On January 17 at New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Syracuse University announced the launch of the Janklow Arts Leadership Program, a new M.A. program named for the great literary agent and College of Arts and Sciences alumnus Morton L. Janklow. Anchored in the University’s College of Arts and Sciences, the program will provide students with core competencies in leadership and administration, marketing and public relations, law and public policy, and financial management, specifically targeted at arts institutions. The program will provide a focused, rigorous experience training students to lead effectively and manage efficiently. It will launch in the summer of 2012.

Emerging from SU's vision of Scholarship in Action and commitment to cultural stewardship, students will undertake interdisciplinary coursework, benefit from professional mentorship and engage in internships as well as seminars in both London and New York.

The University unveiled the program with a special announcement and panel discussion at New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts featuring broadcast journalist and author Barbara Walters as moderator. Kate D. Levin, commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; Glenn D. Lowry, director of the Museum of Modern Art; and André Bishop, artistic director of Lincoln Center Theater, also participated on the panel.

Additional guests attending included Janklow; Chancellor Nancy Cantor; Arts and Sciences Dean George M. Langford; and Mark Nerenhausen, the Janklow Program’s founding director and professor of practice.

Janklow says the idea for the program grew out of conversations with Chancellor Cantor, shortly after her arrival at SU in 2004. "I feared then, as I fear now, that major arts institutions might be crippled or even disappear, in part because of inadequate managerial skills and foresight," he says. "It is important for arts leaders to know how to integrate their organizations into the communities they serve; to deal with governmental agencies that have jurisdiction of their activities; to take advantage of federal, state and city programs that provide ongoing support; and to engage with creative people who can help them achieve their goals."

"The Janklow Program epitomizes curricular innovation in arts leadership," says Chancellor Cantor. "Its interdisciplinary depth and breadth embrace both the complexities and the tremendous opportunities embedded in the power of the arts, not only as cultural expression, but as engines for community rejuvenation and economic development. We're profoundly grateful to Mort for his broad vision in launching this cutting-edge program that prepares arts leaders to be entrepreneurial, collaborative catalysts for today and tomorrow."

Langford echoes these sentiments, saying that the Janklow Program operates at the intersection of arts leadership and social entrepreneurship. “This kind of program speaks to the interdisciplinarity of the college and of the liberal arts in general,” he says. “By providing students with core skills, practical experience and positive leadership traits, we are preparing them to lead effectively and to manage efficiently.”

The Janklow Program comes at a time when many arts organizations are at a managerial crossroads. Nerenhausen, who has more than 20 years of professional leadership experience, attributes the current need to changing demographics, sector expansion and a lack of leadership succession planning. "It’s important for us to offer leadership training and professional development to not only artists, but also people who understand and appreciate the arts in context of their broad social role. These people will run organizations that are sustainable, relevant and accessible," he says.

Comprehensive and interdisciplinary, the Janklow Program is a 15-month, 39-credit-hour program that prepares students for success in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. "This way, Janklow students can pursue any number of career paths, from those in music, art, dance and drama to ones in social service, education and government,” Nerenhausen adds.

In addition to The College of Arts and Sciences, Janklow students will take courses in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, the College of Law, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the Whitman School of Management.

The Janklow Program is also developing affiliations with local, regional and national arts organizations for the purposes of professional mentorships, competitive internships and immersion opportunities.

The Janklow Program is one of four signature arts programs at SU. Others are the Goldring Arts Journalism Program, the Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries and the Museum Studies Program. All four are highly competitive and interdisciplinary, placing strong emphasis on peer-to-peer interaction and immersion opportunities.

The application deadline for summer admission to the Janklow Program is Feb. 1. For more information, contact Nerenhausen at 315-443-1796 or manerenh@syr.edu.