Dean Edward's Letter

February 20, 2004
As your dean, I promised to keep you informed of the current and future plans for our school. Over the past few months, I have been meeting with students, faculty, alumni and community representatives to identify institutional needs and opportunities, which if addressed, will allow us to continue our record of achievement AND stay competitive for the future.
Based on these preliminary talks, I recently announced on campus a new vision that will clearly position our program among professional academic institutions and provide our graduates with a greater opportunity for success.
The vision includes a proposal to establish The School of Management and Communication (the SMC), a joint venture of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) and the College of Business and Public Administration (CBPA). Within the SMC, each academic entity retains its independence with respect to curriculum and faculty matters, but the new SMC will provide a model for professional education, a model that leverages the strengths of both academic units.
The SMC will:
—develop interdisciplinary opportunities to strengthen the academic and practical credentials of our undergraduates — SJMC’s emphasis on communication, the 1st Amendment and ethics and the CBPA’s emphasis on business and strategic decision making;
—collaborate on graduate programs that will improve each student’s ability to advance or be promoted in their chosen profession;
—provide new learning resources and training opportunities for the business community, especially in business management and communication;
—enhance Drake’s reputation for excellence in professional education while providing a real opportunity to generate additional resources.

At this point, the SMC is only a vision. Over the next few months, the two faculties, students, and business leaders will collaborate to define an appropriate governance/operating structure.
We plan to keep you informed on the development of the SMC through periodic updates. As always, I would be pleased to hear from you with comments or suggestions. Please feel free to contact me at Charles.Edwards@drake.edu.
Thanks for your support.
Sincerely,
Charles C. Edwards, Jr.
Dean

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