Braider to oversee journalism faculty

Christopher Braider

University of Colorado Boulder Professor Christopher Braider has been named director of journalism and mass communication faculty.

The move, effective July 1, "marks the next key step in developing a more contemporary program in journalism and media studies," said CU-Boulder Provost Russell L. Moore.

Braider will oversee the daily administrative operations of the faculty, including the implementation of the new Journalism Plus program, which is housed temporarily in CU-Boulder's Graduate School. He will not be directly involved in curriculum design issues or teach in the department.

"The transition from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication to a new program requires a fair-minded leader who will not be influenced by past conflicts and issues in the school," Moore said. "Chris Braider has demonstrated in a number of positions at CU-Boulder that he can lead with fairness and objectivity while carrying out the many administrative tasks required to run a program."

Moore said he chose Braider, a professor of French and Italian, as director because of his long tenure on campus and his programmatic leadership experience. Braider has been on campus for 20 years after having served on the faculty at Harvard University. He has served as chair of French and Italian (1994-2001), acting director of the Center for Humanities and the Arts (2004-05) and chair of Comparative Literature and Humanities (1996-97). He also was the 2010 winner of the Boulder Faculty Assembly Service Award.

The CU Board of Regents voted April 14 to discontinue the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and to offer journalism education at CU-Boulder through a dual-major structure beginning in spring 2012. With time, the Journalism Plus program could move into a larger interdisciplinary college or school that would incorporate disciplines such as computer science, media and advertising design, media studies and other related fields of study.