1999 Promotion Letters

8/3/2019 1999 Promotion Letters

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The University of New MexicoDepartment of Communication and JournalismCommunication & Journalism Bldg.Room 235 WestAlbuquerque, NM 87131-1171(505) 277-5305

July 1, 1998Dr. John MakayDirector School of Communication StudiesBowling Green State UniversityBowling Green, Ohio 43403-0237Dear John:

I am quite certain that Doug Ferguson ought to be promotedfrom associate to full professor.

I had read some of Doug's work but did not really know himpersonally until the program review at BGST last January. I couldsee immediately that he was an active, alert scholar with wideknowledge and dedication to university teaching and research. Nowthat I have carefully reviewed his papers and vitae, I am even moreimpressed.The qualities that stand out about Doug Ferguson to me are hisimpressive record of scholarly production (three books, manychapters, and eleven refereed articles, all in high-qualityjournals)t his heavy load of administrative duties andundergraduate advising, and his active advising and teaching ofgraduate students. Doug carries an impressive workload, whileconducting an active research program on the new communicationtechnologies and telecommunications audience behavior_By all of these measures, Doug Ferguson certainly looks likea full professor to me. I have come to have a good deal ofadmiration for him as a scholar.I recommend promotion.

Cordially,~~~'

Everett M. RogersProfessor


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DR. JENNINGS BRYANT, DIRECTOR

August 17, 1998

Professor John J . Makay, DirectorSchool of Communication StudiesBowling Green State UniversityBowling Green, Ohio 43403Dear Professor Makay:Thank you for sending me DOUGLAS A. FERGUSON'S portfolio. The comprehensivepackage of material, complete with personnel guidelines, certainly made my task a greatdeal easier.Actually this is one of the easiest external reviews I have done in some time, because Ifound absolutely no red flags. Although I do not know Professor Ferguson very wellpersonally, I know his scholarship extremely well. In fact, I have relied heavily on two ofhis co-authored or co-edited books-Broadcast/Cable Programming: Strategies andPractices and The Broadcast Television Industry-in my own research and teaching.Moreover, Professor Ferguson's co-editor Susan Eastman recently sent me portions ofPromotion &Marketing for Broadcasting & Cable for review and comment. My reviewof the materials you sent simply confrrms my opinion that Douglas Ferguson is amongthe finest, most authoritative, and most insightful scholars our discipline has to offer.When looking for definitive information regarding the media industries, if I findsomething from Professor Ferguson, I have learned to rely on that first and foremost.In reviewing the section of Professor Ferguson's vitae that delineates his conferencepresentations (pp. 10-13), I realized that I must have heard him deliver a dozen or so ofthese papers. Ifhis conference presentations provide a reliable index of his teachingperformance, clearly Doug Ferguson is a superb teacher. He is always exhaustivelyprepared, extremely clear and cogent, and thoroughly organized-a pure pleasure forrespondents and audience members alike.The BGSU "Criteria for Promotion to Professor" indicate that "promotion to professorrequires ... an established reputation within the discipline or profession as evidenced bya significant record of research, scholarship, or creative work" (p. 2). In my opinion,Douglas Ferguson has such an established reputation. Moreover, I have never heard anegative word regarding your candidate for promotion. His reputation is well-deservedand as pure as the proverbial driven snow.There is no question that Doug Ferguson would be granted his promotion request at TheUniversity of Alabama. I recommend that he be promoted to Professor at BGSU.

COLLEGE OF COMMUN ICAT ION(205) 348-1235

BOX 870172 UN IVERS ITYOF ALABAMA TUSCA LOOSA , A L [email protected] fAX (205) 348-9257
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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I have enclosed a copy of my one-page narrative resume. If you should need a copy ofmy curriculum vitae, just let me know and I will sent it along.

Sincerely,T~~Jennings Bryant

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The Florida State UniversityTallahassee, Florida 32306-1531

D ep artm en t o f C ommu nica tio n356 D iffenbaug h B uilding(850) 644-5034 Fax: (850) 644-8642

August 26, 1998Professor John J. MakayDirector of the School of Communication StudiesBowling Green State UniversityBowling Green, OH 43403Dear Professor Makay,I am writing in response to your request for an evaluation of Douglas Ferguson who youhave recommended for promotion to Full Professor at Bowling Green State University. It ismy impression from everything I have heard about Doug Ferguson that his contributions inthe areas of service and teaching are quite strong. However, I do not have any directknowledge of his performance in these areas. I do have a good deal of direct knowledgeabout his research, so I will focus my evaluation in this area.I first became aware of Doug Ferguson and his research when I was editor of the Journal ofBroadcasting & Electronic Media. He submitted three manuscripts, and all three wereaccepted and published. To put this in context, the rejection rate for submissions during myeditorship was 86%, which means that his scholarship was consistently high. Also, havingthree manuscripts published in this one journal in a three year period indicates that he is anextremely productive researcher. But the thing that impresses me most about thesepublications is that one of them, "The measurement of mundane behaviors," iswhat I lookback on as one of the top articles -- out of a total 97 articles -- I published during my term.What makes this article so interesting is that it provides a clear, compelling demonstrationthat television viewers are completely unaware of much of their behavior. The implicationsof this finding should have a profound influence on all media scholars as they makedecisions about what to measure. This is one article that should be read by all researcherswho plan to use self reports in assessing human behavior.For the past five years, I have tried to read all of Doug Ferguson's research, and I havenoticed that his body of work strongly exhibits three characteristics. First, it is very goodscholarship. He really understands in depth the topics on which he is writing. His empiricalwork is well designed and analyzed. Second, his research also has a practical or applied sideto it. While it is based in theory, the work also shows readers the real world implications ofthe findings. And third, it is very well written -- an all too rare characteristic amongscholarly work.


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Douglas Ferguson has established a solid reputation as an important scholar in mass mediaresearch. Both the quality and the quantity ofhis work is impressive. Furthermore he hasconducted work in not one but several key areas, and he has published with many otherrespected scholars in our field.His research record is outstanding. He is qualified to hold the rank of Full Professor on allthe faculties I have served, including Indiana University, University of California at SantaBarbara, UCLA, and Florida State University. It ismy sincerely held opinion that DouglasFerguson would be a major addition to any faculty of communication. I support hispromotion to Full Professor without hesitation or reservation.


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THE UNIVERS ITY OF IOW A

July 13, 1998

John J. Makay, DirectorSchool of Communication StudiesBowling Green State UniversityBowling Green, OH 43403Dear Professor Makay:I am responding to your request for an evaluation of ProfessorDouglas Ferguson's scholarly and professional work for use by thecommittee considering his promotion to professor.To place my comments in context, you should know that I havenever had any personal contact with Professor Ferguson, outsideof seeing him at professional meetings, such as those of theNational Communication Association> Hence; my judgments arebased solely on his publications and his resume that you sent tome.It is clear that Ferquson's work is stronqly influenced by hisbackground in the communication industry.- He is largely -concerned with scholarly work that has some relevance topractice, as well as to theory. This seems to me a qood thinq,both for what it enables him to give your students at Bowling-Green and for our knowledge of mass communication processes."Leisure Time and Channel Repertoire in a MultichannelEnvironment," that he co-authored with Melkote, is a goodexample. It is an attempt to add a bit to our understanding ofthe behaviors of television viewers, an issue that is of equalimportance to broadcasters and mass communication theorists. Itis a small study, but a competent one.Probably the best example of Ferquson's ability to meld thetheoretical, or scholarly, with the practical is his extremelythoughtful and sophisticated essay on "The Domain of Inquiry forMedia Management Researchers_" He locates this area of inquiryin the fabric of the history of communication scholarship andthen makes a case for the theoretical distinctiveness of theparticular domain of media management research. (Prior toreading his piece, I would not have believed that such a casecould be made in a persuasive way.) This short piece would beuseful reading by graduate students in any area of communicationscholarship.

Department ofCommunication Studies 105 Becker Communication Bldg.Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1498319/335-0575FAX319/335-2930Website: http://www.uiowa.edu/ -cornmstud
http://www.uiowa.edu/http://www.uiowa.edu/


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In the introduction to his chapter, "A Framework for ProqramminqStrategies" in his and Eastman's textbook, Broadcast/Cable -Programming: Strategies and Practices, Ferguson points out thatbroadcast "programming is not rocket science or brain surgery,"but then goes on to analyze it in a way that is intellectuallychallenging to students. I find too many mass communicationtextbooks these days watered down so much that the most dull-witted and unmotivated student will read and grasp them. As aresult, they do a disservice to students. I do not know aboutthe rest of the chapters in this book co-edited by Eastman andFerguson, but that Is clearly not the case with the ones writtenby Ferguson. They are literate, thoughtful, and substantial, yetquite practical. I would not hesitate to recommend them to mystudents at Iowa or any other university.The same can be said about the new book written by Ferguson withJames Walker. It is thoughtful, knowledgeable, and does not talkdown to its intended undergraduate readers. Having writtenundergraduate textbooks, I know how difficult it is to translatecontemporary theory and research for undergraduate students,without distorting the theory and research or talking over theheads of students. Ferquson and his coauthor have succeeded inthis difficult balancing act. It is testimony to theirsophistication and their ability, as well as a reflection of agreat deal of hard labor.One further point. It seems to me a tribute to Ferguson thatsuch scholars as Susan Eastman, James Walker, and ElizabethPerse--his coauthors and co-editors--wish to work with him.These are first-rate scholars. I am certain they would not haveaqreed to these collaborations had they not had hiqh respect forFerguson as a scholar. That alone may-be the best-evidence youcould find about his scholarly qualities.In short, in these materials and the other information I gleanedfrom his curriculum vitae I see ample evidence that Ferguson hasdone, and is likely to continue to do, the sort of scholarly workthat ~~alifies him for promotion to professor. He is obviouslyan asset to Bowling Green. Promotion should help you keep himthere.If you have questions about anythinq I have said here, oranything that I may have failed to discuss, do not hesitate tolet me know and I will try to respond. You can contact me byphone (319-353-2254), snail-mail, or e-mail (sam-b ec ke r@ ui ow a. ed u) .

Samuel L. BeckerUniversity of Iowa Foundation DistinguishedProfessor Emeritus of Communication Studies


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ORTHWESTER u CHS c"P

August 17, 1998

Dr. John MakayDirector of the School of Communication StudiesBowling Green State UniversityBowling Green, OH 43403Dear Dr. Makay,As you know, I have been asked to review Dr. Douglas Ferguson forpromotion to full professor. I am happy to do so. I should probablybegin by noting that I have met Prof. Ferguson on several occasions atvarious meetings. Beyond that, our professional association is quitelimited. I have no direct knowledge of Prof. Ferguson's effectivenessas a teacher, so I will confine my review to his published work"and hisreputation within the discipline.Prof. Ferguson received his PhD a little latter in life than is the norm inour field. As a consequence, he had a belated start in producingscholarly research and publication. Despite that, he has authored avery considerable body of work. This includes several pieces oforiginal research typically published in the major referred journals inour field. More recently, Prof. Ferguson has changed his emphasis abit to concentrate on the production of books and book chapters. Forthe most part, these recent efforts are reasonably categorized astextbooks, rather than original works of research. This pattern ofscholarly publication is fairly common in our discipline. I will commenton each type of work.The research articles are of very good quality. They are clearlygrounded in an appropriate body of theory, they employ well-established methods of quantitative research, and they relate theirfindings back to the questions under investigation. While Prof.Ferguson's research probably doesn't offer the field a "great leapforward" it makes a worthwhile contribution to answering importantquestions. Though very little of this research was published prior to1990, I have been impressed with how widely it is cited by hiscolleagues.

in the arts

e Communication Media Performance

OFF CE OF THE DEAN

847.467.


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Dr. John MakayAugust 17, 1998Page two

The chapters and books are also of a very high quality. They arethoughtful, well written and draw on a broad literature. They arepublished by reputable commercial presses with large series in mediaand communication. They will be a pleasure to read for bothundergraduates and those with more experience. Because of theirfairly recent publication dates, they have yet to make their mark in aneasily documented way. I do note that Prof. Ferguson has taken onco-authorship of Prof. Eastman's book on programming. This bookhas been around through several editions, and is widely known andadopted in our field For that reasoninadditlon to the overaJl qualityof Prof. Ferguson's texts, I have little doubt that this latter category ofwork will be well known.In the relatively short time that Prof. Ferguson has been active inacademic circles, he has established a laudable professionalreputation. In addition to the citations of his own work, he activelyreviews for a number of major journals and publishers. He has beenvery involved in the relevant professional associations, especially theBroadcast Education Association. The fact that he is on the editorialboard of the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, is anothertestament to the high regard in which he is held by his colleagues.Moreover, he has managed much of this at the same time he hastaken on major administrative responsibilities at BGSU.For all these reasons, I believe that Dr. Ferguson should be promotedto full professor. If I can be of further assistance don't hesitate to callat (847) 491-2251 or email me at [email protected]. I haveincluded a copy of my vita for your information.Sincerely,

James WebsterAssociate Dean of Speech &Professor of Communication Studies
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected].


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T(] P.02

d I D- - - - - - - - - - - - 1 7 8 . - - - - - - - - - - - -T h e U n iversity o f G eo rg iaHenry W GradyColleg.e of Journalism and Mass Cornmunicanoe

30 September 1999

Dr. :rohn M akayschool of Communication StudiesBowling Green state UniversityBowling Green, OHIO 43403-02)7419-372-0202 (FAX)

Dear Or. Makay:This letter is in response to your request for an external reviewof Douglas Ferguson who is being considered for promotion to FullProfessor. r have reviewed his ~terial and am pleased ~o be giventhis opportunity to contribute to the review process.Professor Ferguson has a strong publication record. sLncs hisprevious promotion, Dr. Ferguson has turned his attention to theintegration of his professional experience with his academicexpertise in order to summarize and synthesize the integration ofindustry practice and academic knowledge. His book with Eastman,Broadcast/coble Programming; Stratesies and Practices, is a classicin the field. More than a mere textbook, it is the source forinformation about programminq in our discipline. The number ofchapters that he authored for that volume demonstrates theimportance of his contribution to this project. His new book on~e ijroadcast Television Industry seems to be a similarly importantwork on the state and practices of the indUstry.since I am the co+edd tor of a text on media eoonomics, I paidparticular attention to the chapter in the Ingustr volume on theeconomics of television. What ~as particularly impressive was theclear artiCUlation of complex concepts. I fought to keep my bookintelligible with only moderate success. Dr. Ferguson managed tocommunicate the essentials within a context that ma~Q themmeaningful--a task that is much more difficult that it appears.Yet these important works are by no means his only contribution.Of the many I could comment on, I'd like to note his continuingwork in the area of audience uses of new technologies. Boththeoretically and empirically, Dr. Ferguson continues to explorethe changes in the home environment that are promoted by Changingtechnology. It is an important endeavor, since many hypothesizethese shifts, ~ut few have bothered to theorize and observe them.These analyses indicate his active engagement with l:"esearchideas Iand his ongoing effort~ to explore the implications of theoreticalfonnulations.

IXpuuncnt of Telccotr.munications Athens, Georgia 306023018 (706) 542.3785 FAX '''06) 542-4-785Mt Equal Oppwruoity/Allirm.tthe 1 I c t i O C 1 Inmrutioo


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When I write reviews, I frequently observe that scholars have yetto "own" their perspGctive and need to claim an area of SCholarshipfor themselves. With Professor FQrguson no such observation isneoessary. He has long ago established his' stature in thediscipline; his is a record of continuing involvement both inwriting and in professional responsibility. This leads me topredict that he will continue his upward trajeotory of scholarlycontribution and leadership in the discipline. Although ProfessorFerguson is not a personal friend, I have known him and his workfor a number of years.In summary, I am impressed with the work of Dr. Ferguson. Hiswork affords clear evidence of his scholarly activity and shows astrong commitment to a program or research that is boththeoretioally fruitful and of substantial social significance. IfI read his vitae correctly, Dr. Ferguson has done this extensivework while serving in significant administrative positions. Takenin that context, I am particularly impressed with his ability tomaintain such an impressive re.search program. It I can provideadditional information that may be helpful in the discussion ot hisdossier, I would be glad to help.Sincerely,

:.? ';. ./?" .# .d:~7!:,/ k : ? W . .< , . . . .; , ,: : : ~Alison Alexand~rProfessor and Head of Telecommunications

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1999 Promotion Letters