Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1992 - 59

Revision of a curriculum is really an
examination of the triangular interplay
between: (a) rhe minimum comperencies
expected of srudents, (b) rhe values of rhe
faculty reflecred by addirional, unique
objecrives, and (c) rhe physical, monerary, and personnel resources available.
The USITT Curriculum Guidelines
help fill up the minimum competencies
corner and allow emphasis ro be placed
where ir will payoff: in developing the
unique qualiries of rhe program and
assuring rhe resources are available to
deliver whar is promised.
Of course, rhe besr programs-rhose
thar are currently generaring exemplary
graduares-don't need a ser of guidelines.
They probably don'r need ro review their
curricular offerings if symptoms of illness
aren'r apparent. However, even rhe besr
programs may want ro look to rhe guidelines as an assessment device.
Former EA presidenr Keirh Geiger
calls accounrability a requiremenr, nor an
e1ecrive. Legislators and rheir consrituenrs across rhe country are demanding accountability from higher education. - It seems reasonable ro worry rhat if
an objective isn't assessed, it may nor be
taught. The proposed USITT Curriculum Guidelines give insight inro assessing
skills and knowledge because they are
ourcome based.

Between Standards
and Academic FreedomRigor and Breadth
The line be(\veen srandards and academic freedom can be a fine one. Teaching is
a passionate calling. Strong emorions
playa parr in educational decision making. Academic freedom and rhe
sovereign ty of the master teacher appear
rhrearened when measurement of student
comperencies is discussed.
However, academic freedom is not at
risk here. These guidelines are far
removed from merhod. We should be no
more rhrearened by rhe srandard rhar
demands srudents be able ro read a scale
rule rhan we are by the srandard rhat
demands rhey wrire in complere senrences. The rigor and breadrh of our
standards may raise concerns among
some members who fear rhey may nor be
able to offer whar studenrs need.
Some might say, "You can'r standardize student involvement in areas allied
wirh rhearre-for instance dance or
opera-because most programs can'r
offer regular schedules of performances
in those disciplines." Perhaps, bur if rhe
goal of rhe program is ro produce lighring designers for rhe enrertainmenr

indusrry, rhen rhose experiences seem ro
be a musr. Likewise, rhe relarively high
numbers of design experiences called for
might seem impossible. However, like
design challenges stimulared by visionary
directors and scriprs of qualiry, rhese
srandards could be mer crearively if faculry were morivared ro encourage studenrs
to meer rhem. Learning experiences ourside rhe department or a new sum mer
fesrival could be rhe answer. Furthermore, rhese guidelines reinforce rhe role
of rhe master reacher ro evaluare rhe
comperencies Iisred.

Should schools offering a professional
degree meer that responsibility on rheir
own rerms' If we are accorded rhe righrs,
privileges, and responsibiliries of a profession, we should acr like one. A professional organizarion serves professional
training programs when it rakes rhe
responsibility ro recommend minimum
comperencies rhrough rhe collective wisdom of irs members.
Guidelines such as these make life
easier for all of us when rhey are used creatively. They help us meer our obligation
to teach srudenrs well, rhoroughly, and in
prepararion for a foreseen ourcome. ffi

Relationships With Sister
Organizations
Cynics mighr ask, "Don'r we sound like a
cadre of self-serving rechies wirh an
inflared sense of self worrh' \Xlho's going
to rake rhis seriously?" As a sraremenr of
recommended pracrice rhe inrenr of rhis
document is nor ro legislare, bur ro suggest. Ir sure would be berrer as parr of a
package from a broader spectrum organizarion such as rhe Associarion for Theatre
in Higher Educarion.
The arional Associarion of Schools
of Theatre (NAST) has arriculared a ser
of guidelines which are useful, bur for an
altogerher different purpose. Their document is designed for review of programs
and faculty in order ro grant accrediration. Ir has rhe personnel management
flavor of administrarive guidelines for
promorion and renure.
Some elements of their handbook are
fairly clear and useful, such as rhe proposirion thar BFA graduares " ... should be
able ro form and defend value judgments
abou r rhearre." However, mosr of rhe
language in rhe handbook is directed ar
program conrenr rarher rhan srudenr ourcomes, such as, rhe requiremenr rhar
AST BFA programs of design and rechnology include "studies in rhe principles
and applicarion of (\'10- and rhree-dimensional aesrherics." 8

Curriculum Guidelines as a
Professional Obligation
Schools which intend ro send students
on ro graduare school or inro rhe profession have a responsibility ro provide rhe
profession wirh artisrs and crafrspersons
qualified ro make advances in rheir fields
of expertise. The SITT tenure documenr outlines srandards for faculty crearive ourpur, but does lirtle for reaching
srandards. Giamarri's call for arricularion
of whar our srudents will be able ro do
upon leaving school is a heavy responsibility.

Brian Jones is an associate professor oftheatre at Weber State University and consults
with programs which are reviewing their
curriculum. He is C1/rrently working on a
project Oil student alld program assessment
fOr the Education Commission.
ENDNOTES
I

Giam:uti, A. BartielL HLcadership and Srandard"i in
American Universitics. SocirtJ. September/October
H

1990.
Giarn::mi.

Pallon. Bobby R., -The Power of Program Swing: lih·
eral Ans \'5. Fine Ans,- riCA Buf/nin, January 1986:
18-2-.
Angotti. Vincent, "The Practicallssues,H .riCA Bullnill,

January 1986: 2 I.
Conmois, 1\1. E.. -Conser\"a[Qr~' Training \X'ithin the
Academic Insri(Urion." riCA Bullnil1, januan" 1986:
24.
.
6

ConnlOis.

Geiger, Keith. "AccoulHabiliry: A Requirement, Nm an

Elective." N&l Tod,,)', April 1990: 2.
8

Nalional Associalion of Schools ofThea[re, Handbook,

(1990) 48, 51.

The Case for
Curriculum Guidelines:
A Response
Elbin L. Cleveland,
TD&TAssociate Editot for Education
I have to state up front that I have a
basic disagreement with Brian on the
best way to raise standards of theatre
design education, (Which is what
we're reall] talking about,)
Firsr, a lisr of competencies is not
a curriculum guideline because it
doesn't even menrion curricula, let
alone provide any significant guidance in creating a sound curriculum.
--colltinrted on page 58

TD&T

1992 FAll

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