Amy Norgard named interim Communication and Theatre Arts chair over summer after previous head’s unexpected departure

Amy Norgard was appointed to the Communication and Theatre Arts chair this summer after previous chair Brad Carlson resigned unexpectedly. Norgard said she plans to ensure the department continues to run uninterrupted through recent changes. 

Norgad is an associate professor of classics and previously served as the interim Associate Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities. She said that role included her in conversations with COTA faculty and her goals include supporting Truman Media Network through relocation, theatre productions and forensics. 

“My goal is to make sure that the department keeps running, and that the student experience is not interrupted in any way,” Norgard said. “[I want to] be super available and to answer any questions and make myself available to the students and the faculty as they need.”

Norgard said she has a strong interdisciplinary background. In her area of study, she teaches Latin, ancient Greek and ancient literature, but she also teaches media studies through film, video games and board games.

Because of her interdisciplinary background, Norgard said her range helps her lead a department that is built on two different disciplines. 

“I think I absolutely would bring [my interdisciplinary background] to a department that is a combination of the discipline of communication and the discipline of theatre,” Norgard said. “And seeing that there are some places where we can be doing more synergies … not just intellectually, not just academically, but also community synergies.”

Theatre major Devin LaRue, a junior who worked in the scenic shop with the previous department head, said the previous chair announced his sudden resignation with students through a message on Discord. 

With an interim for the year, LaRue said he was worried an interim or new permanent head would shift focus too much on one program for resources and attention instead of both programs of the department receiving fair and equal treatment. 

 “[I want someone who’s] paying attention to detail and making sure that both theatre and communication students are living happily,” LaRue said.

 Norgard said she wants COTA to feel like a cohesive department with communication and theater faculty and students collaborating. She said she plans to have clear communication, consistent with both faculty and students throughout her time as an interim chair. 

Norgard said her priorities are supporting faculty and students, handling administrative responsibilities and stepping in when problems occur.

“I don’t want COTA to lose any momentum on any of these projects and any of these initiatives … We gotta keep moving forward,” Norgard said. “All the trains are gonna leave the station, or they already have left the station. I have to kind of keep the trains going.”

The previous department head was responsible for running the theatre program’s scenic shop, and he also contributed to productions. 

LaRue said Carlson’s departure leaves him with questions about how productions may run this school year since his program lost a professor. However, LaRue is confident that the theatre program will continue to do well through these sudden changes. 

“I have full faith in the faculty above anything,” LaRue said. “And I also have faith in a lot of the Truman students. We’re all a resilient bunch, and we’re also pretty smart … A lot of us are capable of doing work in different areas.”