4. The institution identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent ...

SACS/COC Fifth-Year Interim Report, Part III.
In working with faculty in the School of the Arts in the coming months to strengthen their measures, the
Office of Assessment will build on a known strength: The assessment reports demonstrate that there
are numerous existing opportunities to assess student learning objectives in the School of the Arts
through critiques, juried competitions, exhibitions, presentations, performances and recitals, portfolio
reviews, and capstone projects. Thus, where scoring rubrics are not already in place, the Office of
Assessment will encourage faculty in the School to articulate their criteria for evaluating these key
student work products. Those criteria will be used to develop and implement rubrics. The next step will
be to incorporate multiple raters, where possible, and to evaluate inter-rater reliability.
Although measurement is a challenge for the School overall, programs in Art Education and in Music
have strong assessment plans with solid measures. In the Music, B.A., program, for example, one of the
measures includes a series of four juried proficiency exams to demonstrate performance skills on
students’ major instruments. As the Music Program notes:
Jury exams are conducted before a panel of multiple music faculty (minimum of two) who are
specialists in the student's area of performance. Scores are averaged among all jurors. A minimum
threshold standard must be met to pass each level jury. Students who do not pass at least one
level in a two-semester sequence are not permitted to continue as music majors. Level
requirements are detailed in documents accompanying or included within the Applied Music
syllabi for each student. Each area faculty (Winds, Voice, etc.) regularly reviews and coordinates
the level requirement details (with some variance by instrument within departmental guidelines)
to address technical skills, repertory, sight-reading, rehearsal skills, keyboard competency,
ensemble approaches, and ultimately students’ expressiveness and artistry.
Faculty in the School are strongly committed to continuous improvement of student learning. The
Communication Arts, B.F.A. program, in reflecting on its findings for 2008-2009, describes this
dedication to enhancing student learning:
It is in the nature of the creative process and the work that we improve on a continuous basis. We
are rarely completely satisfied. The fundamental impulse that motivates and energizes our
research and inquiries is the need to create at the highest level possible. Therefore, improvement
in drawing, painting, digital and other media as well as verbal and written skills to communicate
ideas has to take place on a continuous basis.
A number of programs have implemented changes to promote continuous improvement of student
learning. For example, the Music, M.M. – Education track reported that “course sequencing was
established to help students master certain skills in preparation for follow-up work in years two and
three.” The Dance and Choreography, B.F.A. program stated that it “plans to initiate a system of juries
during the 2009/2010 academic year that will include departmental-level examinations/evaluations
every semester for every level of modern dance technique.” In addition, the Music, B.M. – Performance
track described curricular and advising changes that were implemented to enhance student learning:
More upper level, restricted electives were added to the curriculum (and correspondingly, the
number of these electives offered was dramatically increased). Important courses were added to
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