J-school to close at one U.S. university

The University of Colorado at Boulder is planning to shut down its traditional journalism and mass communication programs.
 
In a statement on its website, the university says it wants to consider, instead, a new interdisciplinary academic program of information and communication technology and has set up an exploratory committee to help it do that.

The University of Colorado at Boulder is planning to shut down its traditional journalism and mass communication programs.
 
In a statement on its website, the university says it wants to consider, instead, a new interdisciplinary academic program of information and communication technology and has set up an exploratory committee to help it do that.

The statement says: "The creation of an exploratory committee will help to maximize the opportunity to form a new academic unit that will draw on existing strengths to prepare students for an ever-changing communications and media marketplace. The committee will forward recommendations to the provost by the end of the fall semester."

All the undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled will be allowed to complete their degrees.

In a story publised by 9news.com the school's dean says many faculty welcome the move.

"Journalism school Dean Paul Voakes said most faculty see it as an opportunity to finally redefine journalism education at CU for the 21st century, as more people keep themselves informed online."

Another story published on an Boulder-based internet news service, The Daily Camera, says the school now enrolls 647 undergraduates; 58 master's students and 26 doctoral students.

That story also includes reaction from some students and faculty members.

 

"There's always two sides to change," said CU associate professor Tom Yulsman, co-director of the Center for Environmental Journalism. "There's opportunity, which is exciting. But change also brings risk, and that's unsettling. I'm excited and unsettled at the same time."