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About
the dept.
Classes
Requirements
Faculty
Facility
Theatre
Co.
West
Georgian
WUWG
University
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Consistent with the University's
vision of "academic excellence in a personal environment" and the overall
goal of combining formal classroom instruction with intensive, practical,
experiential learning activities to prepare students to meet the demands
of a complex, changing, and technological global society, the Department
of Mass Communications and Theatre Arts is committed to creating and sustaining
a multi-faceted learning environment which combines both theory and practice.
Our courses in Theatre Appreciation,
Public Relations, Diversity and Mass Media, Telecommunication and Electronic
Media Industries, and Theatre History are just a few of the courses offered
which clearly support the College of Arts and Sciences goals for the Humanities
by providing students with "a perspective for life" and a understanding
of "the humanistic ends of knowledge." Many of our courses deal directly
with controversial issues and cultural diversity within the areas of theatre,
news, and broadcasting and assist students in acquiring "knowledge of and
respect for differing points of view."
Goals/Outcomes
Process
Assessments
Assessment
results and their uses
Goals/Outcomes
1.
To prepare majors for entry-level careers as writers, reporters, announcers,
videographers, producers, directors, actors, technical assistants, and
technical directors.
2.
To prepare majors for entrance into graduate school.
3.
To provide support courses for students from all academic disciplines,
e.g., Public Speaking, Introduction to Mass Communications, Theatre Appreciation.
4.
To maintain a high quality faculty, and improve teaching through research
and professional development.
5.
To promote faculty scholarship and service to the community.
6.
To offer a modern, up-to-date curriculum in both Theatre and Mass Communications
which is philosophically sound and reflects curriculum offered by similar
institutions.
7.
To adequately prepare students in theatre for continual study in advanced
training programs.
8.
To seek accreditation of our Theatre Program through NAST.
9.
To present a theatrical season of diverse performances geared toward the
education and entertainment of the community. Works performed should address
issues important to contemporary society, include important plays from
the history of theatre, reflect the cultural diversity of our student population,
and include (but not be limited to) the interests of the faculty and students.
10.
To actively recruit new students from Georgia and the Southeast into our
degree program.
11.
To continue to develop new theatrical works in collaboration with other
departments and other institutions.
12.
To develop relationships with Atlanta area theatre production companies
to assist students in acquiring internships and regular employment.
13.
To encourage faculty to develop appropriate new courses based upon evolving
trends in both Theatre and Mass Communications, with particular emphasis
on internet-based communications and information dissemination and usage.
14.
To encourage faculty to continue to participate in a range of appropriate
interdisciplinary (XIDS) courses.
15.
To maintain faculty participation in the Learning Communities and Honors
Programs.
16.
To maintain faculty participation in the annual Media Conference held each
spring on our campus.
17.
To seek accreditation of our Mass Communications program through AEJMC.
18.
To maintain faculty and student involvement, to the extent resources permit,
in activities such as the Madrigal Dinners and Responsible Sexuality Committee
events.
Process
to achieve the goals
1.
Maintain professional achievement standards for faculty as described in
the following documents: departmental workload, third-year review, and
promotion and tenure policies.
2.
Maintain appropriate class sizes which are consistent with NCA standards
and with the required faculty-student contact in acting, directing, costuming,
writing, production, and other skills-based courses in our curriculum.
3.
Maintain a professional staff in the University Television studio, radio
station, and newspaper to support the efforts of faculty and students.
4.
Provide a range of co-curricular and extra-curricular events to include
guest speakers, films, conferences, and field trips so that students will
have some opportunities for out-of-class involvement in the learning process.
5.
Maintain a high level of participation in internship development and placement
for students in theatre, public relations, radio, and TV.
6.
Provide opportunities for students to develop skills by offering and encouraging
enrollment in such classes as Theatre Performance and Production, and the
Mass Communications Practicum courses in TV, radio, and newspaper.
7.
Maintain appropriate faculty workloads such that faculty will have time
to conduct, present, and publish scholarly work/creative activity, and
provide service to the department, college, university, and community.
8.
Provide mentoring to new faculty in a formal and systematic way as outlined
in our departmental document.
9.
Provide support to faculty involved in the development and teaching of
very large classes at the core level and in the interdisciplinary area
(XIDS).
10.
Visit high schools and two-year colleges to make contact with faculty and
students to recruit new and transfer students.
11.
Work with faculty at other colleges to develop clear articulation agreements
that will aid in transfer credit to UWG.
12.
Continue development of the NAST self-study to prepare for a site visit
and eventual accreditation, and to begin formulating a systematic plan
for a departmental self-study leading to a site visit from AEJMC.
Assessments
1. Annual evaluation
of faculty productivity.
2. Senior capstone
course performance (COMM 4484 and THEA 4111), to include precise analysis
and assessment of students' abilities in senior year, prior to graduation,
to define a research problem, conduct a review of pertinent literature,
construct evaluation instruments, gather data, and present findings relative
to their degree program and specific career interests (will vary between
COMM 4484 and THEA 4111).
3. Classroom
assessment to include oral and written presentations in major and supporting
courses.
4. Classroom
assignments to include reading, writing to learn (WTL), writing to communicate
(WTC), small group work, and in-class discussions of assigned readings,
film viewings, play attendance, etc.
5. Final exit
interview between graduating seniors and department chair to assess students'
perceptions of the degree program, appropriateness of courses, satisfaction
with advisors, and degree of confidence in securing appropriate employment/graduate
study as a result of our degree programs. |
