The Daily Orange

Media Credit: Stephen Dockery

Students took part in the search for a new dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications as one of the remaining two candidates, Sam L. Grogg, traveled to Syracuse from Miami yesterday to speak with Newhouse students and faculty.

He touched on his potential vision to uphold a reputation of excellence at Newhouse and his extensive background in film.

Approximately 100 students attended a one-hour question-and-answer session with Grogg in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium in Newhouse III Thursday afternoon. But Grogg's commitment to Newhouse was called into question

On Jan. 15, the University of Miami student newspaper, The Hurricane, reported that Grogg had "no intention" of leaving UM.

The day before the article in The Hurricane, an e-mail was sent to the Newhouse faculty and staff announcing Grogg's visit to SU, from David C. Smith, chair of the search committee and SU's vice president of administrative planning. The committee invited both Grogg and the other finalist, Lorraine Branham, to campus for interviews with representatives from Newhouse and the university in January.

When news of Grogg's potential visit to Syracuse University reached UMiami, administrators, faculty and students were shocked. Grogg quickly responded to the worriment by explaining at the present time, without any actual job offer, he does not want to leave Miami.

"It's tough. When you're really in the midst of change and you're as connected as I am to the students and supportive as I am of the student newspaper-to say that you might be leaving, it's hard for both sides," Grogg said.

Grogg said he has no reason to want to leave Miami, he said, but the opportunity to hold deanship at Newhouse is an exciting and significant prospect for him.

"When Newhouse calls, you answer the call," Grogg said. "You've set the agenda, you've set the stage and the rest of the schools are looking at this one."

And in terms of preparation for the position, Grogg calls his experience with film "multidisciplinary." His academic experience includes the founding deanship of the film school at the North Carolina School of the Arts, the deanship of the graduate conservatory for the American Film Institute and his current deanship of the University of Miami School of Communication.

Grogg also has worked in the industry marketing and producing films.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools