Fine and Performing Arts
Academic Program Review
Spring 2008
Priorities for the Future
A. Introduction
The City University of New York (CUNY) has, over the past seven years, been grappling
in a concerted way with fundamental questions about the undergraduate education experience.
Discussions have been conducted at the faculty level and at the executive administrative level,
and these discussions have been intra-collegiate and inter-collegiate, in small groups and in
larger groups. The culmination of these discussions at all levels has been the university-wide
initiative to create a “culture of success” at CUNY. The university is asking of its sister
institutions that they interrogate their educational initiatives at their most fundamental and urgent
level: What are the obstacles that students face? What messages about students’ abilities to
succeed do we send? How can we improve substantially both retention and graduation rates that,
across CUNY and elsewhere, are a national tragedy? The result is CUNY’s “campaign for
success,” in which each college is required to submit to the university a long-term plan to
address these issues and to produce a pedagogical awareness and sophistication that will enable
students to persist in greater numbers.
In concert with the thinking and planning directed from CUNY, Queensborough
Community College (QCC) has been at the very forefront of initiatives intended to enrich,
coordinate, and integrate the undergraduate education experience. These initiatives have
included writing across the curriculum/writing in the disciplines (WID/WAC), the General
Education Inquiry, Coordinated Undergraduate Education intiative (CUE), learning
communities, and honors programs. Discussions have taken place among departments, among
the academic chairs, at the College Advisory Planning Council, at conferences of the college,
within the General Education Inquiry group, and in the Academic Senate. In fact, the revision to
QCC’s mission statement in spring 2005 is a direct result of the college’s concerted and
organized response to these discussions and initiatives, all of which are currently moving through
an extensive process of faculty development and pedagogical thinking and rethinking,
curriculum and course revision, and outcomes assessment.
Perhaps the most universal themes guiding this effort have been, first, integration and,
secondarily, coordination. Both the mission statement itself and the general education objectives
of the college talk about “integration,” and all the initiatives over the past six years or so have
been guided by the idea of coordinating programs and efforts and integrating educational
experiences and pedagogical thinking and academic support services. A number of individuals
and groups on campus have, for a good while then, been considering, discussing, and, in some
cases, already implementing, a more integrated academic experience for students. The cafeteria
approach, in which students pick and choose at will guided, if at all, only by poorly understood
graduation requirements, has been largely rejected. What students need is a more structured,
purposeful and integrated program. This involves a paradigm shift, towards both more student
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involvement in and responsibility for their education and more responsibility by the college, its
faculty, and other professionals for student success.
The way in which QCC will achieve this goal is through the Learning Academy Model,
and Fine and Performing Arts is scheduled to implement an academy in Fall 2008. QCC needs
to develop a coherent educational experience for students, one that leads to better educational
achievement. It should be a set of strategies that tie together a number of strands, currently in
development or only envisioned, to make a strong programmatic fabric. In general, students
badly need such an educational philosophy, program, and reality. In fact, perhaps the greater the
barriers they face to educational success, the greater their need. If such a program is wisely
developed and implemented, it should produce measurable success in retention, graduation, and
articulation rates. Further, to ensure consistency and purpose in the effort, the Learning
Academy model is consonant with the college’s strategic plan and the overall CUNY master
plan.
The FA1 program as presently constituted, and the departments already existing within
Queensborough (Art and Photography, Dance, Music and Theater) have the potential to make
QCC an important and unique destination within the CUNY system for students wishing to
develop a career or pursue a course of study in the Arts. QCC has a theater and an impressive
and growing art gallery -- unique resources within CUNY for students and community alike.
This existing combination of curricula, programs, faculty and facilities creates a potential for the
FA1 program to become a flagship program for the arts within QCC and CUNY. To date,
however, these elements have never been identified, developed, marketed, advertised or
promoted as such in a focused or cohesive way.
What is required to achieve this goal is only to link all these elements conceptually, and
then to market QCC as having this unique and exceptional educational program in the arts—not
just a diversity of departments offering a variety of courses—but a coherent, discrete component
of the college where these programs, departments and facilities effectively form a “college of the
arts” within QCC. As noted, achieving this would be a twofold process: first forming and
embracing the concept of a “School of the Arts” within the institution, and secondarily marketing
that concept to the larger world. Such an initiative would dovetail nicely with the current
Learning Academy program presently in development.
There has been a nationwide re-naming of Fine Arts programs to more accurately capture
the contemporary focus on visual media.
Syracuse University has a College of Visual and Performing Arts with an undergraduate
program featuring a School of Art & Design, Department of Communication and Rhetorical
Studies, Department of Drama, School of Music and Department of Transmedia. George Mason
University, Indiana University, Perdue, University of South Florida, University of Houston,
Fairleigh Dickinson University and UCLA all have programs styled as Visual and Performing
Arts giving recognition to the fact that “everyday industries like marketing and publishing need
arts graduates….”
We believe that our Four Arts Curriculum at Queensborough would receive better
recognition by students, their families and the academic community were the name of the
curriculum changed from Fine and Performing Performing Arts to VISUAL and PERFORMING
ARTS.
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1. Art and Photography
Curriculum Development
At present the Department of Art and Photography is in the final stages of preparing a proposal
for an A.S. degree in Gallery and Museum Studies. This program would utilize the faculty and
instructional resources of the Art Department as well as those of the QCC Gallery.
Faculty Recruitment and Development
At present we have one faculty member who has indicated her intention to retire and will begin
her travia leave in the Spring Semester of 2008. We anticipate being able to retain the line and
replace her at its conclusion. Another faculty member will be taking a sabbatical leave in Fall of
2008. Any opportunities for faculty development are limited by limitations on funding. A small
stipend is available annually to support travel and conference attendance, but is extremely
limited, and is inadequate to support any significant portion of travel or costs associated with
conference attendance or participation. No money is available for faculty to take courses that
would allow them to upgrade their skills or learn new ones in this time of changing technologies
and innovation in the arts.
Facilities and Equipment
C-Building:
Although the exterior of the building has been spiffed up and from the outside appears attractive
and substantial, classrooms, offices, and hallways are badly in need of painting.
Classrooms:
Graphic Arts and @-Dimensional Design Studio (room C-103-4): This room is in need of 22
new Drafting Tables with Stools, as the present equipment is old and becoming unstable. In
addition, we need 10 Metal Painting Easels, but Track Lighting for Model and Still-Life Set-Up
would greatly benefit the quality of our Studio program.
Painting Studio (C-207 -208) The painting Studio needs an additional 10 Metal Paintings Easels.
It needs also, Track Lighting for Model and Still-Life Set-up.
Ceramics Studio (C-212): Has two 4-year-old kilns, but in addition to our present ceramics
equipment, this studio needs 4 Brent Pottery Wheels and 1 Pug Mill for mixing clay.
Sculpture Studio (C-211): In addition to our present equipment, this studio needs 1 Industrial
Vacuum Cleaner, 2 Electric Power Drills with Drill Bit Sets, 2 Jig Saws with a set of blades, 6
Sculpture Modeling Stands, 2 Complete Sets of Clay Modeling Tools, 2 Complete Sets if Steel
Spatulas.
Computer facilities: The faculty work very closely with our CLT’s, our administration assistant,
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other administrators, office workers and our students to form a team that can best contribute to a
healthy, efficient and progressive digital environment. Hardware, software etc are constantly
changing and improving. It’s been said that as soon as you buy a computer it’s outdated. We
approach using the computer as a tool and work with industry standard software. This gives our
students the skills that they can compete in the marketplace or transfer to a four year school. It’s
important to teach on the most recent version of the software. Sometimes due to budget cycles
we’ve had to wait a semester or two for recent software, or for the hardware and peripherals to
support it. We are in desperate need of more video cameras, at present the department has only
four cameras, used in both AR-544 Design for Motion Graphics and a AR-641 Introduction to
Video Art. Our 20 licenses of the software: Final Cut Express (taught in AR-544) 11 are in C205 and 9 are in C-107. This is because of hardware demands, we need to budget how much and
what kind of equipment because of funds. We have one deck (for capture of video) in C-107.
Tripods are also on our wish list. Our five core digital classes limit what software we can
adequately study making the argument for upgrades more pressing.
Photography: In our Introduction to Photography course students begin to acquire the basic
visual vocabulary applicable to all photo technologies whether film-based, digital or video.
Utilizing this approach, the photography program turns out excellent photographers who
approach photography as a visual language and are able to use their technical skills to create
effective photographic imagery and to communicate information, ideas and feelings visually.
The photography program was instituted in 1973, and from its inception, has been very popular
with students. However, today much of modern media is technology driven and as a consequence
of the digital revolution in all aspects of media our program’s desirability and relevance is
measured, in the eyes of students as well as the job marketplace in which many of them seek to
enter and compete, by the availability of and access to cutting-edge and state-of the arttechnologies. Although we offer an extremely effective approach to teaching photographic
imaging, and have an extremely skilled and able faculty, our photographic labs, classroom and
studio facilities have been allowed to languish and degrade. Our photography lab was last
upgraded a decade ago. In the interim, though the underlying film-based technology has changed
only slightly, wear and tear has taken a toll. Almost every prospective college student visits a
school to evaluate the facilitates and environment first hand. The condition of our facilities is not
lost on students and over the years the program’s over-all enrollment has declined and course
offerings have been cut significantly. We must struggle each semester to attract and hold
advanced, sophisticated student seeking to compete effectively in a contemporary commercial or
creative environment.
As computer technology becomes increasingly integrated into photographic media, it is
becoming evermore important to teach students the skills necessary for that interface. Although
their training in basic visual vocabulary and traditional printing is still excellent, we have no
“digital darkroom” and as a result our present facilities do not allow us to fully prepare students
to move into the realities of the current commercial world. Although other units of CUNY,
notably Queens and LaGuardia have invested hundreds of thousand of dollars upgrading their
facilities to attract students to their photography program, their faculty are no more successful or
qualified than ours, nor are their range of course offerings or programs superior to ours. We have
a valuable resource in our faculty and program, which are being wasted for lack of proper
equipment and facilities.
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3. Music
Strengths of the Music Concentration
1. The Music Department has a good retention and graduation rate beyond the lower
divisional level.
2. The Music Department courses transfer well, with students retaining credit for courses
completed here at Queensborough. Additionally, students continue to perform well after
transferring to the B.A. program.
3. Theatre students have a multitude of performance opportunities.
4. QCC Music Department students benefit from extensive faculty contact hours.
5. Music Department facilities on the campus are continually upgraded with modest new
equipment purchases on an annual basis.
Topics for Further Study and Action
1. A priority for further development is to enhance and expand current and potential
articulation agreements within CUNY.
2. There is a need for music majors for increased performance opportunities.
3. There is a need for music majors ensemble opportunities
4. There is a need for music majors to attend individual lessons with faculty.
5. Development of advisement guidelines for the new curriculum and the Learning
Academy. A recruitment plan for the academy and new curriculum also needs attention.
6. Development of articulation agreements with B.A.programs based upon the Music
Department’s emerging curriculum.
7. Improved integration of FA1 learning objectives into classroom syllabi along with
routine measurements of these outcomes.
8. Improve music literacy by implementing specific curricular goals for each music
concentration.
9. Explore the possibility of an arrangement with Local 802 of the American Federation of
Musicians to create a special program for Local 802's members who have had no formal
or minimal formal musical training. Such a program has existed at Lehman College and
Kingsborough Community College in the past, but none has existed in Queens for the
union's membership that lives in Queens and in nearby counties.
10. The poor performance of Music Department students in math sections needs to be
addressed. Better integration of concepts taught in mathematics and theatre courses is
needed.
11. Exploration into the feasibility of a Certificate and ultimately a degree program in Music
Industry Practice
12. Reorganize and expand Music Department Advisory Board
13. Explore possibility of implementing Music Performance Intensives focusing on outside
business contacts such as music performance agencies.
14. Improve music literacy by implementing specific curricular goals for each music
concentration.
15. Explore improvements in physical studio space and technology facilities.
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Faculty Recruitment and Development
The number of faculty in the Music Department has grown at a steady rate. There are
currently nine full time faculty in music and a two full time College Laboratory Technician.
Like all faculty in CUNY, the faculty in the Music Department lack adequate funding for travel
to conferences. Additionally, the hours required of faculty in directing productions at the college
challenge the faculty’s ability to sustain professional activity. Additional financial support is
needed for faculty development.
Facilities – Music Studios
A lack of appropriate classroom space is an on-going challenge for Music Department
courses. Outfitting all classrooms with Internet capability should be a priority. There is a dire
need for a technical upgrade to the Humanities Recording studios. The Primary Recording Studio
in the Humanities Building requires extensive renovation. These renovations were approved by
the City Council and scheduled for $330,000 of funding under resolution A. However, these
improvements were not funded or implemented.
3. DANCE
1. The Dance Program would benefit greatly by having another specially designed facility for
the program that would allow for two classes to be run simultaneously and for more rehearsal
and performance time.
The Dance Studio in RFK Hall is one of the most heavily requested spaces in the
College. Continuing Education classes in the HPED Department such as aerobics, yoga, selfdefense and even some weight training classes lobby for this space. In addition, Project Prize
and other programs that the College runs regularly ask for the studio space.
Every time the studio is used, the space is compromised. The floor is finished with the
simplest seal that allows dancers to work barefoot without injury. With overuse, the floor slowly
splinters and soon becomes hazardous to dancers.
2. A recruitment program needs to be established that would include a visiting guest artist at
least once per school year. This would boost enrollment and forge a link between the academic
and the professional dance worlds.
3. It would greatly enhance the program and student interest if we could teach classical tap in
our program. This would entail a space other than our present studio which is physically
designed for modern dance (our program’s centerpiece). In addition, it would enhance the
program if we could begin to teach Asian and South Asian dance. These two priorities would
entail hiring a new full-time faculty member and at least one adjunct.
4. Articulations with senior colleges need to be amplified.
5. Facility – One (1) dance studio, sprung, softly finished floor, mirrored wall, capable of
black box theater space.
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6. Graduates – In the past, Queensborough grads went on to careers in dance with great
regularity. Beyond academics (Queens College, Hunter College, LIU, NYU, Brockport,
Purchase) one has danced in The Lion King, one has danced with Garth Fagan, one directs the
dance program at The Lexington School for the Deaf, and one has her own studio in Elmhurst,
Queens.
For many years, Prof. Feldman was the only faculty member in the program and though
graduates continued to attend 4 year programs after leaving QCC, the professional transference
lessened. Two new full time faculty have recently been added, and the probability is that QCC
graduates will be seen in the professional world of dance again.
8. History of Performances:
Randy James Dance Works
Peggy Spina Tap
Judith Moss and Dancers
Alvin Ailey Repertory Company
Women of the Calabash
Thompson and Trammell
Shane O’Hara
Brian Green
4. Theatre Arts
. Curriculum Development
An exhaustive and extensive review by theatre faculty of QCC’s offerings in Theatre has
resulted in a new curriculum for Theatre Arts which was approved by the Curriculum Committee
in December 2007. This proposed curriculum will be introduced to students in the fall of 2008
following acceptance by the Academic Senate meeting in February. The faculty’s objectives in
writing this new curriculum were multi-faceted: to improve course content by introducing more
current performance concepts and methods; “ to offer students a more “structured, purposeful
and integrated” program; to provide students with a clear academic path; to modernize pedagogy
and incorporate new technology into the classroom; to better align our curriculum with those at
neighboring institutions; to offer students the option to focus their learning and electives in either
performance or design/technical theatre; and, to better facilitate course transfer to other
institutions. Additionally, a new prefix for theatre courses, “TH” has been proposed and a
numbering system that better reflects course level, prerequisites, sequence and discipline will be
implemented with the new curriculum.
The theatre program has also been a willing partner with the college in developing new
initiatives in learning. Theatre courses extensively support the college’s stated learning
outcomes for students and serve as humanities electives for the general education curriculum.
Additionally, theatre courses have been offered in learning communities, the honors program,
College NOW, and as hybrid courses. Theatre faculty have also been involved in the WID/WAC
program, ePortfolio initiatives, and a number of theatre courses are offered as writing intensive
sections. The ASAP program has also incorporated Speech Communication courses in its
students’ programming. Cornerstone (SP-531) and Capstone courses (SP553,554,555,556) have
been identified. The theatre faculty has collaborated in the development and administration of
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an entry and exit survey to measure student learning in these courses. In the fall of 2008, the
theatre concentration will be included in the Queensborough Fine and Performing Arts
Academy.
The Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts has developed a working
relationship with Queens College with the objective of establishing a Media Studies
concentration as the fifth arts-centered program at the College. To this end the Department has
developed a Media Criticism writing intensive course (SP-475) and has created syllabi and
outlines for three additional media centered courses – both historical and production-based –
which articulate with the Media Studies program at Queens College which is a frequent transfer
institution for QCC graduates.
A Media Studies curriculum would be an interdisciplinary program utilizing the talents
and resources of several other departments: Art and Photography, Music, Social Science and
English being the most prominent. The end result would be both a stand alone curriculum and
enhanced facilities benefiting all of the arts-centered programs.
Student Outcomes
In a policy statement, The Association for Theatre in Higher Education addressed the
formation of learning outcomes for students in theatre. “The discipline of theatre in higher
education encompasses theatre as an artistic form and as a social and cultural institution. Its
artistic form, which is defined through production, involves the collaboration of theatre artists,
scholars, and technicians. Needed for this collaboration are theatrical knowledge and skills
acquired through study and practice in classroom, studio, and public performance. Historical,
theoretical, critical, and cultural study provide perspective on both theatrical performance and the
theatre as a social and cultural institution, both past and present.” (ATHE - Outcomes
Assessment for Theatre Program in Higher Education)
Any attempt to measure student learning in the arts that fails to incorporate the individual
nature of artistic vision and expression will prove inadequate. Thus, systematic tools of
measurement that are appropriate to other disciplines within the academy often fall short in
measuring substantial learning in the arts. Rarely can student learning be measured in sequential
units and often the ability to demonstrate the integration of skills, knowledge and performance
comes in fits and spurts. A student artist’s performance will seem to transform overnight, but
upon closer examination, prove to be the result of countless failed attempts and hours of
rehearsal. Were the students learning as they failed? And could success have come without the
risk of failure? How do we incorporate “necessary” failure in assessment? A variety of tools to
measure student outcomes are used in the QCC theatre classroom: graded written assignments,
performance reviews, tests, internal surveys, auditions, journal reviews, project reviews,
rehearsal critiques and external performance adjudications by faculty from the Kennedy Center
American College Theatre Festival. Close and individual observation and mentoring by faculty
also add to the understanding of student growth.
Strengths of the Theatre Concentration
The theatre concentration has an excellent retention and graduation rate beyond the lower
divisional level.
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The theatre courses transfer well, with students retaining credit for courses completed here at
Queensborough. Additionally, students continue to perform well after transferring to the B.A. or
B.F.A. program.
Theatre students have a multitude of performance opportunities. They also present at local and
regional conferences.
QCC theatre students perform well in the national arena receiving scholarships, national
commendations and playwriting awards.
QCC theatre students benefit from extensive faculty contact hours.
Theatre facilities on the campus are continually upgraded with modest new equipment purchases
on an annual basis.
Topics for Further Study and Action
1. The poor performance of theatre students in math sections needs to be addressed. Better
integration of concepts taught in mathematics and theatre courses is needed. Perhaps,
Math across the Discipline?
2. Development of advisement guidelines for the new curriculum and the Learning
Academy. A recruitment plan for the academy and new curriculum also needs attention.
3. Development of articulation agreements with B.A. and B.F.A. programs based upon the
newly developed curriculum.
4. Improved integration of FA1 learning objectives into classroom syllabi along with
routine measurements of these outcomes.
5. Development of a Bridge program in Theatre and English Secondary Education.
6. Investigation of certificate programs in Technical Theatre, Design and Performance.
7. Future collaboration with the theatrical unions in offering certification in technical
methods.
8. Discussion of funding programs for departmental activities and productions. Currently,
the QCC annual production budget does not equal the budget for a single production at
SUNY institutions. There is no budget for theatrical productions in the college’s annual
operational budget. Currently, the production program is funded by the Student
Government Association in the same manner as clubs and extra-curricular activities are
funded.
9. Rental of theatre classrooms and theatre labs deny extensive student access to all
facilities. Programs in the arts do not directly benefit from these rentals.
Faculty Recruitment and Development
The number of faculty in theatre has grown at a steady rate. There are currently four full
time faculty in theatre and a full time College Laboratory Technician. Additionally, the
Technical Director of the Queensborough Performing Arts Center dedicates part time hours to
the program. Like all faculty in CUNY, the faculty in theatre lack adequate funding for travel to
conferences. Additionally, the hours required of faculty in directing productions at the college
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challenge the faculty’s ability to sustain professional activity. Additional financial support is
needed for faculty development.
Facilities – Theatres
A lack of appropriate classroom space is an on-going challenge for theatre courses.
Outfitting all classrooms with internet capability should be a priority and the installation of wood
floors, storage cabinets and purchase of matting included in future improvements. While there
was a technical upgrade to the Shadowbox Theatre, dressing rooms and an equipped costume
shop should be incorporated into the theatre. The scenic shop in the Humanities Building
requires improved ventilation and running water. Currently, there is no media or television
studio available to the program. Current classrooms are impacted by the noise from traffic,
making them useless for audio/video production.
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