College of Fine Arts and Communication 2023 Report

2 TXST NEXT is the university’s new branding campaign. NEXT IS NOW is the university’s capital campaign. In 2023, in the College of Fine Arts and Communication, we’re asking WHO’S NEXT? ... as in who is next to win a major national award? The cover features four national winners from this past year (clockwise): · Art and Design professor Joey Fauerso won a 2022 Guggenheim Award; · M.F.A. costume design student Angelica Hadiwibowo was a 2023 National Champion at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival; · Our American Advertising Federation’s National Student Advertising Competition team placed second in the nation; and · Sound Recording Technology alumnus Brad Engleking won a 2022 Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound. In addition, as part of our 2nd place LBJ Debate Society and Elton Abernathy Forensics Society team, Haley Bass, Callum Ritter, and Hanna Prince won national championships at the 2023 National Online Forensics Championship. As the above indicates, each of our five academic units have enjoyed considerable success stretching across faculty, students, and alumni. Indeed, our “Points of Pride” (pp.6-7) highlight over 35 national accolades, reflecting a team effort and shared purpose that allows us to stand alongside any College of Fine Arts and Communication in the country. It is through education, art, communication, and the stories we tell, that we transform lives and communities, and Texas State plays a significant role in higher education and in society. Namely, we are unquestionably one of the premier institutions for educating first-generation college students, helping move them and their families up the social ladder. While we have created a culture where we expect success, our students face significant financial need: nationally, Texas State is the 43rd largest public university (28th largest undergraduate enrollment) but is in the top 10 in federal financial aid, with 40% of undergraduates being Pell Grant recipients. In addition, 43% of undergraduates are first-generation college students. Rather than insurmountable obstacles, these facts are the challenges that our students annually surmount as they show their resilience and determination, transforming themselves, their families, and the communities with which they engage. At Texas State we have a sustained track record of transforming first-generation students into next generation leaders. To increase that level of excellence, we need to expand and elevate our donor base. Join the Friends of Fine Arts and Communication, purchase a seat in the Performing Arts Center, support a student by sponsoring an annual scholarship, have your company sponsor one of our major events, or create an endowed scholarship. These are a few of the ways you can support a winning team and transform the lives of students, who in turn will transform the lives of the next generation. John Fleming, Dean August 1, 2023 College Report 2023 LETTER FROM THE DEAN JOHN FLEMING Dean College of Fine Arts and Communication KEVIN GILLEY Assistant to the Dean Outreach and Special Projects