Kennesaw State’s College of the Arts Dean Joseph Meeks to retire
Meeks will leave behind a legacy of achievements, including his role as founding dean of the college and fundraising successes
For media inquiries: Scott Singleton
770-794-7776 or ssingle6@kennesaw.edu
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Dean of the College of the Arts Joseph Meeks |
KENNESAW, Ga. (Aug. 20, 2012) — College of the Arts Dean Joseph Meeks is retiring in February 2013 after 14 years as dean and 38 years on the Kennesaw State University faculty.
The announcement of Meeks’ retirement was made during the university’s Opening of School activities Aug. 15.
"During the years that Dean Meeks has led the College of the Arts, the college has grown in size, reputation, quality and private support,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Ken Harmon. “All departments and schools in the college that can be accredited by national accrediting agencies are accredited, or are in the process of being accredited. Similarly, as a friend-raiser and fund-raiser, Joe’s skills deserve special mention. The College of the Arts has more endowed scholarships than any other college at Kennesaw State.”
Meeks played a central role in the creation of the Joel A. Katz Music and Entertainment Business Program, a collaborative effort between the College of the Arts and the Michael J. Coles College of Business. Under his leadership, COTA has also received significant gifts leading to the naming of the Dr. Bobbie Bailey & Family Performance Center, the Onyx Theater, the Audrey B. and Jack E. Morgan, Sr. Concert Hall, the Eric and Gwendolyn Brooker Rehearsal Hall, the Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art and the School of Music was designated an All-Steinway School.
Following Meeks’ retirement on Feb. 1, Ivan Pulinkala, chair of the Department of Dance, will serve as interim dean of COTA until a permanent dean is selected as the result of a national search. A search committee will be formed this fall, and a new dean is expected by summer 2013.
In other COTA news, the Department of Visual Arts has been renamed the School of Art and Design, and in recognition of its growth over the last several years, the program in dance has been re-designated the Department of Dance.
By Jennifer Hafer, KSU University Relations
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Kennesaw State University is the third-largest university in Georgia, offering 80 graduate and undergraduate degrees, including doctorates in education, business and nursing, and a Ph.D. in international conflict management. A member of the 35-unit University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State is a comprehensive, residential institution with a growing population of more than 24,100 students from 130 countries.
The KSU College of the Arts is one of only four Georgia institutions to have achieved full national accreditation for all of its arts departments.