Uncertainty looms over director’s job status

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Confusion is swirling over the status of Jane Briggs-Bunting, who was asked Wednesday to resign as director of the MSU School of Journalism by Pamela Whitten, the newly appointed dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

Briggs-Bunting is president of The State News Board of Directors.

Briggs-Bunting, who was given until noon last Thursday to resign or face suspension, packed up her office Wednesday and has not made an official decision on what to do and has not been informed by the university of its decision.

“I haven’t tendered a resignation,” Briggs-Bunting said Sunday.

She has retained Deborah Gordon, a lawyer from Bloomfield Hills who specializes in employment law, to handle negotiations with the university on her behalf.

“There were no options for me, and there was no discussion,” she said. “In this sort of situation, you’d think being able to sit down and discuss things would happen.”

Although Briggs-Bunting said she was unsure of the university’s decision, she said she will remain a faculty member of the School of Journalism and will continue to serve as president of The State News Board of Directors.

Darcy Greene, an associate professor of journalism, said the School of Journalism was blindsided by news of Briggs-Bunting’s situation and has been scrambling to handle its day-to-day operations. No new information has been released, she said.

“All I know is that she was told to resign,” she said. “The director does a lot of things, so there’s a lot of ongoing concerns. Things that (Briggs-Bunting) does don’t stop because the person has changed.”

MSU spokesman Terry Denbow said Sunday that he was unaware of any new developments with the case, and the university had no further comment.

He told The State News on Thursday that no decisions have been made to replace Briggs-Bunting.

“As Whitten assembles her new team, she has requested Jane Briggs-Bunting steps down. Dean Whitten looks forward to working with Briggs-Bunting and all of the School of Journalism faculty to optimize an efficient transition,” he said Thursday.

Whitten did not return calls to her home Sunday seeking comment .

Greene said Whitten’s request came as a shock to the School of Journalism, which has operated under Briggs-Bunting’s direction for the past six years.

“Our main concerns are how Jane’s doing, and also the future of the J-School (and) how we’re going to proceed with our goals and missions and future,” she said.

Upon being asked to step down, Briggs-Bunting said she requested an extension to the Thursday deadline, which was subsequently denied.

“I don’t know what happened after that,” she said. “After that, it was clear any conversation I would have would not be listened to.”

Greene said the School of Journalism will focus on both short- and long-term plans, including who will replace Briggs-Bunting.

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