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Craig Jessop Steps Down As Dean For USU Caine College Of The Arts

A portrait photo of Dean Craig Jessop: The founding dean of Utah State's Caine College of the Arts has announced his resignation.
Utah State Today

 

 

After serving for nearly 11 years, Craig Jessop, the first dean of the Caine College of the Arts at Utah State University, announced his resignation. Jessop said he’s grateful for the experience he’s had at USU.

 

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to serve," he said. "I’m grateful for Utah State University and particularly grateful to the many students and their families who have come to USU. I thank them all. I feel I have been most fortunate to have had this experience.”

 

 

 

Earlier this year, aninvestigation was launched into the college’s piano program, after several former students took to Facebook and alleged faculty harassment against students through abuse of power within the department. The investigation foundthat faculty mistreatment of students had occurred in the program and Gary Amano, the director of the piano program, retired as a result.

 

While Jessop said his resignation from dean is unrelated to the piano investigation, he said he hopes the program will be stronger for the future and praises the bravery of those students who shared their stories.

“I want to thank those students who bravely came forward and shared with us their pain and their trials," he said. "It took a lot of courage and it humbled me. And we are doing everything we can in our power to correct mistakes and to ensure that as we go forward in the future, our program will be stronger and better than ever. Which I’m positive that it will be.”

 

Jessop said he looks forward to his return to teaching.

 

“I’m eager to return to the classroom because it will be the culmination of a career that has been dedicated to the performance of music and teaching others," he said. "I’m really excited to get back and have my opportunity to really pour my heart out into teaching and passing on to a new generation this lifetime of experiences and opportunities I’ve had. I can't think of any more fulfilling way to end my career than back in the classroom.”   

 

Jessop will step down as dean on June 1, 2019, and he will return from a sabbatical in the fall semester of 2020 as a full-time faculty member.