ARCHITECTURE & COMMUNITY DESIGN | ART & ART HISTORY MUSIC | THEATRE & DANCE | INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN ART

COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

2019-2020 Annual Report

INTRODUCTION Mission The mission of the University of South Florida's College of The Arts is to conduct scholarly and creative research and to challenge and inspire students to make significant contributions in the arts. At USF, we provide a learning environment that is engaged locally and nationally in contemporary issues and initiatives.

Vision Our college aspires to achieve national and international recognition as a distinguished center for study, creation, and research (in architecture and community environmental design, publishing of prints and sculpture multiples, visual arts, dance, music, theatre, and contemporary exhibitions).

We provide an innovative and exciting environment to prepare the next generation of architects, artists, designers, educators, scholars, and audiences for these disciplines. The Arts at USF supports and promotes creative research (including history and theory), performance, and production in these disciplines while continuing to engage the Tampa Bay community by enriching the cultural landscape and advancing sustainable practices.

Values Our college values the role and function the arts have — both historically and in the present — as a means of discovery, expression, and reflection on our human experience and the world in which we live. More specifically we value:

• Innovative approaches to teaching that fosters critical thinking, creative problem solving and effective communication• Rigorous preparation in the foundations of one's discipline as a point of departure for creative development and

scholarship• Significant scholarly and creative research• The diverse perspectives of faculty, guest artists/lecturers/scholars, and students• Active involvement in the local, national, and international discipline-based dialogue• Interdisciplinary and collaborative opportunities – locally, nationally, and internationally• Community engagement and partnerships• Production and presentation of distinctive contemporary work• Collegial participation of faculty, staff, and students in efforts of the schools, college, and university.

ABOUT THE ARTS AT USF The College of The Arts is the creative center of the University of South Florida's Tampa campus. We prepare students for careers in architecture, community design, art, art history, music, theatre, and dance. USF is not only the starting point of a career in the arts, but Tampa Bay is also a perfect place to become part of the arts community.

Cultural Opportunities At USF, we provide our students with hands-on experiences and real-world opportunities for exhibitions, performances and practice within our own university gallery spaces, museum and performance halls. Students also participate in design, research, performance and exhibition projects across the Tampa Bay community. We proudly feature our students, faculty and guest artists in over 300 stage productions, concerts, exhibitions and lectures each year. Many of these are free and open to the public. More information on these presentations can be found in our event calendar.

Research College of The Arts provides resources to help students and the community benefit from the work and discovery at this university. Research in the Arts expands the practice of our students, faculty and community of artists through interdisciplinary work, global explorations of perspectives and local community engagement. The three research units of the College of The Arts – the Institute for Research in Art, the Center for Music Education Research and the Florida Center for Community Design and Research – exemplify the interdisciplinary significance of the arts. Through these research units, our students are exposed to various contemporary works that become incorporated into their curriculum and expand their own creative practices.

History When the University of South Florida was founded in 1956, what is today the College of The Arts was known as the Division of Fine Arts under the umbrella of the College of Liberal Arts – one of the first four colleges at USF. In 1971, that division officially became its own college, and today the College of The Arts is home to the School of Architecture & Community Design, the School of Art & Art History, the School of Music, the School of Theatre & Dance and the Institute for Research in Art.

ALIGNMENT OF PLANNING, PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND COLLEGE REVIEW DATA WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES The highest priority of the University of South Florida is the success of its students. As the University has continued to enhance its culture of caring, USF has become a national model for student success by focusing on initiatives such as persistence; elimination of the graduation rate gap by race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status; and retention and graduation rates. Through this campus-wide cultural shift, student success has become a shared responsibility embedded within each area, college, and department.

At the College of The Arts, one of the most important ways to inform and enhance the continuous improvement of student success initiatives at our college comes through the understanding our data. Using this important information, we are able to identify situations that may lead to potential challenges, require additional resources, call for further discovery, and proactively identify and address any issues that may affect students' performance and well-being.

With a focus on alignment with USF's Strategic Plan, Performance Based Funding, Statewide Preeminence, and National Prominence, the College of The Arts (COTA) reports the following outcomes:

Student Access, Retention, Progression & Success

Headcount by Major, Level, FT/PT, In state/Out of state/International, Diversity and FTIC/Transfer

The total headcount of 1237 for Fall 2019 indicates an overall increase of 9.0% over the previous year and 14% over the past two years. Increases were observed in grad level I and II, at 3% and 27% respectively.

Majors: �

2 0 1 6 - 2 0 1 7 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9 2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 0

260 254 276 303

373 368 391 4149

290 286 304 31068 63 65 78120 105 99

120

COTA MAJOR HEADCOUNT - FALL

Architecture Art Dean'sOffice Music Dance Theatre

Level:

FT/PT:

ARCH I T EC TURE ART MUS I C DANC E TH EATR E

204

377

230

80121

98

46

81

COTA MAJORS - FALL 2019

Undergraduate Graduate

ARCH I T EC TURE ART MUS I C DANC E TH EATR E

264318

270

71 96

38

105

41

925

COTA MAJORS - FALL 2019

FullTime PartTime

In State/Out of State/International:

Diversity:

ARCH I T EC TURE ART MUS I C DANC E TH EATR E

175

351

226

65117

7

12

3

15

1

22

14

1

3

COTA MAJORS - FALL 2019

InState OutofState International

AmericanIndian 0% Asian 3% Black 8%

Hispanic 24%

NativeHawaiianorOtherPacificIslander

0%Non-ResidentAlien

6%Not-Reported3%

TwoorMoreRace4%

White 52%

COTA ALL MAJORS - DIVERSITY - FALL 2019

FTIC/Transfer:

Enrollment by SCH and FTE

COTA enrollment by SCH and FTE saw notable increase from 2018-19 to 2019-20, with gains in national graduate levels.

Online Education by SCH and FTE

The College of The Arts continues to make significant financial investment in online education through course development, staffing, and course offerings throughout the year, including Maymester and Wintersession. COTA continues to see impressive gains in online education since 2014-15 in graduate levels I and II, reflected by a 28% increase in SCH/FTE.

Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate research participation has been shown to be highly beneficial and can lead students to the achievement of higher grades, deeper understandings of their chosen disciplines, and make them more competitive for awards, graduate and professional school, and jobs. As of this this time (based on preliminary data) 77 COTA students have participated in undergraduate research as noted by select data sources. However, is not clear that all COTA undergraduate research is currently recognized by current data collection methods.

ARCH I T EC TURE ART MUS I C DANC E TH EATR E

138 136180

61 54

46

184

38

1551

19

52

10

4

16

1

5

2

COTA MAJORS - FALL 2019

FTIC FloridaSystemTransfer OtherTransfer PostBaccalaureate

Education Abroad

Education abroad is one of the most effective and accessible means for students to develop needed skills to thrive in an interconnected world and provides students with the opportunity to enhance their global awareness, academic learning, international skills and personal growth. These international experiences include participation in University-sponsored exchanges, faculty-led programs, international internships, and service learning programs.

COTA proudly continues to offer the university's longest running study abroad program through the School of Art & Art History. Now in its 33rd year, the Art in Paris program provides students with an opportunity to immerse themselves in Paris through visual arts investigations under the guidance of USF art faculty who have a strong knowledge and interest in the role of this city to the history and practice of art.

The Dance Program at the School of Theatre & Dance offers study abroad opportunities available to university-age dance majors through its two USF Dance in Paris Programs. Both the Semester and Summer courses of study provide opportunities for serious dancers to take classes, see performances, live in and experience Paris from the viewpoint of a dancer.

In addition, the School of Architecture & Community Design offers study abroad opportunities in a variety of countries. Each semester, the design studios embark on field trips to regional, national, and international locations to experience significant architectural works and urban systems. Summer study abroad studios include international travel for several weeks followed by a Tampa-based studio in the second half of the summer. Recent study abroad programs have included trips to the Netherlands, Scotland, Slovenia, Columbia, United Kingdom, Portugal, China, Spain, Cuba, Japan, India, Italy, Cyprus, Thailand, Ecuador, and Denmark. With over 20% of Architecture students studying abroad last year, the College of The Arts has the highest percentage of participation in Education Abroad programming.

DFW Grade Distribution

The College of The Arts continually reviews DFW grade distributions to investigate any potential issues and takes action to address the small number of courses that account for the DF rate. In addition, as a proactive measure to ensure students' success, clarification of course expectations are presented to students to help them make informed decisions about course selection.

Second year retention rate (full-time, first time in college)

COTA regularly follows up with students to track and monitor timely registration. Due to these efforts, retention is noted at 88% on campus.

4-year and 6-year graduation rates (full-time, first time in college)

To ensure time-to-graduation percentages are in line with University requirements across all college disciplines, COTA actively monitors students' progress to ensure their timely progression toward degree completion.

Focused efforts to address retention and continuity combined with close monitoring of timely registration, course availability, and professional advising services now provide greater support for students' progress.

For the 2015 cohort, the 4-year graduation at campus rate was noted at 46%. For the 2014 cohort, the 6-year graduation rate at campus was noted at 69%.

4-year and 6-year Pell graduation rates (full-time, first time in college)

The Pell graduation rate at campus for 4-year FTIC was noted at 46%; 6-year was noted at 71%.

Transfer graduation rates

COTA continues to support the success of transfer students through many initiatives, including the FUSE Program.

FUSE is a transfer program between the University of South Florida and eight Florida State Colleges. This partnership provides seamless academic pathways for students to complete their associate degree, which guarantees admission into specific majors at USF and promotes timely graduation.

For the past few years, the College of The Arts has had partnerships with both St. Petersburg College and Hillsborough Community College for the following degrees: B.A. Art History, B.A. Studio Art, and B.F.A. Studio Art. More recently, COTA expanded those partnerships to include additional state colleges. The eight partner institutions are:

• Hillsborough Community College• Polk State College• St. Petersburg College• Pasco Hernando State College• State College of Florida• College of Central Florida• South Florida State College• Santa Fe College

Gains were noted this year for 2-year graduation rates of AA Florida college system transfers reflected by a 1-year percent change of 6%, and a 5-year percent change of 4%.

Doctoral program time-to-degree

The College of The Arts offers one Ph.D. program. The Doctor of Philosophy in music education is a research-focused terminal degree intended for aspiring leaders in music education research, teaching, and administration. Mean time to degree is 3.5.

Degrees in strategic emphasis

To better align the degree production goals of the State University System, the Board of Governors' Office periodically conducts environmental scans to identify labor market demands and identify programs for strategic emphasis. COTA currently has three programs identified as strategic emphasis: Master of Architecture, Bachelor of Science in Music Education, and Master of Music Education. The 1-year percent change is noted at 19% for undergraduate and 22% for graduate students.

Excess hours

In order to ensure the timely progression to degree completion and reduce contributing factors to student debt, COTA has addressed the process of reducing the required number of hours to 122 in the Music Education program for all incoming students. It is important to note that those students already enrolled in the program will remain under the standards for the program according to the course catalog under which they entered. Excess hours for these students will continue to affect college metrics until these cohorts complete all necessary coursework to meet graduation requirements.

To address this issue in other college disciplines, all COTA advisors regularly inform students of the potential complications of excess hours and encourage use of the university's Excess Hours Counter to track credit hours. The College notes a steady improvement in reduction of excess hours by transfer students of 15% and an overall 5-year percentage change of 11%.

Number of Class Sections

Due to the creative nature and specific accreditation requirements for College of The Arts programs, class sizes tend to be smaller than other colleges at the university. Seventy-seven percent of COTA face-to-face classes have enrollments of 19 or fewer students, and 90% of COTA face-to-face classes have enrollments of 29 or fewer students. For the 16 classes indicating enrollments above 29, it is important to note that these classes tend to be music ensemble courses where higher numbers of students are required in order to provide students with performance level skills and professional preparation (Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Choral Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra).

Student Awards

The College of The Arts is pleased to recognize the following student from the School of Art & Art History:

Student: Libbi Ponce School: School of Art & Art History Award: Fulbright US Student Program - Research Grant Location: Ecuador

Project: Studio Art and Philosophy major, Libbi Ponce, has earned a Fulbright US Student Award Research Grant to 3D scan artifacts at the Museo Antropologico y de Arte Contemporaneo to produce an exhibition incorporating these digital files into a virtual and physical realm.

Other recent student awards and recognitions are noted in the Highlights and Accomplishments section of this report.

Photograph by Pat Blocher

Academic success

Indicators of student success can be observed in current students through measures of timely graduation, retention rates, and other metrics. In addition, our alumni also provide insightful information on the student success competencies obtained through their College experience by their achievements in the post-graduation world. A few examples of such success by alumni include:

Music Education Alumnus, Dr. Dakeyan Graham is named 2020 Florida Department of Education Teacher of the Year

Recognized in a ceremony hosted by Governor Ron DeSantis, Dr. “Dre” Dakeyan Graham, graduate of the USF doctoral program in music education, was selected as the 2020 Florida Department of Education Teacher of the Year. DeSantis stated, “It is my privilege to recognize Dr. Dakeyan Chá Dré Graham as Florida’s 2020 Teacher of the Year. Florida is nationally recognized for its top-notch education system and teachers the caliber of Dr. Graham have made that possible.”

Dr. Graham is serving for one year as the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education, working to create greater public awareness of Florida’s exceptional teachers and the education profession. He is using this opportunity to promote and celebrate the countless contributions of Florida’s teachers, provide professional learning opportunities to educators and recruit future teachers into the education profession.

Over the course of the year, Dr. Graham has become a popular guest in classrooms and conventions, with education commissioner Richard Corcoran among those singing his praise. As he established statewide connections and relationships, he discovered he could play a pivotal role in improving opportunities for all children.

Dr. Graham has been offered the opportunity to be an influence at the Department of Education. He’s headed to Tallahassee in June to begin serving as Executive Director of the state’s Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice.

USF Theatre Alumna, Grace Byers, to Star in New Amazon Comedy Series

Actor and USF theatre alumna Grace Byers will star in a new Amazon Studios comedy series portraying the lives of four black women as they navigate relationships and chasing their dreams.

The 10-episode series will be exclusively shown on Amazon Prime in over 200 countries worldwide. The series, currently untitled and formerly known as Harlem, will be created, written and executive produced by Tracy Oliver, writer of the 2017 blockbuster comedy film Girls Trip.

Byers is best known for her work as Anika Calhoun on the Fox musical drama series Empire.

School of Theatre & Dance Alumnus, Matthew Lopez, Opens on Broadway

USF theatre alumnus and playwright Matthew Lopez's play 'The Inheritance' made its Broadway debut in November.

The Inheritance, a play by USF theatre alumnus and playwright Matthew Lopez, will make its Broadway debut at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in the fall of 2019.

The play won four prestigious Olivier Awards in the categories of best new play, best director, best actor, and best lighting after its debut with the Young Vic theatre in London.

The Inheritance, inspired by the novel Howards End by E.M. Forster, tells the story of the conversation between three generations of gay men living in New York City. Lopez’s play represents a desire for intergenerational discourse among gay men to examine the impact of AIDS, how the community has changed over the decades, and what it means to be a gay man in New York City.

Previews began September 27, 2019 and the show opened on November 17, 2019.

USF Architecture Alumnus, Ryan Swanson, Releases Free Guide on Playable Cities

Titled A Guide for Creating a Playable City, the guide explores the idea of a "playable city" as an ecosystem of playable opportunities intertwined within existing urban infrastructure that adds value to daily life.

The guide looks at how play can begin to exist in everyday spaces, and encourage people to think about these spaces that could become PLAYces: like a crosswalk, laundromat, building facade, sidewalk, bus stop, or just the everyday space in-between. The guide suggests how underutilized situations can turn into stimulating, creative outlets for social interaction and community activity through the idea of play.

The guide is supported by the British arts organization Watershed. Swanson was part of the organization's arts and urban design collective Creative Producers International for 2017 and 2018. He traveled to the U.K. and Japan with the collective, engaged in international discourse on creating playable cities, and worked on urban projects to active public spaces.

USF Music Education alumnus, Dr. José Valentino Ruiz, recognized for his work on Latin Grammy Winning Album

José Valentino Ruiz, an alumnus of the USF School of Music, was recently recognized by the Latin Recording Academy for his work as a flutist and audio engineer on the album Todo Pasa by Miami music producer Juan Delgado.

Todo Pasa received the Latin GRAMMY for the Best Christian Album in the Spanish language category.

Valentino currently serves as an assistant professor of music business, entrepreneurship, and music technology at the University of Florida. He holds two degrees from the USF School of Music—a bachelor’s degree in music studies (‘09), and a PhD in music education (’16).

Theatre Alumnus, Michael Innocenti nominated again in 2019 for a Helen Hayes Award

Michael Innocenti won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical for his work in the Keegan production of Parade in 2018. During his 15 years at Keegan Theatre in Washington, D.C., Innocenti has worked as a director, designer, and actor in over 50 productions.

The Helen Hayes Awards, established in 1983, recognize outstanding work among the 90 theatres of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Innocenti was nominated again in 2019 for a Helen Hayes for his performance in the Keegan Theatre production of Chicago.

Architecture Alumnus, Sean Verdecia, Officially Launches AbleNook

AbleNook officially launched in Tampa with deliveries anticipated to begin in April 2020. AbleNook was originally developed by USF students as a way to help with disaster relief. What makes AbleNook different than a traditional tiny home is that it can withstand hurricane-force winds, including a Category 4 or 5 storm.

These shelters are also designed to serve as housing. Estimated early adopter incentive pricing starts at $65,000.

Founders of AbleNook understand the need for more housing in Tampa and note it’s an issue not just here but everywhere.

USF still holds the patent on AbleNook and there will be a modular house on campus next year. The company has also had interest from the military as temporary housing for soldiers.

Research, Innovation & Creative Activity

Proposals Submitted and Sponsored Awards

The proposals submitted by the College of The Arts show a five-year average of approximately $2.1M. Sponsored Awards indicate a five-year average of $2.4M.

Research Expenditures and F&A Rates

The five-year average for Total Sponsored Research Expenditures is $509,085. The overall F&A rate over the five-year average is approximately 10.7%.

Community Service Proposals & Awards (in numbers) The College reports a five-year average of community service proposals at 8.6; community service awards at 9.8 (as of March 23, 2020. Source: USF Research & Innovation)

Faculty Awards

The College of The Arts is pleased to recognize the following Faculty Awards for calendar year 2019 as noted by the USF Office of Research & Innovation:

Faculty: Esra Akin-Kivanc School: School of Art & Art History Award: NEH Summer Stipends Award

Project: USF assistant professor of Islamic art and architecture Esra Akın-Kıvanç looks to uncover the mysteries of the geometry of Islamic calligraphy. Supported by a United States National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Stipend, Akın-Kıvanç traveled to Washington, D.C. and Egypt to study inscriptions for her research. The award provided crucial support for her research, providing new insights into the types of symmetry employed in calligraphic inscriptions.

Faculty: Cesar Cornejo School: School of Art & Art History Award: The Bellagio Center Residency Program

Project: Cornejo used his research grant to attend artist residencies at The Bellagio Center and the Dora Maar House in Italy and France, respectively. In Italy, Cornejo created artwork for an exhibition in Puno, Peru hosted by the Puno Museum of Contemporary Art, an ongoing project he created in 2007 which offers free repairs to houses in low-income areas in the town in exchange for temporary exhibition space in the homes. Cornejo worked on designs, sculptures, and digital renderings for 10 Puno venues that take into account the history and community roles of each family. He works are formed based on information he gathered in Puno during a research trip in October 2018. In France, Cornejo worked in sculpture, painting, and photography to address the refugee crisis and examine the role of France as a strong supporter of human rights in the international political arena. Cornejo presented his work to the community in the town of Menerbes, France.

Faculty: Helena Szépe School: School of Art & Art History Award: AHA Helen & Howard R. Marraro Prize

Project: Helena Szépe, associate professor of art history, won the 2019 Marraro Prize for the best book in Italian history for her 2018 publication Venice Illuminated: Power and Painting in Renaissance Manuscripts. The Marraro Prize, hosted by the American Historical Association, is one of three annual awards for the best book or article on Italy established by Howard R. Marraro (b. 1897), a historian of Italian culture. The book’s extensive original material on artistic patronage in Venice and its territories abroad encourages an expanded understanding of art in the service of the state and of Venice as empire. Venice Illuminated is published by Yale University Press.

Faculty: Helena Szépe School: School of Art & Art History Award: The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation Prize

Project: Helena Szépe, Associate Professor of Art History, won the Glady Krieble Delmas Foundation Prize for her research examining late medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, books, and art in the historical contexts of their production, use, and collecting. Her recent book Venice Illuminated: Power and Painting in Renaissance Manuscripts (Yale University Press, 2018), was awarded the prize by the Renaissance Society of America for the best book in Venetian Studies (2019).

Faculty: Noelle Mason School: School of Art & Art History Award: LensCulture Art Photography Award

Project: Noelle Mason, Associate Professor of Art, won first place in the 2019 LensCulture Art Photography Awards. The awards recognize artists "who are truly pushing the boundaries of the medium through experimentation and creative innovation." Mason tackles the tough topic of immigration – humanizing people who tend to be stripped of their humanity.

Faculty: Noelle Mason School: School of Art & Art History Award: Photolucida Critical Mass Top 50

Project: Noelle Mason, Associate Professor of Art, received the award for her portfolio, “X-Ray Vision vs. Invisibility,” which dramatically makes evident the powerful invasive capabilities of technology today. The technology used is x-ray, thermal, digital imaging and satellite imagery that Mason acquired from the US Border Patrol, Minutemen and commercial security sites. She has converted these images into cyanotypes, hand-woven wool Gobelin tapestry rugs (she calls “Ground Control”) and cotton “x-stitcheries”, or “Coyotaje”, as she refers to them. Her social documentary style of expression deals with undocumented immigrants trying to enter the United States illegally.

Resources

Instructional Personnel Headcount by FTE

The College of The Arts instructional personnel consists of 80 FTE regular full-time faculty.

Endowment

As of March 25, 2020, the market value of the COTA endowment is $25,305,566.

Fundraising

The College of The Arts gives special thanks to the following generous donors whose important gifts to the College of The Arts will enhance the arts-education experiences of our students for generations to come (as of April 30, 2020):

Andrea Graham and Geoff Simon established the Andrea Graham & Geoff Simon Scholarship in Theatre.

Alumnus Daniel Currea established the John J. McKenna Architecture Prize at USF's School of Architecture & Community Design.

Annetta Monroe substantially enhanced the Flossie Jones Monroe Voice Endowed Scholarship at the School of Music.

The Gobioff Foundation continues to give to the visual arts at USF, including a recent gift to the Institute for Research in Art to aid activities in the time of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mort and Sara Richter have generously supported the Sara Richter IRA Student Assistantship at the USF Institute for Research in Art.

Composer and alumnus Michael Scott established the Michael R. Scott Scholarship in Music.

Anonymous donors generously established the School of Art & Art History Success Fund.

The Cleta M. Clark Fund for Jazz Studies received a generous enhancement by an anonymous donor.

Helen Frankenthaler Foundation has given valuable support to the USF Contemporary Art Museum.

Franz Mantini performed a piano benefit concert to support the Jacques Abram Memorial Scholarship Fund at the School of Music.

The Music Gallery (Clearwater), through its support of the John O'Conor performance and the Steinway Series, continues to be a wonderful partner to USF's School of Music.

Las Damas de Arte contributed generously to support students at the School of Art & Art History.

The Andy Warhol Foundation continued to support exhibitions and activities at the Institute for Research in Art.

Stanton Storer and the Embrace the Arts Foundation continue to generously support the Stanton Storer MFA Scholarship and many other causes at the School of Art & Art History and the Institute for Research in Art.

Dr. Allen Root supported the Contemporary Art Museum with his sponsorship of the exhibit FloodZone and Sponge Exchange in memory of his late wife, Janet G. Root.

Nancy Preis provided a gift to support the Nancy J. Preis Piano Fund, which will aid the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival.

Rebecca Penneys performed a concert to unveil the fully restored 1970s-era Steinway & Sons walnut grand piano, which had been renovated with the aid of the Rebecca Penneys Steinway Renovation Fund.

Hillsborough Education Foundation made a substantial gift to support the School of Architecture & Community Design.

Former USF president Betty Castor has established the Betty Castor USF Summer Band Camp Fund.

Steve and Enee Abel gave a substantial gift to support students in the School of Art & Art History.

Ann Hawkins generously enhanced the School of Music's Emma and Julius Hawkins Scholarship in Music Theory.

The Knox Family Foundation has generously supported the Armstrong Family Fund for Development of the Arts at the School of Art & Art History

Joan & Daniel Rutenberg have enhanced the School of Music's important Joan & Daniel Rutenberg Chamber Music Series Fund.

Several supporters, including alumnus Thomas Hooten, Peter Zinober, and others, made gifts to enable students in the School of Music trumpet studio to travel to an International Trumpet Guild competition.

External Relations

Website Progress

To reach a new generation of prospective students and continue to support the student recruitment and student success objectives of the College of The Arts, the Office of External Relations continues the redesign work of all websites for each school. New websites were launched for the School of Architecture & Community Design and School of Theatre & Dance. Now, visitors to these

newly redesigned sites are greeted by auto-play video (created in-house) showcasing talent from each COTA School and unit. Multiple images illustrating academic and student life maintain visual interest throughout the website and alleviate the monotony of textual content.

The new website is also responsive: Web pages adapt to the device and screen size, thus ensuring an easy and pleasant viewing experience across both mobile and desktop platforms.

Serving as an information resource for prospective students and their families, the Schools' new websites focus on content. Information for each school was reorganized to increase ease of navigation and provide consistency throughout COTA websites. The "Apply" tab provides prospective students with a brief overview of the admissions processes for each school, along with helpful links to guide them to additional information. Prospective students and their families can easily and quickly discover all the academic programs available, as well as information on the minors and certificates available.

Social Media Reach

The secondary focus of the new website was to improve COTA's community outreach through integrating social media in meaningful ways. The College of The Arts started co-hosting the Institute for Research in Art's events on Facebook, casting a wider net of interest which garnered new followers and increased awareness of events. All official COTA events were promoted in full and have experienced great positive response. Due to these efforts across all COTA social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), the College has recorded an in-progress total organic reach of over 400,000 impressions for academic year 2019-20 to date, compared to 125,000 views on our FastBook website calendar for the entire 2018-19 academic year.

Review of this social media data allows COTA to determine what events from each COTA unit were audience favorites. The goal is to continue to engage the community while simultaneously raising the profile of our schools and students and their work.

Marketing and Branding

In addition to addressing enrollment concerns, the COTA website redesign and social media strategy are also efforts to make all marketing and communications from the College of The Arts and its schools more cohesive. To help engage visitors in the USF experience, the Office of External Relations has worked with University Communications and Marketing to redesign each COTA school website with the same objectives in mind. In order to promote the COTA brand as a single united brand, the schools' new websites now follow a similar layout to the COTA website, thereby achieving a consistent look that is visually engaging, informational, and easy to navigate.

HIGHLIGHTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS As the creative center of the University of South Florida, the College of The Arts provides an enriched, student-centered, outcome-driven, professional environment for tomorrow's leaders in architecture, community design, art, art history, music, theatre, and dance. Through experimentation and scholarship, the College of The Arts provides diverse perspectives, creates new representational practices, and informs the emergence of new research trajectories and visualization techniques to give our students the ability to function with agility in the ever-changing cultural landscape.

Following are links to the remarkable highlights and accomplishments of the faculty, students, alumni and staff of the College of The Arts over the last academic year:

2020 News 2019 News

To find out more about the programs, research, and cultural opportunities occurring at the College of The Arts, visit the following sites:

School of Architecture & Community Design School of Art & Art History School of Music School of Theatre & Dance Institute for Research in Art College of The Arts Event Calendar