In 2023-2024, the college continued to expand the Experience Lab, initially launched in the fall of 2021. Student enrollment in the Experience Lab grew from 131 in 2021-2022 to 229 in 2022-2023, to 530 in 2023-2024.
The college expanded the number of professionals in residence providing mentorship to Experience Lab Students from 13 in fall 2021 and 17 in spring 2022 to 21 in fall 2023 and 21 in spring 2024.
The college hired 13 students to serve as Experience Lab leads in fall 2023 and 14 in spring 2024. Mark Matousek, a 1977 college graduate, and his wife, Chris, established the Matousek Award for Student Leadership, which provides a $1,000 scholarship to each Experience Lab lead.
In the fall of 2023, the college launched a seventh Experience Lab program, Production House. Production House offers photography, videography and livestreaming services to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Lincoln community clients.
Heartland Webzine also rebranded to Heartland Pulse to reflect a shift away from long-form public relations and towards content marketing.
Jill Martin and Dave Remund served as Experience Lab co-directors and seven faculty members were engaged as faculty liaisons.
- Buoy: Dave Remund
- Heartland Pulse: Randy Hawthorne
- KRNU: Rick Alloway
- Unlimited Sports: Jason Stamm
- Nebraska Nightly: Ken Fischer
- Nebraska News Service: Jill Martin
- Production House: Kristian Anderson
The strategic planning committee focused on developing a portfolio requirement unique to each student’s strength in partnership with the undergraduate curriculum committee. Their joint efforts resulted in a portfolio requirement approved by the college faculty on May 10, 2024, as part of an updated assessment plan. The portfolio requirement is embedded throughout the curriculum:
- Introduction to Portfolio (JOMC 130): Students will receive instruction on identifying and compiling portfolio-worthy work.
- Online Portfolio Development (JOMC 20): Students must establish and submit an online portfolio, including a resume.
- Major-Specific Writing Courses: Students in all relevant courses (e.g., ADPR 221, JOUR 200B, SPMC 250, BRDC 260) must submit a portfolio link containing an updated resume and a set number of work samples.
- Research Course: Students must submit a portfolio link with an updated resume and a progressive number of work samples.
- Final Portfolio Submission (JOMC 098): Students must submit a portfolio link with an updated resume and at least five pieces of work. Additionally, they will be required to seek feedback from a non-faculty professional on their portfolio. (Request sent via email to document completion of this requirement)
The college relaunched international travel for the Global Eyewitness program in January 2024 with a three-week trip to Vietnam, which included nine students. Additionally, 19 other CoJMC students participated in study abroad experiences this year.
The college also completed a transition for journalism and broadcasting Experience Lab programs, including Nebraska News Service, Nebraska Nightly, Unlimited Sports and Heartland Pulse. During the summer of 2024, the college will work to establish websites for Buoy and Production House within the university’s Drupal 10 system.
| Strategy | Status | |
| 1 | Identify major-related experiential learning opportunities across the college | Finished |
| 2 | Establish multi-semester, multi-credit student-lead practicum programs, required for all undergraduate majors and optional for graduate students | Finished |
| 3 | Engage faculty in Experiential Learning Lab (ELL) administration and oversight | Finished |
| 4 | Train and develop student leaders to serve as the editors, producers and team leads across the ELL programs | Finished |
| 5 | Secure technology and physical space to effectively deliver the ELL programs and make learning visible across the college, campus and community | Finished |
| 6 | Establish a transcriptable portfolio requirement unique to each student’s strengths, experiences and career aspirations | In Progress |
| 7 | Engage industry partners as professionals in residence (PIRs) to design real world learning experiences in the ELL, mentor students and evaluate portfolios | Finished |
| Proposed Amendment | ||
| 8 | Develop a suite of required career readiness modules focused on portfolio development, working with a mentor, professional networking, job prospecting, industry ethics, resume and portfolio polishing, pitching and interviewing | In Progress |
| Proposed Amendment | ||
| 9 | Develop opportunities for students to co-create experiential learning opportunities through research assistantships, internships, study abroad, community engagement, student leadership and programs like Real World. | In Progress |
| 10 | Increase our offerings of faculty-led study abroad programs | In Progress |
| 11 | Create a centralized web portal for the learning lab including all ELL programs and experiential learning courses such as Nebraska News Service, Depth Reporting, Global Eyewitness, Mosaic, Nebraska Nightly, KRNU, Unlimited Sports, Fox Sports U, Capstone, Jacht, Buoy, Heartland and a new Media Strategy and Analytics Lab | In Progress |
Proposed Amendments
- Amend strategy 8 to read, “Develop a suite of required career readiness modules focused on portfolio development, working with a mentor, professional networking, job prospecting, industry ethics, resume and portfolio polishing, pitching and interviewing.
- Amend strategy 9 to read, “Develop opportunities for students to co-create experiential learning opportunities through research assistantships, internships, study abroad, community engagement, student leadership and programs like Real World.”
Review of the targets
Targets | 20-21 | 21-22 | 22-23 | 23-24 | 25-26 (Goal) |
| 60% of undergraduate majors enrolled in or completed the practicum[1] | 13% | 24.2% | 43% | 60 | |
| 80% of graduating seniors a professional portfolio | 80 | ||||
| Study abroad participation[2] | 26 | 13 | 22 | 31 | 29 |
| Increase first-semester freshmen by 15%[3] | 142 | 147 | 171 | 181 | 163 |
| Increase total college enrollment by 10%[4] | 1137 | 1051 | 1010 | 1043 | 1250 |
| First-second year retention rate of 88.5%[5] | 91.1% | 85.1% | 87.7% | 91.2% | 88% |
| Six-year graduation rate of 79%[6] | 77.6% | 79.5% | 68.7% | 64.3% | 79% |
| Four-year graduation rate of 57%[7] | 56.7% | 50.3% | 61.6% | 61.7% | 57% |
| First Destination Rate (employment, education or military service) of 58%[8] | 58.9% | 58% | 62.3% | 66.7% | 58% |
[1] Total number of students enrolled in experience lab courses, JOMC 197, 297 and 396 divided by the total fall 2023 undergraduate enrollment.
[2] Figures provided by the Office of Education Abroad.
[3] Figure from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics Enrollment by College and Student Level, Fall 2023 report.
[4] Figure from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics Enrollment by College and Student Level, Fall 2023 report.
[5] Figure from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics Retention Rates, 2023-2024 report.
[6] Figure from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics Graduation Rates, 2023-2024 report.
[7] Figure from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics Graduation Rates, 2023-2024 report.
[8] Figure from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics First Destination Survey Primary Status Headcount Report, 2023-2024 report.
