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Art and Design
 Assessment Plan

Department of Art and Design Mission Statement
The Mission of the Department of Art and Design is to provide an educational environment that encourages intellectual development, visual literacy and artistic production, and fosters the development of graduates who are advocates for art.

Curricular and Program Goals
The Department of Art and Design has four basic curricular and program goals. Our success in meeting these goals is measured through assessment of student performance. These four goals are: 1) To provide strong baccalaureate programs (BA; BFA) in Studio Art; 2) To provide a strong baccalaureate program (BS) in Art Education, and a strong foundation in the visual arts for students majoring in Elementary Education; 3) To provide a strong baccalaureate degree program (BA) in the field of Art History; and 4) To provide all students on campus with opportunities for educational enrichment through courses in Art History, Art Appreciation and applied art, and through presentation of exhibitions and lectures that integrate art into the culture of the campus.

The Department also strongly emphasizes the benefits of a balanced Liberal Arts curriculum for all students, regardless of degree area or particular studio emphasis.

An outline of general program goals for each of the four areas listed above follows:

1) The Department of Art and Design teaches students the basic principles of art and art-making in the Fine Arts and in Design areas. We offer concentrations in painting, ceramics, Graphic Design, printmaking, drawing, photography, Illustration and sculpture. The curricular structure in each area is designed to provide thorough training in materials, techniques, tools, aesthetics and related historical components. We prepare majors in studio art to perform competently and professionally in their chosen area of concentration, whether they go on to professional practice, teaching or graduate study. This includes competence in both written and oral presentation skills.

2) The Department of Art and Design, in conjunction with the Elementary Education Department, provides majors in art education with a combined curriculum of professional education and studio art courses and experiences. Students may concentrate in any studio area listed above, but are required, in addition, to take studio courses in a variety of media in order to be better prepared to teach in the elementary and secondary school setting. The basic goals of the art component of this program are consistent with those listed in #1, above. The education component is met through both general education courses and through courses specifically designed to explore the techniques and challenges of teaching art in the classroom. The goal of this combined curriculum is to prepare students to be competent, effective teachers who are knowledgeable in art and art-making.

The Department of Art and Design is also responsible for the basic art education component of the curriculum for Elementary Education majors. Students take one course in methods of integrating art into the general classroom setting.

3) The Department of Art and Design offers a broad-based BA in the History of Art and Architecture. Students receive training in all major fields of Western art history, supplemented by special courses, as available, in non-Western, and topic- and media-specific courses. Students are also required to take language courses. Students learn the chronology of artistic developments, the inter-relationship of periods, cultures and approaches to media, develop formal research skills and skills in critical analysis, and learn to present their findings professionally--both verbally and in written form. Students are prepared to continue their studies at the graduate level.

4) The Department of Art and Design offers several service courses geared toward non-art majors, and provides opportunities, where possible, for students to take courses which fall within the major. These courses provide students with a general introduction to basic design principles, theory and art criticism, the history of art, and the materials and techniques of art-making. The goal of these offerings is to teach students to become informed citizens with respect to the value of art in the cultural context, to provide the opportunity to develop an appreciation of art which carries into their daily lives, and to inspire them to become supporters of the arts, in general.

Desired Student Outcomes: BA/BFA in Studio Art
It is the goal of the Department of Art and Design that all students graduating with a BA or BFA degree in a studio art area be proficient in the following:

  • Understanding the elements of art and the principles of design

  • Ability to develop and successfully convey artistic concepts

  • Ability to envision and develop original approaches to art-making

  • Craftsmanship (skill, sensitivity, consistency of technique)

  • Expressive quality (concept, style, choice of media, etc.)

  • Representative skill (proportions, perspective, etc.)

  • Verbal communication (professional presentation skills)

  • Physical presentation (professional presentation skills)

  • Written expression (professional presentation skills)

Desired Student Outcomes: BS in Art Education
 It is the goal of the Department of Art and Design that all students seeking a BS degree in Art Education develop:

  • Knowledge of past and contemporary philosophies of art education

  • Commitment as an advocate of creativity

  • Knowledge of visual/emotional/physical growth patterns

  • Skill in budgeting an art program and managing art classroom procedures

  • Skill in promoting the interdisciplinary relationship of art to other curricular areas

  • Skills and techniques necessary to the assessment of learning in the arts

  • Understanding of appropriate behavior and art products for various stages of development

  • Understanding the utilization of human and community resources for the art program

  • Logical and sequential art curricula for various levels and settings of learning

  • Knowledge of safety regulations for the art classroom

  • An understanding and appreciation of the arts as pragmatic elements of everyday life

  • A knowledge of the process of creating works of art and the roles of the individual artists in those processes

  • The ability to use the skills, media, tools, and processes necessary to create or communicate art form

  • A knowledge of historic development of art from various cultures

  • An understanding of the aesthetic qualities of individual art forms

  • The ability to develop and present basic analysis of works of art

  • Working knowledge of the Minnesota Graduation Standards for the Visual Arts

  • Working knowledge of Discipline Based Art Education as the national model for art education

Assessment Measures: BA/BFA in Studio Art; BS in Art Education
 Assessment of desired outcomes occurs through specific channels, both formal and informal.Formal measures include:

Portfolio Reviews: BA/BFA in Studio Art; BS in Art Education
Each student is required to have a total of three formal Portfolio Reviews during the four-year period of pursuit of the baccalaureate degree. The student must prepare, mount and verbally present a significant body of work for review by a three-person faculty review committee whose job it is to summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the work, and to provide advice and recommendations for improving or expanding the student’s artistic output. Critique of presented work relates to the specified desired student outcomes, including, but not limited to: the elements of art and principles of design as exhibited in the work; the ability of the student to convey artistic concepts; the relative originality of the work; the level of craftsmanship represented; the expressive quality and representative skill exhibited in the work; the student’s ability to present the work successfully in a verbal manner in terms of the concept represented, historical precedents or models, the parameters of a specific design project, etc.;  and the actual physical presentation of the work (matting, framing, cleanliness, etc.). Recommendations may be made in any areas (the physical and verbal presentation of the work; technical issues; conceptual development; media investigations; historical precedents or models for investigation; suggestions for further curricular exploration; design issues; etc.). Each faculty member completes a formal written evaluation, which includes a chart with a numerical rating system to indicate the relative success or failure of a student in addressing all basic components of artistic production and presentation. The student receives a copy for reference, and a copy is placed in the student’s academic file in the department. Evaluations may also be reviewed by and discussed with the student’s academic and/or studio-area advisor.

Portfolio Review results are used by the department to: 1) Advise and make recommendations to individual students with respect to their performance in the major, and to career choice, both on a yearly basis and cumulatively over the four-year course of study; and  2) Elucidate the strengths and weaknesses of student artistic production and professional skills as a whole within the department, with a view toward development of our programs, course content, teaching effectiveness, and equipment and facilities.

Exhibition Requirement: BA/BFA in Studio Art; BS in Art Education
All students in studio areas, with the exception of Graphic Design, must develop and mount an exhibition of their artwork in the Art Gallery of the Roland Dille Center for the Arts. This exhibition is reviewed by the major advisor (in the case of candidates for the BA and BS), or by a three-person committee (in the case of the BFA). Students work with their advisors or with their committee to develop the exhibition, and participate in critiques and reviews throughout the year as they prepare for the final exhibit. BFA students must participate in regularly scheduled BFA critiques, and arrange for a formal review 60 days before their final exhibition date. Exhibitions must meet established professional standards in terms of quality and presentation, both in the physical works of art, and in written component (Artist’s Statement; labeling). At each stage of exhibition development, students are advised of areas for improvement, and expectations for the final product which must be met before mounting the show. Assessment of the ongoing project, and of the final presentation, includes, but is not limited to: Consideration of the use of elements and principles of design; the overall artistic concept and the student’s ability to clearly convey that concept—both in visual and in textual (written) form; the level of craftsmanship exhibited; the expressive quality and representative skill exhibited in the work; the physical presentation of the work; the relationship to historical models or contemporary movements.  Students who do not meet minimum standards are denied exhibition, and graduation is delayed until such time as those standards can be met. Standard approval/denial forms are completed by students and faculty at each stage of the development of the exhibition. Copies of completed forms are 1) given to the student, 2) placed in the student’s permanent file in the department, 3) sent to the registrar to confirm completion of exhibition degree requirement.

Students completing the BFA in Graphic Design must develop and successfully complete a final project, and make a public presentation of their project, as well as place their work on display for review. Graphic Design students follow the same process for development of the project as those in other studio areas. Graphic Design presentations are assessed in a manner similar to that outlined above, but assessment is weighted more heavily in the area of the exhibition of a clear understanding of design principles, the relationship of projects to contemporary issues or historical precedents, the ability of the student to meet project requirements as related to client need, and the professional presentation of the project to the public. Upon successful completion of the final project, the appropriate forms are distributed in the same manner as above.

Minnesota Teaching Licensure Requirements: BS in Art Education
 Students completing the BS in Art Education must successfully complete the following tests for licensure.  These tests assess the student’s mastery of  basic academic skills (reading, writing and mathematics), knowledge of educational principles (including principles of growth and learning, classroom procedure, philosophies of education, etc.), and knowledge of the content area (art), including historical models, creative processes, elements of art, and knowledge of media and tools for art-making.
The required tests are:

  • Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST): An examination of basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Scores must meet the Minnesota qualifying scores for the basic skills tests of the Praxis I Series.

  • The Examination of Professional Knowledge: An examination of student knowledge of the principles of learning and teaching.

  • The Examination of Subject/Content: An examination which measures student knowledge of art as the subject in which they are seeking certification.

Upper-level Writing Requirement: BA/BFA in Studio Art
 All students graduating with a BA or BFA degree in a studio area must successfully complete the Upper-Level Writing Requirement of the Department of Art and Design as noted in the Bulletin. Assessment of writing skill occurs at all levels within the department, but a student is considered to have fulfilled the Upper-level Writing Requirement through successful participation in and completion of the writing components of the History of Art I and II (ART 233, 234), and required 300- and 400-level art history classes. In addition, students in the BA or BFA programs must successfully complete Contemporary Art , Design and Theory. Students in the BFA program must also successfully complete the BFA Seminar.

Upper-level Writing Requirement: BS in Art Education
 Students completing the BS in Art Education are considered to have fulfilled the Upper-Level Writing Requirement by successfully completing the writing components of the  History of Art I and II, and specified courses in the Education component of the curriculum.


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