Faculty in the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication held a Zoom meeting Friday to continue the search for an associate dean of student success. At the start of the meeting, Sonya Stephens, who has served as SJGC’s associate dean since March 2020, greeted everyone and listed the rules and appliances of the hiring process.
There are a total of seven potential candidates for the position. The School of Journalism & Graphic Communication is currently understaffed and many students are affected. Fourth-year broadcast journalism student Nigeria Robinson believes the addition of extra faculty will be beneficial to everyone.
“From a student perspective, having more staff will definitely provide students with the opportunity for more availability for classes and it’ll create better rapport and relationships between students and faculty.”
The role of the incoming associate dea aims to flow harmoniously towards helping all students succeed with their academic studies as well as assisting with more serious issues that affect the student body. The search committee hopes to begin reviving a sense of stability that was lacking within the School of Journalism and Graphic Communications. The goals of the committee include bringing back more program participation and new levels of sophistication for the students of SJGC. In recent semesters, the program has struggled to meet the scholastic needs of students, from shortage of advisors and a shortage of professors. As a result of such, many students, including seniors were abruptly met with canceled classes, postponed graduations and mixed emotions over the recurring issue.
The search committee is determined to reconstruct the current reality of the crisis and present a new, refreshing atmosphere of excellence with caring for the students of J-school. More faculty on board means more helping hands, encouraging students to become their greatest selves and succeed. The goal is to not only aspire to be a Rattler but to also go out into society and showcase the skillsets taught to former students of one of the most prestigious HBCUs in the country from a solid journalism program with 40 years of mastery.
The committee looks forward to beginning Zoom meetings in early March. Afterward, they plan on scheduling a formal meet and greet between themselves and the chosen candidate on campus and offering a tour around the facility of the school of journalism. Along with a new dean of student success, the committee is also seeking to hire more academic advisors to satisfy the academic needs of the student body.