Program: Theatre (MA, MFA)
Degree: Master's
Date: Thu Oct 13, 2011 - 10:03:00 am
1) Below are your program student learning outcomes (SLOs). Please update as needed.
MA Theatre Plan A (thesis)
1. Student demonstrates in-depth knowledge in Western or Asian Theory/History.
2. Student demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of chosen area of specialization of Theatre scholarship.
3. Student demonstrates original research and thought by conducting an independent research project resulting in a written thesis.
MA Theatre Plan B
1. Student demonstrates good working knowledge in each 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
2. Students can create and demonstrate informed and personal artistic choices in coursework and productions (i.e, design, directing, acting, etc.).
MFA Theatre
1. Student demonstrates the professional competence to function successfully in the artistic concentration of the degree track
2. Students can create and demonstrate informed and personal artistic choices in coursework and productions in the artistic concentration of the degree track
3. Student can demonstrate broad knowledge of the context and functioning of related theatrical artistic areas to that of the chosen artistic concentration.
4. Students demonstrate, through portfolio review, preparedness to enter and compete within the chosen degree track area, professionally and/or academically.
2) Your program's SLOs are published as follows. Please update as needed.
Department Website URL: http://hawaii.edu/theatre/graduate/GradTheatreSLOs2009.pdf
Student Handbook. URL, if available online: Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online: UHM Catalog. Page Number: Course Syllabi. URL, if available online: Other: Other: 3) Below is the link(s) to your program's curriculum map(s). If we do not have your curriculum map, please upload it as a PDF.
- File (03/16/2020)
4) For your program, the percentage of courses that have course SLOs explicitly stated on the syllabus, a website, or other publicly available document is as follows. Please update as needed.
0% 1-50% 51-80% 81-99%
100%5) For the period June 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011: State the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goals. Include the SLOs that were targeted, if applicable.
MA/MFA
MA: n/a in 2010-2011
MFA: How well thesis work demonstrated the achievement of the targeted SLOs.
What are the students’ perceptions of their own achievement of the program outcomes?
6) State the type(s) of evidence gathered to answer the assessment question and/or meet the assessment goals that were given in Question #5.
MA
n/a in 2010-2011
MFA
After forming a committee, student prepares a qualifying project in their area, which is evaluated by the committee.
Proposal for culminating creative project is evaluated by the committee.
After the creative project is implemented, the student prepares a written component. The project is then evaluated by the committee in an oral defense. In certain concentrations, such as directing, students involved in the production fill out confidential evaluations of the production process.
All graduating MFA students in 2010-2011 were given an online survey in which students rated their achievement of the program outcomes.
7) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.
12 students graduating in 2010-2011
8) Who interpreted or analyzed the evidence that was collected? (Check all that apply.)
Course instructor(s) Faculty committee Ad hoc faculty group Department chairperson Persons or organization outside the university Faculty advisor Advisors (in student support services) Students (graduate or undergraduate) Dean/Director Other: 9) How did they evaluate, analyze, or interpret the evidence? (Check all that apply.)
Used a rubric or scoring guide Scored exams/tests/quizzes Used professional judgment (no rubric or scoring guide used) Compiled survey results Used qualitative methods on interview, focus group, open-ended response data External organization/person analyzed data (e.g., external organization administered and scored the nursing licensing exam) Other: 10) For the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goal(s) stated in Question #5:
Summarize the actual results.
MFA Exit Surveys: (5 choices ranging from Extremely Well (5) to Poorly (1)
Learning Outcome #1: Average 4.0 in 2010; 4.67 in 2011
#2: Average: 4.40 in 2010; 4.67 in 2011
#3: Average: 4.80 in 2010; 4.33 in 2011
#4 Average: 3.40 in 2010; 3.83 in 2011
Faculty used student comments on these surveys, thesis project evaluations, and defenses before thesis committees as evidence to implement the changes detailed in question #11.
11) State how the program used the results or plans to use the results. Please be specific.
Recent changes?
Current change in response to previous assessment method and re-envisioning of the design program: The Design program has implemented a change in the way the MFA degree in design is viewed, evaluated and awarded. Instead of only examining a final and qualifying project, each supported with a production book documenting the design, the MFA design student will be evaluated on the basis of their entire body of design work undertaken during their 3-year program, supported by a resume and a final design portfolio of 4-5 designs, as well as an exit document consisting of a comprehensive self-evaluation/reflection paper and discussion of their work. Although students will still have a qualifying and a final project, they will provide a production book documenting their work and be evaluated after every design undertaken during their program, each design considered a stepping-stone to the next. Each production book includes a self-evaluation/reflection paper and discussion of the work and can be referenced for their exit document. In addition, whenever possible, appropriate area professionals will be invited to comment on the portfolio and make recommendations to the MFA committee. Constant updating of the student's professional portfolio, evaluated periodically by the student's graduate committee, is also an expectation of the successful degree candidate. To this goal we would like to implement a portfolio fair for interested graduate students and undergraduate students at the end of each semester or year, to be determined. Students would have the opportunity to share their current portfolio, (digital or hard-copy) with peers, receive feedback from faculty, and gain insights in possible portfolio presentation modes by seeing the work of their peers; this is a small outlay of effort for us, and a powerful learning tool for the students.
We are working out the details for dual-focus MFA in Acting-Asian Performance, and Design-Asian Performance so that this can be formalized.
In terms of exit interview remarks by students, we have been looking for ways to engage our MFA candidates with teaching workshops or classes. We are developing a program for touring to local schools with Shakespeare Scenes (worked on in THEA 492C Performing Shakespeare) where the student actors will also teach short sections about Shakespeare’s work. The target date for this program is Spring 2012.
In Youth Theatre, the department hired a new youth theatre program director. New faculty member, Mark Branner. The youth theatre program continues to work towards more structured processes for the qualifying and final thesis project. The added structures are aimed at better aligning with the program SLOs and other MFA concentration areas. The designated deadline for the updated student handbook ( that will explicitly map out the revised scope and sequence of the degree) is April 2012.
Plans?
Planned changes to design program, in response to issues as explained: Other upcoming changes or plans for the MFA Design Program concern searches for two new hires, a faculty design position and a staff production position, for which job descriptions are being worked out. Until both positions are in place, and the design faculty is back at full strength, many curriculum and program issues are on hold. Although, undecided at this time, it is hoped that the staff position will address production management issues, among other duties, and that the faculty position will address lighting, sound, special effects and projection design issues, as well as classes and educational support for the technical theatre and technical production areas. In addition, in response to issues as explained, the design faculty would like see the design requirement for MFA directing candidates revised to include a class from each design area, scenic, lighting and costume, in order that they better understand the design process, design-specific language and concerns, and thus make them better collaborators with their design team, when they do have realized productions. In addition to this or perhaps as another option, MFA directing students might make themselves available for inclusion in the intermediate design classes (445, 453, 456), as occasional guests, where they might serve as directors for class projects, or even to generate designs for their own MFA project. The intermediate costume design class, 456, scheduled for Spring 2012, is structured around 3 theoretical design projects, for which MFA directing students will be asked to serve as the directors. This will give costume students and the graduate directors an opportunity to practice collaboration and communication skills needed in the design development process. The intermediate scenic design class, 453, also offered Spring 2012, would be available for a similar arrangement if directing students are interested and available, especially if they wanted to start the scenic design process on their MFA production. The design program would also like to see the seminar in design class (657), open up to more MFA directing students, not just those who are further along in their training, with the idea being to initiate earlier and further develop collaboration and communication skills.
With a planned new hire in Directing, that program is set to flourish in the coming years.
In Acting, we have an ongoing development of a dual-track MFA in Western and Asian performing, and the development of a BFA in Performing. We are reassessing our informal requirement of an MFA Showcase which served as an audition simulator. We plan on making this a more formal requirement and perhaps combine the MFA in Performance with the MFA in Design to create an MFA Jury once a year.
In future, we will implement double track MFAs if trials work out
We are looking for ways for better tracking of MFA youth theatre students post graduation.
12) Beyond the results, were there additional conclusions or discoveries?
This can include insights about assessment procedures, teaching and learning, program aspects and so on.
n/a
13) Other important information.
Please note: If the program did not engage in assessment, please explain. If the program created an assessment plan for next year, please give an overview.
n/a