It was never meant for public consumption. But thanks to the Poynter Institute for posting it, we can all read the Columbia j-school dean’s personal assessment of recent changes at his school, one of the leading j-schools in North America. Nicholas Lemann reflects on the school’s recent efforts to introduce multimedia instruction, add intellectual content to the journalism program to make it more than just a skills-based program, recruit students and build new facilities. He also discusses his successes and failures as dean.
The memo was a self-evaulation of his performance as dean for the provost of Columbia. But he sent it, by mistake, to his students instead of a course evaluation he intended to send.