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New College of the Arts dean selected

For the next Cal State Long Beach College of the Arts dean Cyrus Jeanette-Parker, coming home to a wonderful husband and cat helps her balance out a heavy workload.

“I think in higher education, especially in the arts, finding the balance between personal life and work is always challenging,” Jeanette-Parker said. “As associate dean, I probably go to about three to five events a week but as dean, that will turn to seven to 10 events a week.”

After a yearlong, nationwide search for the new COTA dean, Jeanette-Parker was promoted to the position, replacing interim dean Chris Miles. She will begin her term July 1.

“[The search] was a robust process. I don’t even know how many people applied,” Jeanette-Parker, who previously served as chair of the dance department, said. “I’m very excited to have gotten the position. I’m delighted, excited and this is all just a pleasant surprise.”

Jeanette-Parker earned a master’s degree in fine arts from University of California, Riverside, according to the CSULB website. She then spent her entire adult life as a professional dancer and choreographer.

She said she previously served as chair for the Department of Theatre and Dance at Chapman University before coming to CSULB in 2006.

“I figured [serving as the dance chair] was the job I would retire in,” she said. “I loved it. Dance is my field. Then I was asked to become an associate dean and I said no because that’s not really what I had planned in my career … This is a similar story, really.”

Jeanette-Parker, who is set to lead a college of roughly 3,800 students, compared her passion for dance and choreography to her new position. She said that the kind of thinking that must be done for both jobs is very similar.

“In dance, it’s working with a team of dancers, a composer and the designers,” she said. “In the College of the Arts, it’s going to be a matter of coordinating — in a sense ‘choreographing’ — students, faculty, staff and the community.”

Jeanette-Parker said although her days dancing on stage are over, she remains active as a choreographer outside of campus. She said during the past year, she has created four choreographic works while working as associate dean.

“I actually just came back a few weeks ago from Taipei, Taiwan where I was an artist in residence for a week,” she said. “It’s essential for me to remain an artist, and I think my soul and heart would shrivel up if I couldn’t create so I’m going to have to figure out how to make time for that.”

David Dowell, CSULB’s interim provost and senior vice president of academic affairs, said he believes Jeanette-Parker’s experience will help her in her new role as dean.

“She has provided, informed and inspired leadership for the college over the past four years,” Dowell said in a press release. “Her enthusiasm and her commitment to the college will be among her greatest assets.”

In the meantime, Jeanette-Parker will remain an associate dean, but she said she has already given some thought to what she will do on her first day.

“I have some ideas, but at this point, some of my first activities in the position would be meeting with every department chair, the directors of the Carpenter Center, the University Art Museum and the COTA student council, and listening,” she said. “I intend to listen a lot.”

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