School of Performing Arts and Communication

The School of Performing Arts and Communication provides excellent instruction within our programs in music, communication, theatre, and dance. Degree programs cultivate creativity and stimulate imagination, which enhance critical thinking skills. Our students take their place among the global citizens of the world to become the cutting edge problem solvers in their diverse fields of interest.

Mission

The mission of the School of Performing Arts and Communication is to inspire, expose, engage, nurture, and transform a new generation of global leaders through excellence in academic, artistic, and service-learning programs graduating highly motivated individuals in the fields of music, technology, communication, theater and dance. These graduates will contribute to society as entrepreneurs, educators, highly skilled professionals, and civic-minded citizens.

Vision

The School of Performing Arts and Communication will offer courses and programs that prepare students to engage in continuous learning and gain appreciation for diversity. We will foster an environment of adaptability by staying abreast of current trends, cutting edge technology, and promoting community partnerships.

Goals

Goal 1. Ensure Student Satisfaction and Student Success through Programs and Support Services.

Priority: The School of Performing Arts and Communication will continue to foster student achievement through excellence in curriculum, teaching, learning and services that meet multiple needs. Student-centered programs and support services will identify student goals and individual needs, and will facilitate student retention, completion and goal achievement.

Goal 2. Ensure Broad-Based Education.

Priority: The School of Performing Arts and Communication is committed to developing life-long learners who are competent problem-solvers, critical thinkers, effective communicators, ethical citizens and technologically literate contributors to the global community. Students will achieve a broad-based perspective through liberal learning.

Goal 3. Expand the School’s Commitment to Professional Development.

Priority: The School of Performing Arts and Communication will continue to create an intellectually stimulating, innovative and exciting environment that encourages its entire faculty and staff to grow professionally and personally, to seek out and implement best practices and to contribute to the school’s nurturing and student-centered environment.

Goal 4: Model Community Leadership.

Priority: The School of Performing Arts and Communication will build stronger community ties and model community leadership by serving as a resource and convener for enlightened discourse on vital community issues regarding environmental stewardship, social justice, non-partisan politics and culture.

Objectives

The School of Performing Arts and Communication focuses on a student-centered learning environment. Within this setting, students and faculty can explore the many dimensions of the human experience as conveyed in artistic and musical expressions, in historical, legal, philosophical, political, religious, and sociological perspectives, and in various languages and forms of communications in both community and global environments.

The courses, programs, activities and events within the School of Performing Arts and Communication provide opportunities for students to enhance:

Critical thinking, communication, and research skills
Team-building and leadership skills
Creativity
Information literacy
Ethical and spiritual development
Social responsibility
Respect for diversity
Global citizenship

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates will apply critical thinking skills to reflect, analyze, and evaluate information and experiences using an integration of disciplines’ theories, terminology, and paradigms as measured in exit exams, senior papers, projects, and/or portfolios at an acceptable level on a rubric.

Graduates will demonstrate practical knowledge and competency in interdisciplinary studies comprised of combinations of the following disciplines: Mass Communication; Music; and Speech Communication, Theatre and Visual Arts as measured through exit exams, senior papers, projects and/or portfolios at an acceptable level on a rubric.

Graduates will communicate clearly, concisely and correctly in written and spoken English in order to write and orally present an academic paper or project using appropriate investigative and research strategies and use computer and audio-visual technology.

Graduates will articulate value-centered positions on global issues that evidence awareness of commonalities and differences across diverse cultures through papers/presentations at an acceptable level on a rubric.

Graduates will demonstrate civic engagement, productive teamwork, and personal responsibility as measured through field experiences at an acceptable level on a rubric.

Graduates will demonstrate a passion for lifelong learning and growth by entrance into a wide range of careers, graduate programs, or professional schools to be shown by job entries and graduate school admissions.

Notes:

Students majoring in Mass Communications may concentrate on courses in Journalism, Broadcast Production/Technology, or News Editorial and Public Relations/Advertising.

Students majoring in Music may concentrate on courses in Performance or Music Technology.

Students majoring in Speech Communication may concentrate on courses in General Speech Communication, Speech Communication Interdisciplinary Studies, or Theatre Arts/Performance.

Note: A minor shall consist of 18 Semester Hours, and a “C” (2.0) or better must be earned for all classes taken toward the minor must be earned.

Admission Requirements:

Students seeking admission into a major program in the School of Liberal Arts must:

Complete all requirements for General Education as identified in the undergraduate catalog.
Have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0

General Requirements

The requirements and objectives, which are discussed in this section, apply to the School of Performing Arts and Communication as a whole. Departmental requirements are given with the major area offerings.
Note: All students are required to earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher for all courses required to complete their program. However, for course credit toward graduation in a major area, students must earn at least a “C” grade. Before graduation, each student must pass an exit examination covering the major subject areas of their major and complete a senior level research paper.

Computer Technology

All students are required to satisfy competency in computer technology.

Professional Seminar

Professional Seminar is required for all students. Department seminar meetings will convene every week on Fridays to provide students with the opportunity to become better acquainted with their chosen field. The School of Performing Arts and Communication school- wide Professional Seminar will meet on the last Friday of every month.