Jean Folkerts to step down as journalism dean

Jean Folkerts’ career has been a balancing act.

After going back and forth between jobs in the media industry to take up graduate and doctoral academic pursuits, she went on to continue her research while becoming a high-level university administrator.

But when she steps down June 30 as dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Folkerts will, for the first time in her career, not have to balance her research with administrative duties.

And she will leave a legacy of balancing the practice and study of journalism not only in her career but in the journalism school, as well.

“I’ve been a person of balance my entire career … a balance of practice and theory,” Folkerts said. “A good journalism school cannot exist if it doesn’t have both.”

Despite months of appeals from administrators to remain in her post, Folkerts announced Friday that she would be stepping down as the school’s dean to focus on her research project, which examines the history of journalism education and its relationship to professional journalism and the media industry.

Through the Reese Felts Digital Newsroom and changes to the school’s curriculum, Folkerts said she has reached her goal of ushering the school into the more technologically-oriented media climate.

“I had an agenda when I came here in 2006,” Folkerts said. “The alumni really wanted the school to move into the digital age. I feel like I really accomplished that.”

Folkerts, 65, a media historian whose tenure began July 1, 2006, will stay on as a faculty member in the school.

“Jean feels she has done good service,” said Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Bruce Carney, who joined Chancellor Holden Thorp in urging Folkerts throughout the summer to continue as dean.

“The time is approaching when she wants to retire, and she has some research projects she wants to finish up.”

Carney declined to comment on the details of his and the chancellor’s encouragement.

Carney said Jim Dean, dean of the Kenan-Flagler Business School, will lead a national search for Folkerts’ replacement, adding that a new dean could be in place at the July 1 start of the new fiscal year.

“I don’t know if we’re going to need to have an interim to be honest,” Carney said. “I’ll cross that bridge if I have to come to it. My aim is to have a new dean in place by this summer.”

Executive Associate Provost Ron Strauss is responsible for staffing the search committee.

Journalism professor Ryan Thornburg said furthering the journalism school’s strength in technology is a mission that doesn’t end with Folkerts stepping down.

“We need to stay fresh and we need to stay engaged, lest we become irrelevant.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.