Dear Alumni, Friends, Faculty and Staff,

I was honored to be chosen as the school’s third dean, and I look forward to working with each and every one of you. Your encouragement and support are appreciated, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help lead one of the finest communications schools in the country.

Communications Dean Kenn Gaither

As I begin my tenure, I want to ensure you this process is not about me. It is about us – our teachers, our staff, our graduates, our students. I want to know your vision for our school. I want to identify the challenges we face. I want to build upon our foundation, rooted in student success, and provide a life-altering experience for those we educate.

There is no honeymoon phase as a new dean. We have much to accomplish. We had a productive 2022-23 academic year – evident in the following pages. We approved a new five-year strategic plan, revised our DEI plan, and earned COSMA accreditation.

In the coming months, we will continue our curriculum revision process, which gradually launches this fall. We will introduce two new academic minors – Health Communications and Global Film & Cultures – to meet the interests of our students. Additionally, we will begin preparing for our ACEJMC accreditation self-study and subsequent evaluation.

We have a reputation for excelling in accreditation, so the expectations are high. In a way, we are chasing ourselves. Let us embrace this challenge, as we do with all obstacles – thoughtfully, carefully and with our students top of mind.

We have a blank canvas before us. It is a canvas supported by the extraordinary leadership of our past, an unmatched group of faculty and staff guiding our present, and an alumni and partner base that truly cares for our mission and our future.

As we enter the 2023-24 academic year, let us dream big and paint with broad strokes that change and challenge us for the better.

Kenn Gaither, Dean