The Fine and Performing Arts Department announced a Bachelor of Arts program in Arts Leadership. This is the first major within the department which had previously consisted of minors only in Dance, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts.

Dr. Carol Shansky, an assistant professor who teaches music in the department, spoke about the interdisciplinary format of the major in an email interview.

“Students choose an arts concentration [and] take classes in management, financial accounting and marketing as well as classes in mass communications,” Shansky said in an email. “Even the Speech Communications Department is involved through their course in public speaking…What we had to consider was, given the availability of common arts major programs (performance, education) where would it make the most sense for Iona to enter? We were also interested in promoting a program that has a very practical application.”

According to the Iona College website, students pursuing the Arts Leadership major take courses in the Fine Performing Arts and Mass Communications Departments as well as the School of Business. In addition to 39 College Core credits, students take 21 credits in their chosen Fine Arts discipline, six of which are through a performance ensemble. The major also requires students to have an internship in addition to their capstone project. Nine additional credits are required in foundational business courses, and another nine credits in communications.

“The rest of the process was to have a market analysis done to determine the viability of the program, as well as the approval process through the college to the Board of Trustees,” Shansky said. “It went smoothly, and I’m so appreciative of the support that we experienced through the process.”

The major also offers a five-year MBA program through the School of Business with a concentration in Sports, Entertainment and Media.

“I believe that in the 21st century, interdisciplinary collaboration is going to be the norm and we wanted to be in front of that,” Shansky said. “Looking at our very strong mass communications and business programs, it became very clear that creating a major that linked our offerings with theirs would result in a very strong, very exciting major to offer.”

Shansky said that all music, dance and theatre professors in the Fine and Performing Arts Department will teach classes for Arts Leadership majors. The same will apply to professors in the School of Business and in the Mass Communications Department.

The Music Program is directed by Shansky, the Theatre Program by Professor Thomas Donnarumma and the Dance Program by Dr. Hannah Park.

“There are a lot of students at Iona College that are interested in continuing their arts study after high school, but don’t know what they would do with it,” Shansky said. “This major provides them with tools and experience to follow their passion, be it music, theatre, or dance, but able to pursue that passion in a more practical way.”