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Minor Academic Restructuring Proposal Statement of Purpose

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Minor Academic Restructuring Proposal Statement of Purpose Minor Academic Restructuring Proposal Statement of Purpose Rename the Department of Theatre and Dance to The Conservatory of Theatre and Dance Reasons for Changes: When it comes to theatre and dance in higher education in the United States, there are three types of programs: 1) traditional conservatories, 2) traditional departments in universities or colleges, or 3) universities with conservatories, such as the Conservatory of Theatre at Webster University. Currently, the Department of Theatre & Dance at Southeast markets itself, and past administrators have referred to us as the traditional third option over the past couple of years. Therefore, the faculty and staff in Theatre and Dance unanimously voted in favor of seeking a special designation to become The Conservatory of Theatre & Dance on January 19, 2015, and the proposal was also unanimously approved by the College of Liberal Arts College Council on September 11, 2015. Dean Barrios expressed his support for this change in a memo dated Janaury 14, 2016. According to College Confidential, The Best Schools, and Education Quest, the most serious students in theatre and dance prefer Universities with Conservatory Programs, and according to Forbes Magazine and US News and World Report, the top three acting programs in the United States are all conservatories: The New Conservatory of Theatre at Boston University, The American Conservatory of Theatre at CalArts, and The Conservatory of Theatre and Musical Theatre at Carnegie Mellon University. Julliard, a non-traditional conservatory, is ranked fourth. Universities with conservatory programs give students both the intensity of the conservatory experience combined with the traditional college experience. For some students, it becomes a balancing act between the program demands and university requirements. However, these demands are already in place at Southeast with the current curriculum, and balance has been achieved through the accreditation process. According to our accrediting bodies—the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) and the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD)—our programs in theatre and dance fit their designation of a conservatory, and it would be nothing more than a name-change with either of these entities. Within the framework of the NAST and NASD, we are a performance- based, professional training program, with a different emphasis than the other two departments in the Holland School. Our program is divided equally into three components: 1. Training (Technique and Academic) The vast majority of our classes in both theatre and dance are performance-based. Even our more academic classes, such as Script Analysis, Dance History, or Score Study for Musical Theatre, are geared toward teaching students a professional process on which to produce theatre and dance. 2. Production We have a heavy production schedule—6 main stage productions, 4 second stage productions, dozens of student directed/choreographed productions, readings, and cabarets, and numerous annual short films produced in association with the Fault Line Film Festival, of which Theatre & Dance is one of the primary producers. In all productions, the program’s emphasis is on a professional process and demonstrated professional product. 3. Career Development This is the real thing that separates us from traditional theatre and dance departments in universities or colleges, and this, perhaps more than any other reason, justifies our proposal to gain the special designation to become The Conservatory of Theatre & Dance. Beginning their first semester freshmen year, our majors begin the process of learning that the performing arts— whether on stage, film, TV, or any other form of media—is a business. It’s a BIG business. In fact, the entertainment industry is one of the largest exports in the United States. No matter how talented a person is, no matter how good their technique, no matter how strong their desire, no one will ever see their art if they do not understand and thrive in the business of the arts. In today’s competitive world, successful artists simply must be entrepreneurs. We teach our students to think of themselves as a private, for-profit, business, and they are the CEO and CFO of their own business. Theatre & Dance has now formalized a relationship with Michael Howard Studios: The Professional Acting Studio for Theatre, Film, and Television in New York City for our seniors to network and take special master classes during our New York Showcase week. Founded in 1953 by actor and director Michael Howard, a protégé of both Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse and Lee Strasberg at the Actor’s Studio, it is the longest running, privately-owned acting studio in New York. Our program also works with the Broadway Dance Center, and various other dance studios in NYC, for our dance seniors to network and take master classes each year during showcase week. Additionally, Theatre & Dance already operates as a Conservatory within the University with: 1. audition/interview for admission to the program; 2. the high standards found throughout the BFA and BA curriculum; 3. the jury process to maintain candidacy in the program; 4. the New York Showcase and heavy emphasis on professional training; 5. the professional intern program required of all BFA majors and available to all BA majors; 6. the professional guest artist programs in both theatre and dance; 7. the professional master class series available to all majors; 8. the heavy emphasis on professional production standards for faculty members, as well as student majors. 9. the Fine Arts Entrepreneurship Minor; and 10. the River Campus Summer Arts Festival. Therefore, we feel the Conservatory designation more accurately represents who we are. Costs and Benefits of the Proposed Changes: 1. There are no additional costs for the proposed name change other than marketing materials, which must be replaced anyway because of the university’s new logos and branding. 2. There is no change to the existing curriculum required for the name change. 3. No new faculty positions are required for the name change. 4. The BFA degrees--according to NAST & NASD--are professional undergraduate degrees consistent with conservatory training. Students seeking these degrees in theatre and dance at Southeast have the same rigorous discipline standards as required by private conservatories. More than ¾ of all incoming students in theatre and dance seek this degree. The BA degree, also offered by this program, has a substantial emphasis on career development and production—hallmarks of a conservatory. 5. Enhanced Recruitment/Retention. Webster Conservatory is our chief competitor in the region when vying for the top students in theatre and dance. Just last week, representatives from the Theatre & Dance attended the Missouri Thespian Convention in Kansas City and the Illinois Thespian Convention in Bloomington, and many of the very best students indicated they are looking for conservatory training and therefore will not seriously consider our program without this designation. We have also lost students to Webster after one or two years at Southeast because of this same reason. 6. Enhanced Marketing. The Conservatory of Theatre & Dance is a designation used by a number of state university programs across the country. The best students who are seriously pursuing a career in the arts indicate they want conservatory training. Therefore, we feel the marketing value of this special designation will increase our appeal to prospective students and families. It was recently asked how we (Theatre & Dance) will stay on top of our competitors—e.g., Webster University, Lindenwood University, Missouri State University, University of Missouri- Kansas City, Southern Illinois-Carbondale, and so on—and how will we benefit from receiving this special designation of The Conservatory of Theatre & Dance. We feel the answer to this is simple. It will: Play a key role in helping improve our overall marketing of our program and university in the theatre and dance industry. Enhance our overall status in the theatre and dance community. Improve our ability to successfully gain financial support from individual and corporate donors. Help us recruit and retain the top students in the Midwest, as well as reaching toward both coasts, competing against other top training programs. Enhance the outside marketing of our current students and alums, as they compete for jobs and internships with the top companies and organizations in the nation. Minor Academic Restructuring Proposal: The Conservatory of Theatre & Dance2 Supporting Data for Theatre and Dance Proposal: The Conservatory of Theatre and Dance Impact Upon Students: As stated in the above proposal, the impact on students would be the tremendous additional marketing benefits they would gain from graduating from a university conservatory program. This would put them in the same class as graduates from the following programs: The New Conservatory of Theatre at Boston University The American Conservatory Theatre at CalArts The Conservatory of Theatre and Musical Theatre at Carnegie Mellon University The Conservatory of Theatre at Webster University The Conservatory of Dance at UMKC The Conservatory of Theatre at Purchase College The Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College Conservatory of Music, Theatre Division at the University of Cincinnati The Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University Conservatory of Theatre at Arts at SUNY Purchase College Shenandoah University
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