At the end of the sophomore year, each student will develop and present to the dance faculty a 3-5 minute work of original choreography to demonstrate technical proficiency in dance.
Objective
Dance BFA Majors Will Demonstrate Proficiency In Dance Artistry
Dance BFA Majors Will Demonstrate Proficiency in dance artistry, technique, and performance.
Indicator
Sophomore Gate Adjudication
At the conclusion of the sophomore year, each candidate for the BFA creates and presents to the dance faculty a 3-5 minute solo, which constitutes the Sophomore Gate. Dance faculty assess students on technique, performance, and choreography. Students must pass the Sophomore Gate to be retained in good standing in the dance program. The attached rubric details the elements of choreography and performance that are assessed in the presentation. This rubric was developed in April, 2010, to replace the solely qualitative assessment formerly used. Faculty used a combination of qualitative remarks and quantitative scores to assess each student.
Criterion
100% Satisfactory - Sophomore BFA Proficiency Standard
The expected Proficiency Standard for the Sophomore BFA program that 100% of BFA students completing their Sophomore year and submitting to the Sophomore Gate adjudication would demonstrate at least a "Satisfactory" compiled judge's score for proficiency in technique, performance, and choreography on the 3-level evaluation scale (outstanding, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory)
Finding
Spring 2011 Sophomore BFA Gate Results Summary
All students were found to demonstrate at least the stated criterion of satisfactory dance proficiency at the 2011 Sophomore Gate Adjudication. All students were also found to have made satisfactory progress in dance performance skills between program entry and Sophomore Gate presentation. Still, a need for more progression in technique courses was identified.
Indicator
External Evaluation Of Performance Excellence
Students representative of the SHSU Dance BFA program's students in good standing will be recognized by external adjudication as being outstanding performers. Each year, the SHSU dance program submits choreographic work to be adjudicated at the South-Central region of the American College Dance Festival. In this forum, both the merit of choreography and the performance of the dancers is evaluated with detailed oral feedback from three professionals in the dance community. Works considered to demonstrate exceptional quality are selected for the Gala concert. In even numbered years, between 2 and 4 works are selected to be presented at the Kennedy Center National Festival in Washington DC.
Criterion
Recognition By American College Dance Festival Association
In 2011, the SHSU dance program's dancers will be judged to be excellent by a jury of the South-Central region of the American College Dance Festival
Finding
Criterion Met- Selected For ACDF Regional Gala
The 2011 dance proficiency criterion was met. SHSU presented Maelstrom, choreographed by Assistant Professor Andy Noble, featuring 13 BFA majors, and Just Breathe, by undergraduate student Jessica Cantu, featuring an additional 4 BFA students. From approximately 40 works presented at the South-Central Region, both of these works were selected for the Gala, which included a total of 9 dances. The adjudicators were extremely complimentary about the technical and performance talent of all the students.
The American College Dance Festival has a national conference only in even numbered years. Thus, there was no opportunity this year for selection to present at the Kennedy Center.
Action
Addition Of New Courses
Faculty were satisfied with the technical and performance achievements of students reviewed by the ACDF panel, as well as by the performance of students adjudicated by SHSU dance faculty in the Sophomore Gate. However, a need for more progression in technique courses was identified. A fourth level of technique for both ballet and modern dance has been added to the curriculum, and was implemented beginning in fall of 2010. These courses, DANC 1333 and DANC 1334 will provide a means to create more progression in training than was possible with three levels of technique.
Goal
Dance Choreography Proficiency
BFA candidates will learn the craft of choreography and will gain experience in creating and presenting extended, original works.
Objective
Students Demonstrate Proficiency In Choreography
Dance BFA students will demonstrate proficiency in choreography, by the culmination of the BFA sequence of choreography courses. The Demonstrated Choreographic proficiency will include a grasp of choreographic form, movement invention, and the ability to direct student dancers who are cast in a choreographic piece.
Indicator
Senior Studio Evaluation
BFA candidates will undergo Senior Studio evaluation. For their Senior Studio performance evaluation, students produce and present a public concert, in which each candidate will create an original choreographic work. Students are evaluated by faculty panel on effectiveness of choreographic concept utilizing a standardized rubric. Students' evaluations include assessments of their grasp of choreographic form, movement invention, and their ability to direct students cast in the work
Since this is the first year the dance faculty has assessed the Senior Studio beyond the instructor of record assigning a letter grade for the course, we have used the Sophomore Gate Adjudication Rubric as a starting point.
Criterion
100%
The expectation of the BFA program is that all of its senior BFA candidates will demonstrate more than adequate choreographic proficiency. However, because the 2010 Faculty review and evaluation of the Senior Studio was being standardized for the first time and because the evaluation was employing a rubric which had never been tried for this purpose, only a passing vs. failing level of proficiency could be gauged; hence the 2010 criterion was that 100% of senior BFA candidates would "pass" the evaluation.
Finding
Criterion Met But Assessment Needs Refinement
The Senior Studio evaluations revealed that 100% of seniors who were BFA candidates met minimal "passing" standard for choreographic proficiency; however the assessment was deemed unsatisfactory by the faculty reviewers who prefer to assess by higher, more sensitive standards. It was determined that the assessment tool needs to be revised and refined.
Action
Improve Assessment & Peg Choreographic Curriculum To This Outcome
A fourth course in choreography has now been added to the curriculum. The course that currently serves as the culminating "Senior Studio," choreography III, will now serve as additional practice in movement composition before students enroll in the new course, DANC 4377, Senior Studio. DANC 4377 will not be offered in fall of 2011; it should premiere in fall of 2012.