Western Carolina University
Program Assessment Plan
Department of Art
College of Arts and Sciences
Master of Arts in the Teaching of Art
Assessment Plan for 2006-2012
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 Arts in the Teaching of Art degree. The MAT is a
recognized masters degree in Art Education. The program is structured to provide BA
and BFA graduates with the opportunity to earn an advanced degree while gaining
teacher certification in Art.
Goal #1:
Enhance the Master of
Arts in the Teaching of
Art 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
studies in current
philosophies of art
education.
There are three primary means of assuring the quality of our graduate programs in Art
Education. First all classes utilize traditional grades to provide students with individual
assessment of their efforts. We are considering a non graded system for the future.
Although not a tool of program review, grades are also often compared to see trends in
curriculum offerings, We also use critiques and evaluations of creative works.
Learning Outcome
Experiences
Assessment
Outcome #1:
Require students 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 program that
utilizes major visiting artist
who serve as mentors
-Outside professional
reviewers are engaged to
comment on the quality of
any written work.
Outcome #2:
Communicate Effectively
- Require specific courses to
be writing intensive,
especially art history and art
theory.
- Include individual and
group critiques in studio
classes.
- Optional Capstone MAT
Thesis exhibition.
-Require students to defend
creative work in individual
and group critiques.
- Optional Thesis exhibition
of all students
Outcome #3
Work effectively in Teams
- Require group
assignments in both studio
and liberal arts courses.
- Involve teams of students
with special projects outside
of class, such as the local
arts council.
- At the end of activities
involved all members of the
team to reflect on success of
failure of the effort.
- Report activities to
Community Advisory
Board for comment and
review
Outcome #4:
Share their talents with the
community
- Engage students with a
variety of community
volunteer efforts.
- Report activities to
Community Advisory
Board for comment and
review
The visual arts have a distinct advantage over other academic disciplines when it comes
to assessment. Each Art Education student is involved with producing specific objects, as
well as studying education 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.
- Make connections with
international schools
seeking the same goal.
- Record the numbers of
faculty, students and
visiting artists engaged in
the effort.
Outcome #2
Attract international
students and visiting artists
to the Department.
- Record the number of
students participating in
these programs.
- Record the number of
students participating in
these programs.
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.
Goal #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 artists 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
K-12 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 MAT degree
in Art.
Learning Outcome
Experiences
Outcome #1
Increase recruitment efforts
including schools 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
Integrate the general
education courses with all
activities of 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
- Increase all art students’
visits to studios, and special
visiting artists’
presentations
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.
Goal #5:
Increase support for all
faculty to assist with their
professional development.
Learning Outcome
Experiences
Assessment
Outcome #1
- Support faculty taking
students abroad.
- Record number of classes
that were offered through
international studies.
- Support international
faculty exchanges
- Record number of students
participating in the effort.
- Increase “research leave”
opportunities of Associate
Professors.
- Ask faculty who have
successfully received
“research leave” to make a
public presentation
involving their research.
Seek innovative ways to
provide faculty with the
means to expand
professional experiences,
with a special emphasis on
sharing international
experiences with their
students.
Outcome #2
Provide basic research time
for professional
development.
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.