Updated 10/5
The Program in Drama – Goals and Outcomes Assessment
1. The goal of the Drama Department is to offer opportunities for intellectual growth and cultural enrichment and for the development of imaginative and disciplined expression in the theater. Through its academic and production programs the department seeks to provide its undergraduates with a comprehensive knowledge of the history and the literature of the theater and practical knowledge in all areas of theatrical production.
There are 10 required courses for drama concentrators, in addition to four electives and the B.A. core courses. Practical courses in acting, directing, design, and technical theater are included in the required courses. In addition, students are required to complete three theater topics courses and a separate Shakespeare course through the department of English as well as DR 451, Coordinating Seminar. Theater theory and topics courses emphasize writing and critical thinking while introducing students to major movements and innovators in theater. Several courses require attendance at professional theater performances. The weekly theater labs required in freshman and sophomore years provide a forum for discussion of productions as well as lectures and workshops by working professionals and leading scholars in dramatic theory and practice. Students expand their technical understanding working on four required productions for crew credits.
The department also produces a complete season of plays throughout the year. By involvement in departmental productions the students gain additional knowledge and experience in all areas of dramatic presentation including arts management, dramaturgy, acting, directing, and technical support. The presentation of different genres and performance venues allows the students to experience a comprehensive range of theatrical styles and pedagogies.
Through the combination of academic courses and practical application students develop an understanding of the importance and reality of drama in today’s world that prepares them for careers in fields as diverse as live performance, television and film production, dramaturgy, arts administration, public relations, teaching and scholarship in the humanities
- All drama concentrators must successfully complete the Senior Assessment requirement. The Senior Assessment involves (1) Completion of DR 451 with a grade of C or better; and (2) Completion of the Drama comprehensive exam with a “Pass” or “High Pass”. These two components are described as follows;
A) DR451 is the coordinating seminar that must be taken in the fall of the student’s senior year. The course consists of selected readings and research projects that form the basis for discussion and papers involving a synthesis of previous knowledge acquired in the field of drama and in the liberal arts program. The students prepare for this course by successfully completing the other nine core requirements and fulfilling production requirements.
B) The Drama Comprehensive exam can be in the form of either a two-part take home examination or the execution and analysis of a major involvement within a departmentally approved production. The requirements of each are as follows:
Comprehensive exam
Option I
Students are given several questions in each of three categories: Theatre in Society, The Theatrical Event, and The Shape of the Play. They are then provided two weeks to answer two of the three questions that they have chosen with written essays five to six pages in length. The third question is answered in an eight minute oral presentation to a comprehensive committee of three faculty members. The student answers any questions posed by their committee on the entire exam, both oral and written.
Production Comprehensive
Option II
The student may request permission to complete the comprehensive requirement through production work. This requires substantially more involvement both academically and in the production process. Academically, the student completes departmental electives in their main area of interest. The student applicant must also have completed requirements in the production program, again in their particular area of interest. The production work must indicate repeated and increasingly sophisticated involvement in their chosen discipline. Production work necessary for the successful application for a production comprehensive requires the student to be heavily involved in production during the spring semester of their junior year and the fall semester of their senior year. Upon completion of all the academic and production requirements the applicant submits a formal proposal to the faculty outlining the project parameters and its academic and practical value. With approval of the department the student completes the project including all necessary research and submits that research as well as a case book and reflection paper at the end of the project. The student then meets with their faculty thesis committee who, having read the materials and seen the production project, will question the student on all aspects of the project.
- The Senior Assessment requirement in Drama evaluates the student’s preparation and learning
experience at a number of complimentary levels. The Coordinating Seminar develops and
ultimately displays their writing and research skills while additionally asking the students to
demonstrate their abilities as interlocutors, both as participants in an advanced-level discussion of
a specific topic and as designers of individual research projects that address questions in the field.
The comprehensive tests analytic skills in three diverse areas of drama that require the student to exhibit both in-depth knowledge of the subject material and advanced research and writing skills. The oral presentation further requires the student to communicate effectively in a public forum. The production comprehensive requires exhibition of the same research and writing skills and in addition evidence of substantial knowledge, practical experience, and ability in their particular field.
Thomas F. Donahue, Ph.D.
September 2004
