Our College

Key Statistics

Retention and Graduation Data

Visit our Retention and Graduation Facts & Figures page for details about the number of degrees we confer, our retention and graduation rates and time to degree statistics.

Grady Alumni Board

The Grady Alumni Board is an advisory group responsible for contributing to and supporting the development of activities for alumni and friends of the college. The board serves as the conduit between the college and its alumni. It is comprised of members from a variety of Grady majors, professions, geographical areas and graduation years.

Grady College Bylaws

The College of Journalism and Mass Communication prepares students to be effective and critical consumers, scholars and practitioners of media and communication industries, improves the services these industries provide their consumers and facilitates the public use of the media to meet personal and community needs. Teaching, research and service are all integral parts of this mission.

Preamble

To respect the core values of the University of Georgia, to meet national accreditation standards and to accomplish its own goals, the faculty of the College of Journalism and Mass Communication (referred to here as the college) should interpret its bylaws in accordance with the principles of faculty governance. Silences or ambiguities in the bylaws should be resolved in favor of open and democratic processes. The free flow of information and the criticism of ideas are necessary for decision-making. Basic principles of academic freedom allow faculty members an opportunity to dissent from the opinions of colleagues and administrators.

The faculty has primary responsibility for the college’s priorities, policies and procedures as well as faculty hiring, review, tenure, promotion and curriculum. The university or college administration should overturn faculty decisions only under the most exceptional circumstances and for reasons that should be clearly and adequately communicated.

This document includes the following articles:

• Article I. Faculty: membership, meetings, and procedures for meetings
• Article II. College academic structure: officers (dean, associate deans, and department heads), their duties and their evaluations; administrative units (departments, centers and institutes), how they are defined, responsibilities, appointments and reviews.
• Article III. Committees of the faculty: Committee types (standing, ad hoc, search ), membership definition (core, ex-officio, special, chairs, substitutes, student representatives), general rules that apply to all college committees, and standing committee definitions and responsibilities. Standing committees include: Admissions, Undergraduate Curriculum, Diversity, Executive, Graduate, Promotion and Tenure, Scholarships/Awards, Information Resources, Global and Special Awards.
• Article IV. Dispute Resolution Process
• Article V. Amendments to the Bylaws

Grady College Strategic Plan

Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication Strategic Plan 2025 has three main goals:

1. Strengthen the graduate program
2. Enhance the global scope of The Grady College
3. Convene a conversation with the faculty about The Grady College’s organizational structure

Academic Assessments

To ensure our academic programs maintain the highest quality, the college annually assesses each degree, major and certificate in terms of student learning outcomes. Industry professionals and alumni play a major role in this assessment. The goal is to make sure our students are learning what we think we are teaching and what our ever-changing disciplines require. Reports are filed annually with the UGA Academic Program Assessment Office and shared with external accreditors, the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The plans are available here.

Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Plan

The goal of the diversity plan is to create a culture of inclusion whereby all people are valued. The current plan has been developed by the College’s Standing Committee on Diversity and reviewed by the college’s faculty and staff. Because it is the goal of the College to create an environment where all members of our community can succeed, the purpose of this plan is to acknowledge differences exist because of this historical and—still today—contemporary truth. We also recognize that some aspects of diversity are only apparent when communicated through self-identification. This plan is meant to serve as an action plan to grow and champion an inclusive environment where people of all cultures, and particularly those of historically excluded, non-dominant backgrounds, are given the opportunity and support to succeed.

Grady College

Clubs and Organizations

Involvement with clubs and organizations are excellent ways for students to meet their peers, network with industry professionals and gain hands-on experience with projects and events. The following list features clubs and organizations sponsored by Grady College and/or UGA, which many of our students are involved in.

Proud to Be Educating Students for Over a Century

What is now known as the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication started in 1915 when a young English professor, Steadman V. Sanford, thought journalism should be taught at the University of Georgia. The Board of Regents agreed and passed a resolution on June 12, 1915, approving the creation of the School of Journalism.

For seven years, Professor Sanford was in charge of the new school. On June 12, 1921, the Board of Regents changed the name to Grady School of Journalism.

In 1988, the school became the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Today Grady College is a digital-first college offering multiple graduate degrees and undergraduate majors. It is regarded by many as one of the top journalism and mass communications schools in the country.

contact us