Inquiry in the Arts [ARTS]

Creative expression, whether for personal expression or to communicate with others, is a fundamental human activity that results in the production of objects, environments, and experiences that engage the senses, emotions, and/or intellect. The creative and professional arts offer direct participation in such activities while providing a framework for their interpretation, evaluation, and appreciation, past and present.

Arts is broadly defined to include not only the fine arts and performing arts, but also the professional arts, such as architecture, graphic design, digital arts, etc.

⇒ View approved ARTS courses

Required Elements for all ARTS Courses

All Creative and Professional Arts [ARTS] courses are required to:

• Meet the basic requirements for all UCORE courses: written communication, critical and creative thinking, information literacy, and assessment / evidence of student progress toward learning goals.
• Meet requirements for UCORE inquiry courses.
• Provide students opportunities to perform, produce, fabricate, or generate an aesthetic object, installation, presentation, composition, performance or other creative work, either as an individual or as part of a collaborative. Students must also demonstrate that their creative work is grounded in existing historical, critical, or methodological scholarship. 
  AND/OR
• Provide students opportunities to critically analyze, interpret, and/or evaluate the creative activities or accomplishments of others, past or present. Students must also demonstrate that their analysis and interpretation is grounded in existing historical, critical, or methodological scholarship.

Also, the UCORE committee suggests that ARTS courses:

• Have students demonstrate understanding of some form of creative expression as it relates to a significant historical period, their own or other cultures, a particular artist or creative work, or other relevant inquiry.
• Have students solve a problem, conceptualize an issue, or convey a concept, formal or theoretical.

Required Learning Outcomes Grid

Whether submitting a course for the first time or resubmitting an updated course as part of the UCORE committee’s periodic re-review, faculty should submit a completed ARTS Learning Outcomes Grid embedded in the course syllabus in order to demonstrate clearly the relationship among WSU/UCORE learning goals, UCORE category designation learning outcomes, course learning outcomes, assignments, and assessment of student learning. Consult the sample ROOT syllabus with embedded learning outcomes grid as a model.