MISSION STATEMENT:
The Art Department encourages independent, original, creative and critical thinking skills. The Department prepares professionally oriented students for careers and provides a more general appreciation of subject matter for other students enrolled in liberal arts or elective study. The Department is committed to developing students’ abilities to investigate and interpret how art communicates the ideas of a culture. The
Department provides exhibitions and cooperates with other arts sponsoring organizations. In addition, the Department provides cooperative cultural and educational projects for the benefit of students, the university, the local community, and beyond.
GOAL STATEMENT:
To assure that graduates are prepared to be contributing members of society capable of functioning as working artists.
Students will be attracted to declare their BA major in Art and will be monitored closely as soon as the department is made aware of their declaration.
Students with BA in Art will display effective critical thinking skills and effective skills in written and oral communication.
Registrar’s Office submits list with number of Art major declarations each semester.
ENTRY LEVEL ASSESSMENT:
Entry level writing samples evaluated for evidence of critical thinking and writing ability.
EXIT LEVEL ASSESSMENT:
Several Art courses are designated as writing and/or oral intensive, designed to provide preparation in these skills. Passing grades are only assigned to students who demonstrate these skills.
Art Department staff monitors levels of BA majors in the program annually and prepares report. Department evaluates recruitment strategies and amends accordingly.
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ENTRY LEVEL ASSESSMENT:
Writing samples taken at beginning of ART 261 are evaluated and maintained by Art History
Professor.
EXIT LEVEL ASSESSMENT: GPA in these writing and oral intensive courses is monitored by Undergraduate Coordinator. Significant research papers are required of all students in the 300 & 400level writing-intensive art history courses and are evaluated by the instructor with criteria in mind.
Samples are kept by Art History professor and are periodically evaluated by the UAF Core
Committee. Sample audiotapes of oral-intensive course presentations are periodically evaluated by UAF Core
Committee.

Students with a BA in Art will have a basic understanding of visual communication and will display technical skills in their areas of concentration.
Students will seek employment and be satisfied that their training in art provided useful skills, and/or they will seek to continue their education at the graduate level, and/or they will be satisfied that their education has met other personal objectives.
ENTRY LEVEL ASSESSMENT:
Entry level work samples are evaluated for evidence of design-knowledge and technical skill.
EXIT LEVEL ASSESSMENT: Work samples from graduating BA students are evaluated for evidence of design-knowledge and technical skill.
EXIT SURVEY prior to graduation (with emphasis on student’s overall assessment of quality of education received in the art program), and repeated as an alumni survey one year after graduation and periodically thereafter (with emphasis on student’s success in meeting life’s goals and how education in art enabled this.)
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ENTRY LEVEL ASSESSMENT:
Work samples taken at beginning of ART 160 Color & Design course are evaluated and maintained by instructor, and reviewed periodically by department faculty as a whole.
EXIT LEVEL ASSESSMENT: For student art show each semester, student work from each studio area is reviewed by department faculty as a whole and by invited jurors (outside examiners), who write a juror’s statement.
EXIT SURVEY will be administered to each graduating student by department Assessment
Committee. Departmental student database is in place for maintaining records of current and past students.
Both surveys and procedures for administering them are in place.
Exit survey administered to
Alumni by mail and email, and handled by department staff.
Department alumni kept on department’s email list-serve.
Faculty evaluate exit survey summary results and amend program accordingly.