Faculty, staff and students will get a chance this spring to meet finalists who wish to become the next dean of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication.
Up to four finalists will be in Eugene during the weeks of March 2 and 9 to meet with campus stakeholders. Each candidate will engage in a public talk, conducted in hybrid mode.
Details about the candidates will be released in advance of their visits on the Office of the Provost website, along with an online survey where community members can share their observations.
Reporting to the provost and senior vice president, the dean of the School of Journalism and Communication is responsible for strategic leadership in all areas of the school’s development, academics, budget and operations and fosters campus, community, statewide and regional support for the school and its mission.
“The SOJC has earned a strong reputation for preparing global citizens, scholars and professionals who shape how we understand and engage with the world,” said Christopher P. Long, provost and senior vice president. “In a period of rapid change in how we communicate and deliberate, we look forward to identifying a collaborative, authentic leader who can build connections across this storied college and continue to elevate its unique academic and cultural mission.”
The school has more than 90 faculty members and is home to more than 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in the school’s 10 undergraduate and graduate programs.
Regina Lawrence, associate dean of SOJC Portland and research director of the Agora Journalism Center, has been serving as interim dean since August 2025.
Established in 1916, the School of Journalism and Communication is one of the oldest journalism programs in the nation and remains the only comprehensive accredited journalism and communication program in the Pacific Northwest.
The search committee includes SOJC faculty, staff, students and advisory council members, and is cochaired by Jen Reynolds, dean of the School of Law, and Julianne Newton, professor and director of the communication and media studies doctoral program. The university has hired the firm AGB Search to assist with the national search.