Journalism school dean candidate visits students

With three dean candidates for the School of Journalism left, the selection process continues. Students, alumni and faculty met with candidate Stephen Reese of the University of Texas to ask general questions about his goals for the position -- if chosen -- Thursday afternoon. \nReese has taught at Texas for the past 20 years, which he said has prepared him for the position. \n"Challenges make the job interesting," Reese said. "I have been at Texas for a very long time, and I am ready for new challenges. I am aware of what will be expected of me and what I will face as dean."\nReese answered questions about issues involving journalism interaction on campus and in the professional world, goals for undergraduate journalism and the Indiana Daily Student's role on campus. \nAlthough questions were raised about Reese's ability to bring in professional workers from the journalism world because he has been in the academic world for more than 20 years, he said the dean position lends itself to interacting with editors and reporters.\n"It is essential for students to get to interact with professional journalists," Reese said. "I plan on bringing editors in by doing projects with them on campus and also allowing them to speak in classrooms."\nReese also spoke about goals for the undergraduate journalism students. \n"I want to better the quality of (the) practice and be more responsive to a more general interest since people change jobs so often," he said. \nFaculty and search committee member Rogette Hector said she was impressed with Reese's visit.\n"(Reese) had good ideas about career services, like internships and bus trips to television stations, radio stations and newspapers," she said.\nHector, along with 15 other faculty members of the search committee for a new dean, will later meet with the other two candidates, Lori Bergen and Ted Gup, who will go through the same process of meeting faculty members and answering questions about the position. \nIDS staff members attended the meeting to ask questions about Reese's views on the paper.\n"Honestly, I haven't had a chance to sit down and read the paper very closely, but I know it is highly thought of," he said. "I like not being in charge of the paper, but I am supportive of it."\nReese spent the rest of Thursday in meetings with the journalism faculty and campus officials, including President Adam Herbert.\nHector said she liked several of Reese's ideas and thinks he would be a good person to have in the position.\n"I think all three (dean candidates) would be good for the job," she said. "I really liked a lot of his ideas about the job. Personally, I think he would do a good job as dean."\nBergen is scheduled to visit IU March 7 and 8 and Gup will visit March 10. \n-- Contact staff writer Nellie Summerfield at nsummerf@indiana.edu.