Friday, Dec. 12, 2003 | 11:16 a.m.
The Hank Greenspun School of Communications at UNLV will be split into a school of journalism and a separate department of communications, a move that will make it easier for the journalism program to be accredited, school officials said today.
The new Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Mass Communication will remain within the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs focusing on training media professionals, including journalists, public affairs specialists and advertising sales people, according to school officials.
A new Department of Communication Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, will be formed within the urban affairs college, specializing in rhetorical studies, interpersonal communications and intercultural communication, they said.
The proposal will go before the Board of Regents as early as its January meeting. If approved, the change will take effect July 1.
"All major schools have this split (of journalism and communications)," said Martha Watson, dean of the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs. "This will give more visibility to the journalism and media studies component."
Also by splitting the components, Watson said students no longer will have to take certain classes that now are required of both journalism and communications, but that some may consider unnecessary for one or the other, allowing them to focus on either journalism or communication.
The Hank Greenspun School of Communications, which has 600 students, is named for the late Sun Publisher Hank Greenspun. The Greenspun College of Urban Affairs is named for his family, which still publishes the Sun.
David Henry, director of the communications school, said the new organization is patterned after Arizona State University, where the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication teaches media skills and the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication focuses on interpersonal communication.
All of the UNLV communication school's 16 full-time faculty members backed the change, Henry said.
"It's a good idea, and it's rare that you get everybody in favor of the same thing," he said.
One of the primary benefits, he said, is that it positions the new journalism school to gain national accreditation.
"When we were a combined program it was theoretically possible but practically very difficult because we have essentially two different missions in the same unit," he said. "It would be unclear how to allocate resources."
Sun Editor and President Brian Greenspun said his family is supportive of the university's decision to go forward with the change.
"This is a very positive step by the university," said Greenspun, son of Hank Greenspun. "Having an accredited school of journalism has always been a top priority for our family and I believe the university. This move will help UNLV focus most directly on the need for educating and preparing young journalists for a world that becomes more complicated each day.
"I know this idea has been in the works for a long time and I am happy to see that the school has finally decided to make this commitment. Both the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs and the now Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Mass Communication have strong leadership and we are very much encouraged about the future."
Watson said the move will allow the journalism school the choice of seeking accreditation and make the process easier, but she noted accreditation of journalism schools are not as essential as for social work or business.
"It's totally optional," Watson said. "There is no impact on getting jobs if the school is not accredited. Greenspun journalism graduates have no trouble getting jobs."
Twelve full-time faculty will move to the new journalism school. Four will create the communications department, which will hire two additional faculty members. Barbara Cloud, associate provost for academic affairs and former communications chairwoman, is expected to return to the journalism school faculty.
"It's a move to strengthen the school," assistant professor Mary Hausch said.
Students already in the program will be able to complete it under the terms laid out in the current course catalog or choose the new curriculum, Henry said.
The journalism school has begun a national search for a new director. Once that person is in place, school officials can decide whether to pursue accreditation, she said.
Henry said he had planned to step down from the director's job next year to become editor of the Journal of Speech. With the split he probably will lead the new communications department as chairman. He also is executive director of the Rhetoric Society of America.
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