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ASSESSMENT REPORT
July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008
Program Assessed: Department of Theatre Arts, Motion Pictures BFA Degree
Assessment Coordinator: Charles Derry/Stuart McDowell
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1. Assessment Measures Employed
What was done?
a) Senior exit interviews
b) Department alumni surveys
c) Regular Faculty E-mail contacts with alumni
d) Evaluations of students at the end of the first and second years
e) Evaluations of the junior and senior projects
f) Critical presentation of film projects at Documentary Night
g) Tracking of student and alumni successes in film festivals and the professional filmmaking
industry
h) Faculty attended an alumni reunion in New York City.
Who participated in the process?
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All motion pictures faculty and staff participated in various of these activities. Specifically,
a) and b) were done by the Chair; c), d), e), f), and g) were done by all faculty and staff, with
Julia Reichert particularly taking primary responsibility for c); and h) was carried out by Julia
Reichert.
What challenges were encountered?
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None this year.
2. Assessment Findings
 7 out of 8 of MoPix graduates of the 2007-2008 class have gone on to great opportunities and
jobs in the motion pictures industry; and a significant number of our current students
received film festival showings and/or prizes in major international festivals. These include
work as editor for HBO, Ghost Robot Films, TROMA films, Wife Swap Filmmakers, Killer
Films, Lumiere Productions, LVT, Reverse Shot Films in NYC, in addition to admission to
the Columbia University Graduate School.
 MoPix alumni are now working in L.A. for Playtone (Tom Hanks’ production company), key
administrative work at the American Film Institute, in addition to A&E and HBO, and
principal Story Board Artist for the Cohen Brothers’ Academy Award winning No Country
for Old Men.
 100% of students in the MoPix area who advance from Sophomore to Junior level have
demonstrated a proficiency in MoPix history and theory through research and writing
comprehensively in this area.
 100% of graduating students in the Bachelor of Arts degree in Motion Pictures demonstrate
proficiency in screenwriting.
3. Program Improvements
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As a result of the yearly evaluations, faculty have been working very hard to plan and
prepare for major improvements to the motion pictures area in terms of facilities. All alumni
agree that a motion pictures studio is an integral need for the area, as are a variety of other
spaces. So far, preliminary descriptions of new spaces, meetings with architects, and strategy
meetings with the Dean and the President have taken place. As well, a model fundraising
lunch meeting has taken place with community leaders in order to help facilitate the goal of a
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CAC addition with the new facilities needed by motion pictures.
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Increased cooperation between alumni and current students has allowed for increased alumni
integration in the current program and additional student opportunities. A variety of alumni
have returned to offer classes and workshops.
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As well, substantial work has been done to facilitate increased cooperation between all areas
of the department in ways which help all students, including motion picture students. For
instance, film students interested in design can now take a design course offered by
Design/Technology faculty; and one of the photography classes can now be fulfilled by a
Photoshop course taught by Don David, also in Design/Technology. Additionally, acting
students are now being more institutionally encouraged to work with motion picture students
on their film projects.
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Certain holes in the Motion Pictures DVD library have been filled with the acquisition of
some key films, notable in the area of French and Asian films, especially from the Criterion
Collection, and in the area of television studies.
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Finally, certain longstanding confusions in the curriculum have been finally clarified, with a
revised listing of a wider variety of classes which can fulfill the RELATED
REQUIREMENTS portion of the degree requirements. This additional listing also serves as
a guide to potential recommended electives as well.
4/5. Assessment Plan Compliance/ New Assessment Developments
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A 3-page memo has been given to the Chair suggesting major modifications that should be
made to the Assessment Plan to conform to additional measures that we have long been
practicing. These revisions will allow the Program Assessment Plan to be more accurate in
terms of the specific goals and objectives within our two motion pictures degrees and serve
as a surer guide to this annual Assessment Report.
--submitted by Charles Derry, Professor, Coordinator of Motion Pictures