Download General Education Assessment and Review Form Expressive Arts 5

GENERAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW FORM
EXPRESSIVE ARTS 5/1 5
Please attach/ submit additional documents as needed to fully complete each section of the form.
I. COURSE INFORMATION
Department: School of Theatre & Dance
Course Number: U THTR 106A
Course Title: Theatre Production I: Run Crew
Type of Request:
Rationale:
New
One-time Only
Renew*
Change
Remove
Run Crew has been recognized as a Group IV course for at least 20 years. The criteria and goals of the course have
remained consistent throughout that time.
*If course has not changed since the last review and is taught by the same tenure-track faculty member, you may skip sections III-V.
JUSTIFICATION FOR COURSE LEVEL
Normally, general education courses will not carry pre-requisites, will carry at least 3 credits, and will be numbered at the 100-200
level. If the course has more than one pre-requisite, carries fewer than three credits, or is upper division (numbered at the 300 level
or above), provide rationale for exception(s).
We respectfully request an exception for this one-credit class. In order to be successful, this course must align with the time
frame of a theatre or dance production here at the University of Montana. Those productions will run for either one or two
weeks and always include a one-week prep period where the technical and dress rehearsals take place. As this format is
established and controlled by exterior circumstances and will not change, the hours earned for this class equate to the
University guidelines established for a one-credit class.
II. ENDORSEMENT / APPROVALS
* Instructor: Jason McDaniel
Phone / Email:
Signature ______________________________________
Program Chair: Michael Monsos
Signature ______________________________________
Date_________________
Dean: Dr. Stephen Kalm
Signature ______________________________________
Date_________________
Date_________________
x2874 / [email protected]
*Form must be completed by the instructor who will be teaching the course. If the instructor of the course changes before the next
review, the new instructor must be provided with a copy of the form prior to teaching the course.
III. DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE
General Education courses must be introductory and foundational within the offering department or within the General Education
Group. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course content to students’ future lives: See
Preamble
Students in this course participate in a variety of capacities in the backstage operations of fully realized Theatre & Dance
productions. Students gain valuable insight into how performing-arts productions are mounted and an understanding of the
needs and requirements that comprise a professional theatre/dance event by serving as computer light board operators,
sound board operators, costume/wardrobe assistants, scenery/props assistants, or in any other capacity as needed due to
the demands of each show (such as followspot operator, media or video engineer, etc.). Students meet at the beginning of
the semester to have responsibilities and procedures explained. Syllabi are handed out; the School of Theatre & Dance’s
season, along with job opportunities for each production, is discussed. Students will then sign up for a crew slot based on
their interests, class schedules and availability. The student’s commitment at that point is dedicated to the show for which
he/she agrees to work. The productions are generally a three-week run that includes technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals
and the show’s run along with strike, photo calls, and any additional training periods that are necessary. Students are
expected to be at each and every call, which includes every evening and all weekends during the rehearsals and
performances, where they will learn backstage procedures, interaction with others in a professional environment, and gain
knowledge of specialized equipment.
The class is designed to quickly immerse the students in the production process. From the vantage point of this experience,
students learn the full scope and breadth of mounting a theatrical production by seeing all the pieces and participants’ work
coming together into a cohesive and collaborative event.
IV. CRITERIA
BRIEFLY EXPLAIN HOW THIS COURSE MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR THE GROUP.
1.
Courses guide students, whether in individual or group settings, to acquire foundational skills to engage in the creative process
and/or in interpretive performance.
This course puts a student right in the very core and foundation of the performing arts: the theatrical or dance
production. A play, dance concert, or musical presented to an audience is the end result of all theatre/dance training
and when successful, renders the backstage operations of that event invisible. Students can only understand and
recognize the intense work necessary to create that successful event by being involved firsthand with the backstage
responsibilities. This knowledge is crucial for anyone wishing to succeed in the professional world of the performing
arts. For those who choose other career paths, this information demystifies the performing-arts event, which in turn
creates a more informed patron who can appreciate the countless hours so often needed to present live theatre and
dance.
2.
Through direct experience (for example, attendance and involvement with live performance, exhibitions, workshops, and
readings), they will engage in critical assessment of their own work and the work of others.
When students are directly involved in the operation of a live performance, their experience is more deeply felt than
simply attending a performance as an audience member. A sense of commitment, community, and a pride in ownership
accents their training, which leads to a deeper appreciation of all the work necessary to create theatre and dance.
Whether future professionals or patrons, the experience combines a knowledge of backstage skills with a greater ability
to assess arts events more critically and intelligently.
V. STUDENT LEARNING GOALS
BRIEFLY EXPLAIN HOW THIS COURSE WILL MEET THE APPLICABLE LEARNING GOALS.
1.
Express themselves in the making of an original work or creative performance.
Upon completion of the course, students will know what it takes to create live theatre and dance events. They will have
a basic knowledge of all the different jobs, needs, and responsibilities necessary to create and manage the environment
of the play in which the actors live or pieces in which the dancers live and how crucial those jobs are to the success of a
production. They will understand and appreciate the many layers of a production and how the technical end of a
production expresses itself along with the performers and story.
2.
Understand the genres and/or forms that have shaped the medium.
The very nature of this course immerses the students in the mediums of theatre and dance. Their learning experience is
one where they are integral to the success of a fully mounted performing-arts event by virtue of the responsibilities they
must carry out in their roles on the production’s crew. Any failure on their part affects the production adversely and they
learn quickly that the only acceptable goal is perfection.
3.
Critique the quality of their own work and that of others.
Students will be unable to witness any performing-arts event after completion of this course without an appreciation for
all that goes into such a production; they will be able to, in a more informed manner, assess and critique more fairly and
accurately as their understanding of the choices made will be from an experienced viewpoint.
VI. ASSESSMENT
A. HOW ARE THE LEARNING GOALS ABOVE MEASURED ? Describe the measurement(s) used, such as a rubric or specific test
questions that directly measure the General Education learning goals. Please attach or provide a web link to the rubric, test
questions, or other measurements used.
1. The learning goals are measured in a similar way to how the industry evaluates professional workers in these roles. The
students learn quickly the hierarchy of the production process as well as the rigorous demands of a theatrical event. What
makes this class distinctive from many other formats is that the students learn immediately that their work is part of a very
large and complex offering, and that each individual is profoundly crucial to each show. To someone not in theatre, a
misplaced prop might seem like a simple oversight, but in reality, in the theatre, no detail is minor or superficial. The work
each of these students provides is integral to success and often a matter of safety. The timeframe for productions in tech
week is unlike most any other experience and the students are in the theatre with dozens of performers, directors, designers
and technicians for long hours and stressful days. The rehearsal process has an inherent ability to measure everyone’s
work constantly. We are all aware of our jobs and why they are important; they are rehearsed repeatedly until it is perfect.
2. Students learn about the medium of the performing arts from the most important viewpoint through this class. While
theatre and dance are presented in public forums, and audience members will gather their own thoughts and impressions
from a show, it is the individuals involved in the interpretation of the script or the dance and who make the choices that are
seen on stage that have the greatest insight. Students in this course are witness to and participants in the deep and
meaningful process that brings the script to life, and through seeing the results of their choices on the stage, they are better
equipped to fully understand the medium of theatre.
3. During the course of the class/show, students gather after every rehearsal for notes where, as in professional
productions, each and every detail is examined and tuned. Their work as well as the work of all the members of the
production is open to examination, evaluation, and constructive criticism. After each production ends, students participate in
one or more feedback sessions that focus on all the aspects, both technical and performance, of the show. Students
discuss, ask questions, and are required to respond to others about the production. Each aspect is critiqued and students
learn how important an honest critical examination is to the success in this field.
A General Education Assessment Report will be due on a four-year rotating cycle. You will be notified in advance of the due date.
This will serve to fulfill the University’s accreditation requirements to assess general education and will provide an opportunity to
connect with your colleagues across campus and share teaching strategies. Items VI.B- D will be helpful in compiling the report.
VII. SYLLABUS AND SUBMISSION
Please submit syllabus in a separate file with the completed and signed form to the Faculty Senate Office, UH 221. The learning goals
for the Expressive Arts Group must be included on the syllabus. An electronic copy of the original signed form is acceptable.