UA College of Fine Arts

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UA College of Fine Arts

• School of Art
• School of Dance
• School of Media Arts
• School of Music
• School of Theatre Arts
• new merger into School of Theatre, Film
  Television

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Degrees Offered, Undergraduate

• Liberal arts BA degree
• Professional training degrees (BFA, BM)
• Approximately 1500 majors

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Degrees Offered, Graduate

• Introductory graduate degree (MA, MM)
• Terminal degrees (MFA, PhD, DMA)
• Approximately 350 graduate students

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Accreditation

• National Association of Schools of Art and Design
• National Association of Schools of Dance
• National Association of Schools of Music
• National Association of Schools of Theatre

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Fundamental knowledge skills

• Practice, history, theory of various areas of
  specialization
• Development of an artistic voice
• Understanding of relationship between ideas,
  structure, expression
• Technical ability at professional level
• Self-critique
• Ability to critique and learn from others

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Assessing the arts

• Painting is easy for those that do not know how,
  but very difficult for those that do! - Edgar
  Degas

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Assessing the arts individual assessment

• Most effective by individuals with years of study
  and practice in an art form
• The more advanced the student, the more
  assessment of technique recedes in favor of
  artistic attributes
• Assessment should include a range of techniques
  in various combinations

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Assessment mechanisms

• Auditions
• Used extensively in the performing arts for
  admission, retention, and admission to
  upper-division
• CFA holistic admissions process assessment
  begins prior to admission
• Sample admissions criteria from School of Dance
  audition/interview

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Assessment mechanisms

• Portfolio and document reviews
• An organized collection of student work
• Most effective for assessing student growth,
  especially when comparing work from at least two
  points in time
• End-of-semester/year portfolio reviews for all
  professional degree students
• e-portfolios lteportfolio.cfa.arizona.edugt

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Assessment mechanisms

• Examinations
• Traditional exams in combination formats for
  academic courses in history theory
• Specialized exams, such as the Music Education
  Advisory Review test
• Sight singing exercise, error detection test, and
  a two-minute speech

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Assessment mechanisms

• Juries, hearings and competitions
• Typically required for advancement to a higher
  level of study
• In School of Music, juries provide students with
  opportunity to demonstrate to the area faculty
  their progress on a specific instrument

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Assessment mechanisms

• Studio or technique lessons and classes
• Individual or group
• School of Arts First-Year Experience core
  curriculum 8 conceptually themed 8-week courses
  with topics such as space, gaze, surface,
  propaganda, the body
• Ability to assess understanding of common
  vocabulary and concepts

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Assessment mechanisms

• Rehearsals
• Sites of close individual mentoring by faculty
  (faculty work alongside students as directors,
  conductors, designers, etc. on events for the
  public)
• Assessment of process, not simply product

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Assessment mechanisms

• Public exhibitions, screenings, recitals or
  performances
• Typically BFA/BM students required to offer
  public performance/exhibition each semester use
  of evaluation rubrics
• Capstone projects School of Media Arts I Dream
  in Widescreen
• Theatre Arts annual Showcase of Talent
  assessment by industry professionals

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Assessment mechanisms

• Career development courses, student teaching, and
  internship evaluations
• Numerous internship arrangements with
  professional arts organizations
• Teacher certification programs in Art, Music and
  Theatre Arts

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The role of self-reflection and critique

• Specific feedback combined with open-ended
  questioning techniques
• Students themselves as a source of feedback
• Self-motivation, discipline and creative
  problem-solving