Western Carolina University
Program Assessment Plan
Department of Art
College of Arts and Sciences
Master of Fine Arts
Assessment Plan for 2006-2012
Draft 5-31-06
Joan Byrd, Acting Department Head
Received from Richard Tichich
Mission
The Mission of the Department of Art is to serve as an academic facility and public resource
dedicated to creativity and excellence in the visual arts. By providing opportunities to learn
about, experience and create art, the Department affirms that the visual arts are an essential part
of the human experience, having the power to communicate, to challenge, to educate and to
delight. Through teaching, professional activities, and service, the department is committed to
providing academic and cultural programs of distinction that will improve the intellectual and
cultural life of the campus, and engage the surrounding community. The department places the
activities of its faculty and students in the context of a larger world, and strives for both currency
within the discipline and the highest standards of excellence. With this mission in mind the
program offers the Master of Fine Arts degree. The MFA is a recognized terminal degree in
studio arts. The program is structured to provide graduates with a foundation to assist them with
establishing careers as artists. Mastery of one specific medium is an essential component.
There are qualitative and quantitative means of assuring the quality of our graduate programs. In
the MFA program all classes utilize S/U grades to provide students with individual assessment of
their efforts. Although not a tool of program review, grades are also often compared to see trends
in curriculum offerings
Goal #1:
Enhance graduate Master
of Fine Arts degree
program.
Ensuring students are
engaged in quality
experiences in a variety of
art disciplines, studio
production, art history, art
criticism and theory, and
aesthetics. Experiences
include a major visual
thesis, which is exhibited
along with a comprehensive
defense paper and a public
oral defense.
Learning Outcome
Experiences
Assessment
Objective #1:
Require student to think
Critically/Creatively
-Engage students in a
diversified curriculum
composed of studio art, art
history, art education, and
theory and criticism
- Require students to defend
creative work in individual
and group critiques.
- Require a residency
program that utilizes major
visiting artist who serve as
mentors
-Outside professional
reviewers are engaged to
comment on the quality of the
Thesis.
Objective #2:
Communicate Effectively
- Require specific courses to
be writing intensive,
especially art history and art
theory.
- Include individual and
group critiques in studio
classes.
- Capstone MFA Thesis
exhibition.
-Require students to defend
creative work in individual
and group critiques.
- Require Thesis exhibition of
all students
Objective #3
Work effectively in Teams
Objective #4:
Share their talents with the
community
- Involve teams of students
with special projects outside
of class, such as the local arts
council.
- Engage students with a
variety of community
volunteer efforts.
- At the end of activities
involved all members of the
team to reflect on success of
failure of the effort.
- Report activities to MFA
Advisory Board for comment
and review
- Report activities to
Community Advisory Board
for comment and review
The visual arts have a distinct advantage when it comes to assessment. Each MFA student is
involved with producing specific objects, as well as studying criticism and philosophy. Through
this process the student is continually engaged in group critiques which include peer comments,
and individual critiques which allow the student to communicate directly with the faculty
members. Exit interviews often involve visiting artists and artist-in-residence who join our
efforts.
Goal #2
Increase International
content, focus and
experience.
Learning Outcome
Experiences
Assessment
Outcome #1
Internationalize Western’s
students’ education.
- Students international
understanding will come from
direct experiences including
increased curriculum content
and engagement programs.
- Establish international
studies program, uniquely
designed for Western’s
students
- Encourage students to
participate in other formal
international studies
programs.
- Have faculty review new
material added to course
offerings.
- Record the number of
students participating in these
programs.
- Record the number of
students participating in these
programs.
Outcome #2
Attract international students
and visiting artists to the
Department.
- Make connections with
international schools seeking
the same goal.
- Record the numbers of
faculty, students and visiting
artist engaged in the effort.
We have a long tradition of establishing close relationships with our students. This provides us
unique opportunities of maintaining relationships with our alumni. We are currently engaged
with a comprehensive survey of alumni, and we will count on their comments and reflections to
assist
us
with
the
basic
assessment
of
our
program.
Goals #3
Have a direct positive
impact on the local and
extended community.
Learning Outcome
Experiences
Assessment
Outcome #1
Increase the engagement of
our immediate community,
including assisting local
artists and artisans with
contemporary experiences.
- Form a community advisory
committee.
- Increase communications
between community member
who are interested in special
programs, such as visiting
artist and lectures.
- Record the names and
commitments of Committee
members.
- Establish an e-mail network,
use this network for
communications and
evaluations of efforts
Outcome #2
Refine outreach efforts to
enhance opportunities for K12 children in the region to
have significant studio art and
museum experiences
- Work collaboratively with
the museum to provide
museum visits which are
hosted by graduate and
undergraduate students.
- Record the numbers of
college students participating
in the effort and numbers of
children attending the
program.
- Utilize adult surveys of
parents and teaching to assess
quality of program.
We are committed to the concept of “engagement.” We ask our student not only to achieve
academic success, but to also share their talents with the immediate and extended community.
Art has power; all cultures recognize this. We ask our students to reach out to the community and
form partnerships that provide a connection between the creative powers of our students and the
needs of the community. This is especially critical with the concept on internationalizing the
program. As a major thrust for the university the Department of Art is a natural partner in this
effort. Our offerings in art history provide the initial inter-cultural contracts and our studies
abroad program connect our students with contemporary issues.
We are especially challenged to work with diverse communities including the Cherokee,
Hispanics, and the historical diversity of the regional population.
Goal #4:
Increase the numbers and
diversity of students seeking
the MFA degree in Art.
Learning Outcome
Experiences
Outcome #1
Increase recruitment efforts
including school outside the
immediate area of the
“regional university”
- Increased interactivity with
Junior and Senior High school
art programs.
Assessment
-
Record number of
students recruited.
-
Record number of
tours offered
-
Record special events
used to assist with this
effort.
-
Note how many majors
come from this effort.
- Innovate ways to attract two
year college graduates
Improve retention of existing
students.
Outcome #2
- Increase all art students’
Integrate the general education visits to studios, and special
courses with all activities of
visiting artists’ presentations
the Department of Art. The
effort will be to introduce
students who have not selected
a major to the potential of
choosing art as their
undergraduate and subsequent
graduate major.
Our program is unique in that it provides a quality exposure to the arts at the same time placed in
a majestic setting of the Appalachian Mountains. The mountains are where we start; the world is
where we are headed. We plan to increase our undergraduate efforts to include both travel abroad
classes and also shorter trips to Washington, DC. Increasingly, the Smithsonian museums will
become the summer home for many of our students.
Goals #5:
Increase support for all
faculty to assist with their
professional development
Outcome#1
Seek innovative ways to
provide faculty with the
means to expand professional
experiences, with a special
emphasis on sharing
international experiences with
their students.
- Support faculty taking
students abroad.
- Support international faculty
exchanges
Outcome #2
Provide basic research time
for professional development.
- Increase “research leave”
opportunities of Associate
Professors.
- Record number of classes
that were offered through
international studies.
- Record number of students
participating in the effort.
- Ask faculty who have
successfully received
“research leave” to make a
public presentation involving
their research.
The Department of Art is currently engaged with efforts from recruiting talented high school
artists to community college transfer students. Each goal and objective can be assessed with the
specific tool noted. We know at the heart of all of our efforts the success of the program comes
from providing our students with an environment that will lead them to successful lives. This
success is ensured by the dedication of our faculty and staff to this purpose.