Prepare Students For Professional Practice As Photographic Artists
The BFA in Photography is the professional degree for Photography students in the Art Department. The BFA program will provide students with the skills to practice the art of photography at a professional level. The BFA will also qualify students to pursue the MFA degree at graduate schools in the United States.
Objective
Foundation Skills
Students will learn basic skills in drawing and design, and have an awareness of comtemporary art.
Indicator
BFA Review
BFA review portfolios will be required of all students pursuing the BFA before they enroll in upper level Art courses.
The BFA Portfolio Review will be held at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters and include a selection of coursework from Art 130 and 131 (WASH) Art 163 (Drawing) Art 164 (Life Drawing 1) Art 262 (Foundations in Digital Art)
Students who do not pass the BFA Review will become BA majors in Studio Art. Students who choose the BA at the outset of their art studies are not required to take the BFA Review, but the Review provides an assessment of work done in the Foundation courses that the BA students are required to take.
All BFA Candidates participate in BFA Review after completion of Sophomore level art foundation courses to assess their retention and integration of skills learned. Students bring work from these classes to the review and are assessed by a panel of faculty.
Students will be expected to demonstrate the ability to make sophisticated compositions using the elements of line, shape, color, form, texture, value and scale and the principles of balance, movement, symmetry, organization, and figure-ground relationships. Students will be evaluated on their ability to keep a sketchbook and to creatively solve problems by exhibiting works that are unique examples of harmonious design. Students will be expected to demonstrate the ability to convey concepts through the use of the elements of design.
Criterion
Passing The Review
The BFA review will be held once a semester. A panel of at least 5 Art faculty will review each portfolio. Using a scale of 1-10 to evaluate the student work. It is expected that at least 80% of the students will receive a score of 7 or higher. The Faculty will use a rubric developed by the BFA review committee. It is expected that at least 80% of students pursuing the BFA in Photography will pass the review.
Finding
Improvement From Previous Year
28% of all BFA students failed the BFA review in 2009-2010. The previous year, 42% failed. The number of students participating in the BFA review increased from 48 in 08-09 to 93 in 09-10. Improvements in student Portfolios were seen in the work done in WASH, and the weak areas overall tended to be in Drawing, particularly Figure Drawing. Faculty found that the drawings presented in the BFA review tended to be weak in terms of composition, content, and uniqueness of technique and style.
Action
Add A Drawing Course And Evaluate Course Content
The Art Department will add a drawing course to the foundation program. A second semester of drawing, 'Drawing 2' will be required before students take Life Drawing 1. Drawing 2 will emphasize conceptual aspects of drawing, the ability to convey a concept, and thematic development. Portfolios from all of the figure drawing classes will be evaluated by faculty over the summer. The content of the second semester of figure drawing, Life Drawing 2, will be developed to emphasize content and personal expression.
Objective
Camera Skills
Students will learn to use the camera as an artistic tool.
Indicator
Senior Portfolio
Students will be required to take ART 495 and produce a final portfolio that will demonstrate expertise in photography and creative use of photographic equipment and techniques. The portfolio will include 20 printed images, 20 digital images, an artist's statement, and a resume. The portfolio will: • consist of a cohesive body of work. • demonstrate technical proficiency with use of cameras. • demonstrate proficiency in photographic printing techniques. • demonstrate the students ability to express and communicate ideas and concepts through the medium of photography.
Criterion
Portfolio Criteria
The portfolios will be evaluated by a committee of Photography faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. Using a scale of 0-100%, it is expected that at least 80% of students receive a score of 75% or greater.
Finding
Exceeded Expectations
In the evaluation of the senior portfolio's by faculty, all of the students scored well above 85%.
Indicator
Traditional Darkroom Techniques And Processes
Students will be required to take ART 232 and use black and white film and darkroom developing and printing techniques. Students in ART 232 will produce a portfolio of prints. The portfoliios will: • demonstrate individual and expressive solutions to creative problems. • demonstrate the ability to use a camera to produce a properly exposed negative. • demonstrate the ability to develop film and control the contrast of a negative. • demonstrate proficiency in black and white printing by including prints that have an appropriate range of tones and contrast. • include archival prints that are properly fixed to insure longevity.
Criterion
Traditional Darkroom Criteria
The portfolios will be evaluated by a committee of Photography faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. Using a scale of 0-100%, it is expected that at least 80% of students receive a score of 75% or greater.
Finding
Successful Traditional Portfolios
100% of the students scored above 75 on the evaluation of portfolios of works made using traditional darkroom techniques.
Action
Continue Teaching Digital And Analog Techniques
100% of the students scored well above the minimum criteria. While this indicates successful learning outcomes for students, it also indicates the need to raise the standards of faculty evaluators and to re-examine the rubric used to measure the indicators.
The ability to articulate a conceptual direction in a written artist's statement will be added to the indicators for the senior portfolio.
Art Department faculty from areas other than photography will be brought in as evaluators of the photography student's work.
The criteria will be raised to expect at least 80% of students to score 80% or higher.
Photography faculty will continue to train students to use digital cameras and film cameras. Faculty will continue to follow developments in technology and ensure that course content addresses current trends and standard techniques.
Objective
Digital Imaging
Students will learn to be proficient in the creation and manipulation of digital images.
Indicator
Senior Portfolio
Students will be required to take ART 495 and produce a final portfolio that will demonstrate expertise in photography and creative use of photographic equipment and techniques. The portfolio will include 20 printed images, 20 digital images, an artist's statement, and a resume. The portfolio will: • consist of a cohesive body of work. • demonstrate technical proficiency with use of cameras. • demonstrate proficiency in photographic printing techniques. • demonstrate the students ability to express and communicate ideas and concepts through the medium of photography.
Criterion
Portfolio Criteria
The portfolios will be evaluated by a committee of Photography faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. Using a scale of 0-100%, it is expected that at least 80% of students receive a score of 75% or greater.
Finding
Exceeded Expectations
In the evaluation of the senior portfolio's by faculty, all of the students scored well above 85%.
Action
Continue Teaching Image Editing And Digital Printing
100% of the students scored well above the minimum criteria. While this indicates successful learning outcomes for students, it also indicates the need to raise the standards of faculty evaluators and to re-examine the rubric used to measure the indicators.
The ability to articulate a conceptual direction in a written artist's statement will be added to the indicators for the senior portfolio.
Art Department faculty from areas other than photography will be brought in as evaluators of the photography student's work.
The criteria will be raised to expect at least 80% of students to score 80% or higher Continue to train students in the use of capturing images with digital cameras and scanners, the editing of these image using software such as adobe photoshop, and in technical aspects of digital printing.
Objective
Darkroom And Printing
Students will learn to be proficient in traditional darkroom and printing techniques.
Indicator
Senior Portfolio
Students will be required to take ART 495 and produce a final portfolio that will demonstrate expertise in photography and creative use of photographic equipment and techniques. The portfolio will include 20 printed images, 20 digital images, an artist's statement, and a resume. The portfolio will: • consist of a cohesive body of work. • demonstrate technical proficiency with use of cameras. • demonstrate proficiency in photographic printing techniques. • demonstrate the students ability to express and communicate ideas and concepts through the medium of photography.
Criterion
Portfolio Criteria
The portfolios will be evaluated by a committee of Photography faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. Using a scale of 0-100%, it is expected that at least 80% of students receive a score of 75% or greater.
Finding
Exceeded Expectations
In the evaluation of the senior portfolio's by faculty, all of the students scored well above 85%.
Indicator
Traditional Darkroom Techniques And Processes
Students will be required to take ART 232 and use black and white film and darkroom developing and printing techniques. Students in ART 232 will produce a portfolio of prints. The portfoliios will: • demonstrate individual and expressive solutions to creative problems. • demonstrate the ability to use a camera to produce a properly exposed negative. • demonstrate the ability to develop film and control the contrast of a negative. • demonstrate proficiency in black and white printing by including prints that have an appropriate range of tones and contrast. • include archival prints that are properly fixed to insure longevity.
Criterion
Traditional Darkroom Criteria
The portfolios will be evaluated by a committee of Photography faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. Using a scale of 0-100%, it is expected that at least 80% of students receive a score of 75% or greater.
Finding
Successful Traditional Portfolios
100% of the students scored above 75 on the evaluation of portfolios of works made using traditional darkroom techniques.
Action
Darkroom Experience
100% of the students scored well above the minimum criteria. While this indicates successful learning outcomes for students, it also indicates the need to raise the standards of faculty evaluators and to re-examine the rubric used to measure the indicators.
The ability to articulate a conceptual direction in a written artist's statement will be added to the indicators for the senior portfolio.
Art Department faculty from areas other than photography will be brought in as evaluators of the photography student's work.
The criteria will be raised to expect at least 80% of students to score 80% or higher.
The photography committee believes student learning can be further enhanced through improvements to the darkroom and printing facilities. Cleaning and re-organizing of these faciliities has been initiated and will continue into the Fall 2010 semester.
Continue to offer traditional darkroom experience to students and to encourage this as a creative, artistic practice.
Objective
Alternative Processes
Students will learn alternative and experimental photographic and printing techniques.
Indicator
Senior Portfolio
Students will be required to take ART 495 and produce a final portfolio that will demonstrate expertise in photography and creative use of photographic equipment and techniques. The portfolio will include 20 printed images, 20 digital images, an artist's statement, and a resume. The portfolio will: • consist of a cohesive body of work. • demonstrate technical proficiency with use of cameras. • demonstrate proficiency in photographic printing techniques. • demonstrate the students ability to express and communicate ideas and concepts through the medium of photography.
Criterion
Portfolio Criteria
The portfolios will be evaluated by a committee of Photography faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. Using a scale of 0-100%, it is expected that at least 80% of students receive a score of 75% or greater.
Finding
Exceeded Expectations
In the evaluation of the senior portfolio's by faculty, all of the students scored well above 85%.
Indicator
Alternative Photographic Processes
Students will be required to take ART 337 and produce a series of prints using at least 4 different processes. The processes will include silver prints, cyanotypes, platinum/palladium, and one alternative process of the students choice. The series of prints using 4 alternative processes will be evaluated by members of the photography faculty using a scale of 0-100% to determine success.
Criterion
Alternative Process Criteria
The series of prints using 4 alternative processes will be evaluated by members of the photography faculty using a scale of 0-100% to determine success. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. It is expected that at least 80% of the students will receive a score of 75% or higher.
Finding
Expectations Met
100% of the students evaluated received a score of higher than 75.
Action
Continue Teaching Alternative Processes
100% of the students scored well above the minimum criteria. While this indicates successful learning outcomes for students, it also indicates the need to raise the standards of faculty evaluators and to re-examine the rubric used to measure the indicators.
The ability to articulate a conceptual direction in a written artist's statement will be added to the indicators for the senior portfolio.
Art Department faculty from areas other than photography will be brought in as evaluators of the photography student's work.
The criteria will be raised to expect at least 80% of students to score 80% or higher.
The photography committee believes student learning can be further enhanced through improvements to the darkroom and printing facilities. Cleaning and re-organizing of these faciliities has been initiated and will continue into the Fall 2010 semester.
Continue to require Alternative Processes in the BFA Photography curriculum.
Objective
Concepts And Ideas
Students will learn to use the photographic medium to express concepts and ideas.
Indicator
Senior Portfolio
Students will be required to take ART 495 and produce a final portfolio that will demonstrate expertise in photography and creative use of photographic equipment and techniques. The portfolio will include 20 printed images, 20 digital images, an artist's statement, and a resume. The portfolio will: • consist of a cohesive body of work. • demonstrate technical proficiency with use of cameras. • demonstrate proficiency in photographic printing techniques. • demonstrate the students ability to express and communicate ideas and concepts through the medium of photography.
Criterion
Portfolio Criteria
The portfolios will be evaluated by a committee of Photography faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. Using a scale of 0-100%, it is expected that at least 80% of students receive a score of 75% or greater.
Finding
Exceeded Expectations
In the evaluation of the senior portfolio's by faculty, all of the students scored well above 85%.
Indicator
Traditional Darkroom Techniques And Processes
Students will be required to take ART 232 and use black and white film and darkroom developing and printing techniques. Students in ART 232 will produce a portfolio of prints. The portfoliios will: • demonstrate individual and expressive solutions to creative problems. • demonstrate the ability to use a camera to produce a properly exposed negative. • demonstrate the ability to develop film and control the contrast of a negative. • demonstrate proficiency in black and white printing by including prints that have an appropriate range of tones and contrast. • include archival prints that are properly fixed to insure longevity.
Criterion
Traditional Darkroom Criteria
The portfolios will be evaluated by a committee of Photography faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. Using a scale of 0-100%, it is expected that at least 80% of students receive a score of 75% or greater.
Finding
Successful Traditional Portfolios
100% of the students scored above 75 on the evaluation of portfolios of works made using traditional darkroom techniques.
Indicator
Alternative Photographic Processes
Students will be required to take ART 337 and produce a series of prints using at least 4 different processes. The processes will include silver prints, cyanotypes, platinum/palladium, and one alternative process of the students choice. The series of prints using 4 alternative processes will be evaluated by members of the photography faculty using a scale of 0-100% to determine success.
Criterion
Alternative Process Criteria
The series of prints using 4 alternative processes will be evaluated by members of the photography faculty using a scale of 0-100% to determine success. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. It is expected that at least 80% of the students will receive a score of 75% or higher.
Finding
Expectations Met
100% of the students evaluated received a score of higher than 75.
Action
Encourage Creativity And Expression
Continue to develop aesthetic awareness and individual expression through critiques, and lectures on creativity and contemporary art.
Action
Evaluate The Students Ability To Articulate The Intent And Focus Of Their Work
The senior portfolios include a resume and an artist's statement. An evaluation of the artist's statement will be included in future assessments to determine that students have the ability to describe the concepts on which their work is based, their artistic intent, and the historical and theoretical context in which they place their work.
Objective
History Of Photography
Students will learn the History of Photography and an understanding of contemporary photographic art and its relationship to the continuum of history.
Indicator
Senior Portfolio
Students will be required to take ART 495 and produce a final portfolio that will demonstrate expertise in photography and creative use of photographic equipment and techniques. The portfolio will include 20 printed images, 20 digital images, an artist's statement, and a resume. The portfolio will: • consist of a cohesive body of work. • demonstrate technical proficiency with use of cameras. • demonstrate proficiency in photographic printing techniques. • demonstrate the students ability to express and communicate ideas and concepts through the medium of photography.
Criterion
Portfolio Criteria
The portfolios will be evaluated by a committee of Photography faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. Using a scale of 0-100%, it is expected that at least 80% of students receive a score of 75% or greater.
Finding
Exceeded Expectations
In the evaluation of the senior portfolio's by faculty, all of the students scored well above 85%.
Indicator
History Of Photography
Students will be required to take ART 334 and write a two page evaluation of two photographs of their choice. One photograph must have been taken and printed in the 19th Century and the second must be an image created after 1975. The evaluation will discuss the formal attributes of the photograph, the style, the social or political influences, the technology used, and the subject matter.
The essays will • provide a clear introduction and draw conclusions supported by visual and contextual evidence. • move from specific examples to general statements. • describe the works accurately and clearly. • use vocabulary introduced in classroom lectures and photography history textbooks. • convey a clear and convincing image of their perspective. • use external information about the cultural context and photographic techniques gathered from readings and presentations. • present an understanding of the works in a way that is convincing and supported by detailed evidence. • sum up major ideas and draw convincing conclusions grounded in visual evidence and contextual information.
Criterion
Historical Evaluation Criteria
The papers will be evaluated by a committee of faculty in the Photography Program. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. A scale of 0-100% will be used to determine successful completion of the requirements. It is expected that at least 75% of the students will score 80% or higher.
Finding
100%
100% of the students scored above 75% in all areas. The lowest scores were measured in the students ability to provide a historical context for the works they were examining.
Action
Continue Teaching History Of Photography
Faculty teaching the History of Photography will examine methods of relating the discussion of photography as works of art to the socio-political context in which they are created.
100% of the students scored well above the minimum criteria. While this indicates successful learning outcomes for students, it also indicates the need to raise the standards of faculty evaluators and to re-examine the rubric used to measure the indicators.
Art Department faculty from areas other than photography will be brought in as evaluators of the photography student's work.
The criteria will be raised to expect at least 80% of students to score 80% or higher.
Continue to require the History of Photography and to engage students in contemporary photography by bringing visiting artists to lecture and offer workshops and to take field trips to area museums and art centers.
Action
Evaluate The Students Ability To Articulate The Intent And Focus Of Their Work
The senior portfolios include a resume and an artist's statement. An evaluation of the artist's statement will be included in future assessments to determine that students have the ability to describe the concepts on which their work is based, their artistic intent, and the historical and theoretical context in which they place their work.
Objective
Professional Portfolio
Students learn to produce a professional portfolio that demonstrates their skills and shows the development of a personal aesthetic, ideas, and style.
Indicator
Senior Portfolio
Students will be required to take ART 495 and produce a final portfolio that will demonstrate expertise in photography and creative use of photographic equipment and techniques. The portfolio will include 20 printed images, 20 digital images, an artist's statement, and a resume. The portfolio will: • consist of a cohesive body of work. • demonstrate technical proficiency with use of cameras. • demonstrate proficiency in photographic printing techniques. • demonstrate the students ability to express and communicate ideas and concepts through the medium of photography.
Criterion
Portfolio Criteria
The portfolios will be evaluated by a committee of Photography faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. Using a scale of 0-100%, it is expected that at least 80% of students receive a score of 75% or greater.
Finding
Exceeded Expectations
In the evaluation of the senior portfolio's by faculty, all of the students scored well above 85%.
Action
Evaluate The Students Ability To Articulate The Intent And Focus Of Their Work
The senior portfolios include a resume and an artist's statement. An evaluation of the artist's statement will be included in future assessments to determine that students have the ability to describe the concepts on which their work is based, their artistic intent, and the historical and theoretical context in which they place their work.