The purpose of this project dissertation was to research, create and assess a hypothetical two-year musical theatre/music theater (MT) curriculum to serve as a model for future implementation at community colleges. As one of the fastest growing and most prolific forms of popular entertainment today, the 21st Century musical is uniquely poised to…

This qualitative phenomenological study thoroughly examines an art collective network within Mississippi's community colleges, specifically focusing on enhancing career preparation for students seeking opportunities in the entertainment industry. Through semi-structured interviews, this study gathered data from a purposive sample of six current…

Although theater arts curricula have been established in most institutions of higher learning in the United States throughout the 20th century, little scholarship has been devoted to exploring the actual value of a theater arts pedagogy and its influence on students. The field of theater arts education merits attention not only because of the…

This report describes the rationale, goals, and activities of the Strengthening Michigan Humanities (MiHumanities) project, an effort led by the Michigan Community College Association (MCCA) and funded by the Mellon Foundation. The project is designed to strengthen community college transfer pathways in four humanities fields--communication,…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, understand, and document former students' perceptions of the vocationally focused theater training they received at a 2-year community college and to discover how that training helped them meet their goals and expectations for careers in the theater. Listening to individual stories of theater…

This study examines the employment and earnings of Washington Bachelor's of Applied Science (BAS) graduates in business, computer and information sciences, healthcare, and visual and performing arts. Complimenting research by Kaikkonen (2020), we report results of two studies that find high employment match rates and increasing annualized earnings…

Offering art education and art experiences to marginalized student populations provides a break from the academic familiar and creates space for radical possibility both in the art classroom and across academic contexts. This article shows the value of artists-in-residence within community colleges, which tend to serve low income, racial minority,…

College instructors are content experts but ineffective at creating engaging and productive learning environments. This mixed methods study explored how improvisational theatre techniques affect college instructors' ability to increase student engagement and learning. Theoretical foundations included engagement, active learning, collaboration and…

This piece presents a theoretical exploration of the potential for the creation of policy that would inform the inclusion of arts and particularly theater courses in all community colleges. In April 2017, Fong et al. released a comprehensive meta-analysis that explored the relationship between psychosocial factors of self-perception and motivation…

In 2011, with ongoing concerns over state budget shortfalls and the increasing educational cost structure, California state legislators focused their attention on measures that could lead to access, added productivity, and value in order to sustain the current educational system. One of the recommendations provided by the Legislative Analyst's…

This study of an interdisciplinary learning community at Holyoke Community College, which combined adolescent psychology and theater, attempts to show that "embodied learning" is not only a valid means of knowledge production and integrative learning but can also function as a gateway to deeper integration of course material. The authors…

California's community colleges continue to play a crucial role in the state's economy by providing students with the skills and knowledge to succeed and by advancing the economic growth and global competitiveness of California and its regional economies through the Economic and Workforce Development Program (EWD). The EWD program invests in the…

The transfer student phenomenon in higher education is as increasingly complex as the transfer students causing the phenomenon. The collection of narratives in this study reflected transfer experiences of theatre students who were navigating the educational pipeline from community colleges to four-year institutions to major in the theatre…

In this article, the author discusses Portland Community College's Illumination Project, a yearlong academic theater program that tackles issues of oppression through interactive classroom and community performances. Participants write original interactive plays depicting incidents of oppression in students' lives. The project is a central aspect…

"Chronicle of Higher Education" presents an abundant source of news and information for college and university faculty members and administrators. This September 17, 2004 issue of "Chronicle of Higher Education" includes the following articles: (1) "Just Deserts: A New Assistant Professor Wonders About the Price of…