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Proposal for Theatre Track for English Master of Arts Program

  1. What is the rationale for having the program? What are its goals and objectives? What competencies are expected of students upon completion of the program?

The rationale for the program is that formalizing a new Theater Track for the English Master of Arts Program has several benefits. Our goal is to streamline the course of study creation process for those students who have an interest in studying English and Theatre. The English Department sometimes offers theatre-related courses to its own graduate students (e.g., EN 403 and EN 505) and, in the past, students have produced Masters Theses consisting of one-act plays. The department would like to expand these options through cooperative arrangements with the theater faculty, which this proposal would allow to happen and give greater acknowledgment to the course of study through the track. The formalization of a track for Pedagogy in the English Department, for example, led to an increase in interest in the pedagogy courses offered by the department. In the same way, this track will allow an option for a second track to some of our students. We also hope that the track will prove attractive to high school English and Theater teachers who wish to pursue advanced training.

The CAPS Department regularly has funding for graduate assistants and interns, but it does not have an approved Masters program. That group of students will immediately benefit from such a track in the English Department. The CAPS Department, in cooperation with the English Department, has had to create Masters of Individualized Studies (MIS) programs for each of these students. These students take a number of English courses in the masters program to complete their studies, so it makes good sense to incorporate a regular Theater Track within our English MA Program since the CAPS Department does not have sufficient resources or programs to mount an independent program. A streamlined process will allow CAPS to continue to attract high quality artistic interns in the future. The identifiable track in English will be of great interest to many students, and will make it much easier to recruit and attract the best students for the program.

Providing significant educational opportunities for graduate artistic interns is vital to the continued success of the Forest Roberts Theatre. Given that we have limited staff support, the graduate artistic interns fill an extremely important function in the running and upkeep of the programming in the Forest Roberts Theatre (FRT). Without graduate interns, we would not be able to maintain the level and quality of productions offered to and expected by the community. The loss of these interns would have very real and visible affects on the program.

The creation of the Theatre track will allow us to formalize many things that have been de facto practice for years. The current approach to crafting an MIS for each incoming artistic intern is cumbersome for both students and faculty, and may discourage many qualified students from considering attending NMU. At present, the approval process for an incoming graduate student’s MIS is delayed each year because, when they arrive in the summer before beginning their studies, the Graduate Program Committee that must approve any MIS does not convene until well into the fall semester. Consequently, the present system requires incoming interns to enroll in a program that does not fit their "graduate-level" desires for as much as a semester or more, while waiting for approval of the MIS. The creation of this Theatre track will allow both CAPS and English to offer a high quality experience for incoming graduate students, and will not require faculty to “reinvent the wheel” with each student graduate artistic intern recruited to NMU .

Under the streamlined approach proposed here, and as has been long-standing practice in CAPS, a student’s proficiency in one or more theatre-related specializations (i.e., direction, management, or technical design for the stage; dramatic or performance theory and criticism) would still be assessed as part of her or his capstone project as application of theory. The remaining criteria used for the English graduate assessment will also be evaluated: form and structure, writing, originality, depth of insight, and grammar and usage.

By developing a new Theater Track for the English Master of Arts Program, the continuing support provided by the graduate artistic interns will allow the CAPS Department to more effectively partner with others to follow the Road Map to 2015. In particular, one of the goals expressed by the Road Map is to “increase collaboration with local communities, schools, governments, development groups and other partners to enhance community and economic development in the Upper Peninsula.” Toward that end, our graduate artistic interns run outreach programs such as student matinees of FRT productions for area junior high and high school students, or the Panowski Play Prize for writers around the UP and across the world. These programs (especially as we try to grow and expand them) serve the mission of the University. Likewise, they provide a “uniquely Northern” learning experience for the graduate students—experiences they are not likely to gain in other graduate institutions. These practical hands-on experiences would sit well within the Theatre Track for the English Masters program. Without the support of the interns, it would be nearly impossible for the faculty alone to maintain this level of outreach.

The Theater Track, as we have already indicated, will also allow us to attract current high school teachers who teach drama and/or theater and wish to receive advanced training, in line with the Road Map goal of establishing community interrelationships and support.

  1. How does the program fit with the department statement of mission?

The primary mission of the Department of English is undergraduate education in accord with the University's overall mission. We seek to nurture habits of literacy in our students and ourselves that contribute to the betterment of both self and society through courses fostering critical and analytical abilities, comprehensive communication and interpretative skills, independent thinking, and lifelong learning Our programs and courses, both in our majors and our liberal studies offerings, are designed to develop a substantive understanding of discourse, its value, and appropriate expression within an international and multicultural environment.

This track fits within the English Department’s stated mission to “nurture habits of literacy that contribute to the betterment of both self and society through courses fostering critical and analytical abilities, comprehensive communication and interpretive skills, and independent thinking.” The Theatre track parallels the requirements for all the other tracks in the English Master’s programs.

  1. What are the job opportunities for this program? What evidence do you have to support this conclusion?

The Theatre graduate track would prepare these students for entry into MFA or PhD programs, or for professional positions.

An additional target population for such a program would be high school drama teachers or drama coaches who are seeking the MA degree. Individuals currently must leave the area to find such a program. Examples include Central Michigan University's graduate program in Communication and Dramatic Arts and Eastern Michigan University's graduate programs in Communication and Theatre Arts

  1. Are there any related programs either in your department or elsewhere at Northern Michigan University?

There are no related programs in the English Department or elsewhere at NMU.

  1. How does this program compare to other professional programs that exist in the nation, state, or region?

In comparison with other universities which offer graduate level theatre classes but don’t offer graduate degrees, the Theatre subarea of CAPS has identified Northern Arizona University (NAU) as one of our peers. NAU offers two graduate level theatre classes, TH 599 Contemporary Developments, and TH 697 Independent Study, which compare favorably with our current Graduate level offerings of TH 595 Special Topics in Theatre, and TH 598 Independent Study in Theatre.

Within the state, a comparable program is Central Michigan University's MA program in Communication and Dramatic Arts. Although based in Communication rather than English, it requires a similar mix of base discipline theory and criticism classes, along with selected theatre courses.

Notably, the track we are proposing is similar to a few others across the country, in which English graduate programs have incorporated theatre courses as part of their degree requirements. For example, the University of Maryland’s Graduate Studies in English/ Literacy/ Education Graduate Program, the University of Regina’s M.A. in English, and Northwestern University’s M.A. Classics each recognize the value of adopting similar trans-disciplinary approaches to theatre tracks at the Masters level.

  1. Is this program affected by accreditation requirements? Explain.

No, this program is not affected by accreditation requirements

  1. Provide the listing of your program as it would appear in the Graduate Bulletin.

Theatre Track
EN 504 / 4 credits, Required
EN 500 level Literature Seminar / 4 credits, Required
Theatre Track / 12 TH/SP credits (at the 400 and 500 level) chosen by student and advisor
EN Electives / 6 to 10 credits
Capstone Project
(Thesis, Portfolio, or Practicum) / 2 to 6 credits
  1. What are the requirements for admission to your program?

Requirements for admission to the Theatre track in the English MA are the same as the current standards for admission. The undergraduate degree requirement, however, will be a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a major in English, Theatre, Communications, or the equivalent.

  1. What are the requirements for completion of your program?

The Theatre Track would require 12 credits in addition to the completion of EN 504, a 500-level literature seminar; a capstone project (thesis, internship, portfolio); and approved electives for a minimum of 32 credits. All requirements for this graduate track parallel those of the three current tracks in the English MA. We are also proposing a change in the title of EN 591 from Internship to Practicum for consistency with the courses in the Theatre Department at this level. This will also allow these completion projects to comply with the language for remuneration in the current NMU AAUP Master Agreement.

  1. Attach course outlines of any new or substantially revised courses, including Graduate Bulletin descriptions.

TH 591,Practicum in Theatre

1-8 cr.

Offered: On demand

Graded: S/U

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor and department head.

Practical, applied experience involving placement in a job situation.

TH 592,Theatre Portfolio

1-4 cr.

Offered: On demand

Graded: S/U

Prerequisite: Junior standing.

Projects in the areas of theatre carried on under the supervision of a faculty member, leading to the development of the professional portfolio in the student’s area of specialization

TH 595,Special Topics in Theatre

2-4 cr.

Offered: On demand.

Graded: A/F

Study of a particular topic or problem in an area of theatre.

Note: May be repeated if topic differs.

TH 598,Directed Studies in Theatre

1-8 cr.

Offered: on Demand

Graded: A/F

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor and department head

Independent study under the supervision of a member of the department. Supervisor and study must be selected prior to enrollment in the course and appropriate directed study forms must be completed. The content of the course does not duplicate existing course content.

TH 599,Thesis

4-6 cr.

Offered: on Demand

Graded: A/F

The student develops a thesis with the help of a thesis committee. Appropriate thesis forms must be completed prior to enrollment. The thesis must be approved by the thesis committee and the College of Graduate Studies. The student should consult the department and the College of Graduate Studies for specific requirements.

EN 591 MA, Practicum

1-6 cr.

Offered: on Demand

Graded: A/F

Prerequisite: Approval of the department's graduate or thesis committee

Supervised practical work at a newspaper, public relations agency or in a related field. Work is assigned and directly supervised by participating agency, with the student reporting regularly to a faculty member, who also grades the student's performance.

Note: May be repeated for up to 6 credits.

  1. What is the projected enrollment in the program for years one, two, and five?

During years one and two, projected enrollment will be the four Forest Roberts Theatre Graduate Artistic Interns currently funded by the University. An increase in year five enrollment is contingent upon opening the program to area high school drama/theatre teachers and coaches.

  1. What are the anticipated costs of the programs over the next three years? Separate costs of staff, equipment, and supplies, library, and space.

There are no additional staff, equipment, supplies, library, or space resources necessary.

The courses required in the Theatre track by the English Department are currently being taught by the English Department and can accommodate the additional students in this track.

Most of the courses required in the Theatre track by the CAPS Department are currently being taught by the CAPS Department and can accommodate the additional students in this track. The additional graduate courses will be cycled in or treated as independent studies as needed.

  1. Does this program call for faculty competencies currently available on our staff? Can more than one person presently on our faculty teach the key courses in the program?

This track does not call for additional faculty competencies.

The CAPS Theatre faculty possesses the competencies necessary for the Theatre components of the program, and these faculty memberswill be able to accommodate the additional students in this track.

Victor G. Holliday, MFA - Scenic and lighting design, technical direction, theatre history

Shelley M. Russell, PhD - Acting, directing, playwriting, costume design, combat, modern dramatic literature

Paul Truckey, MFA - Acting, directing, musical theatre performance, modern dramatic literature

Ansley Valentine, MFA - Arts administration and theatre management, acting, directing, African-American theatre, costuming

Thirty of the thirty-three English Department faculty have Graduate Faculty status; three more are applying this year. Three of the four CAPS/Theatre faculty listed above have Graduate Faculty status. Mr. Valentine will apply for Graduate Faculty status when his contract at NMU begins in 2010. (Resume attached)

With more than thirty individuals in the English Department with Graduate Faculty status, the department has several areas of overlap, including at least three faculty capable of teaching EN 504, the only course specifically required in all the English MA tracks.

  1. What equipment is available that would be useful for the program? Is more needed?

The staging and production facilities of the Forest Roberts Theatre and the Panowski Black Box Theatre would be used for this program. The resources of the Rapport Theatre Script Library are also available. Additional equipment is not needed.

  1. How heavily will students in this program use the library? How adequate are current library resources, including electronic resources? Have you conferred with someone from the library in the collection development area about future needs?

The English Department has consulted with its library liaison, Mollie Freier. According to Mollie and her colleagues, the current and future library resources, including electronic resources, are adequate for the proposed Theatre Track in the English MA.

  1. Is currently available space adequate for the needs of the program? If not, what more is needed?

Yes. The staging and production facilities of the Forest Roberts Theatre and the Panowski Black Box Theatre would be used for this program. The resources of the Rapport Theatre Script Library are also available. Additional space is not needed.

  1. Does the program relate to the training of teachers at either the elementary or secondary level? If so, it must be approved by the State Department of Education. Have you taken any preliminary steps in this direction?

NA

  1. When will this program be primarily taught: regular academic year, spring/summer, distance learning? Comment as appropriate.

The TheatreTrack and English courses will be taught throughout the academic year as well as summer just as they are currently being offered.

  1. What is the planned implementation date?

The planned implementation date for the Theatre Track in the English Master’s Program is Fall 2011 or as soon as possible.