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University of Wyoming

Assessment: UW Department of Theatre & Dance

Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Wyoming is dedicated to the advancement, practice and understanding of theatre and dance arts. The central focus of the department is the preparation of students for graduate studies or for professional careers in the creation and interpretation of the visual and performing arts. Related to this focus is the commitment to share a wide range of human experiences with the UW student body and Laramie community through a vibrant and varied production season.

Areas of study in the department include acting, dance, design/technology, directing, dance composition, stage management, playwriting, dance pedagogy and theatre education. Each of our degree tracks is varied according to discipline, but the underlying unifying force behind the training is the commitment to artistic excellence. The department believes that artistry in both theatre and dance are informed by a thorough study of theatre and dance history, and dramatic and dance literature across a wide range of diverse cultures as well as a continuous engagement in the practices of theatre and dance production. It is also the philosophy of the department that theatre and dance are complimentary fields of study. It is recommended that majors in either area have experience in its complementary discipline.

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Outcomes for All Students

All undergraduates should demonstrate the ability to:

  • Understand the basic production process in all areas of theatre or dance
  • Become familiar with historical and cultural dimensions of theatre or dance
  • Develop and have an appreciation for collaborative skills
  • Make an informed assessment of quality in all theatrical activities
  • Communicate effectively relative to their specific concentration
  • Understand the demands and expectations of the profession
  • Think on their feet and to problem solve
  • Do research and write at an acceptable beginning graduate level
  • Synthesize and utilize knowledge from courses in the breadth of the discipline
  • Function in a variety of contexts with self-knowledge, resilience and resourcefulness
  • Develop communication and technological skills that will serve them in their professions as well as their community
  • Develop global awareness

Additional Outcomes for Areas of Specialization

  • Perform or design with an expressive range, stylistic versatility and high level of technical achievement (for Performers and Designers)
  • Create and produce substantive, innovative and original work and to direct students in the performance of that work (for Choreographers, Directors, and Playwrights)

Specific Goals

  • Help students get accepted to prestigious MFA programs
  • Help students prepare for careers in their profession
  • Help students to apply problem-solving and other creative skills that they have developed to other careers from a wide range of interests, such as law or teaching.

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Measurement Instruments/Techniques

Throughout a student’s career in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Wyoming, there are both formal and informal assessments in place for all majors. All acting and dance majors must audition in order to be in all productions in our program. Designers, playwrights, directors and choreographers wanting to direct, choreograph and write for a main-stage or studio show must be sponsored by a faculty member and present a proposal. These auditions and proposals serve as an informal assessment of the student’s abilities and a way for students to be given informal feedback. Those students that are cast in the productions or who are selected to design, choreograph, or write an original piece for performance receive further assessment as they go through the process of preparing the play or dance concert. In addition all students must take Theatre/Dance Practice credits before graduation where they are expected to participate in productions. Through these practice requirements, their general knowledge of theatre and dance and their ability to relate to the practical applications of training is continually assessed.

In addition we have four formal assessment tools that provide feedback about our curriculum and production work: l) end of the year evaluations; 2) outside reviews of production work from regional and national respondents; 3) KCACTF (Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival) and ACDFA(American College Dance Festival Association) assessment through regular competition; and 4) senior exit interviews conducted by the Center for Student Success (originally sponsored by a grant from the Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning).

 

End-of-the-Year Evaluations

End-of-the-year evaluations were implemented 15 years ago. Based upon the initial format of these evaluations, many substantive changes were implemented in our department. We identified the need for a voice and dialect coach, a need for a male dance teacher, and the importance of preparation of our students for professional and educational auditions.

Although we made many changes based upon our initial method of evaluation, because of our growing numbers we discovered several years ago that we were no longer able to be as thorough in our evaluations. This past year we revamped our process with the help of Margaret Wilson and a grant from the inVisible College. The process was begun at the beginning of the year when students were asked to submit their goals for the year. Prior to the actual evaluations, faculty met in advance to discuss whether any of their students had difficulties with focus, discipline, growth, or academics. Rather than having the entire faculty present at all evaluations as in previous years, each area of study (dance, technical, performance and playwriting) conducted separate evaluations with all of the faulty from each area present. Dancers did a performance or class material, actors two acting pieces, technical students a presentation of their portfolios, and playwrights a pitch for a new script they were working on. A discussion of the students’ progress followed. After each presentation or performance we conducted interviews with each individual student to discuss our concerns and offer ways to help them to be more successful. The goals that they had set early in the year were also used to engage students in a discussion after each evaluation about whether or not they had achieved their objectives. The current process is designed to help the students feel more a part of the process and to take charge of their own development. The feedback is verbal and is immediate.

The next step we will take in this process is for faculty members from each discipline to discuss the overall effectiveness of their training class by class and to look at any additional changes that need to be made in the curriculum or training. Although we do this in an informal way, it is not currently documented. We will do this on a regular basis during our fall retreat.

 

Outside Regional Evaluations

Outside regional evaluations are done for each of our five main stage productions as well as those that are written and directed by students on a yearly basis. An outside respondent from KCACTF Region VII or a dance respondent is brought in to evaluate all aspects of the production and to give feedback to the quality and success of the work for both students and faculty. Feedback is given verbally after the performance. Originally, respondents also provided a written response. KCACTF has discontinued this practice so we will begin recording the sessions for later written documentation.

During the responses, students are given the opportunity to ask serious questions about their effectiveness and to discern when an evaluation is meaningful and when it is not. We try to get a wide variety of response voices from across our entire region and from as far away as Washington and Oregon. These respondents are regionally trained adjudicators. The best student actors, dancers, and pieces are nominated by these outside critics to go on to compete at the KCACTF and ACDF regional festivals where they are given the opportunity to be evaluated by national professionals and compete against other top notch schools from our region. Faculty members are nominated for achievement awards for exceptional work. When faculty members are up for tenure or promotion we have some one from outside of our region with a national reputation do the response.

 

KCACTF and ACDFA Festivals

KCACTF and ACDFA Festivals have become an important tool in assessing the development and training of our students. At the festivals students perform, direct, and design, and have their work evaluated by national professionals. Our successes at these festivals are a clear indication of our successes in the classroom and a clear indication of the level of training in our program. Our track record at KCACTF is second to none in the nation. We have won Irene Ryan Acting competition 6 times in the past 9 years with the students going on to compete at the Kennedy Center in national competition with 15 other regional finalists. We have also won the national competition. Of all of our 10 productions that have been entered to perform at the regional festival only one has not been selected. This is a large honor since only four shows are selected in Region VII each year. One of our original student plays won the regional competition and was chosen by the national selection team to perform at the Kennedy Center. Two of our student playwrights have won the regional 10-minute play competition and have gone on to be performed at the Kennedy Center. And our track record at ACDFA continues to grow. At the 2003 ACDFA Festival, our competition piece was selected for the gala concert. This is the highest recognition for that event. And one of our dance pieces was recently chosen to be performed for the Kennedy Center Millenium Celebration. Only 15 pieces were chosen from across the country.

 

Exit Interviews

Margaret Wilson’s inVisible College grant also helped us to develop exit interviews that were conducted by the Center for Student Success this past Spring. These interviews will be conducted again in the Spring of 2003. After evaluating the responses over a two year period we will decide if they should be an annual or semi-annual part of our documentation. Having these interviews conducted by professionals from outside our department helped us to get a more truthful picture of how our graduating students perceive our program. Although we have not yet had time to take a thorough look at the results and to discuss specific issues we have already identified what these big issues are through an initial discussion–lack of guest artists, work load of the technical students, and the problems inherent with having students teaching beginning level classes in place of faculty. We have already taken steps to address these issues and we plan on setting aside time at our next retreat to look closely at each.

All of these formal tools (exit interviews, KCACTF and ACDFA festival participation, outside regional evaluations and end of the year evaluations) have become an important part of student preparation for entering prestigious graduate programs or the job market. All build toward the same goals. With every end of the year evaluation, every outside response, every KCACTF and ACDF competition, students develop stronger skills in presenting themselves to the outside professional world.

 

Capstone Courses

In addition to outside assessment, we have four capstone courses that prepare students for graduate level research and academics. In Theatre, History I and II students do graduate level research and formal presentations of that research. Directing I brings together all of the acting and technical training into a course where they must apply all of their learning. Dance has two equivalent research/presentation courses, Backgrounds of Dance and 20 th Century Dance. Beginning and Intermediate Dance Composition courses serve the same purpose as Directing I.

 

Independent Projects

Students at the University of Wyoming are given exceptional opportunities to do independent projects through upper division classes and special Senior Projects. Advanced Directors and Choreographers direct one acts or choreograph mounted productions for the public. Advanced designers have the opportunity to design fully mounted main-stage productions, and other projects such as the original student one acts. Student playwrights have their best scripts produced both the in the one-act and full-length form. In addition, talented seniors are given the opportunity to do a Senior Project in their area of expertise, which are mounted for the public. Like our faculty production season, student productions are entered in KC/ACTF, ACDFA, and are adjudicated by outside regional respondents. Students also have the opportunity to showcase their projects at regional festivals and to have their work responded to by national respondents, such as with Sean Keogh, whose original musical Good Morning, Athens won several playwriting awards and was selected as the national production winner for KC/ACTF in 2004.

 

Alumni

We keep track of all of our alumni on a yearly basis so that we can stay informed about their success in their careers. We incorporate this information into our print newsletter and have a separate online alumni news feature. In summer 2003, to celebrate the 50 th year of UW Summer Theatre, we held a theatre alumni reunion and a production of The Dining Room with an alumni cast covering the past four decades.

 

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