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Program Change:
P00402
Program Title: BA/BS Musical Theatre Emphasis
Undergraduate
Describe the proposed degree program change(s) in terms of how the changes differ from the program as currently approved and published in the latest WOU catalog (specify the latest catalog date).
Currently we offer a BA/BS in Theatre. That degree option requires 48 credit hours of required courses and 24 credits of electives, for a total of 72 credits. What the BA/BS Musical Theatre emphasis does is retain the required classes and simply assigns requirement for the 24 credits which are currently elective. Those 24 credits are assigned from existing Dance classes (12 credits), existing Theatre classes (3 credits) and three new Theatre classes (9 credits) designed specifically for Musical Theatre studies. Students who choose this program emphasis will be advised to take a minor in Music or a minor in the Arts to cover suggested Music classes/lessons. (While a specific minor is obviously not required, in order for students to select this BA/BS emphasis they will need to demonstrate proficiency in Music, so a suggested Minor is one way to accomplish that.)
Describe the reasons for making this change:
There has been a great deal of student interest in Musical Theatre studies, and that interest has been growing over the last few years. Since musical productions are a part of the department's regular production schedule, we felt we needed to offer an emphasis area which specifically addressed some of the performance qualities needed for Musical Theatre. Further, we have a number of majors who are primarily interested in Musical Theatre who have been trying to cobble together, on their own, a course of study that served their interest. This emphasis area will help them with a well-rounded course of study that is specific to Musical Theatre performance, and will provide assessable measures to determine their progress. Finally, the Musical Theatre is obviously a large and important part of the American Theatre, yet it has been the one area that our department has been lacking. We feel strongly that, both for our current students and for potential recruitment, this emphasis area will be a strong addition to our programming.
For Dean Review only:
How and when will the effectiveness of these changes be determined?
All class work is taken from current classes within the Department of Theatre and Dance, with the exception of three (3) new courses that deal specifically with Musical Theatre performance. The department does not, at this time, need any new faculty to cover this curriculum. We anticipate no additional resource needs in the short term to support the emphasis. In terms of assessment, the regular assessment tools we are already using (student surveys, embedded assessment, etc.) will appropriately evaluate the effectiveness of the new emphasis. In many ways, this is a very simple change - in effect, just assigning requirements to what was elective hours - and therefore staffing, resources, and current assessment tools will be effective and adequate to deliver the program.
Approval Queue
| Step |
Approver |
Decision |
Timestamp |
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1 - Department |
Michael Phillips |
Approved | March 31 2010 |
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2 - Division |
Diane Tarter |
Approved | April 01 2010 |
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3 - Division Curriculum |
David Janoviak |
Approved | April 06 2010 |
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4 - Library Dean |
David Janoviak |
Approved | April 06 2010 |
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5 - Curriculum Committee |
Laurie Burton |
Approved | April 20 2010 |
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6 - Faculty Senate |
Katherine Schmidt |
Approved | May 13 2010 |
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7 - Dean |
Stephen Scheck |
Approved | May 15 2010 |
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8 - Provost |
Kent Neely |
Approved | May 17 2010 |
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9 - President |
Dianna Nickelson |
Approved | May 18 2010 |
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Attached Files:
