Stephen Beal has been named president of California College of the Arts (CCA). Currently provost of CCA, Beal became the school’s ninth president on May 1, 2008.
“Steve is the clear choice to guide CCA,” commented Ann Hatch, chair of the Board of Trustees. “A product of art schools, he possesses a true passion for the kind of education we offer, combined with the financial acumen he’s gained as provost. His presidency will ensure a dynamic and sound future for the college as we fulfill our mission to educate those who shape our culture. His clear understanding of the institution and outstanding record of leadership will allow him to hit the ground running as we develop a new five-year strategic plan.”
“I’m thrilled to become president of CCA,” remarked Beal. “In the past decade CCA has achieved an unprecedented level of national renown, becoming an important part of the cultural landscape. At the core of this is our commitment to creating and supporting an exceptional learning experience for our students. I am looking forward to working with the creative and dedicated faculty, staff, and board members to fulfill the promise of this great institution.”
As CCA’s chief executive officer Beal will be responsible for all of the college’s academic and financial activities, including management of a $55 million annual budget, fundraising leadership, supervision of senior academic and administrative staff, and development of a 34-member Board of Trustees. He succeeds Michael S. Roth, who served as CCA’s president from 2000 to 2007 and is now president of Wesleyan University.
About Stephen Beal
Stephen Beal has been provost at CCA since 1997. Several academic programs have been added under his leadership, including the BA in Community Arts, the BA in Writing and Literature, the BA in Visual Studies, the BFA in Animation, the MA in Visual and Critical Studies, the MFA in Design, the MFA in Writing, and the MArch (master’s degree) in Architecture. Two other recent additions have been the MA in Curatorial Practice and the MBA in Design Strategy, both the first programs of their kind on the West Coast.
Also during Beal’s tenure, CCA has made significant improvements to existing buildings and developed new facilities. Overall enrollment has increased by 50 percent. In the last five years CCA has conducted more than 40 high-profile searches for full-time tenure-track positions. There have been many curricular improvements, including the establishment of the junior review for third-year undergraduates.
Beal came to CCA in 1997 from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), where he was vice president of academic planning and associate vice president of academic affairs. He was the lead academic administrator on the school’s building and facilities projects, which included the acquisition of new property and major renovations of existing facilities. Previous to that he was chair of SAIC’s graduate division, chair of its postbaccalaureate program, and a member of the painting faculty.
Beal serves on the board of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, and he is board president of the internationally renowned Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland. He holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About California College of the Arts
Founded in 1907, California College of the Arts is noted for the interdisciplinarity and breadth of its programs. It offers studies in 20 undergraduate and seven graduate majors in the areas of fine arts, architecture, design, and writing. The college offers bachelor of architecture, bachelor of arts, bachelor of fine arts, master of architecture, master of arts, master of fine arts, and master of business administration degrees. With campuses in Oakland and San Francisco, CCA currently enrolls more than 1,650 full-time students.
For more information go to: http://www.cca.edu
