ABSTRACT
Telecommunications programs typically are distinguished by a high number of student majors served by a small number of faculty. This chapter discusses how a portfolio approach can meet institutional assessment needs while, at the same time, creating a “trickle down effect” that benefits multiple aspects of the telecommunication program’s operations. It presents a cost-effectiveness case for a hybrid assessment plan that blends two evaluative procedures: the capstone course and the exit examination. Telecommunications programs often produce a large number of graduates and the Broadcast & Cinematic Arts Department was no exception. Media practitioners constantly remind telecommunications educators that the kind of graduates they seek for entry-level positions are those who both write well and are well versed in the liberal arts and sciences. But telecommunications educators also know from experience that employers value graduates who can additionally demonstrate competence in the basic practical skills of the profession.
