By Melissa Traynor

The academic affairs committee of the CSU System Board of Trustees met Monday to approve requests from the four schools, including finalizing Connecticut’s WNPR News Director John Dankosky as the Robert C. Vance Endowed Chair in journalism.

Provost Carl Lovitt, who spoke on behalf of CCSU at the meeting, said that the endowed chair position has been gradually building up to the point where the university is able to hire someone. He said they chose Dankosky because he has a reach in broadcast journalism and a steady background in teaching already. Lovitt said Dankosky, who has been approved for a one-year contract with CCSU, has also taught at Quinnipiac University.

The focus of his time as chair will be to teach a course or two in the new journalism major and to support and organize public lectures as well as community outreach. Journalism professor Dr. Vivian Martin, who was involved in the chair selection process, said that Dankosky will teach “Story in Sound” in the fall semester and a class in the spring. Dankosky also hosts the show Where We Live on NPR’s 90.5 FM.

“It was very clear to me that we needed someone more digitized than the rest of us,” said Martin, who also added that his forte in audio journalism might also lead to faculty development. “[Audio journalism] is becoming a bigger specialty that we have none of in our curriculum.”

She said that when she first met with him to discuss the endowed chair, she knew that his appointment would be a good fit because their visions for the program were in sync.

Martin said that Dankosky is also stopping by this semester to run workshops in the News Writing and Reporting I and II courses, as well as Responsibilities of Journalism.

As the chairholder, Dankosky will be paid from, and have access to some funds from the Robert C. Vance endowments for journalism workshops and conferences. Associate Vice President at Institutional Advancement Nicholas Pettinico said that a little over $300,000 is now available, which reflects accrued earnings from the original gift from the Vance Foundation.

In 2000, the Vance Foundation awarded $1.4 million to the university for journalism-related projects, such as the workshops and conferences that have taken place at CCSU over the last two years, and the State of Connecticut also added $400,000, Pettinico said.

During the committee meeting, Lovitt also informed the academic affairs members that CCSU has also distinguished two faculty members as full professors. Dr. Heather Munroe Prescott of the history department, who Lovitt said is known for her work in children’s health issues and societal impact, and Dr. Timothy Reagan of the school of education were recently appointed into full professor status.

Committee chair John Doyle said that now is an important time to make these full professor appointments due to impending financial problems down the road. He also congratulated those involved in the CCSU appointments.

“Everyone knows what the fiscal situation for the biennial is going to be,” he said. “The door [on professor appointments] is going to be shut. You can bet on it.”