Ithaca College’s dean of the Park School of Communications backed out of her planned move to the University of California at Berkeley, leaving my alma mater with one less void to fill among its top leadership. With President Peggy Williams and two other deans leaving in May, Dianne Lynch’s decision to stay is welcome news for the college.

Although she arrived after I graduated, I’ve enjoyed working with Lynch, who has a background in new media and was the founding executive director of the Online News Association (of which I’m a member). Just a few days ago, I praised one of Ithaca College’s best innovations, a class called Backpack Digital Journalism, which Lynch helped create. Technology journalist Danny Glover weighed in with his thoughts about the idea on Beltway Blogroll.

I’m sure there will be some grumbling among faculty — this is the second time Lynch has changed her mind about the Berkeley job — but I view it as a positive development. Stay tuned for an official announcement on Lynch’s blog.