August 2003

The Carter Questions

Dr. Shirley Staples Carter became director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications in July 2003.

You can read her official bio on this Web site.

We invited students in the School of Journalism to submit questions for Dr. Carter. Here's what they wanted to know and what she had to say.

Meet the students who posed questions to Dr. Carter

Diller: What does a director do?

Dr. Carter: A director serves as the chief academic officer in the School, represents the interest of the School in the College, University and other constituencies, oversees the administration of the School, and manages resources within the School.

Boyles:  How would you describe your job/what you do?

Dr. Carter: I would describe my job/what I do as  an exciting opportunity to contribute to the growth and development of a strong journalism and mass communication program. It is challenging, rewarding, demanding, exhausting, exhilarating and something that I very much enjoy doing.

Boyles: How many hours a week do you work?  What is your morning routine? 

Dr. Carter:  I never stop working, whether on campus or off. My morning routine includes meditation, yoga, seeing my middle-schooler off, and on the way in to work, picking up a latte grande with non-fat milk.

Diller: How are you going to incorporate yourself in the lives of journalism students?

Dr. Carter:  I hope to meet all the majors during my first year and become a strong advocate for our students as an administrator and in the classroom.

Boyles: How can you help the students?

Dr. Carter: I can help students most by working to ensure a strong, high-quality program. I support student development and encourage students to participate in the decision making process by providing feedback, suggestions, and participating in student exit interviews.

Pierrotti:  My family thinks it's funny our mascot is named Cocky. What was your first reaction when you heard its name?

Dr. Carter: Cocky is a great name for a mascot.

Diller: What made you choose Carolina?

Dr. Carter: I was attracted by the dynamic leadership of the College, a strong faculty and outstanding students. Also, USC is a top tier university. The location is great, and I love the region -- I was born and raised in the South.

Boyles: What are your plans to help the USC journalism school grow and compete nationally?

Dr. Carter: I need to work very closely with the School faculty and College administration to ensure that the School has the resources to move forward. We need to develop strategies for managing enrollment, raising our research profile, and achieving re-accreditation next year. Our strategic plan should include identifying best practices among the top 10 journalism and mass communication programs in the country, then developing our own plan for moving to the top five in the country.

Pierrotti: What's all this buzz about media convergence, and how do you see our school changing because of it?

Dr. Carter: The buzz about media convergence is rapidly becoming an industry standard wherein journalists are filing stories across multiple media platforms. I see journalism and mass communications programs across the country beginning to emphasize new media and convergence in their curricular offerings, and we are in the vanguard in terms of integrating convergence into a curriculum with a traditional focus on writing, editing, and design. Newsplex puts us on the map in this regard.

Read Dr. Carter's responses to questions submitted to iSITE by Bill Rogers, executive director of the SCPA. Read>