Dickerson, students dicked over

Sometimes "no comment" says it all. That's what Bill Rainbolt, director of the University at Albany journalism program, said when asked about the premature departure of Debra Dickerson from the journalism faculty. This past semester, Dickerson taught Opinion Writing and Contemporary News Issues at UAlbany, while blogging for "Mother Jones," writing two books, and making several television appearances on shows such as "The Colbert Report," and "The O'Reilly Factor." What else could Rainbolt have said? The decision to take Dickerson's name off the roster wasn't his to make, despite his role as advisor to almost all of the nearly 350 journalism students at UAlbany. Six hundred and thirty students are currently enrolled in journalism courses at UAlbany, a number that rose from 253 last year, according to an article written by Heather Senison in the Fall 2007 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter. The cut came from bureaucratic bean-counters who decided, with no consultation with journalism students or faculty, that the line for Dickerson's salary wasn't worth recreating in the budget. Did Dickerson learn she wouldn't be invited back for next fall from Edelgard Wulfert, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences? Did she learn from the folks who craft the budget, or even from Interim President George Philip? Nope. Rainbolt, who played no part in making the decision, was the bearer of bad news. I tried to schedule an appointment with someone in the dean's office to discuss Dickerson's departure, not as a reporter, but a concerned student. I was referred to Rainbolt who could not comment, and referred me back to the dean. Those who are tenured or full-time professors (there are only four in the journalism program) at UAlbany are paid by salaries that come from a regular yearly budget. Adjunct professors are hired on a per-course basis, but Dickerson didn't hold either of those official titles. Her position was created by former Officer in Charge Susan Herbst, and after Herbst departed for Georgia last fall, there was no guarantee Dickerson's position would be reinstated. UAlbany currently educates an undergraduate population of 12,748 students with a faculty that consists of 51 percent full-timers and a student/faculty ratio of 19-to-1, according to data updated in March on Petersons.com, a college and university search Web site. SUNY Buffalo, with a population of about 6,000 more undergraduates, has a better student/faculty ratio of 16-to-1 and employs 65 percent full-time faculty. During my time in the journalism program, which began offering a major just two years ago, only four of my J-professors have had their own offices on campus where I knew I could consult with them on a regular basis outside of class. Full-time positions are valuable for this reason; they foster teacher-student relationships that facilitate an enriched learning experience. Cutting faculty positions is hardly a service to the students when we're spending $260,000 on developing a new school brand and millions on beautifying the campus. It's all style with no substance. The best public relations are stellar faculty who churn out enthusiastic and educated students into the work-force of today. Dickerson is a professor who puts "the world within reach" of her students. "What she brought to UAlbany, other than the strength of her writing talents and razor-sharp intelligence, was worldliness," said Thomas Bass, a full-time journalism and English professor at UAlbany.

"She connected students to the world beyond Albany since she plays on the national stage as a TV commentator, blogger, writer, and expert on political matters." In a field like journalism that is so fluid and constantly changing, it is crucial to have instructors who are part of the change and already adapting. Dickerson made us feel less like lab rats locked in a classroom and more like working journalists who were part of a real community and had a say on important matters unfolding before us as a generation on the national stage. She even published a piece by T.G. Branfalt, Jr., Albany Student Press columnist, on Motherjones.org, which launched his writing onto a national stage. Dickerson lived the daily life of a journalist as she taught her students. She brought her personal ethical dilemmas to the classroom. In the class Contemporary News Issues, we learned from her experience as a freelancer and major commentator on the current U.S. Presidential election. Learning from Dickerson felt like learning from experience; she helped us relate to her past and present decisions. For example, she once dedicated a class period to breaking down the financial challenges of being a freelancer in today's market. She based the discussion on her own financial dilemmas, and offers from publishers and publications. It was a wake-up call for many students who intend to enter the field of journalism. This year was the first year that Dickerson, who holds a law degree from Harvard and no degree in formal training in journalism, ever taught in a classroom. "I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, but I had no idea how difficult it would be," Dickerson said. "The sense I had culturally is that your generation is apathetic, but I found the spirit was energizing and the students were really looking to be challenged." The greatest disappointment here, however, does not belong to Dickerson. She'll be fine. She'll continue to freelance and market her talents elsewhere. The greatest disservice in this situation is to the UAlbany journalism students who will never have the opportunity to spend a semester with her.