Student, faculty input helps narrow dean search field

As the search to replace School of Journalism Dean Trevor Brown inches closer to a decision, faculty and students have begun expressing their expectations for whoever is chosen to replace him. \n"It will be difficult for anybody to follow Trevor," said journalism professor Betsi Grabe. "I think he's been an amazing dean and he's really put the school first, above and beyond his personal interest. That's why I think it's important that everyone affiliated with the school give whoever is chosen their full support."\nGrabe said the new dean should appreciate the diversity of the word "journalism." \n"I do think we need a little bit of guidance in development of convergence of different media," she said. "It's not that we haven't thought about it, but we need someone who understands the academe and who understands journalism as a profession in all its areas and nuances. That includes public relations and advertising."\nJunior Chris Sommerfeld agreed. He said he is not pleased with the journalism school's efforts to add public relations and advertising into the curriculum. As someone who plans on having a career in advertising, Sommerfeld said he is frustrated that nearly all the core classes deal strictly with print journalism.\n"Yes, the journalism school was founded on training students for traditional writing and reporting careers, but the media is changing," Sommerfeld said. "Students in advertising and public relations aren't being given the level and number of classes they are going to need to succeed along with their superbly prepared traditional journalist peers."\nSommerfeld said the new dean needs to help the school become a school of mass communications. When Sommerfeld was a freshman, a survey was conducted in his J110 class demonstrating that nearly half of the incoming J-school students were not interested in traditional journalism careers. Still, he said the school only offers six or so classes in public relations and advertising.\nBut that's not the only issue the new dean will have to deal with. If Gov. Mitch Daniels' budget plan goes into effect, there will be a two-year freeze on state funding for IU. Journalism professor Jack Dvorak said a major component of the new dean's job will be to keep the journalism school in good financial footing.\n"We're depending more and more on tuition dollars and outside funding for the school," Dvorak said. "Trevor has been very good at fund raising and has provided well for the environment. He gets equipment for the teaching and learning process and has done a good job of building up the school's foundation account." \nDvorak said the new dean will need to be just as good at allocating funds for the school.\nThe three candidates -- Christine Martin, Sandra Braman and Bradley Hamm -- will visit IU in the next few weeks, and students, staff and faculty will all have the chance to speak with them. Dvorak said the faculty will then vote on their top choice. The search committee will look to whom the faculty choose, and then Interim IU-Bloomington Chancellor Ken Gros Louis will make the final decision.\nGrabe said she has absolute confidence in the selection process and that she will give her support to whoever is chosen. \n"The new leader should have a vision that matches the sensibility of our school. We have the structures in place," Grabe said. "This person will just have to walk the walk."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Lindsey Lyon at lrlyon@indiana.edu.