<p>I just received this email today. Very interesting addition to USC:</p>
<p>November 9, 2012</p>
<p>Dear USC community,</p>
<p>I am delighted to announce that USC has received an extraordinarily generous gift from philanthropist Glorya Kaufman, and that her landmark giftone of the largest in the history of American dancewill create and endow the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and construct the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center at USC. This new school will offer instruction in contemporary and classical dance, while establishing a new, world-class home for dance education on the west coast and in the Pacific Rim. In partnering with USC, Ms. Kaufman hopes to ensure that the art of dance endures for future generations.</p>
<p>Ms. Kaufmans historic gift will create USCs sixth arts school. The Kaufman School of Dance is the first school to be established at USC through an endowment in nearly 40 years, and is scheduled to enroll its first students in the fall of 2015. The schools primary teaching facility, the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center, will be located on the University Park Campus, and Ms. Kaufmans gift will also create an endowment to support the schools programs and faculty, as well as student recruitment and scholarships. </p>
<p>Robert Cutietta will serve as the inaugural dean of the USC Kaufman School of Dance, while continuing to serve as dean of our Thornton School of Music. The USC Kaufman School will offer classes in a broad range of dance performance, including classical ballet and modern, jazz, and world dance. Its students will earn a bachelor of fine arts in dance, and have the opportunity to double major or minor in other disciplines across the university, thereby enjoying the benefits of attending a large, dynamic research university.</p>
<p>The Kaufman School of Dance completes USCs vibrant portfolio of visual and performing arts programs, as it assumes its place alongside our School of Architecture, School of Cinematic Arts, School of Dramatic Arts, Roski School of Fine Arts, and Thornton School of Music. USC currently has nearly 6,000 students who pursue degrees in the artsan unprecedented number among American research universities. </p>
<p>Around the world, Ms. Kaufmans name is synonymous with the performing arts. Through her visionary philanthropyand her sheer passion for danceshe has become a beloved patron of the art form. Her esteemed name will certainly enhance the schools reputation, while ensuring that the university is able to transform the lives of generations of students, as well as the future of dance in Los Angeles and around the world. </p>
<p>This gift significantly elevates Ms. Kaufmans profile as an arts philanthropist, placing her among the worlds leading supporters of dance. This is only appropriate: in person, her dedication to dance is immediately palpable. She draws on a lifelong love of the art form, as well as an enduring desire to see others benefit from its transformative powers, its ability to raise spirits and dissolve problems. </p>
<p>For several decades, Ms. Kaufman has squarely focused her energy on philanthropic ventures, forming a foundation to support dance, fine arts, theater, education, research, medicine, and other interests. In Los Angeles, she established Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center and contributed significantly to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and The Juilliard School, as well as other venerable organizations. In the world of dance, the scope of her philanthropy is both far-reaching and remarkable.</p>
<p>In directing her philanthropy to USC, Ms. Kaufman has chosen to focus strategically on dance education. She has expressed her twofold wish to prepare dancers to be both exceptional performers and skilled businesspeople, to equip them to ably navigate the professional aspects of an artists life. As part of USCs neighborhood outreach programs, the university will also establish dance programs for high school students in the USC Family of Schools. Indeed, with todays gift, Ms. Kaufman will help nurture the success of generations of dancersa goal that ultimately benefits all of society.</p>
<p>As USC looks to build on its already-stellar foundation in the arts, the creation of the Kaufman School of Dance represents a significant step forward, as well as a magnificent milestone in the universitys history. Our ambition is to make the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance the most elite on the west coast and in the Pacific Rim. We are so pleased to partner with Glorya Kaufman in this journey, and to join her in dramatically elevating dance education and dance performanceendeavors that will preserve the art form for future generations.</p>
<p>Yours truly,</p>
<p>C. L. Max Nikias</p>
<p>President</p>