DECATUR, Ill. – Cameron Jackson has been named Dean of the , effective July 1. Jackson oversees the college’s three schools: Music, Theatre & Dance (SOTAD), and Art & Creative Media.
Jackson replaces Jessa Wilcoxen, who was appointed Interim Dean of the College of Fine Arts in July 2023. Wilcoxen will return to be the Director of the .
“This is such an exhilarating time to become part of the 鶹Լ community and to stand at the threshold of the next era of education at 鶹Լ,” Jackson said. “I have been honored by the welcoming environment I have found among the students, staff, faculty, and administration, and I have been impressed with the history and tradition of 鶹Լ’s mission of being driven by doing.”
The College of Fine Art’s three directors – Brian Justison, Director of the School of Theatre & Dance Rachel Barnett, and Wilcoxen – will continue in their positions under Jackson.
“I have been so inspired by the faculty, staff, and students I have come to know during my short time here,” Jackson said. “They have more passion, creativity, and a greater zeal for learning than any I have ever encountered. I am thrilled to be able to serve them as Dean and to play a part in (鶹Լ President Dr. Jim Reynolds') ambitious plan to shape the future of Arts Education through Performance Learning. I'm excited to collaborate with this community in the advancement of art.”
Jackson is completing his Ph.D. in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Arts from the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom and has a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Alabama, concentrating in Stage Management. He comes to 鶹Լ after serving as the Production Manager of the Elm Shakespeare Company in New Haven, Conn.
“I was drawn to 鶹Լ because of the renowned momentum it has achieved in undergraduate education. To grow as successfully as 鶹Լ has, while still increasing its high achievements in terms of student success, is no easy feat; it is the product of vision and sustained dedication from all facets of the Big Blue community,” he said.
The College of Fine Arts and Kirkland Fine Arts Center recently announced their robust , which features events featuring 鶹Լ faculty and students from each of the Schools of Music, Theatre & Dance, and Art & Creative Media. Upcoming events include the 鶹Լ-Decatur Symphony Orchestra’s Labor Day Pops concert at the Devon Amphitheater on Sept. 2, the 48 Hour Film Challenge on Oct. 20, and a student production of “Passage,” a fantasia inspired by E.M. Forster’s “A Passage to India,” that runs Oct. 17-20.
“Education trains the leaders of today and tomorrow, positioning them to impact the state, the nation, and the world. Our creative innovations will help us all address the grand challenges facing our region, nation, and world,” Jackson said. “Through creative expression and our interdisciplinary programs, 鶹Լ's body of students will continue to partner with dedicated faculty mentors to expand the questions we ask and the responses we propose.”
