The university administration is no longer discussing any plan to eliminate the Journalism Department, Provost Paul Sypherd wrote in a memo to department Head Jim Patten Friday.

"I believe the University of Arizona will continue to prepare journalists, either in a department or a viable program within a merged unit," he wrote.

Patten said the provost has sent a clear message that the Journalism Department is no longer in danger of being eliminated and his department's status is the same as every other department at the UA.

At the same time, Sypherd wrote that no department can be guaranteed continued existence at the UA.

"He didn't promise that we would live forever," Patten said. "But, then again, he's not promising that anyone will live forever."

Sypherd stated in the memo that all UA programs, including journalism, will continue to be reviewed on a regular basis to determine their value, quality and contributions to the education of Arizona's citizens.

Friday's memo was sent to clarify the department's status - that it was not being eliminated.

Patten said he had received an earlier memo from Sypherd, dated Thursday, April 18, indicating that students would continue to be trained in journalism and that Sypherd was pleased with the strides the department has made in areas of new technology.

But that memo left some questions unanswered concerning the department's fate.

Patten said the message in Friday's memo is clear - journalism is "off the table" and none of the department's tenured faculty will be let go.

While the department has battled to stay alive it has broadened its curriculum, he said. New classes in the areas of Internet and desktop publishing, database research and broadcast news were added to enhance the core curriculum structure.

Enrollment in the Journalism Department has declined in the last two years and the number of tenured faculty dropped from 11 full-time to six full-time members.

Patten said he hopes the department's enrollment will increase and can restore the five lost faculty members. He said he will keep in mind the state of the university's budget and the expected $7.8 million shortfall next year.

"In terms of our growth, we are going to be realistic," Patten said. "We haven't given up on the idea of gaining back some of those numbers."

Enrollment figures for fall 1994, showed 300 undergraduates and 35 graduate students were enrolled in the department. For fall 1995, 204 undergraduates and 30 graduates had elected journalism as their major.

Now that the department's status has been restored, Patten said, "I feel resolved to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."