J-School continues to move forward

As the interim director this year, I am very happy to report that the School of Journalism and Mass Communication continues to move in a positive and productive direction, despite major changes.

We have a number of outstanding candidates in our director’s search. The committee will meet this fall to choose those that will be invited for interviews in the spring and our new director will come on board July 1, 2002.

The new building project is moving forward. It is now in the top priority slot for the University and the funding will be requested from the Iowa Legislature in the spring. The money would be allocated from a different fund specifically set up for infrastructure projects, so it apparently has not been impacted by the problematic financial situation of the state. We are hoping to schedule a ground-breaking ceremony sometime in the fall of 2002.

The Capital Campaign Committee is gearing up to begin a major fundraising drive once the state has approved the new building. The goal is to raise $6 to 10 million to outfit our facility in the new building and strengthen our endowment.

We will give away more than $100,000 in scholarships to our students at the Fourth Estate Banquet in April 2002.

Even though we have lost a number of excellent faculty members through retirement and resignations, we have hired several dynamic new faculty members over the past few years in crucial areas like broadcasting, integrated marketing communication, critical cultural theory and online journalism. Once the new director is hired, we will revise our strategic plan and begin the search for two additional tenure-track faculty members.

Since the new building will be located next to the main library, we have been working with library personnel to re-envision our Resource Center. By next fall, we are planning to hire a Coordinator/Information Specialist who will work closely with faculty and students to assist with learning, teaching and research activities.

Our Professional Advisory Board continues to help and guide us. A branding study is underway so we can determine our current image in the community and discuss whether that image is one we want to keep or change.

An alumni mentoring project is also being organized. We plan to connect current students with alumni in their field so they can gain insight through e-mail and phone interactions during their initial Reporting and Writing course.

These are just a few of the great things that are happening in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. This issue of the Iowa Journalist will confirm that even though this is a transitional year, our faculty continue to publish and gain recognition in their fields, our students continue to excel, our alumni continue to achieve and our J-School continues to move in a positive and productive direction.