The adviser’s role is simply that, an adviser. The adviser’s primary function is to provide guidance and advice to students who run the media outlet and make the decisions. As program director, the adviser also hires and supervises the Instructional Associate/Specialist, journalism faculty and writing coaches.
He/she advises and gives guidance in teaching students to make decisions based on their best possible judgment. The adviser also defends and observes the right of the staff to make final decisions.
The adviser to student publications, therefore, must facilitate learning by educating students, administrators, colleagues and the community that the student publication serves.
The adviser is not a censor. No teacher who advises a student publication will be fired, transferred or removed from the advisership by reason of his or her refusal to exercise editorial control over the student publication or to otherwise suppress the protected free expression of student journalists.
The instructional associate/specialist is responsible for maintaining the Macintosh computers for student use. Accordingly, computers must be operated under his/her guidelines and directions to ensure proper and optimal operation and function. He/she instructs students on matters relating to computer operation and the technical aspects of word processing, desktop publishing, web design and photo imaging.
He/she manages the student publications budget. Accordingly, he/she is responsible for generating all necessary paperwork regarding purchase orders, etc., and ensuring coordination with all vendors, such as the off-site printer. Also, he/she oversees the financial aspects of the advertising department and receives any and all advertising revenues and deposits them into the proper account(s).
He/she is responsible for arranging travel to state and national conventions within the guidelines of the student publications budget.
The instructional associate/specialist reports directly and solely to the faculty adviser.
The writing coach is employed to provide assistance to any and all Richland Chronicle reporters who are writing stories. Writing coaches edit for clarity, style, grammar, spelling and punctuation. Their role is solely instructional. They do not edit for content.
Writing coaches are responsible for setting and maintaining schedules of their availability for editing students’ copy. They are discouraged from adjusting their hours to edit copy that is late.
Reporters and contributing writers are required to have their stories edited by a writing coach. Section editors are most strongly encouraged not to publish copy that has not been edited by a writing coach. The adviser and instructional associate/specialist cannot require that all copy is edited by a writing coach; only the editor-in-chief can implement and enforce a policy of requiring edits with a writing coach prior to publication.
