‘ The Boston University International Programs office does not plan to renew the lease for the Washington Journalism Center building, in addition to the employment contract of director and founder Linda Killian, officials said.
Though the program, which allows students to work in national news bureaus for a semester in Washington, D.C., will not run next semester due to a lack of student interest, it is set to reopen in fall 2010 after undergoing a major reorganization. The Washington Internship Program, which allows students to work in political and media-related internships for a semester, will continue as planned.
College of Communication Dean Tom Fiedler said International Programs will soon begin looking for a new director to fill Killian’s position, with her contract expiring at the end of December and has plans to relocate the Center, but would not yet further comment as to where.
In an email sent to the 18 students participating in the spring 2010 Washington Internship Program, Program Management Assistant Director Deborah Miller said an interim director will be put in place next semester.
Killian declined to comment about her departure from the program until she has settled all the details with the administration, but said the decision to cancel the journalism center for spring 2010 was based on numbers.
‘It is the truth that not enough students applied to the program,’ she said.’
International Programs Institutional Relations Director Joseph Finkhouse confirmed this decision.
‘It was decided to suspend the D.C. journalism program for next semester after taking into consideration the low number of BU students who had applied,’ Finkhouse said in an email.
Running the program next semester was not an economically viable option, Fielder said.
‘We are taking this opportunity and time to rethink the curriculum,’ Fiedler said, though he does not yet know the specific curriculum changes.’
The lease for the Washington Journalism Center, currently located at 2807 Connecticut Ave.-within two miles of the Naval Observatory and the National Zoo in Northwest Washington, D.C.-expires at the end of December, Fielder said.
‘BU will not renew the lease because of a number of issues with the property itself,’ he said. ‘The new location is yet to be determined.’
Fieldler said the relocation of the program and curriculum changes are part of an overall reorganization process. They plan to add a greater variety of courses that would the make program appealing to the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Management students as well as COM students.
Miller did not mention any plans for reorganization or location changes in her email to the Washington Internship Program students.
Washington Journalism Center Newsroom Manager Mason McAllister said he was unaware of the reorganization Fiedler mentioned.’
‘I have no knowledge of the reorganization,’ McAllister said. ‘What I have been told is that a decision has been made to cancel the program because of low enrollment.’
McAllister said he could not comment on Killian’s departure or other administrative decisions.
‘These decisions are made in Boston, not Washington,’ McAllister said.
Staff reporter Lilia Stantcheva contributed to the reporting of this article.
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