To: UEPC
From: Performing Arts Theatre Program
RE: Proposal to change one upper division requirement in Theatre
Date: Oct. 24, 2016

Currently:Both Perfa 115 (Music in Performance) AND Perfa 184 (Dance in Performance) are required for both tracks in the theatre major, Performance and Theatre Studies, and Design and Technical Theatre.

Proposed:Eliminate Perfa 184 (Dance in Performance) as a major theatre requirement. Replace it with a required ELECTIVE OPTION.

Rationale: Currently, theatre majors have only one full credit elective option in the major. We believe these students would be better served by having a second elective option in their home discipline, allowing for more individualized explorations at the upper division level.Thus we propose to repurpose the “slot” created by removing Perfa 184 (Dance in Performance) as a major requirement, in order to create a second elective option in the major, while keeping the overall size of the major stable.

We also note that under the new core, Perfa 183 Dance in Performance has been designated as the Writing in the Disciplines course for Dance majors. Given the departmental course rotation (driven by other considerations), recent theatre majors have found themselves taking two Writinginthe Disciplines courses [Perfa 136, Theatre Special StudiesandPerfa 184 Dance in Performance ] in the same semester.We believe that requiring theatre students to take two Writing in the Disciplines-designated courses in Performing Arts exceeds the College’s expectation, and is an undue hardship.

The new catalogue language would read:

And two upper-division electivesfrom the following options:

Perfa 135 Theatre in Performance: Bay Area Theatre
Perfa 152 Making Theatre: One-acts
Perfa 160 Special Topics in Performing Arts
Perfa 161 Theatre and American Cultures (Multicultural Performance)
Perfa 162 Directing for the Stage
Perfa 185Dance in Performance

Respectfully submitted,

Rebecca Engle, Professor
Theatre Program Director

Sheila Hughes
/ Oct 17 (10 days ago)
/

toDana,me

Dear Rebecca,

I have reviewed the Theatre Program's proposal tomake Perfa 184: Dance in Performance one elective among others, rather than requirement, for the Theatre major and the proposal to remove the existing pre-requisites for Perfa 135: Theatre in Performance - Bay Area Theatre and instead to require English 5 as the sole pre-requisite. I find the rationales for both proposals persuasive, detect no problematic implications of either, and haveconfirmed, via the Department Chair, Dana Lawton, that the Performing Arts Department has reviewed and endorses these proposals. I am therefore happy to endorse both proposals to the UEPC.

cheers,

Sheila

Sheila Hassell Hughes

Dean, School of Liberal Arts

Saint Mary's College of California