SUU Dance Program Receives Accreditation

Published: November 03, 2005 | Author: Elizabeth Bowler | Read Time: 1 minutes

--The Only Accredited Dance Curriculum in the State--

(Written by senior Communication student, Elizabeth Bowler, from Washington, UT)

The Dance curriculum at Southern Utah University is the first dance program in higher education institutions in Utah to become accredited by the authoritative accrediting agency of the industry, the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD).

In the accreditation letter SUU received, the NASD Commission on Accreditation commended the university for “the high quality of commitment and dedication demonstrated by the faculty, staff and administration, and expressed spirit of collegiality among them.” The Commission also complimented the dance program for “its sensitive mentoring of students in a nurturing environment.”

Membership in the NASD signifies that the SUU dance program has successfully demonstrated compliance with the procedures, standards and guidelines of the association and quality higher education in dance.

“It is an honor to receive this distinction for our dance program,” Bill Byrnes, dean of the College of Performing and Visual Arts, says. “Shauna Mendini (department chair) and the dance faculty have developed and are continuing to grow a quality dance program in our state.”

He adds that, “With SUU’s long-established membership with the National Association of Schools of Music, NASD accreditation puts the College of Performing & Visual Arts closer to meeting the goal of national accreditation in all arts disciplines within the college.”

The NASD is made up of 62 schools and is the national accrediting agency for dance and dance-related disciplines. It is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

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