{"id":3811,"date":"2023-01-09T12:50:36","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T17:50:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ramapo.edu\/magazine\/?p=3811"},"modified":"2025-08-27T12:29:52","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T16:29:52","slug":"ramapos-newest-dean-and-the-transformative-power-of-the-arts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ramapo.edu\/magazine\/winter2023\/ramapos-newest-dean-and-the-transformative-power-of-the-arts\/","title":{"rendered":"Ramapo’s Newest Dean and The Transformative Power of The Arts"},"content":{"rendered":"

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College\u00a0 |\u00a0 Long Read<\/span><\/p>\n

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By Ken Goldstein, Dean of the School of Contemporary Arts |\u00a0 Winter 2023<\/em><\/p>\n

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Engaging with the arts is a profoundly transformative experience, one which fosters creative, intellectual, and personal growth. Research has captured this time and time again. Where the arts thrive, individuals and communities thrive as well.<\/p>\n

Although national commissions and scholarly investigations tout the immeasurable value of arts education for students at all levels, many have unfortunately limited exposure to the arts through their schools. This has only been exacerbated by localities cutting support, which was heightened during the pandemic. The opportunities to engage, participate, and explore the visual, performing, and communication arts makes the School of Contemporary Arts<\/a> at Ramapo College more important now than ever before.<\/p>\n

And, let\u2019s not forget\u2014students across CA do incredible things!\u00a0 Our students engage in work that most of us only dream about.\u00a0 The scope of work is exciting. I have had the opportunity to enjoy student concerts, theater productions, and chances to see the drawings, painting, sculptures, films, and photographs that come out of some of our courses.\u00a0 I have read some of the scholarly papers they have written and hope to present at conferences, and I have even gotten a small glimpse of some of the game and graphic design work students have been working on. I look forward to this spring semester when I can see more.\u00a0 They are artists and scholars\u2014and I find their work inspiring.<\/p>\n

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About the Dean:<\/h3>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.ramapo.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/343\/2023\/01\/ca-dean_Ken-Goldstein_feature.png” alt=”Ken Goldstein headshot” title_text=”Ken Goldstein” show_in_lightbox=”on” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”400px” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.75em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Ramapo College welcomed Ken Goldstein, MFA as dean of the School of Contemporary Arts on July 5, 2022. Prior to his appointment at Ramapo, Goldstein served as Chair and Professor of Design in the Department of Theatre Arts at the State University of New York at New Paltz. In that role, he worked closely with faculty and staff to coordinate student recruitment efforts and revise production policies and also focused on the development of external funding sources to support departmental efforts.<\/em><\/p>\n

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I am a set designer by training and practice\u2014a visual storyteller. I enter the world as a designer, meaning I ask questions, do my research, evaluate information, and work to find possibilities and solutions. I apply this as an administrator creating solutions that are simple, elegant, and sustainable\u2014a successful solution saves energy, supports quality and provides momentum for change. Part of being a designer is stepping back from your work and honestly evaluating your progress as well as listening to critique. I reflect on my own work to evaluate my personal evolution and I will continue to do so while working collaboratively with the people of The School of Contemporary Arts.<\/p>\n

As a theatre artist, a spirit of and a commitment to collaboration is at my core. And like all meaningful creative processes, academic and administrative collaboration harnesses the strengths of the collective, supports areas or individuals in need, and leads to results far better than an individual can achieve alone. In part, this is why I am thrilled to be surrounded by so many accomplished faculty artists and scholars, and of course talented and dedicated students \u2014they are inspiring partners in this new adventure.<\/span><\/p>\n

My vision for the School of Contemporary Arts is grounded in creating:<\/p>\n