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Split Announced for Department of Visual Arts

The Department of Visual Arts will be split three ways commencing January 1, 2015, ending a two-year process that considered the growing needs of students and faculty, and the development of new curriculum. Stephen Jones, Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications, made the announcement Thursday in front of a group of faculty and staff of the college. 'We've got a lot of work to do! I'm excited for you and your students. I'm excited about the opportunities that will ride on the wave of this decision.' Earlier this week the BYU Board of Trustees approved the reconfiguration of the department. Brent Webb, BYU's academic vice president, represented the administration in the meeting and commented, 'It is not often that we create a department at the university.' According to Webb, the Art History program and faculty will move to the Department of Humanities, Classics and Comparative Literature in the College of Humanities. To better reflect the new alignment of disciplines, it has been proposed that the newly configured department name be changed to Comparative Arts and Letters. The remaining Department of Visual Arts be realigned, forming a Department of Design and a Department of Art. The proposed Department of Design will include the Photography, Illustration, Graphic Design, and Animation Programs. The proposed Department of Art will house the Studio Art and Art Education programs. 'We had good faculty putting forth their best efforts,' remarked Linda Reynolds, chair of the Department of Visual Arts who will step down at the end of the year. Reynolds said she communicated the voice of the faculty in thanking Dean Jones for “shepherding and leading a very difficult process.'