The dean of Kansas University’s journalism school announced Thursday his plan to step down and return to classroom teaching and research.

James K. Gentry, dean of KU’s William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, said he planned to leave the position at the end of the 2003-04 academic year.

“I’ve really enjoyed being dean at KU,” Gentry said in a prepared statement, “but when I came, I
said I only wanted to be dean for six or seven years, and this will be my
seventh year.”

Gentry has held the post since July 1997. Gentry came to KU from the University of Nevada, Reno, where he was dean of its School of Journalism for five years. Before that, he served on the faculty of the University of Missouri at Columbia School of Journalism. He also has experience working for newspapers. The KU School of Journalism is considered one of the top schools in the country.

At KU, Gentry oversaw the journalism school’s transition to curriculum that would better prepare graduates for new technology and the emerging “convergence” trend, in which media combine broadcast, print and online news operations.

KU plans a national search this fall for a new dean to be in place by July 1, 2004.

For more on this story, pick up a copy of Friday’s Journal-World.