Undergraduate Curriculum Working Group notes
Three meetings delineated separately
Faculty conveners: Beth Milles, Haiping Yan
Submitted March 20, 2010
3/9/10
In attendance:
Beth Milles, Weili Shei, Donna Miller, Pam Lillard, Warren Cross, Byron Suber, Natalie
Raps, Scott Kelly, Alison Van Dyke, Tim Ostrander, Amanda Idoko, Haiping Yan, Alex
Harlig, Marilyn Rivchin
In anecdotal polling --Many students would not be interested if practice were not taught
and if we focused purely on a theoretical approach to the work.
Essential to our work and our curriculum are the practical based teaching
One class that is significant to individual growth in this department: Intro to Actingwhich allows self expression. Values (and many students do the courses taught by the
acting professionals (RPTAs)
The acting classes help us to better articulate ideas; communicate well.
in tune with oneself and others –Students value small classes.
The value of the curriculum includes hands on production experience. Excellent—theory,
stage management, sound design, and dance.
Intro classes are important-- in theatre studies, design, acting--attracting students, getting
them involved, exposing them to the work of theatre.
We need to factor in cross-cultural work.
A student expressed she came here because there is a dance program
Important to maintain options for incoming students.
Technique (dance) has fun, work hard, and learning.
The student lives theory and practice wants more dance history.
From a student: “Students may not always know what they need.”
WHAT WE NEED IS A STRONG VISION.
--We need to let go of restraining categories the fact that they do go together not
emerging as separate field.
Our students are not receiving adequate course credit. Acting classes have three credits
but production work –only gives 1. PROCESS can be a stronger value in this way..
Advanced class. Keeping refreshed in the profession,
Students articulated a need for DANCE HISTORY.
Also suggested Field Trips. Visiting lecturers—examining ways of looking at
compositional strategies. This must be course based otherwise students will not come for
eg. Goebbels.
How will we be valued by the University?
We have two options:
1. Change what we do to be valued
2. Make them see why what we do is valuable.
Important theoretical work/ VISION
We need to be valued.
In other meetings answer: PUT MORE COURSE CREDIT ON TH E PRACTICE, which
represents 8 weeks of their lives.
“We are part of an Ivy league school”
Without the theory/ assessment it IS EXTRACURRICULAR.
If we can connect production with structured course work, in literature, aesthetics, history,
theory this would be of value.
RIGHT NOW OUR PRODUCTION SEASON OFTEN SEEMS DISCONNECTED
FROM OUR COURSE WORK.
We are missing out on things when disconnected
Students are missing out on learning opportunities.
We could formalize the curriculum in regard to production.
1 credit is extracurricular
With options for non majors
Make it more valuable to apply these skills elsewhere (she is a computer and theatre
major)
Right now we lack assessment to our acting work after a production. Have we
improved—what did you see? We need faculty to mentor our growth.
How to improve your acting technique, .this requires critical learning and understanding
of the theatre arts
We lack a critical, substantive dialogue in response to the work.
Vision Vision, Vision is required.
Are we generalists or specialists? Can we be both?
VISION.
Criticism and analysis is part of the process. The thought that connects parts of the
process but does not constrain the process
Our season currently seems separate from our curriculum. But we could choose a season
and find a way to connect with our curriculum that shows the values of the works we do.
Right now it seems independent of academic courses.
We could tie these things together--Theory /history/aesthetics.
Look at: Building of/making of props
This requires effort to figure out.
We have been bending over backwards to make 6 shows happen—now we will have
more time for teaching,
We discussed the ongoing conversation -- is not a professional program.
Why? Do we want to reconsider and be a BFA?
Science is the model. Teaching/intersection/ PEDAGOGY.
Proseminar? Schedule at the same time for all areas so all can attend.
3/10/10
Chris Romeo, Marilyn Rivchin, Haiping Yan, Beth Milles, Donna Miller, Alexandra
Bradley, Jumay Chu, Chris Romeo, Amanda Idoko, Tim Ostrander, Pam Lillard, Alex
Harlig, Rockwell Shah
Acting courses of highest value. Being in a show helps students to develop skills, and
make immediate connections to the work studied in class –a mathematics economics
major, learned skills re: how to present himself, for future presentation and teaching skills
and discovering himself. He is in a theatrical combat troupe. Before these classes he felt
he was “too much in his head” not confident in presentation.
Value of creativity. Importance of taking risks. Feels this department offers an
opportunity to explore themselves—present material with confidence.
“The greatest thing is the minor”
One student was a psychology and government major. She likes the way we surprise her
with upper level classes (for eg. Meisner and Commedia)
From a student: You know your strengths as a group. You decide what to offer based on
your strengths.
Raised issue of getting more credit for tech.
Students agree –they have no difficulty “giving your life away to a show” as long as it is
taken seriously as “research” by the university.
Creative work is not valued as an academic endeavor.
For eg our season and mainstage work.
We discussed the curriculum at other peer institutions-- in dance and performance as
exciting—and cross-disciplinary and filled with choices across disciplines.
QUESTION TO THE STUDENTS: what would it take for you to be a theatre major?
“If I knew coming in what the Schwartz Center had to offer.”
Values the openness in the department to engage students from other majors. One is a
senior economics major. Feels the main stage work deserves 3 credits.
We discussed goals and vision. Students want to get more people involved in our season
(as actors “not just the same 5 people.”)
Spreading the performance work to other students.
It would be valuable to have a core class—for eg. Intro to theatre tech, and production.
We could attract many more people.
The value of a core class with a lab component.
We talked about a department major with three tracks.
1. Home track
2. History/Production class
3. Composition /Aesthetic—with tools of composition
One student proposes: design an introductory theory course, in which students of three
tracks can do their track-specific projects based on critical theories they learn.
Teaching values of contrast/ unison/ light/dark
Nuts and bolts. Interdisciplinary—We discussed the values of co-teaching to offer a
wider scope of courses and cover more ground.
Love the idea of co-integration Discussed the course load for teachers and how it is
difficult to get “credit” for the co taught class at present. We could cross list our classes
better. There are different skills/techniques taught in dance. Understanding the body.
We discussed traditional vs. experimental in dance and theatre work.
We need to maintain the level of specialized teaching/ specialty skills and need to give a
context for the theatre.
We drew a diagram on the possibilities of the curriculum with a core course of study in
performance and media studies in Theatre Film and Dance
Learning about composition.
Core curriculum: Formalistic: music, painting, dance
Conceptualization and dance for eg. Allen’s course in popular dance.
Discussed: facilitators/ coordinator roles in teaching. We do not have TAs in our classes
in theatre. Could we have upperclassmen TAs?
Could our graduate student PhD students serve as TAs in practice/ theory classes?
Could others on staff serve as teaching support specialists?
Summary: Visibility. Credit, co teaching, integration
3/11/10
Beth Milles, Rockwell Shah, Donna Miller, Tim Ostrander, Scott Kelly, Pam Lillard, Ed
Intemann, Richard MacPike, Marilyn, Rivchhin, Ryan Stanisz
Website is much better. Could be better still. Needs to list courses. Website is the place to
reach students. Need to reach our to freshman in a refreshing and engaging way
Famous /respected vs. not worthwhile.
We need a big survey class in performance theory/production
Hybrid of theatre studies—creating theatre but with a core vision and a central facilitator
a cross between mind and body and creating theatre. With a sole “charismatic” person at
the helm.
Theory is not a bad word/practice is not a bad word—we need to look for inspiring ways
to present the material together.
Core courses contextualized with integral areas.
Could figure out co teaching mode. Co incident. Co taught. Courses with sections.
We could frame what we do better;
Introduction to dramatic writing //performance
Introduction to Performance/dance technique
Performance studies with a major and a minor.
There is a difference between major and concentration.
We could market to freshman more effectively.
Why are student groups not allowed to perform in the building?
There is a general perception that outside groups are discouraged from using our facilities
and so they go away without coming in. Feels “closed” the application process is overly
complicated. Students don’t feel Schwartz is open to groups. They feel closed out of this
building.
Sometimes the department feels overly insular.
Not geographically accessible.
For eg. We could hold Tapestry here, the entire freshman attend the Anti Oppression
theatre troupe performances in small groups. We need to get them here and then EXCITE
THEM.
What small groups are there who we could umbrella into our organization?
Film club.We addressed the role of Cornell Cinema and how it partners wit faculty
members to present material covered in class, invites guests, etc.
The university is unaware of how busy our facility with activities outside of class time.
This goes to the value of this “extra curricular” work as pedagogical.
We talked about the old venue of WSH, Whistling shrimp, Cornell Film club.
We do not have enough teachers to cover the film production classes.
The importance of speech and voice class as a component of our pedagogy.
In an integrated department--Voice and bodywork could be tied together and offered in
partnership. If we configure the intro courses differently-an introductory class—offered in the film forum with a lab.
For eg. Intro to Performance media.
Intro to Acting is the big-ticket class—well known to all students. Big word of mouth
resonance. Add more sections.
Need better information sessions. With energetic leaders.
Need a better/visible “branding” of the department
Debated about whether it is our responsibility to train our students for the career-?
Liberal arts is significant. We are not a conservatory.
It is vital to discuss the role of the Arts/artists in society. Not only technique—but also a
broader understanding of the role of the arts in society.
We stressed the importance of getting the courses we offer onto the website.
Cornell has distinction in the liberal arts don’t lose the Arts.
With all it implies—we can teach critical thinking/express creativity.
How to re brand ourselves to fit into the University standard.
We are teaching the skills of critical theory and creation.
We should look at the way we utilize our spaces.
Potential courses:
Performance//politics//activism
Performance and persuasion
Summary: agreement that we are not articulating our thought about what we offer
adequately, we are not getting our message and our work out to the university population.
It is not well articulated to the incoming students. I think we need a stronger vision AND
to face reconceiving and better articulating what we value.