The school is committed to diversity in fulfilling its teaching, research and service missions to students and to the citizens of North Carolina. Diversity enhances the educational experience for students, helping to build their skills on a stronger foundation of accuracy, clarity, fairness and ethics.

The school's faculty is constantly engaged in identifying opportunities to expand the school's diversity initiatives. This is true in the courses taught, guest speakers invited or the professional development offered. Alumni and friends play an important role by supporting programs and scholarships that encourage diverse perspectives in the school.

Minority students constitute about 16 percent of the school's enrollment, and the school has six full-time faculty members of racial or ethnic minorities. The school's efforts to increase minority student enrollment and to retain minority faculty members lead to increased diversity in professional mass communication.

Professionally, the school has forged strong ties to national and state diversity organizations, the National Association of Black Journalists, the N.C. Press Association and the Triangle Association of Black Journalists, among others. The school supports the Carolina Association of Black Journalists (CABJ), an active student chapter affiliated with the National Association of Black Journalists, that was named the best student chapter in the country in 2001, 2002 and 2007. With the school, the N.C. Press Association sponsors an annual minority job fair and all-day workshop. The school also assists CABJ in organizing minority students to participate in Howard University’s annual Job Fair.

Assistant professor Queenie Byars coordinates the school's diversity initiatives and works with the University's Diversity and Multicultural Affairs office. Byars can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Diversity-focused courses

Beyond its core classes, the school offers courses that focus on diversity’s role within media and on minorities and minority issues.

• JOMC 342: "The Black Press and U.S. History" A chronological survey of the African-American press in the United States since 1827. Emphasis is on key people and issues during critical areas in the African-American experience.

• JOMC 411: "Minorities and Communication" An examination of racial stereotypes and minority portrayals in U.S. culture and communication. Emphasis is on the portrayal of American Indians, African-Americans, Hispanics and Asian-Americans in the mass media.

• JOMC 441: “Diversity and Communication”

• JOMC 443: "Latino Media Studies" An analysis of media portrayal of Latinos in the U.S. mainstream media, an examination of media catering to U.S. Latinos, and an examination of the way U.S. Latinos use multiple media offerings available to them.

• JOMC 446: “International Communication and Comparative Journalism” Topics include the flow of news and international propaganda, the role of communication in international relations, communication in the developing nations, and comparisons of mass media systems.

• JOMC 490: “Special Topics in Mass Communication” When appropriate topic.