Personnel
Samuel Hope, President
Samuel Hope has 46 years of professional experience in the arts and education, especially in standards and accreditation, institutional evaluation, futures analysis, and policy. He is well known as a writer, speaker, and working group leader.
Until his retirement on December 31, 2013, Mr. Hope served for over three decades as Executive Director of four arts accrediting organizations: National Association of Schools of Music, National Association of Schools of Art and Design, National Association of Schools of Theatre, and National Association of Schools of Dance. Together these organizations accredit over 1200 arts institutions and entities, primarily in higher education. During this period he was also the ex officio Executive Director of the National Office for Arts Accreditation, Higher Education Arts Data Services, the Council of Arts Accrediting Associations, and the Accrediting Commission for Community and Precollegiate Arts Schools.
From 1984 to 2011 he was Executive Editor of Arts Education Policy Review, a professional journal.
Mr. Hope was an incorporator of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA) and until his retirement held various volunteer positions with that organization, particularly as a member of its government and external affairs analysis group.
He has served in a consultative capacity to numerous organizations such as the RAND Corporation, Music Teachers National Association, European Association of Conservatoires, National Association of Music Merchants, Barnard College, Southwestern University (Texas), and the Sibelius Academy of Music (Helsinki).
Among his distinguished service awards are those from the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors, Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, Ohio University, University of Florida, Yale University, The National Association for Music Education, and The Council of Dance Administrators. He is an Honorary Member of the National Association of Schools of Music, a Fellow and Life Member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, and honorary Executive Director Emeritus of each of the four arts accrediting organizations from which he recently retired.
Mr. Hope earned the Master of Musical Arts degree from Yale University (1970), and the Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester (1967), both in music composition. He was a composition student of Nadia Boulanger in France. He holds the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Marywood University (2001) and Maryland Institute College of Art (2007).