The School of Art B.F.A programs include: (1) an initial two-year Foundations of Art core of introductory courses designed to prepare students for majors in Art History, Art Education, and Studio Arts (ceramics, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture). School of Art M.F.A. programs include: Art History, ceramics, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture, and an M.A. program in Art Education. Over the past five years there have been major changes in curricular programs in the School of Art which are now relatively complete. Assessment goals have been clarified and strengthened to identify the strengths and weaknesses in student achievement as a method of refining curriculum and instruction.

Goals identified for the School of Art (SOA) for the 1996-97 academic year were: personal, intellectual, and professional growth as general categories for developing an initial assessment plan. These goals were consistent with the mission statements of Ohio University, the College of Fine Arts and the School of Art, and were developed by the Assessment Committee of faculty representatives from Art History, Art Education, Ceramics, and Printmaking. In the winter of 1997, the goals were recognized and adopted by the faculty in the SOA and have been expanded upon in more specificity throughout the 1997-98 academic year. Assessment has been approached as an "evolving" and "continual" method of improving teaching and learning, and the assessment plan is predicated upon comparisons of "stakeholder" responses from both students and faculty (Stake 1975). The use of measures such as institutional surveys and reports, external evaluating agencies, and visiting experts in professional practice are being employed as "feedback loops" when available and where appropriate to provide information, insight, and evaluation of achievement.

Six specific criteria have been identified by the committee and faculty in the School of Art for the assessment of student learning in both scholarly and creative practice and include the following:

(1) acquisition of knowledge in the history of art and understanding the relationship and influence of historical context;

(2) knowledge and understanding of issues in critical and aesthetic theory in the history of art and studio practice;

(3) the development of aesthetic judgment and critical thinking;

(4) developing specific technical, aesthetic, critical, conceptual, and material abilities within studio media; (5) integrating research, verbal and written communication skills, and technology for scholarly and creative purposes;

(6) knowledge and understanding of contemporary professional practice in studio arts, art history, and art education.

SOA Assessment Committee goals for the 1997-98 academic year were to review and revise existing documents for consistency in collecting information, and to identify specific directions for the following year (1998-99). Two members of the committee (Talley Hipp, and Don Adleta) attended the Assessment Symposium sponsored by Ohio University on February 13, 1998. The Committee’s activities for the 1997-98 academic year are detailed as follows:

(1) The committee identified Ohio University’s "Survey of Graduates" (one and five-year) as integral long-term indicators of educational outcomes. All questions were reviewed on the basis of productivity useful for assessment purposes regarding the transition from education to professional contexts. Suggestions for revising existing questions in the surveys, and additional questions specific to School of Art and Fine Arts graduates were submitted to the College Committee in the fall of 1997 (See Appendix A). Institutional surveys in this document are summarized for SOA faculty to identify general trends as well as areas of strength and weaknesses for use in developing individual assessment plans for the following year (See Section D for analyses).

(2) During winter quarter the "Senior Exit Questionnaire" (developed by the previous SOA Assessment Committee), was reviewed on the basis of productivity, and refined. Questions were added to identify major programs and provide demographic information in order to determine patterns of achievement regarding specific groups or categories of students. Questions were added to align the questionnaire with institutional surveys to provide more specific information related to general trends identified in institutional surveys for reliability (See Appendix B).

The faculty approved adding the questionnaire to the students’ DARS as a requirement for graduation in order to obtain assessment data from all graduating seniors. This measure will improve the validity of the instrument by providing responses from every student. A software program will be developed for the questionnaire to make reporting easier for each of the major areas in the SOA and provide clarity in interpreting results.

(3) Work was begun to refine course evaluation instruments to: provide feedback for both assessment of student learning and the teaching effectiveness of faculty in individual SOA courses; and establish consistency with written course descriptions in the university catalogs. The committee recommended the catalog description be a component of individual course syllabi, clearly stated course objectives, and reviewed at the time students evaluate courses. Suggestions for revision were submitted to the faculty in the School of Art late spring quarter for comments, suggestions, and approval in developing the final instrument. Efforts are being made to align the course evaluation instrument with SOA and College Tenure and Promotion Guidelines, and to make course evaluations appropriate for use by the SOA Merit Committee as one of several faculty evaluation measures.

(4) Other committee recommendations were to request written evaluations from visiting professionals external to the institution to provide expert evaluations concerning the quality of student achievement;

(5) Tracking of School of Art majors after graduation was identified by the previous assessment committee as an important component of determining student success. The OH! Newsletter is an effective method of informing graduates of activities in the school, and a portion of each newsletter reports former graduates’ professional success. The 1997-98 Assessment Committee recommended that one entire issue of OH! be devoted to highlighting the professional accomplishments of SOA graduates, and that efforts be devoted to contacting former students. The Committee identified inconsistencies in the data bases that provide addresses of former students, and proposed updating and extending the data bases as an important task for the 1998-99 committee.

(6) Development of an assessment instrument for graduate students (similar to the Senior Questionnaire discussed above) was identified as the major focus of the 1998-99 Assessment Committee and faculty in the School of Art. However, it should be noted that students in graduate programs in the school are being continually assessed through all methods and processes discussed in this report.

The above recommendations by the Committee were presented to, approved, and adopted by the Interim Director and faculty of the School of Art. Recommendations for directions the 1998-99 committee will be provided through this document and faculty conferences.

Multiple assessment methods are primarily qualitative and are the most appropriate form for the individual particularity of student achievement in the arts. These were identified by the initial Assessment Committee in 1996-97 and refined over the 1997-98 academic year:

(1) Advising is recognized as a critical component in student achievement. Graduate and undergraduate students in the School of Art are advised at least once each quarter by either a general SOA advisor (while enrolled in the Foundations program) or advisors in the specific "major" areas. All SOA faculty members are committed and involved in a continual process of individual student academic advising to insure successful scholarly and creative achievement and efficient management of progress toward completion of degree requirements. Graduate students are provided a published handbook of timelines to chart progress, guidelines, and procedures for completing degree requirements. Extended individual academic advising is provided from graduate faculty committees and the SOA Graduate Advisor to assist graduate students in setting and accomplishing goals.

(2) Portfolio reviews (collections of student work) are used by all major areas in the School of Art and take the form of both textual and imagistic scholarship. Initial portfolio reviews are additionally used as benchmarks for determining achievement and "growth" for the final two years of study. At the graduate level, portfolios are required as one of the components for admission to all M.F.A. graduate programs studio areas, Art Education, and Art History. Examples of written scholarship are one of the components for admission to Art History graduate programs. These also serve as benchmarks providing assessment data to determine student achievement.

(3) All courses in the School of Art employ "course-embedded" assessments in the form of written and imagistic research; continual critiques of student work to provide on-going feedback from faculty and student peers to facilitate learning; tests; practical applications of learning and performance-based demonstrations; portfolio reviews of work; and written papers each quarter. Courses in graduate programs use course-embedded assessment as well as formal performance-based faculty committee reviews to determine student learning.

(4) Senior practicum courses and performance-based capstone experiences in the form of exhibitions are required for all studio arts majors; students also participate in professional chapter exhibitions (Undergraduate Art League and the National Art Education Association); and student teaching in art education are important in assisting students in making transitions to professional work. The capstone experiences are judged by outside evaluators. At the graduate level, performance-based assessment is directly related to professional achievement in several ways; individual thesis exhibitions; written scholarship in the form of theses; expectations to extend scholarly and creative activities in venues external to the university setting.

(6) The Senior Exit Questionnaire assessment instrument was initially developed by the 1996-97 Assessment Committee, refined during winter quarter of this academic year, and given to graduating seniors at the end of spring quarter. The questionnaire is composed of categories of questions specific to Foundations, Studio Arts, and Art History, and provides a quantitative method for assessment. Due to the cross-disciplinary nature of art education which encompasses all visual arts disciplines, Art Education seniors are required to fill out the SOA instrument and an additional instrument composed of 31 questions specific to the pre-service preparation of visual art teachers (See Appendix C). Faculty will use individual responses to the Senior Exit Questionnaire to identify any weaknesses in instructional programs, and will use this feedback as a method of strengthening academic courses and address other related needs for improvement.

The SOA instrument has been adopted and implemented by the faculty in the school and is perceived as valuable to the assessment process, however, several weaknesses have been identified in the second year of use. Difficulties in obtaining responses from all graduating seniors, and the clearly organized statistical reporting of responses will be improved through the development of a software program and requiring completion of the questionnaire for graduation on the DARS.

(7) Institutional surveys of College of Fine Arts Graduates are important indicators of long-term educational outcomes for SOA graduates. The Assessment Committee and faculty in the School of Art recognize that follow-up surveys are instrumental in revealing significant patterns regarding the direction of efforts to improve both student performance and satisfaction. Summaries of institutional surveys and the SOA Senior Exit Questionnaire are detailed below and reported to faculty in the School of Art to establish "feedback loops."

April 1998 Follow-up Studies of Graduates prepared by Institutional Research, and includes summary tables and lists from the Career and Further Education Study from 1992 through 1996. The following is directly quoted from the "Graduate Follow-up Summary":

The single largest employment category one year after graduation for employed Fine Arts graduates was business (about 45 percent), followed by communication (about 16 percent), and education (about 12 percent).... Most of the graduates reported satisfaction with their current employment and the preparation they received at Ohio University.... About 26 percent of the Fine Arts graduates were furthering their education, which is close to the university-wide rate of 29 percent.... The most frequently reported academic programs were in fine arts.

The most frequent of the reported academic programs in the College of Fine Art was in Art with 29 out of the 45 total respondents, therefore, Art is the only part of the survey that demonstrates any statistical significance (N greater than 20). This appears to be a result of efforts to track graduates. A decline was shown in the number of responses to the 1996 survey which followed a steady increase over the five year period, and indicates that better tracking of graduates and continual contact by the academic unit may encourage a higher response rates to increase validity.

It can be predicted that the trend of employment in business, communication, and entertainment industries will continue appreciably as the need increases for visual arts graduates reported in numerous publications by Gates, 1995; Gelernter, 1997; Goodale, 1997; Naisbitt & Aburdene, 1990, and Pournelle, 1997. The length of time prior to employment fell within acceptable ranges of 2-8 months, and graduates reported satisfaction with employment.

Although most graduates reported satisfaction with current employment and the preparation received at Ohio University" a closer examination revealed a significant increase in those who were "Extremely Satisfied" in both categories (from 16-24% and 4-14% respectively). The survey shows a decrease (from 29-14%) in the percentage of graduates who were "Not at All Satisfied" with their present position. However, those "Not at all Satisfied" with major courses and quality of preparation for career goals shows an increase (from 30-38% and 3-18% respectively). These results suggest a need for strengthening the quality of major courses and enhancing applicability to careers; at least making these more explicit in major courses. A similar trend of increasing dissatisfaction is evident in preparation for additional academic work, according to the survey, declining from 23% to 14% in the "Extremely Well" category and increasing in the "Not at All Well" category from 0% to 14%. These are also identified as areas to address for improving the quality of educational programs in the School of Art. These categories correspond to a similar pattern for the College of Fine Arts, however, the university-wide table indicates a fairly stable percentage in responses over the five year period showing a slightly opposite trend.

Change in Student Involvement From the First (Freshman) Year to the Senior Year at Ohio University: Results for Students Majoring in Art compared to university-wide (UW) results. The "questionnaire collected information on three aspects of student involvement [participation in]: academic...social...personal goals and adjustment to college" over a four-year period. Results in this survey are examined in-depth on the basis of the percent of change, and the study reveals significant assessment information concerning student perceptions.

Reporting indicates students in art spend significantly more hours studying (12% compared to -4% UW) and in the number of visits to the library (72% compared to 55% UW). However, the same students showed a greater decrease in the amount of outside reading for both pleasure and information not assigned for classes (11% compared to 47% UW). It appears that students in art are more seriously committed to preparation and research for courses and spend less time in non-academic reading.

There were exceptionally significant changes over the four years in this category compared to the university average. "Conversations with an Academic Advisor" increased (187% compared to 90% UW) and reveals the serious commitment by School of Art Faculty to student advising. An exceptional increase is reported for "Conversations with Faculty Members" (471% compared to 194% UW). This significance should be interpreted as an indicator of the amount of time that School of Art faculty and staff spend in individualized instruction with SOA students. "Conversations about Research and Scholarship" also showed a significant increase (133% compared to 67% UW) and is consistent with the above results. This interpretation is further supported by a decrease in "Conversations with Staff" (-33% compared to 140% UW).

Conversations with Student Organization Advisors increased phenomenally (600% compared to 125% UW). The School of Art has a number of internal student professional chapters and encourages students to participate in professional organizations external to the University context. The internal organizations also provide enhanced opportunities for interaction with faculty. "Conversations with a Career Advisor or participation in a program concerning your Career" changes were significantly less than the university average (86% compared to 140%) and supports the trend observed in the above "Survey of Graduates". Part of the problem has been the lack of career opportunities in the visual arts. This has been identified as a direction for improvement for SOA programs.

Art students rated "instruction in major courses" as important, but "satisfaction" appeared to decrease (-5% compared to a 10% increase UW). This trend was also identified on the institutional survey of graduates and indicates a second area for improvement in the SOA. Satisfaction regarding "Faculty Availability Outside Class" (-3% compared to 10% UW) as well as "Academic Advising" (-5% compared to 3%) also indicated decreasing satisfaction. This may be related to faculty availability but is inconsistent with the exceptionally significant change in the number of conversations with an academic advisor reported above. It is also inconsistent with the exceptional increase in social contacts with faculty reported below. Part of the apparent dissatisfaction may be a result of the continual changes in curriculum and new requirements over the past five years in the School of Art. This disparity should be studied as no clear reasons are evident in other surveys. Although the College of Fine Arts conducts a student survey of advising satisfaction, results are not made available to faculty advisors in the SOA.

One the whole, art students appear to spend slightly less time on campus (-5% compared to 0% UW); attend significantly less on-campus parties (-40% compared to -23% UW) and consume significantly less alcoholic beverages (-38% compared to UW -14%). Art students also attend significantly more cultural events (63% compared to 12% UW), and more art students have off-campus, part-time jobs (20% compared to 14% UW). They also have significantly less conversations with international students per month (-43% compared to 13% UW). The need for minority and international recruitment has been identified by faculty in the SOA. Reasons should be studied and efforts increased, although it is possible that more lucrative professions may attract greater majorities of international and minority students.

Students in art indicated a slightly increased participation in Intercollegiate athletics and showed no change in participation in intramural athletics (0% compared to -13% UW). Publication activities increased (100% compared to 113% UW), however changes in productions and performances showed an exceptional increase (179% compared to 31% UW). Art students were less involved in Greek life (-30% compared to -18% UW), but more significantly involved in Professional clubs (46% compared to -4% UW) and Hobby/Social Clubs (93% compared to -8% UW). Art students were also significantly more involved in religious organizations (86% compared to 45% UW). Results indicate art students were phenomenally active in terms of Residence Hall activities (1039% compared to 144% UW); Student Government (100% compared to 32% UW); and Service activities (39% compared to 7% UW).

Art students indicated significantly less involvement in both International activities (-50% compared to -10% UW), and Leadership Programs (-71% compared to -27% UW) which is consistent with the above results. The total change in involvement in Extracurriculars over the four years was exceptionally significant (133% compared to only 38% UW). This survey indicated that art students participate in College-Related activities significantly more than other students in the university.

Total faculty social contacts for art students increased more than twice that for the university as a whole (243% compared to 129% UW). The differences were phenomenally significant for "dinner or refreshments at a faculty member’s home" (500% compared to 100% UW); going "out with for refreshments with a faculty member" (1200% compared to 250% UW). On-campus meals with faculty did not change (0% compared to 33% UW) as SOA faculty members generally bring food and work through meal times.

Reports of satisfaction from art students were consistent with university-wide results with the exception "interactions with international students" (-2% compared to 7% UW). These activities were considered somewhat less important by students in art than across the university.

A similar decrease was observed in the perceived importance and satisfaction with campus activities for art students with the exception of involvement in Student Organizations (30% compared to 20% UW), attending campus "cultural events" (15% compared to 7% UW) and part-time jobs which was significantly higher than the university results (37% compared to 24% UW).

Art students were significantly concerned with Adequate Personal Safety (-13% compared to 0% UW) but appeared to be more satisfied about Fitting into the Campus Community" (12% compared to 3% UW). The School of Art has been increasingly dedicated to improving the personal safety for students without limiting access to the buildings which is critical for student productivity. Art students customarily work very long and late hours and these needs must continue to be accommodated. Increased university participation in this area would be helpful.

The only significant difference between reporting by art students and the university-wide report was in satisfaction with "Making Progress Toward Career Goals" (0% compared to 7% UW) which is consistent with the institutional survey of graduates discussed above.

Responses from art students were consistent with other students across the university except for satisfaction with social adjustments to college which was less (0% compared to 7% UW). Developing Personal Values and Beliefs (14% compared to 5% UW); Developing a Philosophy of Life (13% compared to 8% UW); and Spiritual Development (10% compared to 2% UW) significantly increased in both importance and satisfaction for art students compared to university-wide results.

Results were relatively consistent between art students and university students in this section.

Art students appear to be more academically serious, more active in campus-related activities, and more socially involved than other students surveyed in the university. They consume less alcohol and attend fewer parties, spend more time in service to the community and interacting with faculty both academically and socially, and appear to be adjusting well to college. In many cases, the results of the survey indicated exceptionally significant changes in a positive direction over the four years compared to the university-wide responses. Strengths in School of Art academic programs are identified as exceptionally increased individualized contact with faculty both socially and academically; opportunities for involvement in professional organizations; participation in the numerous cultural activities provided (visiting artists, exhibitions, performances, lectures, etc.). Several weaknesses in the educational programs have been identified: (1) inclusion and enhanced alignment of the SOA curriculum and individual courses which address career goals and opportunities for employment; (2) investigating and determining the reasons that art students appear less satisfied with instruction in major courses; (3) examining the disparity in satisfaction with academic advising; and (4) increasing efforts to recruit minority and international students.

School of Art Senior Exit Questionnaire (See Appendix D for tabulated responses in brackets [] to support analysis). The School of Art Senior Exit Questionnaire was responded to by 59% of the seniors applying for graduation in the spring of 1998 (41 out of 69). A small number of the 69 seniors have not completed all requirements for graduation, but most are expected to have done so by the end of summer sessions. The total number of respondents is statistically significant at 41. Responses to questions determine descriptors of "Very Strong" (exceptional percentage of responses Strongly Agree and Agree); "Strong" (if the majority of responses Strongly Agree or Agree); "Good" (if the responses are generally favorable); "Weak" (if responses Disagree or Strongly Disagree). Responses that are "split" in a category, or Weak indicate areas for improvement in programs in the School of Art. Individual programs will analyze responses from students in the major to determine specific interventions to strengthen those programs if needed (as discussed above in Section C) and are not included in this report.

The majority of students responding to the questionnaire are residents of the State of Ohio; US citizens; and Caucasian. There were 9 transfer students. Principle visual art experiences prior to attending the university were in high schools. The majority of respondents had overall and major GPA’s of 3.0 and above (29 and 36 respectively or 70% and 88% respectively). The higher GPA’s are consistent with the "four-year survey" analyzed above that indicates art students are more academically serious.

Foundations Program (Questions 12-18)

The Foundations program was rated as "Strong" in preparation, background, knowledge and skills for the chosen major; art terminology; and drawing. The program was rated "Very Strong" in verbal articulation related to work developed through critiques. Ratings were "Good" for questions 12, 16, and 18 relating to "assisting students in selecting majors"; "photography"; and "three-dimensional studies" courses. These could be identified as an areas for attention in the Foundations program to assist students in making transitions to major fields of study and to strengthen these aspects of the program. Foundations requirements have changed considerably over the past four years, and generally, all students were satisfied with the program. There were no weaknesses identified.

These courses were identified as "Very Strong" and "Strong" by respondents.

Students were very satisfied and confident about these skills, and this is identified as a "Very Strong" area.

Respondents were very satisfied with achievement and rated these as "Very Strong" courses in the School of Art.

This is a relatively new area in the School of Art, and responses indicate it is "Strong."

Responses indicate that this is a "Strong" area and the relation with studio courses is good, however, there was a slightly higher percentage, in varying degrees of disagreement, in all questions related to this area (Questions 29-31) from students primarily in studio programs. Responses from Art History and Art Education majors are much more favorable and indicate "Very Strong" perceptions of value and satisfaction (See Questions 69-85 discussed below).

SOA students appear to be very satisfied about the relation between courses they take outside of the School of Art and courses in the major, and rated these as "Strong." However, a larger percentage of students disagreed that courses outside the SOA were related to their major. Students indicated general dissatisfaction with the availability of art supplies and materials in local bookstores and stores. There is little that the SOA can do to rectify this situation.

This is a "Very Strong" resource in the School of Art, and visiting professionals are of the highest caliber.

All questions were analyzed as "Very Strong" according to the responses. Students appear to be very satisfied and confident about their technical abilities; exposure to differing points of view from faculty; working with other students; understanding and personal growth in creativity; and "understanding the role and responsibilities of artists in society."

This was also rated "Very Strong" by students.

There is some inconsistency in this question and the institutional surveys analyzed above. The area of "career goals" has been identified as needing attention, however, student perceptions indicated this as "Very Strong" in adequate preparation at graduation. This remains as an area of concern and study for the School of Art to determine the reasons for discrepancies.

The School of Art facility (physical plant) is a significant area of concern, and one that needs to be addressed. Seigfred Hall is an old building and has not been renovated for many years. It does not have air conditioning, or adequate ventilation in some areas, and space is limited for almost all programs. Part of the problem is that space requirements are not completely understood according to external standards set by accrediting agencies or learned societies by administrators external to the SOA. This weakness is beyond the ability of faculty and administrators in the School to rectify the situation.

As was indicated in the institutional survey (four-year) analyzed above, students in the School of Art are very active in cultural events, and responses are consistently "Strong" and "Very Strong" descriptors in this category.

Students are encouraged to participate in professional opportunities to exhibit art works in venues external to the School of Art, which is consistent with goals and assessment measures identified by programs in the school. The majority of students responding to the questionnaire (30) indicated participation in additional exhibitions, however, most students exhibited their work from only 1 to 5 times in other venues. Encouragement to participate in exhibiting student work could be identified as an area to strengthen although responses indicate strength in this area.

Responses to these questions present some insight into the apparent dissatisfaction with these areas revealed in the institutional surveys. Weaknesses are noted in the number of internship positions related to the major field of study, although it appears that faculty and staff are making efforts to assist students in this regard, this is perceived as weak by students. A significant weaknesses is noted in the questionnaires regarding assistance from Ohio University departments (external) to the SOA in providing information concerning internship opportunities.

The majority of students responding to the survey indicate they have applied knowledge and skills to professional situations, however, the number of responses declined for this question. Although opportunities appear to be good, it has been identified as an area for attention.

The majority of students have plans to be involved in the visual arts after graduation, however, the number of responses to this question dropped significantly. However, satisfaction regarding preparation for career goals in Question 44 was "Very Strong" and there appears to be a slight discrepancy in responses. As this has already been identified as needing further study and attention in instructional courses, and efforts will be directed to improve career perceptions.

Twelve students have applied to graduate schools and seven have been accepted (58%) at this time. However, responses indicate a majority of students have either "never applied" or applied only "one to three times" for artist-in-residency positions; internships; jobs in the visual arts; arts-related jobs; or fellowships prior to graduation. A majority of those who do apply indicate success in securing those positions.

Thirteen have applied for internships and 11 (85%) have been offered to students in museums, galleries, studio apprenticeships, design firms and other venues; six out of 17 applying (35%) for jobs in the visual arts have been offered employment; six out of 19 applying (32%) have been offered jobs in art-related fields; and nine out of 12 applying (75%) have received fellowships or awards. It would appear that the problem may be related to the students’ lack of knowledge about how to search for information concerning internships, fellowships and employment, or assuming the responsibility for making a substantial number of applications. Students in courses remark that University career facilities offer extremely limited information about art and art-related positions, however, the percentages of students applying and obtaining employment in these areas are very low. This has been identified in previous surveys as a significant area of concern.

Many faculty in the SOA include knowledge and skills related to searching for and securing employment, internships, and other career opportunities, but it appears that more attention should be directed toward instruction in: employment search/research skills; strategies in making applications for jobs, internships and fellowships; making information available to students when and where available and applicable; and encouraging students to make numerous applications.

Responses to the questionnaire indicate all courses in the Art History program are "Very Strong" in the opinion of majors and those for whom a significant amount of courses are required such as art education majors. It may be concluded that the development of strong verbal and written skills are the result of educational outcomes related to Art History courses as well as studio critiques.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

The results of the internal survey of recent graduating seniors in the School of Art are consistent with institutional surveys external to the SOA, corresponds to faculty evaluations of student performance, and indicates that students perceive major programs in Art to be of significant value. The analysis reveals that graduating seniors are very satisfied and confident concerning achievement and the instructional quality of courses. They appear to be successful and satisfied with other aspects of academic life in the SOA, and are achieving significantly high grade point averages overall and in chosen majors. If the majority of students’ prior experiences in the visual arts are in high schools, and the number of respondents who have participated in respected regional and national exhibitions is low, these locations may be identified as a direction for the recruitment of students.

The analysis of the questionnaire indicates that faculty should encourage students to increase participation in exhibitions outside the required senior exhibition and in venues external to the School of Art to enhance the perceived quality of student work. Perhaps investigating opportunities for exhibiting could be a course component.

Areas of concern with career goals identified in institutional surveys (analyzed above) appear to be clarified in terms of directions for improving outcomes. However, there appears to be some disparity in student perceptions regarding satisfaction with instructional programs immediately prior to graduation and after. It is recommended that SOA programs in individual majors extend efforts to identify, inform, articulate opportunities, and prepare students for employment, internships, fellowships and graduate studies.

If the poor condition of facilities are affecting educational outcomes, as revealed in the questionnaire, then administrators and faculty in the school should increase demands for attention to spatial and environmental needs from appropriate university officials until serious attention is given to these demands. An example is: The SOA has requested funding on two separate occasions for the construction of a floor in a two-story space in order to house a school-wide digital lab, and it has been denied twice, most recently in the spring of 98. It is also recommended that standards set by external accrediting agencies and learned societies be guiding frameworks as these minimum requirements are based on a knowledgeable understanding of the particular needs of students in art.

Specific goals and assessment practices were articulated for individual programs in the School of Art in the 1996-97 Assessment Report, and descriptions provided an overview of instructional and professional activities in SOA majors. Faculty continue to cooperate, support, and contribute to the on-going and continual assessment of educational outcomes for students in the school. As the Senior Exit Questionnaire was analyzed in detail above to provide in-depth information concerning student perceptions of educational outcomes, individual programmatic assessment reports will be brief.

Extensive documentation was submitted, and the undergraduate teacher preparation programs in art education were externally reviewed by the State of Ohio Department of Education (ODE) this past year. The program was approved and strengths were noted in studio arts, art history, and technology. Weaknesses were identified as lack of participation in supervising student teaching and conducting the concurrent student teaching seminars by art education faculty. This portion of the program is completely under the aegis of the College of Education who is reluctant to relinquish control to art education faculty. A second difficulty in attending to this weakness is the lack of adequate and/or qualified faculty in the area, and this recommendation cannot be addressed until the program is able to make additional faculty hires and include student teaching and seminars in the undergraduate program curriculum.

Examples of writing and studio work are collected as a component of the sophomore introductory course (Art 260) to provide benchmark comparisons with similar collections in the senior year as a component of the Art 462 course "Teaching Portfolio" requirement for use in obtaining employment. Curricular changes in the M.A. graduate program have improved courses; included a series of museum and community art education courses and an internship at the Kennedy Museum; and an emphasis on research requiring a formal thesis has been added. A juried exhibition in the spring for all art education students is a performance-based demonstration of competence in studio work. Art Education is an exception to the low international student enrollment (noted above) at the graduate level with 33% (five out of 15 total) international students in the program

Responses from the students who filled out the "Art Education Senior Exit Questionnaire" indicate satisfaction with instructional objectives and student achievement in the program. The following curricular areas have been identified for improvement through courses: budgeting/managing material resources in the art classroom (Question 11); issues concerning cultural diversity (Question 15); issues concerning classroom management (Question 16). Responses to Questions 26 through 30 were unanimously unfavorable concerning required professional education courses in the College of Education for art education majors, and this weakness cannot be addressed by art education faculty.

Students were supportive of the Foundations Program and its relevance to the Art History major. Art History majors expressed enthusiasm for their acquired skills in communicating verbally and in writing. In general, students regarded the required Art History courses as highly relevant to their professional preparation, and Art History faculty were perceived as responsive and supportive. Overall, the Art History programs are doing an excellent job in terms of student achievement and satisfaction according to the SOA Senior Exit Questionnaire. Students noted difficulty with library resources and lack of support for obtaining student internships. This may be identified for improvement as the concern for obtaining internships is consistent with institutional reports discussed above in terms of career goals.

Beginning in 1998, Art History requirements will change to include a minimum of one year’s study of a foreign language, and a minimum G.P.A. of 2.75 to enter the major.

The ceramics program continues to be a leading area of significant student achievement in the School of Art, and students have numerous opportunities to interact with noted professionals through the efforts of the faculty. The visiting artists in ceramics and participation by faculty and students in external venues have brought recognition to the program through the significant achievements by ceramics students. The programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels employ extensive portfolio reviews for admittance and to determine student progress, and conduct extensive studio critiques to insure successful educational outcomes. Faculty and students in the ceramics program interact socially in the pursuit of learning, and the programs are perceived as valuable experiences to students in other majors.

As the first group of students in the School of Art have now completed the series of required Foundations courses and have been enrolled in major courses for more than a year, the area established a committee to evaluate the program and assess student achievement. School of Art faculty were interviewed and asked to respond to an extensive questionnaire regarding satisfaction and observations concerning the quality of students work, and the perceived value and effectiveness of the Foundations program’s contribution to the individual major areas. Results from the interviews and questionnaire indicate an exceptionally high percentage of faculty satisfaction according to the above indicators. The committee plans to continue this impetus in the following year by developing a quantitative instrument to survey Juniors and Seniors in order to assess the value, satisfaction, and achievement for students in the Foundations program. This instrument will provide a benchmark for comparison with the SOA Senior Exit Questionnaire and will provide a corresponding comparison to the results from the faculty survey.

All Graphic Design faculty meets as a committee to conduct extensive portfolio reviews and assess sophomore achievement for admittance into the major. Assessment of student performance is conducted according to 16 specific professional criteria that are established through the introductory required courses, Art 250, 251, and 254. Each individual student is evaluated on the 16 criteria, and the faculty collaborates in writing an overall evaluation and commentary noting strengths and weaknesses, and students are provided a copy. Achievement for juniors in the program is assessed on the basis of an oral presentation (self-assessment) in which students provide examples of strengths and areas of concern. Progress over the year is determined according to the benchmarks set in the initial review above and the work presented to the faculty. Junior students are asked to set and discuss goals for achievement in the senior year, and to develop plans and strategies for summer internship experiences in cooperation with faculty.

Seniors in Graphic Design are required to present final portfolios for review and individual works are selected by an Graphic Design professional (external) for the spring exhibition. Ken Hiebert who taught at the School of Design in Basel, Carnegie-Mellon, and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia judged the portfolios and exhibition. Hiebert made the following comments in a written review of the Graphic Design program: "solid, sequential curricular development; excellent inter-faculty rapport; excellent spirit, sense of community, and mutual support among faculty and students; generally good proportion in caring about concept, process and delivery; general avoidance of superficial trendiness; good respect for needs of informational typography; and apparently good relations with other departments."

Painting is the largest studio program in the school at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and provides significant service to students in other major programs in the SOA. Seniors in painting unanimously indicated the program to be "Very Strong" especially pertaining to the content and quality of studio courses and studio critiques. Visiting artists have all commented on the strength and excellence of the undergraduate and graduate painting programs. Students believed the senior practicum and capstone experience prepared them very well for professional options in the field. The area conducts extensive portfolio reviews for both graduate and undergraduate acceptance to the Painting programs, and uses faculty reviews to continually assess academic achievement. The assessment of growth and development in painting is determined through final portfolio reviews, studio critiques, and exhibitions.

Although it is common for graduating seniors to postpone graduate studies to work professionally, three students have already been accepted in excellent and prestigious graduate programs across the country. The majority of painting students indicated exceptional concerns about problems with space and adequate facilities related to educational achievement. The lack of adequate facilities and space for painting and other students in the School of Art has been an ongoing problem and one that SOA faculty or administrators have had limited options in terms of positively addressing improvement. Both faculty and students in painting believe the facilities have a deleterious effect on the quality of educational outcomes. A second complaint from students in painting noted concern regarding the lack of access to art materials in the Athens area.

Printmaking enrolls approximately 200 students annually in the program as majors and serving other programs in the School of Art. Responses to the Senior Exit Questionnaire indicate the program is "Very Strong". Printmaking faculty address professional opportunities for graduating seniors through the practicum course which is designed to prepare students to be competitive and competent in achieving professional career goals. Course objectives and assignments include: written artist’s statements; resumes; professional slide portfolios; and writing sample cover letters applying for employment. The area conducts extensive portfolio reviews for both graduate and undergraduate acceptance to the Printmaking programs. Student achievement is assessed through final reviews and exhibitions.

Seniors in Printmaking participate in a Senior Exhibition and students are responsible for all facets of the exhibition such as meeting with the Gallery Director to schedule time and location, preparing the work for presentation, advertising, installation, and lighting. The achievements of students in printmaking were evaluated by visiting artist, Jean Dibble from the University of Notre Dame, and Dibble found the quality and diversity of student’s research impressive.

Graduate and undergraduate students are actively involved with the Kennedy Museum. The faculty provides collaborative printmaking experiences as part of the program, and has printed for professional New York artists Peter Gorfain and Tim Rollins this year. These activities have been at the heart of the significant Ohio University print collection at the Kennedy Museum.

During spring break this year, Printmaking hosted the Southern Graphics Council Conference which is the largest professional printmaking organization in the United States. The scale and scope of the conference attended by more than 700 participants, demanded involvement by graduate and undergraduate printmaking majors who participated: as workshop assistants during technical demonstrations; as audio-visual technicians during panel discussions; in exhibitions through Seigfred Hall and an open portfolio viewing session at the conference; organized a panel discussion about a CD-ROM students in printmaking created concerning current contemporary printmaking trends throughout the US. Students networked with alumni from OU, and one student has an internship at Fine Art IRIS Print Workshop-Cone Editions in Vermont. The printmaking faculty curated an exhibition at the Dairy Barn that consisted of over 90 works by alumni of the OU-SOA Print program for conference participants and the Athens community. Printmaking is very active in maintaining contact with alumni through the Alumni Office.

Assessment activities initiated in sculpture this year include: (1) initiation of a slide bank of sculpture students’ work at OU; (2) scheduling of courses that allows area members to share evaluation critiques and informational presentations which highlight sculpture faculty activities. These activities have fostered a more collegial atmosphere and resulted in more fruitful cross-fertilization of instructional methodologies. Ongoing assessment methods include: (1) multiple faculty portfolio reviews, and the requirement of an oral examination as requirements for entering the major; (2) advising conferences with each student every quarter; (3) required participation in class critiques and oral examinations in courses, and full faculty participation in thesis exhibitions and examinations; (4) requirements for practicum dossiers prior to graduation including slide portfolio, Curriculum Vita, an artist statement, mock project proposals, examples of correspondence with professional artists and critics; (5) efforts are made by faculty to establish sculpture critiques that include both undergraduates and graduate students.

Several recent graduates of the program report they are working as museum educators, artist’s residencies, and studio assistants. Most graduates report they have set up working studios and establish active exhibition records. Students in sculpture appear to be highly satisfied with the program and exhibit high quality work. Sculpture is also very active in maintaining contact with former students.