June 2007 Archives

Last Tuesday night the associate deans, office staff members and I attended a wonderful event put on by the outgoing board chair of the Partners for the Arts organization, Charles Thomas.  It was a splendid opportunity for us to meet some of the strongest local supporters of our arts programs. 

Begun in 1997, Partners for the Arts draws its membership from all over south Mississippi.  Membership dues support all manner of arts performances and events, from theater and dance to orchestra, choir and museum exhibits.  The group currently boasts over 200 members and is working hard to become the "eagle club for the arts" here at Southern Miss.

For our students, Partners for the Arts is a critical link in their arts education, because it assists our departments and schools in both fundraising and audience development.

Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas for a terrific event, and to all of our outgoing, and incoming Board members of Partners for the Arts! 

Summer is a time for new things.  Blogging is new to me--but sharing the exciting things that happen every day in our college is not!  As dean, one of my favorite tasks is talking about our wonderful faculty and students and the amazing things they do here in Hattiesburg, at the Gulf Coast, and all around the world.  Whether speaking to a local Rotary Club or over lunch with an alumnus of one of our programs, I relish every opportunity to tell our story.

And so I am trying my hand at blogging.  I hope you will enjoy reading these messages and learning more about why Arts and Letters is at the core of so much of what is special about Southern Miss.

If you have a concern, a question, or a suggestion for items I can include in my weekly blog updates, please email me at denise.vonHerrmann@usm.edu .