COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Less than a month after being announced as the face of Texas A&M University's new journalism program, Kathleen McElroy announced her plans to head back to Austin to work at the University of Texas.
Recently, KAGS has learned from McElroy that her attorney and the university reopened contract negotiations on Friday to see if an agreement could be reached to bring her back to Texas A&M to lead the school's journalism program.
"My relationship with A&M won't be official, but A&M has always stayed in my heart," McElroy said on Wednesday. "I have friendships that I've made that I think will never go away."
According to McElroy, things started to change between her and the university on June 19. Soon after, the Texas Tribune reported that people within the university system began to express concerns with her work on race and diversity in newsrooms as well as her experience at the New York Times.
"My race and my gender, and employment at the New York Times had painted me into a different person, and that trumped my being an Aggie," McElroy said.
After initially being offered a tenured full-professor position, the university began altering her contract to a five-year professor of practice position without tenure. It was later altered once again to be a one-year professor of practice contract where she could be terminated at any time.
"I really wanted to have an impact, a day-to-day impact, and a bigger visionary impact," McElroy said. "I won't have that, but I will always have A&M in my heart."
Texas A&M University provided a short statement on Wednesday to KAGS about McElroy's decision to not lead the journalism program and return to UT Austin, which can be found below:
"We regret any misunderstanding and wish Dr. McElroy well in her future endeavors. We are continuing to work on building a great journalism program."
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