NSU Assistant Dean joins task force for the arts

(Tahlequah, Okla.)-- After stepping into the role of assistant dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Dr. Anita Thompson is hitting the ground running. She was recently selected to serve on task force for the Special Policy Pilot Program with Americans for the Arts.

Oklahoma was selected as one of only 10 states to participate in the three-year pilot program, which will aim to strengthen the focus and attention being put on arts education. The program hopes to accomplish this goal through advancing state policy and will include customized coaching through Americans for the Arts.

The Oklahoma Arts Council decided upon the task force, which is comprised of 26 individuals who are seen as statewide leaders in education and the arts. Thompson was selected for the task force based on her unique expertise and experience as the director of NSUs Sequoyah Institute.

Thompson is very excited about the experience and hopes her experiences as a professional in the educational arena, as well as her personal education, will benefit the task force. She holds a PhD in Public Policy with an emphasis in community development and is a graduate of the OACs Leadership Arts Program.

I hope to see a stronger presence of arts being required, Dr. Thompson said. we've seen a trend of arts being tucked awayso much data shows having arts enhances an individual, so we hope to bring that back.

The task force had its first meeting on July 15 in Oklahoma City.

Thompson believes that the unique and diverse group of brainpower that makes up the task force will ensure its innovative methods of bringing the arts back.

Im excited to work with so many new entities represented by the different members on the task force, she said.

Through this task force OAC hopes to not only parlay off of an ideal time where Oklahoma state leaders are working to implement new academic standards, but also to identify Oklahoma as a national leader in educational policy.

For more information about this task force, please visitwww.arts.ok.govor emailokarts@artsok.gov.

Published: 2015-07-31 16:02:47.367000