Students, faculty and staff in Cornell's Department of Theatre, Film and Dance (TFD) are moving forward with a new department model that emphasizes student experiences and ensures the university's place on the cutting edge of scholarly and creative work, as well as teaching in the areas of media and performance, department Chair Amy Villarejo announced.

A full calendar of events, changes in curriculum and an array of visiting artists will highlight the 2011-12 academic year at the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts.

The new model emphasizes integration within the department, collaboration and innovation. Three committees within the department have been reshaping the curriculum, planning a diverse set of performances and events for next year and exploring additional avenues across the university for collaborations and outreach efforts.

The department will create one major focused on performance and media. The curriculum committee is working with faculty to integrate existing courses and develop new and revised courses, some of which will appear as early as the fall.

While curricular changes are being implemented, theater, film and dance majors and minors will continue their studies and receive a degree under the current department model. During the transition, students have the option of choosing between the new and existing models. Final decisions on the new curriculum are expected during the 2011-12 academic year.

Curriculum Committee Chair J. Ellen Gainor expressed her belief that this innovative model -- which integrates study across theater, film and dance, as well as between theory and practice -- not only reflects the teaching interests of department faculty, but also represents what is at the forefront of media and performance pedagogy and practice today.

"In conversations with colleagues at other leading institutions, we were pleased to learn that our new model is already attracting great interest and corresponds to changes other programs are just beginning to consider," Gainor said.

The department's Performance and Events Committee is developing a calendar that complements and augments the concepts students are discussing in class. Students also have been involved in selecting and planning events that represent student and faculty interests within the department. Students will sit on the committee, ensuring their continued input into the offerings of the department.

"We are encouraged by the scope of next year's events calendar," said Beth Milles, chair of the committee. "These selections reflect our committee's desire to foster student involvement and re-examine modes and methods of performance events in collaborative efforts across our department, engaging multiple disciplines and practices. We are excited to begin rediscovering ways to support, produce and develop work in the future, embracing both traditional and innovative forms of performance."

"I think the possibilities for collaboration are exciting," said theater major Juliana Kleist-Mendez '12, who will direct Jean-Paul Sartre's "No Exit" in the fall. "I'll be working with student lighting and costume designers in a professional atmosphere and also have the advantage of the resources of the department."

Several visiting faculty and professional actors are also joining the department.

Brian Hanrahan arrives in the fall as an American Council of Learned Societies fellow. He has taught at Princeton University and Columbia University and studies contemporary and historical German cinema and the effect of media theory on the development of German radio.

Carolyn Goelzer will join the department as a visiting assistant professor in the fall. A former Resident Professional Teaching Associate (RPTA) at Cornell, she has 25 years of experience in new play development and production.

Three professional actors have been hired to teach introductory acting courses in 2011-12: Jeffrey Guyton, Godfrey Simmons and current RPTA Sarah Chalmers.

A vote of confidence for the new model has come in the form of a $1 million gift from Carol Epstein '61 to create an endowment supporting an artist-in-residence position for entertainment industry professionals.

For more information, visit http://www.theatrefilmdance.cornell.edu.

Kathy Hovis is manager of marketing and public relations for the Department of Theatre, Film and Dance.