 |
|||
| Communication Home | Calendar | Make a Gift | UW Alumni | |||
|
March 2009 | Return to issue home
Note from the Chair
This is a season of great change and great challenge for the United States. Economic turmoil, dramatic technological development, new visions—all of these are readily apparent every day for Americans as we near the close of the first decade of the twenty-first century. We’re smack in the midst of all of this in the Department of Communication. In late summer 2008, the chair of the Department, Jerry Baldasty, was asked to serve as interim Dean of the UW Graduate School for the 2008-09 academic year. At the time, Jerry’s plan was to return to head the Department, which had been his position since 2002. But I and others thought that he might come to enjoy his new challenges. That has indeed occurred. In early March, Baldasty was named the permanent Dean of the Graduate School, and I’m certain he’ll be a strong advocate for the UW and rigorous graduate education in that position. (Read a message from Dean Jerry Baldasty.)With Jerry’s departure as Department chair, the unit is now undergoing a process of selecting a new leader. A committee of professors in other academic units are interviewing Communication faculty about opportunities and challenges for the Department, and in the near future the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences will select a current faculty member in Communication to be the new chair. I will continue to serve as interim chair for the unit through June 30. The new Department chair will face what is perhaps the toughest economic environment in UW history. The state legislature funds a very large proportion of the faculty, staff, and graduate-Teaching Assistant positions in the Department (as in other College of Arts and Sciences units), and the budget shortfall of several billion dollars in the state will necessitate serious cuts at the UW. For the Department this reality will likely lead to a 10-15% budget cut—which will, unfortunately, almost certainly mean fewer and larger classes, fewer scholarships for students, and a decreased ability to fund innovative research projects by faculty and students. None of this is good, not by a longshot. But let me say this: our commitment to our students and to an exceptional educational experience here at the UW has never been stronger. We know that we have an important role in helping students, and by extension the broader Washington, American, and global citizenry, to figure out new pathways. We will continue to emphasize values of integrity and knowledge in the Department of Communication, while always searching for ideas that can improve the quality of life, work, and relationships for all people. Our challenges are real, but they are not greater than our collective capabilities. We welcome your ideas and support as we move boldly into a new era for the Department. Read: A Message from Dean Jerry Baldasty March 2009 | Return to issue home | |||
|
|||
