It’s August in Bloomington, which means we’re eagerly awaiting the return of students for another year at Indiana University. We look forward to welcoming about 400 new undergraduate students, about 20 new graduate students, and four new faculty members.
This is a special year — July 1 marked the official 10th anniversary of The Media School, and we’ll commemorate this achievement throughout the academic year with special events and programs, and the launch of our new strategic plan. To me, this milestone represents not just an opportunity to look back on the past, but to envision our future and where we’re going next. I look forward to working with our faculty, staff, students, and alumni to establish and realize that vision.
Also special this semester is the November election. Each election season presents an opportunity for our students, alumni, and others in the industry to perform one of the core functions of media, reminding us of their critical role in democracy. (It’s something I enjoyed chatting with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Carl Bernstein about this summer.) Whether it’s journalism, advertising, film, public relations, or media science, nearly all our areas of study and practice touch the election in some way.
One of the reasons I love my job and love being part of our community is because what we do here is both difficult and so important. So, thanks for all you do.
Speaking of my job: Sept. 11 will be my one-year anniversary as dean. The year just flew by. Thank you for your patience, your warmth, your excellent ideas, your hard questions, your honesty, and your commitment. Although we sometimes don’t agree on specifics, I feel like we’re all trying to make our community the best it can be. I’ll keep trying to do my best.
As a side note: This semester, I’m teaching my first class here at The Media School, Writing Mental Health. I believe it’s important that I get to know our students a little better by seeing them in the classroom. And I’ll get a sense of what it’s like to teach in our community. And wow, what a semester to be teaching – as students grapple with the election and continued conflict around the world. I wonder what their stories will look like.
Finally, let’s all welcome our awesome new faculty and staff who come to us at this most critical time:
So excited to have you all with us during this most important year.
Best,
David Tolchinsky
Dean, The Media School at Indiana University
