An Associated Press story written over the winter break prompted news organizations to report the ASU journalism school had lost accreditation, but Interim Director Steve Doig said students should not worry.
"The largest misconception is that some decision has actually been made," Doig said.
An accreditation council evaluated the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in October, and the visiting team found the school failed to meet two of 12 criteria, in the areas of leadership and diversity.
The team will likely suggest provisional accreditation to the council in April, but until then, the school remains fully accredited, Doig said.
Provisional status would mean the Cronkite School would have an additional year to correct the problems the investigation team found before being evaluated a second time. If the team is satisfied, the school would continue to be accredited; if it is not satisfied, the school would officially lose accreditation.
If the school is put on provision, Doig said he is confident all problems would be resolved when the school is reviewed again next October.
In April, he plans to address the council himself to argue that provisional status is not needed.
"What I will try and argue is that whatever problems they perceived in October are already being worked upon in a very proactive way," he said. "I am hopeful I can persuade the council that even provisional [status] isn't necessary."
Reach the reporter at rkost@asu.edu.
