Dr. Raymond Torres-Santos Dean, College of the Arts and Communication Phone: 973-720-2231 E-mail: TORRESSANTOSR@wpunj.edu

Dr. Imafidon Olaye Interim Associate Dean, College of the Arts and Communication Phone: 973-720-2999 E-mail: OLAYEI@wpunj.edu

Message from the Dean

Welcome to our College of the Arts and Communication (CoAC)

About the College
College Accreditations and Awards

Thank you for visiting the College of the Arts and Communication at William Paterson University. Whether you are a prospective student, current student, alumni, patron, benefactor, or community member, we greet you with open arms hoping to share with you our sense of community within William Paterson University.

The College of the Arts and Communication embraces the Department of Music (popular music studies, jazz studies, sound engineering, music management, music education, and music performance), Art (computer design, graphic design, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, ceramics, textiles and furniture design) and Communication (journalism and public relations, theater and comedy, media studies and media production, and interpersonal communications).

In addition, the College of the Arts and Communication oversees two other divisions: the University Galleries (exhibitions of international art works), the University Performing Arts (presenter of the Vista Series, producer of theatrical productions and competitions, and promoter of performing activities by renown performers and groups). Moreover, the College houses the University Radio Station WP 88.7 Brave New Radio, the WPTV-6 Television, and The Pioneer Times newspaper.

To support and enhance its academic programs, the College counts on the following facilities: the Hobart Hall (home of the Communication Department), the Power Arts Building (home of the visual arts studios), Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts (home of the Ben Shahn Galleries, Center for Computer Art and Animation, Center for Chinese Art, Foundation and Graphic Design Studios), the Shea Center for Performing Arts, the Hunziker Black Box Theater, Shea 101 and the Living Jazz Archive at College Hall. Among the College’s specialized classrooms are state-of–the-art classrooms, two television studios, film and animation studios, music recording and audio production facilities, and an electronic music laboratory.

The College also offers programming, in which both student and professionals participate: jazz workshops and summer camps, drawing marathons, film and comedy festivals, art exhibitions, sports broadcasting, theatrical, television and radio productions, and a wide array of performance opportunities (Concert Choir, Concert Band, University Symphony, Jazz Orchestra, Opera Workshop, and Chamber Ensembles of Brass Quintet, Clarinets, Saxophones, Flutes, Percussion and Guitars).

Students also benefit from the presentation of the Distinguished Lecture Series, Vista Series, New Jersey Playwright Contest, University Theater Series, Midday Artists Series, and the New Music Series. Of particular note is The Jazz Room, a series featuring internationally prominent jazz performers, and in the summer The Jazz Week. Students also enjoy the opportunity to practice their skills through internships in the music, art and broadcast industries.

The College of the Arts and Communication offers both professional and undergraduate liberal arts degrees in Art, Music, and Communication, with particular concentrations possible within each major. These programs strengthen the understanding and appreciation of visual and performing arts, and introduce students to the techniques and technology in the arts and communication.

In addition to the Bachelor of Arts degree, the College also offers professional undergraduate degrees: the Bachelor of Fine arts and the Bachelor of Music. On the graduate level, students may enroll in the Master of Professional Communication , Master of Fine Arts and Master of Music.

We recently added a collaborative program with the University's Christos M. Cotsakos College of Business for one of the country’s only MBA degrees with a Concentration in Music Management. Currently, the College is establishing agreements with the Nanjing Arts Institute in China and the Edward Said Conservatory of Music in the Middle East.

The Department of Music has been accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) for over 20 years, and our Art Department has recently received accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), the only national accrediting agency for educational institutions in the visual arts and design recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The Department of Communication is a member of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Of course, the university as a whole is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. It is our goal at the College of the Arts and Communication to reach the highest standards of excellence in education and provide to our students with practical experiences. This is why we are so proud to have the best faculty in the fields of Art, Music and Communication. Our faculty includes working fine artists, designers, actors, directors, broadcasters, communication and public relations specialists, musicians, arrangers, composers and conductors. We also enjoy having vibrant and committed students who come here to pursue their academic goals and fulfill their career dreams.

We see both students and faculty as part of a team. This sense of a supporting community is what makes arranging and composition students from the Department of Music provide soundtracks for computer animation projects by Department of Art students and students in computer graphics provide the design for film credits by students in the Department of Communication; creating a well-knit family brought together by our common commitment to excellence in our professions as we integrate learning. Many of these activities are carried out by student clubs.

Our alumni make us proud, while they are here, and also when they leave to pursue their careers. Many of our graduates are found in record and entertainment companies, TV and radio stations, media corporations, jazz clubs, theatre productions, design and animation studios, musical ensembles, and galleries throughout the world. You can read some success stories in our department’s web pages.

We hope you can visit us again soon personally or on our website so we can share more good news with you and you can keep track of our upcoming events and accomplishments. But most of all, we want you to be part of our team. Come and stay, we welcome you. You will not be disappointed. The College of the Arts and Communication at WPU is the heart, the creative face of the University, the place to connect, where all senses (hearing, seeing, smelling and touching) contribute toward a unified creative purpose.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE

ACCREDITATIONS & AWARDS

The College of the Arts is accredited by the following important accreditation agencies in the arts and is recipient of awards and distinctions.

National Accreditations

• National Association of Schools for Art and Design
  
• National Association of Schools of Music

Sample Awards and Distinctions
 
Our faculty members are authors, editors, reviewers, adjudicators, advisors and the recipients of the following awards and distinctions (selection):

• Fulbright
• Silver Bear at Venice Film Festival
• Public Relations Society of America Silver Anvil Award
• APEX Award of Excellence
• The Communicator Award of the Print Competition
• Award of Excellence at the University & College Designers Association Design Competition
• Best Comedy Short Film at the International Family Film Festival
• Bronze Remi Award at the WorldFest: Annual World Independent Film Festival
• National Endowment for the Arts