Dance BA
Program Purpose
The purpose of this program is to offer a liberal arts education in dance, centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Upon the completion of this degree the student will be prepared for post-baccalaureate programs, or for teaching, performing and/or choreographing within the private sector.
Curricular Structure
Learning Outcomes
Alignment with BYU Mission and Aims: Program objectives and expected outcomes align explicitly with the Mission ("to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life") and the Aims statements of the University (to provide spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging, and character building experiences, and to promote lifelong learning). The Dance Department philosophy addresses the development of the whole individual--the body, mind and spirit. The BA in Dance program by design is spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging, and character building. We desire our graduates to create, perform and teach dance in a manner that reflects values and moral character centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ. This program allows both breadth and depth of knowledge within the discipline and within general education requirements. We encourage scholarly research on multiple levels. We encourage our graduates to contribute to church and community through service and employment opportunities. The very nature of the dance discipline encourages graduates to engage in lifelong learning and service to others.
Body, Mind, Spirit ConnectionStudents will be able to express in written, movement, and oral presentation the body, mind, spirit connection through applied knowledge in dance science, somatic theory, and movement studies.
Students will be able to perform and choreograph dance works that demonstrate an awareness of historical and cultural contexts, application of the choreographic processes, and the shaping of a personal aesthetic.
Students will integrate their dance education with an accompanying self-selected minor or area of outside focus through thoughtful reflective practice.
Students will be able to value and model professional and civic engagement.
Evidence of Learning
Direct Measures
- Information from assessment tools such as research papers, presentations, projects, concert choreography, technique examinations, written exams, lesson plans, teaching evaluations, and performances are used by faculty members on a regular basis to evaluate student achievement within the program. Assessment of these artifacts are evaluated in the annual program assessment day in April.
- Students are required to complete a substantive capstone project that synthesizes the dance major with the accompanying minor. The project is presented at the BA Symposium and evaluated for quality by the BA Committee, the faculty mentor, and an interdisciplinary faculty committee member.
Indirect Measures
- Focus groups soliciting student input on program analysis deliver valuable ideas for improvement.
- Student exit interviews are transcribed, studied, and discussed for program improvement.
- Graduation statistics are kept and analyzed. Over the past ten years these statistics have reflected an upward trend in number of students graduating in the Dance BA Program.
- Ongoing accreditation reviews are conducted on a regular basis (at seven year intervals for the BYU Academic Unit Self-Study and ten year intervals for each of the National Association of Schools of Dance [NASD] in 2009-10 and the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities [NWCCU]).
- Alumni surveys are used periodically for assessment purposes, when internal studies or accreditation reviews require them
- Dance related jobs
- Students accepted to graduate programs
Learning and Teaching Assessment and Improvement
August 2011
- Completed linking CLO's to PLO's. Problem courses were identified, addressed, and resolved.
September 2011
- The suggested revisions to the assessment plan were approved by the Dance Faculty and became an action plan. Committees were formed, one for each of the six PLO's to create rubrics to identify uniform markers to measure student achievement in each of those PLO's.
- Each faculty member was charged to evaluate the CLO's in courses they currently taught for improvement. Best wording practices were reviewed. November 2011
November 2011
- Faculty continued to engage in discussions resulting in the PLO's being reduced again from 6 to 4. Program Learning Outcomes 4, 5, & 6 became one with three options. The on going commitee work was still valid even with this reduction.
- Course syllabus and teacher for D 459 were prepared to require the completion of the ePortfolio.
April 2012
- An assessment committee and chair wer designated to follow through on collection and evaluation of the sample ePortfolios. Using the prepared rubrics, this committee will meet during summer term to asses the e-portfolios and report to the faculty in August on the results. Their assessment report in Fall meetings 2012 should drive curriculum changes or decisions for the coming academic year.