Edward Wasserman, dean of UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, will step down from his position by June 30, despite originally saying he would stay through the end of the calendar year.

Wasserman made the decision to step down from the administrative position in August 2019 in order to rejoin the faculty full time. Campus administration has been asked to appoint an interim dean to fulfill Wasserman’s position before a permanent candidate is found.

In recent weeks, campus journalism graduate students have expressed discontent with the current diversity makeup of the school and advocated for racial justice. In a post on the school’s website, Wasserman called the national Black Lives Matter movement one of “genuine revolutionary promise” and said the graduate school and the country are undergoing a “transformative process.”

“It has become clear that new leadership to shepherd this process is called for,” Wasserman said in the post.

In addition to finding an interim dean, campus administration has been asked to respond to student concerns and reform proposals submitted by the school’s chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists.

The deadline for permanent dean applications is June 30, and the journalism school anticipates having an interim replacement for Wasserman as early as this week, according to the school’s website.

Check back for updates.