University of Colorado journalism dean Paul Voakes to step down
Daily Camera
November 11, 2010
Paul Voakes said Wednesday that he will step down next summer as dean of the University of Colorado's journalism school, an announcement that arrives amid uncertainty about the future of the program.
Voakes, who has tenure, plans to remain a faculty member.
The university announced in August that it would be taking unprecedented steps to possibly close down CU's traditional School of Journalism and Mass Communication, citing budget cuts and a rapid evolution of media.
Through the program discontinuance process, CU could decide to shut down the school, reform it or keep it the same. Simultaneously, an exploratory panel is working this semester to consider a new program for "information and communication technology."
"The new effort deserves new leadership -- fresh energy, fresh ideas," Voakes said in an interview.
Voakes said that when he started as dean, the school needed stability in its leadership. By the time he steps down on June 30, he'll have served about eight years at the helm of the school.
When he began, the school's annual fundraising totals were in the $200,000's. Now, the school raises -- on average -- donations in the $800,000 range, which he attributes to donor cultivation that comes with steady leadership.
As dean, Voakes' salary is $170,641, according to CU spokeswoman Malinda Miller-Huey.
The university named Voakes, who had been an associate professor at the Indiana University School of Journalism, dean of CU's journalism school in 2003.
