Assessment Report Standard Format
July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012
PROGRAM(S) ASSESSED __Theatre Design/Technology/Stage Management________
ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR ___Pam Knauert Lavarnway______________________
YEAR __________ of a __________YEAR CYCLE
1. ASSESSMENT MEASURES EMPLOYED
Briefly describe the assessment measures employed during the year.
 What was done?
Assessment measures as stated in the “Program Assessment Plans” for Design/
Technology/Stage Management, such as yearly portfolio reviews, evaluation of student
work on departmental or outside productions/ internships, and communication with alumni,
were employed.
In addition, the area held ongoing discussions about preparation for the conversion to
semesters, including content of classes and the impact the change to semesters would have
on our production calendar, and therefore our students. Student questionnaires distributed
for their evaluation of our three candidates for the Design/Technology faculty position in
Stage Management and Scenery Technology were valuable for their feedback regarding
those concentrations.
 Who participated in the process?
Faculty and staff of the Design/Technology area.
 What challenges (if any) were encountered?
2. ASSESSMENT FINDINGS
List the objectives and outcomes assessed during the year, and briefly describe the
findings for each.
Objectives: “Graduates will achieve:
a. Employment as designers and/or theatre technicians, in the areas of scenery,
costumes, lighting, sound, stage management, scenic art, or properties.
b. Admission to graduate school in theatre design and/or technology.
c. Successful pursuit of related field work, such as work in music industry, interior
design, computer graphics, etc.”
Outcomes: “Students in Design/Technology/Stage Management (BFA) will
demonstrate:
a. High level of competency and responsibility in one or more areas of theatre design
and/or technology and stage management
b. Competency in key leadership role, such as stage management, designing, or
supervising building of mainstage productions.
c. Proficiency in theatre design, theatre technology, or stage management.
d. Knowledge of technical theory, application and craft in their area of focus.
e. Critical thinking and problem solving areas.
f. Knowledge of theatre history and dramatic literature.
g. Skills in integrated drawing, drafting, painting, presentation and
construction skills, as well as knowledge of computer-aided design.
h. Pragmatic understanding of the business side of the design/technology profession.”
Findings:
As a result of our examination of the Design/Technology/Stage Management curriculum,
and comparison with similar programs nationwide, we have been able to create a semestersbased curriculum that preserves the best of our former curriculum while streamlining and
increasing consistency across the 10 concentrations within our program.
Through communication with many of our graduates, it is clear that the vast majority are
pursuing successful careers in theatre design and/or technology with nationally recognized
companies such as Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group, La Jolla Playhouse, the Goodman
Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Indiana Repertory Theatre, the Alley Theatre,
Disney, Carnival Cruiselines, and many others. Several are assisting Broadway designers.
Recent alums have gone on to top-notch graduate schools such as Yale, University of Texas
at Austin, University of Washington, and Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Our
current students are eager to have contact with as many working alumni (and other theatre
professionals) as possible.
In 2011-2012, 39 of 40 Design/Technology/Stage Management students passed their endof-the-year Portfolio Review and were retained in the program (or graduated), indicating to
us that we are meeting the stated outcomes (one was required to present his portfolio again
in Fall 2012, and passed his review at that time).
The Design/Technology area has made progress in two ongoing areas of concern: a trend
towards lower student enrollment in our program, and the College’s decision in 2010 to fill
a vacant Design/Technology faculty position with a 1-year Faculty Associate for 2010-11
and 2011-12. In terms of enrollment, we have gone from a total of 33 Design/Technology
majors at the end of Spring 2010 to 40 at the end of Spring 2012, and the upward trend
seems to be continuing (49 students as of Nov. 2012). In the case of our vacant
Design/Technology faculty position, we were able to make a strong enough case to warrant
the restoration of our 4th full-time tenure-track faculty position as of Fall 2012.
3. RESPONSE TO ASSESSMENT FINDINGS
List planned or actual changes (if any) to curriculum, teaching methods, facilities, or
services that are in response to the assessment findings.
The hiring of David Castellano in our Stage Management/Scenery Technology tenure-track
faculty position will bring some much-needed stability to those areas of our program and
improve our ability to recruit students across the board, but especially in the concentrations
of stage management, technical direction and stage carpentry. With regard to student
enrollment, the area also believes that the recent redesign of the Department website (which
includes video interviews with several Design/Technology alums) will probably result in
higher numbers of applicants for our program. We have also been actively involved for the
past two years in recruiting Design/Technology students through our participation in the
Ohio Educational Theater Association State Conference. As Area Coordinator, I meet with
prospective students and their parents during Raider Open House days and individual
scheduled visits throughout the year, often spending an hour or more with them, explaining
the details of our program and giving them a tour of our facilities.
A planned change which we believe would enhance our ability to attract students is the
remodel of our Graphics Lab (M257 CAC), which is the primary classroom for Theatre
Design/Technology classes. It was badly designed initially, and has never been remodelled
or had furniture and fixtures that were suitable for the space, a problem that is exacerbated
by our need to incorporate computer technology into virtually all of our courses. We have
put in proposals for its remodel every year for the past several years, and so far the funding
has not been available. We will continue to push for this to become a priority, since many
of the prospective students coming to look at our program have far superior Graphics
classrooms in their high schools.
4. ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES FOR COMING YEAR
Briefly describe the learning outcomes to be assessed during the upcoming year and the
measures that will be used to assess them.
Our yearly Portfolio Review for all Design/Technology/Stage Management students
remains the primary benchmark where individual progress as well as the overall state of our
training is evaluated. Learning outcomes that are assessed as part of these reviews include
whether a “high level of competency and responsibility in one or more areas of theatre
design and/or technology and stage management” has been achieved, and whether a student
has demonstrated “competency in a key leadership role” appropriate to his/her level in the
program, as well as “knowledge of technical theory, application and craft in their area of
focus.” We also have frequent contact with alumni working in the field in order to keep up
with current professional practice, and regularly bring in alums to talk with current students.
Our production manager, Tim Judge, maintains an email list of approximately 200 graduates
of our program and this year inaugurated a Facebook page for our alumni, to make it easier
for them to stay in touch with us and each other.
5. UNIVERSITY LEARNING OUTCOME ASSESSMENT
As part of the HLC Academy project, each program of study will eventually assess two
University Learning Outcomes in required courses in the major. One outcome will be
assessed in 2014-15, and the second will be added in 2015-16. Identify the two ULOs that
will be assessed and, if possible, the likely course(s) to be used.
1. “Communicate effectively”: TH 4350 - Portfolio Preparation and Presentation
2. “Apply the methods of inquiry of the natural sciences, social sciences, and the arts and
humanities”: TH 3010 – Introduction to Theatrical Design
University Learning Outcomes: Wright State graduates will be able to:
1. communicate effectively
2. demonstrate mathematical literacy
3. evaluate arguments and evidence critically
4. apply the methods of inquiry of the natural sciences, social sciences, and the arts and
humanities
5. demonstrate global and multicultural competence
6. demonstrate understanding of contemporary social and ethical issues
7. participate in democratic society as informed and civically engaged citizens