Departmental Assessment Update - Arts and Humanities Report
Department: Theatre
Program: MA
Level: Graduate
1. List in detail your graduate Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for each degree/certificate offered.
MA Plan A (thesis)
1. To have a good working knowledge, tested by course work and 4-hour culminating Comprehensive Exam, in Western or Asian Theory/History.
2. To be qualified to teach theatre up to high-school level.
3. To be qualified to progress to a terminal degree: MFA or PhD in Theatre.
4. To conduct an independent research thesis resulting in a written thesis with original research and thought
MA Plan B (non-thesis)
1. To have a good working knowledge, tested by course work and 4-hour culminating Comprehensive Exam, of the five major areas of Drama and Theatre: Western Theory/History; Asian Theatre; Technical Theatre/Design; Acting/Directing; and Youth Theatre, with one of these areas forming an elective focus for the graduate student.
2. To be qualified to teach theatre up to high-school level.
3. To be qualified to perform/design in theatrical productions.
4. To be qualified to progress to a terminal degree: MFA or PhD in Theatre.
2. Where are these SLOs published (e.g., departmental web page)?
In Departmental brochure, handouts given at Orientation, and Checklists during Advisement progress. Also online at http://www.hawaii.edu/theatre/departmental/department.html
3. Explain how your SLOs map onto your curriculum, i.e., how does your program of graduate studies produce the specific SLOs in your students?
The five major areas, listed above, are factored into the curriculum by means of course requirements in the Core area of study (the 21 required credits listed in Core Requirements of the MA Plans A and B Checklists). The appropriateness of a course choice for any area of emphasis is checked by the determination of the Advisor employing the Recommended Courses Checklist.
In addition, there are 12 (MA-A) or 18 (MA-B) Elective credits that an MA candidate may apply to his or her special focus area.
Finally, both degrees require deficiency make-up (if there are academic deficiencies, see item 5), 6 credits of Asian Theatre study, and 3 credits of Graduate Theatre Workshop which enable us to assess a candidate's performative or design talent as it manifests itself in practical production.Both degrees require the passing of a rigorous 4-hour comprehensive exam. There is a Reading List for the Comprehensive Exam issued during the first semester of study, consisting of a Play List and a list of standard theatre works in the five areas, with a sample examination.
The MA-A degree requires the submission of a Master's thesis in the semester following the committee's approval of the topic and the passing of the MA Comprehensives.
4. What population(s) is covered by your assessment(s)?
Covered are all classified Theatre MA Plans A or B students.
5. Please list/describe all the assessment events and devices used to monitor graduate student progress through the program. Consider the following questions:
(1) Screening: GRE exam scores, used as a diagnostic and part of application process; a sample of academic writing; proof of having taken, at the undergraduate level, one course in theatre history, two in dramatic literature, one in acting, one in direction, and one in tech theatre/design. (If courses not so taken, and applicant is admitted, they must be made up C/NC concurrently with work towards the MA degree.)
(2) Advising Check List (enclosed) for the degree concerned. These list all major requirements; filled in at advising sessions held at least once a semester. Student keeps a copy. Permanent Advisor selected by the end of the first year.
(3) Committee Assessment Meeting. Committee selected at the time comprehensive exam is scheduled, at which time two other committee members selected. For Plan A, a larger committee might be selected and at this time the thesis topic is selected and approved.
(4) 4-hour Comprehensive Exam including a question in the focus area, and a special question specially devised for the candidate which might relate to the thesis (if Plan A) or special interest within the focal area (for Plan B).
(5) Final Oral Exam (Plan B). The final exam is on the written answers to the Comprehensive. It is supplemented by additional questions to assess apparent gaps in knowledge, or clarifications on the written answers by other members of the faculty than the committee--the entire graduate faculty reads the MA comprehensive exams.
(6) Thesis (Plan A) is submitted to the Committee only, in the semester following the passing of the Comprehensives. It may be anywhere from 60 to 200 pages in length and is defended in a
special Oral Exam with the committee only present with the candidate.
6. Please list/describe how your graduate students contribute to your discipline/academic area? Consider the following questions:
Contributions of students through publication, conference participation and performance.
Students occasionally make presentations to conferences through GSO support, or through being members of panels at national conferences such as ATHE. Several have also successfully published articles in professional journals. I would say that this happens on an average about three times a year. Certain courses such as Wessendorf's Script Analysis or Theory of Theatre require participation in small conferences modeled on professional international ones.Students perform regularly in Kennedy Theatre productions; they may receive credit in various forms for about half of these public appearances in KT, but typically appear in many more performances than that. Some also perform elsewhere, for Honolulu theatre groups such as Diamond Head Theatre, Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Kumu Kahua Theatre, Manoa Valley Theatre, etc. (Outside performances usually cannot carry academic credit.) They are assessed in these endeavors not only by our faculty and their peers but also by newspaper critics in the leading dailies and weeklies.
7. What attempts are made to monitor student post-graduate professional activities?
The grad chair maintains an alumni webpage at http://www.hawaii.edu/theatre/departmental/alumni.htm, tracking the activities of many of our students who are out teaching or working professionally. Many of our master's students go on for doctoral degrees with us, or elsewhere.
8. How were the assessment data/results used to inform decisions concerning the curriculum and administration of the program?
MA Plan A PROGRAM CHANGES
Feedback: Comps and thesis are too close together, need more time for thesis.
Response: decision to place comps earlier to allow for more time to focus on thesis writing.
Feedback: Update and revise reading lists for MA comprehensive exams
Response: Revision of comp reading lists for MA candidates to integrate updated material and newly available plays
MA Plans A&B CHANGES TO REQUIRED COURSES
Feedback: THEA 615B Performance theory: request for updates and clearer goals leading to final project
Response: The changes implemented deal with content and structure. They were updated to include more material to help assist with creative processes. The overall structure was improved to set clearer goals throughout the course culminating in the final projects.
Feedback: THEA 428 Japanese Acting should be split into movement (428) and voice courses (420)Response: THEA 428 Japanese Acting was split into movement (428) and voice courses (420) to allow for more in-depth study of both.
9. Has the program developed learning outcomes? Please indicate yes or no.
No.
10. Has the program published learning outcomes? Please indicate yes or no.
n/a
11. If so, please indicate how the program has published learning outcomes.
n/a
12. What evidence is used to determine achievement of student learning outcomes?
see item 5
13. Who interprets the evidence?
MA committee members
14. What is the process of interpreting the evidence?
Assessment of student learning takes place at a number of junctures, including but not limited to the comps defense, and in the case of the MA plan A, the thesis defense.
15. Indicate the date of last program review.
2000