(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- Seton Hall University is pleased to announce the formation of the new College of Communication and the Arts. The college offers a unique interdisciplinary focus which embraces the digital culture and empowers students to tailor their curriculum to support their individual academic and professional goals. The College of Communication and the Arts encompasses seven existing undergraduate programs of study in Art, Design and Interactive Media; Art History; Broadcasting and Visual Media; Communication; Music; Public Relations and Journalism; and Theatre, as well as four graduate programs in Museum Professions; Public Relations; Strategic Communication; and Strategic Communication and Leadership online (MASCL).
“New York City is home to more than 2,000 arts and cultural organizations and nearly as many media and entertainment companies,” said A. Gabriel Esteban, president of Seton Hall. “Quite simply, this new school will capitalize on Seton Hall’s longstanding ties to the city, create more opportunities for our students to receive an immersive education in communication and the arts, and give the University immediate recognition in the cultural and media capital of the world.”
The formation of the College is the culmination of efforts over several years and has its roots in the University’s 2003 Sesquicentennial Strategic Plan, which called for the creation of “an exceptional Communications program in both undergraduate and graduate areas to take advantage of Seton Hall's demographics within the New York hub of world communication.”
“The College of Communication and the Arts at Seton Hall University will be dedicated to enabling innovative, genuine and professional interaction in academic, social, artistic and technological settings,” said Larry A. Robinson, provost of Seton Hall. “Its diverse and flexible programs, anchored in the humanities and featuring cutting-edge technology and innovative curricula, will provide opportunities for meaningful collaboration across disciplines.”
Professor Deirdre Yates has been named interim dean for the College. Classically trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and The Catholic University of America, Yates is a long-standing and highly respected member of the Seton Hall academic community. She has taught Theatre Performance classes at Seton Hall since 1992, is a recipient of the University Humanitarian Award and was named University Woman of the Year in 2014. Yates is also a prominent member of the arts community. She is a member of the Equity company, The Yates Musical Theatre for Children, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Celtic Theatre Company.
“We envision a College of Communication and the Arts that is internationally recognized as a dynamic community where students, scholars, artists, theorists, critics, practitioners, and professionals all thrive together,” said Yates. “With new programs focusing on the 21st century digital culture, both on campus and online, we are confident that now is the time to seize the momentum of the market trends of our disciplines and propel Seton Hall to national and international recognition. Our goal is to inspire and enable students to lead, create and communicate with responsibility, passion and excellence.”
The search for the new dean will begin in the fall of 2015. For more information about the College, please visit www7.shu.edu/communication-arts/.
Photo Caption: Deirdre Yates, M.F.A., College of Communication and the Arts Interim Dean, Seton Hall University
