Art work of BFA students enrolled in a capstone course is evaluated twice a year. Students also complete survey forms concerning their educational experiences. Evaluators view students' art on exhibition along with accompanying written statements. Evaluators first write comments about the overall quality of the BFA exhibition. Finally, the evaluators write a summary report which guides ongoing development of the art studio program, curriculum and assessment process.
Scores remain in the good to very good range and have risen somewhat in recent years.
Three other categories for which student art was specifically assessed saw a modest fall in scores this year, while another remained about the same when compared to the previous year. Evaluators' anecdotal comments indicate that strengths of the studio area include quality, variety, experimentation, and self-expression. In 1995-96 a recommendation was made that the work presented should be accompanied by documentation of creative process. For several years evaluators have commented that while the students' visual work is good, they are less skilled at writing about their own art and processes. Art history papers are evaluated once a year by two outside professionals knowledgeable in art history.