Communication, Visual, and Performing Arts Programs

Division Dean: J. Stuckey
Program Faculty: M. Everett

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

The Communication, Visual, and Performing Arts majors include Communications Arts (with concentrations in Communication Studies, Film and Media, and Public Relations) and Digital Arts . Minors are offered in Communication Arts Minor , Digital Arts , and Fine Arts .

Program Goals

The overall goals of the Communication Arts major 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.

The overall goals of the Digital Arts major are:

To provide a well-qualified faculty that takes a special interest in the holistic development of students.
To present a curriculum that emphasizes the elements and principles of art and an historical context for visual arts.
To provide instruction in the discipline of art which will prepare students to be teachers, artists, and to appreciate the arts.
To create an exciting and challenging environment where inquiry and experimentation give way to understanding, knowledge, and appreciation for a variety of artistic styles and methods.
To provide opportunities for students to participate in a wide variety of experiences that are characterized by the skill and aesthetic expression such as museum visits gallery tours, and guest lectures and demonstrations.
To provide exhibits which enhance the cultural life of the Malone community, the greater Canton community, and the broader Malone constituency.
To broaden the aesthetic awareness of the general student population through general education courses in the arts;
To impress upon students their responsibility for stewardship in the arts.
To provide opportunities for students to express their Christian faith through art.
To provide preparation for graduate study.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Communication Arts major 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.

Graduates of the Digital Arts major will meet the following objectives:

Students will demonstrate effective competency in the accepted forms and practices of the disciplinary areas.
Students will demonstrate competency in presenting and displaying their work.
Students will articulate an artistic vision that reflects an understanding of the nature of the creative process, techniques, tradition, and faith.
Students will demonstrate mastery of professional practices.
Students will demonstrate 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 participate in experiences in the art community.

Special Programs, Festivals, and Conferences

Many opportunities exist for students to travel to local and regional conferences. Trips are regularly planned to the Calvin Festival of Faith and Writing and to see plays, films, and literary readings around the region.

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 the Office of the Humanities, Education, and Ministry Division.

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 Humanities, Education, and Ministry Division.

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 Humanities, Education, and Ministry Division.

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 Humanities, Education, and Ministry Division.

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