(Photo Credit: Sheryl Sinkow)

Ithaca College has announced that it will formally join its School of Music and Department of Theatre Arts on July 1, 2022 to create a brand-new School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.

All the academic programs offered by the School of Music and Department of Theatre Arts will be offered in the new school. The School of Music/Department of Theatre Arts Transition Committee was headed by  Interim School of Music Dean Ivy Walz and Department of Theatre Arts Chair Steve TenEyck and comprised of faculty and staff from both areas.

The search for a new dean has commenced.

This is the first new school at Ithaca College since the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance was created in 1988; that program was formed by combining the School of Allied Health Professions and School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation.

“In bringing these programs together we highlight and celebrate the performing arts at Ithaca College,” said Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Melanie Stein in an official statement. “This new school will serve current and future students by allowing for more cross-disciplinary training and exposure, better preparing them for real-world multidisciplinary artistic careers in the 21st century.”