Michael Schmidt, Interim Dean, COA ProfileWelcome to the College of the Arts at VSU. The CoA is home to the departments of Art & Design, Communication Arts (Communication, Public Relations, Mass Media, Theatre & Dance), and Music. Together, we form a creative academic community that truly cares about the success of every student - their interests, their growth, and their future.

As a college, we continue to demonstrate excellence in every discipline through award-winning debate teams, community organization support by Communication and Public Relations students, and the impact of Art and Music Education graduates in our schools. Art, mass media, music, and theatre students also stage dozens of outstanding exhibitions, productions, and performances. CoA academic programs have expanded to include graduate programs in Music and Communication Arts, online content delivery, and specialized lab and studio areas to offer students experiential learning in their fields of study. Together, we collaborate through creative interdisciplinarity, scholarly production, critical reflection, and expand relationships with internal and external communities that support leadership, service learning, and internships.

Our outreach efforts include The Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, Peach State Summer Theatre, and the South Georgia String Project, to name a few. Fundraising events include Pops in the Park, DrawProject, Color VSU, Dancing with the Stars, and more. We consider our role as a cultural and artistic beacon for the university essential to our mission. With hundreds of performances, exhibitions, and other college events each year, the arts at VSU are vital to the cultural foundation of our campus and regional community. Our students and faculty inspire change in others and contribute to a more positive, accepting, and inclusive society.

At VSU, your achievement is our achievement. We’re glad you’ve decided to visit our website and encourage you to explore our programs further. I invite you to visit us in person so we can introduce you to our beautiful campus, take you on a personal tour of our facilities, and meet our outstanding students, faculty, and staff. Most importantly, we want to know more about you!

I invite you to contact me personally and look forward to seeing you soon.

Michael T. Schmidt
Interim Dean, CoA & Professor of Art
mschmidt@valdosta.edu
229.333.5832