Drawing on the strength of its vast network of accomplished alumni in the
entertainment industry, Syracuse University today announced plans to establish a
satellite campus program in Los Angeles, beginning in fall 2009, that will engage
students in professional internships, specialized course work and regular interactions
with industry leaders. The program will be led by accomplished television and film
producer Andrea Asimow, SU's director, Semester in Los Angeles Programs.
"Having worked in Hollywood for over 25 years, I am thrilled to be part of this effort
to bring Syracuse University to Los Angeles so that students who wish to pursue
careers in the entertainment industry can benefit from studying with and working for
the many outstanding professionals who will be participating in this endeavor," says
Asimow.
The program has been shaped jointly by SU faculty and a distinguished group of
Southern California alumni.
Spearheading the program are campus founders Aaron Sorkin '83, multi-award-
winning writer/producer and creator of "The West Wing"; Rob Light '78, managing
partner and head of music at Creative Artists Agency (CAA); Brian Frons '78,
president, Daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group; and Larry Barron '87, senior vice
president of programming, FremantleMedia North America.
Advisors come from the top ranks of the entertainment industry, including Fred
Silverman '58, pioneering network television executive and producer; Jason
Blumenthal '90, producer/partner, Escape Artists; Suzanne De Passe '68, chairman
and CEO of De Passe Entertainment, Emmy Award-winning producer and former
president of Motown Productions; Marshall Gelfand '50 , founder and a partner in
the international business management firm of Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman, LLP;
Andrew Gumpert '89, president of business affairs & administration, Columbia
Pictures; Howard G. Phanstiel '70, G'71, CEO of Phanstiel Enterprises LLC; Phil
Quartararo '77, music executive, former executive vice president of EMI Music North
America and former president of EMI Music Marketing; and Doug Robinson,
producer/partner, Happy Madison Productions.
Along with many of the advisors, several other prominent industry leaders will
interact directly with students as guest lecturers, including Ron Meyer, president and
chief operating officer of Universal Studios; Phil Gurin '81, president of The Gurin
Co.; and longtime writer/producer/director Austin "Rocky" Kalish and his wife, noted
writer/producer Irma Ginsberg Kalish '45. The program will also tap into SU's
extensive network of LA alumni for additional speakers.
"Together with my fellow Los Angeles-based Syracuse alumni, we are proud to be a part of SULA," says Light. "This program allows us to give back to the SU community in a meaningful way, while also providing the next generation of industry executives with a richly rewarding experience."
"The SU in LA program is a perfect illustration of our commitment to Scholarship in
Action and preparing students for the world by embedding them in real-world
experiences and exploration," says SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor.
"Students will spend an entire semester in LA being mentored by our incredible
array of alums in Hollywood-testing their knowledge among industry professionals
and, ultimately, getting a leg up in the increasingly competitive media and
entertainment industries."
The semester program builds upon the previous successes of two longstanding SU
experiential programs in LA:
A total of 28 Newhouse and VPA students-specifically from Newhouse's
Department of Television-Radio-Film and VPA's multidisciplinary
Bandier Program
for Music and the Entertainment Industries-will spend the upcoming fall semester
in LA. Over time, the University intends to expand the semester program into a
multi-faceted SU campus in LA that will serve the collaborative initiatives of SU's
other schools and colleges.
The fall semester students-all of whom will be starting their junior year-will be
housed together in an apartment complex in the Toluca Lake district of North
Hollywood.
Their semester will be built around a 20-hour-per-week internship matched to each
student's interests and abilities; internships will span a range of disciplines, including
animation, music, digital media, casting, editing, film and television development
and production, pre- and post-production, and marketing and distribution. In
addition, they will attend classes in their respective majors convened at their living
space and at the Universal Studios Hollywood lot. To complete their course load, they
will be able to select from a variety of online courses offered by SU's
College of Arts
and Sciences.
Throughout the semester, distinguished speakers who are meeting with students in
LA will be linked through videoconferencing to students on the main campus in
Syracuse to expand the educational opportunity and allow a larger group of students
to benefit from the insights of the industry experts.
"The strength of the Newhouse School is that we admit students of exceptional
academic ability, then provide them with a liberal arts foundation plus industry-
ready professional and technical skills," says Newhouse Dean Lorraine Branham.
"The LA immersion program will provide that extra edge: our students will graduate
knowing not only the programs and processes, but also the people and culture that
drive the entertainment industry."
One of the most unique offerings in the LA Semester will be VPA's Bandier Program
for Music and the Entertainment Industries, one of the first undergraduate,
multidisciplinary programs in the country to prepare students for a career in the
music and entertainment industry. It includes the study of music, communications,
business and entrepreneurship with a strong liberal arts background, and combines
course work at VPA with courses at the Newhouse School and SU's Whitman School
of Management and College of Arts and Sciences.
The program was founded in 2006 and funded through a gift by SU alumnus Martin
Bandier '62, chairman and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC.
"The Bandier Program's rigorous curriculum emphasizes weekly contact with top
industry professionals and hands-on learning experiences," says VPA Dean Ann
Clarke. "Studying and interning in Los Angeles will allow Bandier students to truly
immerse themselves in the West Coast entertainment industry and gain invaluable
insights that will serve them well as they begin their own careers."
The University has begun fundraising activities to secure the resources to implement
the comprehensive LA campus initiative.
Additional information on SU's LA campus and the initial semester program is
available at http://LASemester.syr.edu.
