| The purpose of this qualitative method explanatory single case study was to document justifications why consultants chose specific newsgathering trends to include in the final curriculum design for a Bachelor of Science degree in Videojournalism Communication during 2007 to 2009, at New York State Public College. Trends comprised current strategies, ethical considerations, and techniques and technologies. Mass communication provided the theoretical framework. This study chronicled the organizational leadership roles of those who shaped a higher education curriculum. Academic consultants, leaders from journalism education and the television industry, served as the primary population. Data triangulation was achieved through interview protocols for each a purposive sample of academic consultants and a secondary population of department faculty representatives, who worked with their own academic consultants, plus case artifacts and archival documents. Data was coded manually and with computer-assisted software. Four prominent themes emerged---Degree Concept, Degree Components, Program Review, and Program Approval and Launch---and documented why consultants recommended seven specific trends for the curriculum. Data interpretation revealed that serving as a consultant or working with consultants during curricula design and review processes led to justified decisions based on education and experience; self-proclaimed expert knowledge and decision-making power; skepticism about administrators' motives; emerging technology and innovative newsgathering practices; influence upon students' educational development; and academic competition. Each area will add a leadership dimension for future research highlighting academic consultants for myriad disciplines. |
