Editing and Publishing BA
Program Purpose
The Editing and Publishing Major is intended to help students acquire editing skills and knowledge of the publishing industry. It is designed primarily for students who wish to develop careers in book and journal publishing, but the skills learned can be applied in many other communication settings, such as graduate studies, preparing personal and family histories, and church service. We believe that editing/publishing is primarily service-oriented: the chief goal of the profession is to help authors communicate with readers, while remaining as invisible as possible. In mediating between the wishes of the author, the needs of the audience, and the desires of the publisher, editors should maintain integrity and respect. To the extent they serve as communication gatekeepers, editors and publishers are morally responsible to society and ultimately to God for the accuracy and ethical soundness of the materials they produce as well as the values and attitudes promoted thereby.
Curricular Structure
To fulfill the editing & publishing major, students must complete a series of foundational courses in language analysis, a core series in editing tools and processes, a series of electives in advanced language analysis, plus a unit of experiential learning. Students may either complete 12 hours in a foreign language or an approved university minor (to acquire the specific language of at least one discipline).
Learning Outcomes
Language Use and Structure
Analyze the structure and use of language to identify appropriate usage and style in specific contexts and assess the effectiveness of traditional usage rules and style guidelines. Be able to write effectively and speak clearly to communicate language analysis and editing decisions.
Optimize clarity and effectiveness of sentences, paragraphs, and longer texts by applying principles of effective usage, style, and organization to real-world examples of draft text.
Demonstrate specialized skills and the perspective required by at least one specific editing genre (such as magazine publishing, technical communication, book publishing, scholarly publishing, or freelance publishing.
Use tools and processes that are part of the publishing business, such as software for, methods of, and ethical procedures relating to graphic design, printing technology, and income and expense management, and understand how these tools, methods, and ethical procedures have evolved over the history of publishing.
Evidence of Learning
Faculty interviews, feedback from internship supervisors, class interviews performed by the Faculty Resource Center, student evaluations, cumulative portfolios, and exams. Unsolicited comments from students, feedback from students about employment, and the tracking of some former students by faculty. Alumni are surveyed three or more years post graduation to assess perceived value of editing curriculum in actual careers. Results are kept by the four curriculum committee members.
Learning and Teaching Assessment and Improvement
Program assessment is done both formally and informally. Formal tools consist of faculty interviews, feedback from internship supervisors, class interviews performed by the Faculty Resource Center, student evaluations, cumulative portfolios, and exams. Informal tools consist of unsolicited comments from students, feedback from students about employment, and the tracking of some former students by faculty. Alumni are surveyed three or more years post graduation to assess perceived value of editing curriculum in actual careers. Results are kept by the four curriculum committee members.
Assessment of some form is conducted in each curriculum meeting but is a major focus during the meetings held at the beginning and end of each semester. Each problem or weakness that has been reported is discussed, solutions determined, and assignments made for implementation. But the committee does more than merely react. From professional articles, papers, workshops, and its own experimentation, the committee gleans ways to better prepare students and initiates corresponding program changes.