Asking Questions About UCSC’s Missing Journalism Program

On June 7th, UC Santa Cruz students concerned about their missing journalism program asked questions of Bill Ladusaw, UCSC's Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education. Ladusaw seemed to place blame on UCSC's faculty for the loss of the journalism program, while dodging questions about the misappropriation of funds at the administrative level, including Chancellor Denice Denton's extravagant dog-run. Ladusaw encouraged students to seek support from faculty members and the academic senate for the reestablishment of the journalism program, though it was unclear why students should shift their focus off of UCSC's administration.

Text from the protest announcement:

DEMAND JOURNALISM AT UCSC!!

The long lived and long acclaimed Journalism Program at UCSC was cut in 2003 by the decision of one Dean of Humanities. He did not discuss this decision with professors, other faculty, or students.

It is the opinion of the Journalism Now Committee, and many student media organization members that this was an unfair, unnecessary, and detrimental decision in relation to the success of education at UCSC.

A new Dean of Humanities will be clocking-in this summer. The Journalism Now Committee agrees with an opinion expressed at the last academic senate meeting: now is the opportunity to improve the fate of writing courses at UCSC.

Please take your academic experience into your own hands and do whatever you can to save the programs you value.

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Crossposted at Indybay.org.