply this understanding to an ethical approach in their J/MC careers.

Patrick Vecchio

Our students need to know…

1. How to write a unified, coherent, error-free story (or memo, or press release, or advertising sales proposal, or internal corporate document, etc.) that reflects the writer’s awareness of the piece’s audience and purpose.

2. How their work affects people, for good or for ill, and how powerful that effect can be.

3. How to recognize and overcome biases, prejudices and limited viewpoints (including their own) so that they can communicate effectively in a world that is much more diverse than the world under the Bona Bubble.

4. That “Exile on Main Street” is the greatest rock ‘n’ roll album ever made.

Paul Wieland

1– how to write in clear, concise English
2– a basic understanding of the media and culture
3– An ethical grounding in the profession (craft…whatever)

Denny Wilkins

— write a news story that demonstrates error-free language use, an understanding of what the news is, and an understanding of why the news is important.

— understand the moral and ethical consequences of their professional activities.

— understand the meaning of citizenship in the context of their professional activities and their personal lives.