For the past 31 years, a group called the Kansas University School of Fine Arts Advisory Board has been promoting the growth, development and excellence of the school and the university.

Its members have focused on how to advance school programs by endorsing excellence in teaching, research and service and seeking recognition for the KU students, faculty and staff.

The 28-member group wants to encourage interest in the arts throughout the state and greater Kansas City and particularly activities of the school. In addition, advisory board members try to develop and extend relations with art groups around the state and encourage financial funding for the school.

The university and the many schools and departments under its academic umbrella need more groups like the fine arts board. The “KU story” and the overall excellence of the university need to be touted time and time again in an honest, well-documented and professional manner.

Unfortunately, the Fine Arts Advisory Board will conduct its last official meeting April 17 at the Lied Center.

The reason? The School of Fine Arts will cease to exist at the end of this semester because of a reorganization that will scatter the school’s various programs across campus and integrate them into other schools.

This whole affair started with the resignation of Dean Steven Hedden and the search for a new dean. Those on the search committee were said to be unable to come up with potential deans who measured up to the expectations of some in Strong Hall. Consequently, those on the search committee were told to study the situation and come up with a recommendation of how the school should be structured to meet the demands of the 21st Century.

Now the School of Fine Arts is history. It’s a proud history and many on the campus, faculty and students, as well as graduates of the school, are unhappy.

At a time when the university badly needs alumni and friends telling a positive story about the institution and its various schools and departments, it is unfortunate the Fine Arts Advisory Board soon will be history.

The university does not do a good job of telling its story. In fact, it does a poor job with the general public really not knowing much about the university.

Students, parents of students, alumni, faculty and others closely associated with the school have a fairly good idea of what the university is all about. But the average Kansas resident, even many in Lawrence, and particularly people living in nearby states or around the country, really don’t know that much about the true excellence of many in the school’s departments and the overall quality of the institution.

The university needs more groups like the Fine Arts Advisory Board, and its demise is a loss for the school.

Regardless of what a person may think about the breakup of the school or the manner in which it was done, there’s no question that the demise of the Fine Arts Advisory Board is bad for the school and the university.