FULLERTON COLLEGE CENTENNIAL
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STAFF STORIES: BOB JENSEN
Writer: By Eric Marchese
BOB JENSEN
Born in New York City, Bob Jensen was early on immersed in that city’s theater world and the academic world of Princeton, New Jersey. Both parents instilled within him a love of the arts, and Donald B. Veix, Jensen’s seventh and eighth grade teacher at Hillsborough Junior High School in New Jersey, “created a tremendous love of learning and all the arts in me that I carry with me to this day.” Jensen attended Washington and Lee University, majoring in English. He enrolled at University of Virginia for his graduate studies and began doing carpentry work for various theater productions since most of his friends were MFA Theater candidates. While wife Sandy earned her Masters Degree in New Jersey, Jensen taught drama and English at Watchung Hills Regional High School. During his five years there, Jensen developed his theatrical resume through set designs and technical theatre for some 30 to 40 stage productions at local theater companies, high schools, and colleges. His mentor was Watchung instructor Lee Stapleton, who helped him get the job, achieve tenure, and gain access to professional theatre contacts.
Upon coming to Southern California in 1980, Jensen had set his sights upon working for Disney, taking a high school teaching job until he could land an interview with the entertainment giant. Following an unsatisfactory interview with Disney, Jensen was “pretty dejected,” but just a few months later, he landed a job in Fullerton College’s Theatre Arts Department – and, he says, “it’s been a tremendous blessing ever since.” During his first 25 years at F.C., Jensen distinguished himself as an award-winning director, designer, and instructor and played a variety of roles as a set and lighting designer, technical director, playwright, director, managing director and department chair. He has also served as the director of all three of Fullerton College’s annual theater festivals: the High School Theatre Festival, which is attended by roughly 2,000 high school students annually; the Playwrights Festival, a new play development program; and the Directors Festival, designed to showcase the directing talents of student, alumni and local directors.
In January, 2005, Jensen was appointed Dean of Fine Arts. During his more than 30 years at Fullerton College, he has seen the institution’s arts programs develop into some of the largest in the state of California, including the largest music department, second-largest art department and fifth-largest theater and graphic arts department. He serves on the Fullerton Museum Center Board, the Fullerton College Foundation Advisory Board and the Directors Roundtable and is working toward creating a new performing and visual arts complex on the south side of Chapman Avenue. As Dean, he highly values “getting people to sit down and really talk about the future – about facilities, about programs, about technology, about preparing students for the future. Those conversations are absolutely the best ones.” “Jensen sees such discussions, and his role in guiding the college’s Centennial Project, as serving a key goal: “To reach out to the world beyond Fullerton and north Orange County to become a leader in higher education rather than just a player. The centennial presents an opportunity to aspire to that leadership role. Are we going to seize it?”
“It took me a while to realize that (Fullerton College’s success) is so much about teamwork and collaboration, treating people well and developing relationships, and taking care of those relationships. Relationships trump talent and expertise every time.”
—Bob Jensen in 2011 Centennial Project interview
“It took me a while to realize that (Fullerton College’s success) is so much about teamwork and collaboration, treating people well and developing relationships, and taking care of those relationships. Relationships trump talent and expertise every time.”
—Bob Jensen in 2011 Centennial Project interview