By Dominic LoVallo
Managing editor
The name change of one of the biggest schools at St. Bonaventure is receiving mixed reviews. As of Monday, The Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication will be known as the Jandoli School of Communication.
It was January 1947 when Russ Jandoli founded the department of journalism at Bonaventure. He would go on to be the longest running journalism department head in the country, ending his term after 34 years.
Pauline Hoffmann, Ph.D., dean of the Jandoli School of Communication, said she understands the name change may have appeared out of thin air, but has been a decision a long time in the making.
“This is not something we decided to do overnight.” Hoffmann said. “I think people think one day we just woke up and decided this is what we do. We’re looking at the rest of everything we are offering in the school now, and it isn’t just journalism.”
According to Hoffmann, the name change was a two to three year process of justifying what the name would then become and why it would need to happen.
Hoffmann said the name Jandoli was never considered to be taken off the Murphy building.
“God help me if I try to take the name Jandoli out of it,” Hoffmann said. “That wasn’t even a consideration. Not even a consideration, because he’s the man who started the program. We owe him a debt of gratitude, so that wasn’t even on the table.”
The big omission that has caused a stir with this decision is the word journalism.
Bonaventure alumna Samantha Kauffman, ’13, graduated as a journalism and mass communication major, and she has an issue with the name change.
“I am a product of the [Russell J.] Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication. I am not simply a communicator, I am a journalist,” Kauffman said. “In this school, we learned to omit needless words. Well, I think Bonaventure is making a huge mistake by removing a very important one.”
Bill Holzerland, ’01, said he had an issue with the name change too. He also felt the word journalism plays a key part in what should happen in the Jandoli school.
“The absence of the word journalism from the school’s name diminishes its importance to the school and obfuscates the school’s core purpose, in my view,” he said.
Hoffmann said she wants to assure people that the last thing she wants is to play into the stigma that journalism is a dying brand. On the contrary, she feels it is as important as ever.
“To be clear, we are not getting rid of journalism. We are not,” Hoffmann said. “We are not changing our dedication to quality writing… God help us if journalism dies… I can’t even imagine what would happen.”
The department plans to make journalism its own major, just like strategic communications, said Hoffmann.
Paul Wieland, who is entering his 15 year at the university, was a student of Jandoli when he attended St. Bonaventure as an undergrad. His opinion of Jandoli as a person played a part in his acceptance of the department’s name change.
“Russ [Jandoli] was a marvelous man. I mean I have such a high opinion of [him], next to my dad and my one uncle, he’s one of the males who was most influential in my life. And he was never a stick in the mud guy, he was the opposite. He was always looking for a way, he was always open to new ideas and had a lot of new ones of his own.”
Alumni have come forward to say why they like the name change as well. Sean O’Brien, ’15, said he takes journalism evolving fields into consideration when explaining why he is for the new name.
“We, at least in my experience, were always taught that journalism and communications are dynamic fields that change with the times,” O’Brien said. “I feel the name change reflects that, as well as better represents the scope that the skills learned there may be applied to.”
There are some Jandoli school alumni, such as Kevin Rogers, ’14, who have faith that the staff in doing what’s best for the school, and that is why they are accepting of the name change.
“I trust that the staff knows what they’re doing, and I trust they’ll keep up the same vision and tradition,” said Rogers, who is now working for Washington Times. “The training I got at the Jandoli school has helped me in both journalism and in advertising after college, and I believe that education will continue to drive other students, regardless of what they call it.”
With all the debates of the name change occurring, Hoffmann said she wants to remind people why the entire Bonaventure community should be very excited for what’s to come.
“We could feasibly have folks coming in undecided as they do in business, which is great. So you don’t have to decide right away,” Hoffmann said. “I also think we have the opportunity to shape what is journalism and what is your role as a young journalist in the future of it.”
Hoffmann said it isn’t just her helping to usher in the next great communicators of the world.
“I also have a faculty that is fabulous,” she said. “I couldn’t work with a better group of people who are as dedicated to making sure we’re turning out excellent, and I can say, communicators. Some of them will be journalists, some will be working in PR, some will be in advertising. All valuable professions, and we are all committed to that. And I think for us to just sit back and be status quo is not an option.”
lovalldv15@bonaventure.edu
