The university is considering a master’s program that will cost about half a million dollars a year but will only attract about ten students every three years.
Administrators said the Master of Fine Arts degree in Performance will enable the university to attract gifted artists from across the nation and take advantage of the Washington region’s growing reputation as one of the nation’s best performing arts areas. They also point out that the program is expected to attract heavy philanthrophic support – Robert and Clarice Smith, two of the university’s largest donors, have already pledged to support it.
But the program’s relatively small cohort for such a high cost has some asking questions about whether it’s an appropriate use of university funds during an economic downturn.
“Whenever I see that kind of a price tag for that few amount of students, I hesitate,” said undergraduate student senator David Zuckerman. “It looks like a good program if we have the money for it.”
Zuckerman is a member of the senate executive committee, which voted to send approval of the program to the full University Senate earlier this month. The senate will consider the program on Monday.
Generally, the senate executive committee quickly approves new programs, but senators took a more skeptical look at the program during their meeting.
“[The cost of the program] means the senate has to scrutinize it that much more closely,” said undergraduate student senator Brad Docherty, who also serves on the executive committee.
But Phyllis Peres, associate provost for Academic Planning and Programs, said the large amount of money budgeted for the small program is misleading because some of the funds will be used toward undergraduate projects. It will also fund tuition for the graduate students as they work with undergraduates in the classroom and on stage, she said.
Both University Senate Chair Ken Holum and Peres stressed the program would benefit the entire university, not just the theatre department because it would draw philanthropic support, attract highly-acclaimed visiting artists and benefit the university and the surrounding community by producing more art.
“It’s a prestigious program that is very unusual,” Holum said. “It will attract really good people to the graduate program and make a big impact on theater in the D.C. area.”
The program, which will prepare graduates to write, direct, compose, produce and perform their own work, is intended to complement the existing programs in the theatre department, according to a program proposal submitted to the senate. Students are expected to take performance history, theory and pedagogy classes while completing performance labs, studios and an internship.
The graduate students are also expected to serve in teacher assistantships and incorporate undergraduates into their performance projects so they will benefit as much as the small cohort of graduate students.
The program will primarily be funded by the gift from the Smith family, but the provost is also projected to reallocate about $50,000 a year to the program.
“It is a testimony to the people involved that they were able to do this at a time that is pretty tight,” Holum said.
If the program is a success, Holum expects the program to attract other donors. He doesn’t expect the program to cost the university because programs like these tend to have a positive impact on fundraising.
“It’s the attention and recognition that the university really likes,” said Holum, who expects the senate to support the proposal at the meeting on Monday.
But the theatre department is convinced the smaller program will create a strong ensemble, while eliminating resources. The proposal states admitting students every year would require hiring at least four more faculty members in addition to other resources.
The proposed program will require only one or two more faculty members, who are also expected to teach undergraduates.
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