I am pleased to announce that I have accepted the position of Dean of School of Music at Colorado Christian University. While no official announcement has been made, I wanted you to hear it from me first. It is with mixed emotions that I bid farewell to William Jessup University. Every chapter must come to an end, and it is time for me to pursue a new opportunity where my talents — and a larger budget — can be more fully appreciated.
Colorado Christian University’s music faculty reads like the credits at the end of a Hollywood blockbuster: Juilliard graduates, Emmy winners, nationally recognized performers, and composers whose music has been heard by millions. Then there is me; Tom Ruscica’s résumé is built on conducting collegiate ensembles, academic administration, committee meetings, and running Jessup Music into the ground. One faculty profile boasts performances for presidents; the other boasts surviving faculty meetings. One composed music for National Geographic; the other composed another strategic plan. It certainly makes for a diverse faculty lounge.
Whether this grand career move actually happens is almost beside the point. Every legend deserves a dramatic exit, complete with lofty speeches about “new opportunities,” “fresh challenges,” and “following the calling.” If nothing else, it serves as a reminder that in academia, résumés grow longer, titles grow grander, and press releases grow more inspirational. After all, why let reality interfere with a perfectly good announcement?
My time in California has come to an end as I am move eastward to join Colorado Christian University as its Dean of School of Music.