Belmont University announced today that its current College of Visual and Performing Arts will be separated into two distinct colleges with defined areas of focus: the College of Music and Performing Arts will include all music, theatre and dance programs while the O’More College of Architecture, Art and Design will house architecture, art, fashion, interior design and design communications.
The structural change, which will be effective August 1, comes on the heels of the O’More College of Design’s merger with Belmont in 2018 and last month’s announcement that Belmont is launching Middle Tennessee’s first Bachelor of Architecture degree.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “The time is right for Belmont to grow its stable of colleges from nine to 10, allowing us to increase our attention on serving students’ educational needs in these creative fields. By moving our new architecture program—along with our established design majors—into their own college, we can more clearly define goals and develop a world-renowned brand for these exciting new areas on our campus. Furthermore, this move enables the newly named College of Music and Performing Arts to cement its reputation as one of the nation’s leading educational homes for students passionate about music, music education, theatre, dance, music therapy, music performance and so much more.”
In February, Belmont announced plans to launch the first Bachelor of Architecture program in Middle Tennessee and only the second in the state. The five-year degree, which will begin classes in Fall 2020, will provide graduates a direct path to pursue licensure in their field while also filling a significant gap for architectural education in Nashville and the surrounding area. Moreover, following Belmont’s 2018 acquisition of the O’More College of Design, the University has the foundation in place to form a world-class program.
Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns noted, “Belmont’s acquisition of O’More is allowing us to become more fully engaged in Nashville’s design community, and we have received an overwhelmingly positive response to our plans to start the area’s only architecture program. Building on the foundation we already have in design and the visual arts, the addition of architecture opens the door for opportunities to emphasize these programs in a new way within our already creative community. Having two distinct colleges, deans, faculty and staff will allow all of the associated programs to flourish like never before.”
Dr. Stephen Eaves, who has served as dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts since 2016, will transition to become the Dean of the College of Music and Performing Arts. Belmont will immediately begin a national search for the inaugural Dean of the O’More College of Architecture, Art and Design with the intention of having the new dean in place before the start of the Fall 2019 semester.
