Well, this is good news.

Students in an investigative journalism class will get to practice their craft on-campus at Rutgers University after all.

John Pavlik, chairman of the university’s journalism department, said Tuesday that he was reversing his earlier decision that restricted reporting in the class to off-campus topics. “We’ve decided that the long-term goal of getting the students the broadest experience possible would be best served by getting experience both on campus and off campus,” he said.

Pavlik denies that the original ban had anything to do with the fact that student stories were ruffling the feathers of school officials or that the reversal was in any way motivated by broader media attention to the controversy. I’m not sure I buy either of those claims, but in any event I’m pleased to see the right thing being done, for whatever reason.

[Credit: Thanks to Pit institutional journalism correspondent Pat Vecchio for the tip.]