Department of Communication, Visual, and Performing Arts

Faculty: C. Berringer, M. Biss, H. Bullach, S. Choi, L. Donnelly, M. Everett, A. Lawson, T. McKenzie, J. Moyer (Chair), A. Rudd

We, the Department of Communication, Visual, and Performing Arts, are committed to the development of communicators rooted in communities, acting as agents of truth, reflection, transformation, and reconciliation in a way that celebrates God’s grace and faithfulness.

The department offers majors in Communication Arts with concentrations in Communication Studies; Theatre, Film, and Media; and Public Relations; Fine Arts and Crafts ; and Graphic Design and Digital Arts . The department also offers minors in Art and Communication Arts .

Program Goals

The overall goals of the department are:

To provide students opportunities to develop written and oral communication competence
To provide students opportunities to develop an orientation for meaningful vocation in a wide variety of communication related careers and activities
To provide students opportunities to develop the ability to analyze and critique the relationship between communication and culture

Learning Outcomes for Communication Arts majors

Graduates will meet the following objectives:

Demonstrate effective competency in the accepted forms and practices of the disciplinary areas.
Demonstrate their ability to write appropriately and effectively in a variety of communication contexts.
Demonstrate knowledge, application, effectiveness and appropriateness in oral communication contexts.
Articulate a philosophy of work and vocation that reflects an understanding of the nature of work and the relationships between gifts, calling and vocation.
Demonstrate the application of communication theories in various life situations.
Apply communication concepts and skills to personal interaction and group settings.

Learning Outcomes for Fine Arts and Crafts; Graphic Design and Digital Arts majors

Students will be able to identify and utilize the basic ideas, forms, terminology, and processes that are from historical references to modern and contemporary art within the range of the disciplines offered in the department.
Students will have knowledge of the ideas, forms, and significant works of art in the traditions of art forms developed by cultures from around the world.
Students will be able to express in written form a reflection of the Junior Review process noting the positive and negative aspects of the process and the way they can utilize the feedback they have received.
Students will be able to exhibit a body of work for their Senior Show that will be assessed by the department on the works created before and after their Junior Review. This exhibit with an accompanying reception represents their final evaluation from the department.
Students will be able to articulate both in verbal and written form basic relationships between the Christian faith and the visual arts throughout each semester.

The Department requires a grade of C- or higher in all courses in the art majors (Fine Arts and Crafts; Graphic Design and Digital Arts) or the art minor. A student in any of these majors/minor receiving a grade lower than C- will be permitted a one-time repeat of the course.

Special Programs

Integrated Language Arts

Although there is not a program for secondary teaching licensure housed in the Department of Communication Arts, the Integrated Language Arts program includes courses offered by this department: COMM 221 , COMM 230 , and COMM 303 . This program is available in the Department of Language and Literature and leads to teaching licensure which includes communication and speech.

American Studies Program

The American Studies Program is a semester-long internship/seminar program for upper-level students in most majors. Located in Washington, D.C., the program offers a non-traditional, interdisciplinary, issue-oriented learning experience. (See Educational Options and Enhancements for more details.)

Los Angeles Film Studies Center

The Los Angeles Film Studies Center, located in Hollywood, is a semester-long internship/seminar program for upper-level students who are interested in an introduction to the work and workings of the mainstream Hollywood film industry. (See Educational Options and Enhancements for more details.)

Field Study Course (FS 250/350): Stratford/Shaw Festival

For a long weekend during the fall semester, students can join a tour to the Stratford and Shaw Festivals in Ontario, Canada. Six to seven plays from a variety of genres (e.g., tragedies, comedies, musicals, mysteries) and by a variety of playwrights as varied as Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw, and Rodgers and Hammerstein are seen. Students can earn 3 upper-level English credits or earn Communication Arts credit. Most of the class takes place during the trip with some assignments to be done before and after. Students learn how a written text (the play) is transformed and interpreted on stage and how to understand a live performance of theatre and critique its success. The trip can also be taken for no credit. For more information, contact either the Office of the Department of Communication Arts or the Office of the Department of Language and Literature.

Field Study Course (FS 250/350): Humana Festival for New American Plays

For a long weekend during alternate Spring semesters, students may participate in the Humana Festival for New American Plays at the Actors Theatre in Louisville, Kentucky. The Humana Festival presents premiere performances of some of the most important new plays in American Theatre. Students can earn Communication Arts credit. Most of the class takes place during the trip with some assignments to be done before and after. Students learn how plays are transformed from written documents to fully staged productions. Special attention is directed toward helping students know how to understand a live performance of theatre and critique the success of the play and the production. The trip can also be taken for no credit. For more information, contact the Office of the Department of Communication Arts.

Field Study Course (FS 250/350): Broadway and Beyond

Students take a trip to New York City to watch plays on Broadway, on off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway. Broadway has long been considered the premiere location for theatre in America. Students can earn Communication Arts credit. Most of the class takes place during the trip with some assignments to be done before and after. Students learn how plays are transformed from written documents to fully staged productions. Special attention is directed toward helping students know how to understand a live performance of theatre and critique the success of the play and the production. The trip can also be taken for no credit. For more Information contact the Office of the Department of Communication Arts.

Field Study Course (FS 250/350): American College Theatre Festival

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide and includes a network of more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country, where theater departments and student artists showcase their work and receive outside assessment by KCACTF respondents. In January and February of each year, regional festivals showcase the finest productions and offer a variety of activities, including workshops, symposia, and regional-level award programs. Students attending the regional festivals will watch a number of plays and attend a number of seminars. Most of the class takes place during the trip with some assignments to be done before and after. Special attention is directed toward helping students know how to understand a live performance of theatre and critique the success of the play and the production. The trip can also be taken for no credit. For more Information contact the Office of the Department of Communication Arts.

Other Off-Campus Programs

Although not directly related to the Communications Arts focus, other programs deserve consideration by our students: Australia Studies Centre, China Studies, Latin American Studies, Middle East Studies, Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya, and The Scholars’ Semester in Oxford. (See Educational Options and Enhancements for more details.)

Programs

Undergraduate Major

Undergraduate Minor

Courses

Art

Communication Arts

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