Dean's message: Hello and goodbye, again

Interim Dean Stewart Hoover

We are once again at a point of transition for the School. The last time I wrote my farewell Dean's Message for Bylines, we were anticipating the arrival of a new dean, and I reflected on the prospects for the School at that juncture. I made the point then that we were strong, vibrant, optimistic and poised for great things.

I was not wrong about that. In spite of the challenges we have faced in the past three years, we can point to many accomplishments. The University is just wrapping up its multiyear fund-raising campaign with a total of $1 billion raised. The School raised $8.6 million, a million dollars over our goal. A key element is the first endowed chair in the School's history, a gift from Jimmy DiCastro. Jimmy is only one of many friends, alumni and other supporters who have helped us achieve this impressive milestone. We have also accomplished much in our core activities of teaching, research and creative work over the past three years. You can read about the latest of these accomplishments elsewhere in Bylines.

We have indeed been through challenging times. Circumstances well beyond anyone's control have led to a long period of transition in the dean's office. The changing nature of the media and the media workplace is a moving target for us as teachers and scholars. And, as many of you are aware, these have been exceedingly difficult times for the University and the state of Colorado financially. We have gone through considerable belt-tightening and have worked hard to keep that from negatively affecting the educational and other services we provide. A new relationship between the state and the University is being forged, and there is some promise that our prospects will improve.

The School continues to be one of the jewels of the Boulder campus and the wider University. We all – faculty, alumni, students and friends – help make this possible.

We can look ahead with optimism primarily because we anticipate the arrival of our new dean, Professor Paul Voakes, who will take up the reins this summer. His appointment is a concrete demonstration of the confidence the University has in a bright future for the SJMC.

Dean Voakes will play a major role in the form and shape of that future, and we are all eager to do our parts in taking the School to new levels of excellence and success.

Dean Voakes will be assisted by a new director of development for the School. Many of you came to know Jonathan Wanderstock, who left in January to take a position at the University of Oregon.

We all owe Jonathan a large debt of gratitude for his efforts on behalf of the School. His energy, creativity and determination built a strong foundation for greater levels of external support, something that will be vital as we look ahead. Whoever will follow him will have big shoes to fill.

I leave this office, and return to the teaching and research I love, with feelings of satisfaction and optimism about the School. It has been my pleasure to play a small role in helping shape the history of a great University.