Goals & Assessment
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Assessment Methods
In order to assess that students are achieving the competencies described above, the School of Art & Design has adopted the following mechanisms to assess its undergraduate programs:
- In-studio critiques at every level of the student’s progress are used to gauge students’ progress and provide timely feedback on strengths and weaknesses on a small scale.
- Exams in non-studio courses (art history, technical courses)
- Student Status Reports are used to alert students of problems, either academic or behavioral, before the situation deteriorates beyond remediation.
- Semester portfolio reviews are used to evaluate the body of work produced in a semester.
- Senior portfolio reviews are used to calculate student preparedness for the professional world.
- Senior exhibitions provide an opportunity to view the work of an entire class in one discipline and to compare and evaluate the whole of the program curriculum.
- Internship evaluations (from employers) gauge the students’ professional readiness.
- Undergraduate Senior Studio final projects/Graduate Theses is an assessment of one capstone project for professional readiness.
- Alumni interviews/surveys measures students’ level of satisfaction with a program.
- Employment rates/feedback (local, national, international, multiple hires by the same firm(s)) are used to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the program in preparing students for professional employment.
- Alumni who are successful sole practitioners is an indicator of exceptional preparedness.
- Alumni Advisory Board provides an overview of graduates of all programs.
- Program Advisory Boards (Interior Design) is comprised of professionals outside of the School community and provides input/review of programs and curricula.
- Feedback from department (NASAD, National Association of Schools of Art and Design) and program (CIDA, Council for Interior Design Accreditation) accreditors.
- Feedback from working professional faculty Full-time and adjunct.