Our project to obtain feedback from students was very successful.  We were able to canvas most of the undergraduate art majors through survey courses and upper level intermedia courses (i.e. 201 and 301).  The following results are presented for your interpretation, however, after going through these surveys and reading student comments, we feel there are certain issues that must be addressed by both the students and faculty of the art department:
 

1. The formation of an active art student union:  Creating an art student union could provide support, funds, information, and cohesion to the student body.  This project has been initiated by a group of Art 301 students calling the initiative artTHIS.  Please visit their on-line site at http://www2.hawaii.edu/artexpo/art_this/  if you wish to get involved with this project.  Both student and faculty assistance would be valuable  in setting up and maintaining the student union.
2. The creation of an internship course for college credit:  As we discussed with the curriculum committee, a course could be set up, much like an independent study, but with its own numeric identity, that gives students the opportunity to integrate internships into their art degree.
3. The opening up of the art department:  By aligning itself with other disciplines, the art department could tap into resources available to these disciplines.  A good example of this is Tom Klobe’s efforts to obtain scholarships and internships through museums and the State Foundation.  The results of question #4 could give professors some ideas of  areas of student interest.

Total number of surveys completed:  296

 
Question #1:  Why are you getting an art degree?

There were various responses to this question, but the most given answer was:

Question #2: Are you interested in the art department offering more interdisciplinary courses (i.e. education, psychology, the sciences, business administration, etc.) that would apply toward your art degree?

                             YES…………….82%
                             NO……………….6%
                             Not sure………….5%
                             No opinion……….7%
                             margin of error: +/- 1%

Question #3:  Is it important to your degree that there be more inter-media (i.e. photo, fiber, design, sculpture, electronic media, ceramics, painting, art history, glass, printmaking) collaboration within the art department?

                             YES………….…80%
                             NO……………..14%
                             Not sure………….3%
                             No opinion……….3%
                             margin of error: +/- 1%

Question #4:  Considering that internships and community service are important for job placement and personal fulfillment, what types of these activities would be most helpful for you?

The top 10 areas of interest (percentiles will not add up to 100 as students were allowed to pick more than one area of interest)

          margin of error: +/- 1%

 (1-10, 10 being the highest)
_____the current curriculum as a whole
_____the curriculum within your media concentration
_____teaching abilities of your media concentration
_____facilities of your media concentration
_____extra-curricular programs (i.e. Intersections, gallery exhibitions, fundraising activities, etc.)

Teaching skills of professors within each concentration (evaluated by students within that concentration)
                 photo:  10
                 fiber:  9
                 design:  7.8
                 sculpture:  7
                 electronic media:  7.75
                 ceramics:  8.75
                 painting:  7.3
                 art history:  8
                 printmaking:  10
                 BA studio:  7
                 glass:  7.5
 
Facilities available in each concentration (evaluated by students within that concentration)
                 photo:  7.25
                 fiber:  6.8
                 design:  6.8
                 sculpture:  5.9
                 electronic media:  5.75
                 ceramics:  8.75
                 painting:  5.1
                 art history:  7.7
                 printmaking:  8.5
                 BA studio:  7.3
                 glass:  8

 Extra-curricular programs:  6.5, many students noted here that there needs to be more fundraising

Free-write portion of survey:
Please add any other concerns and ideas that you have about your art education.

In this area, the comments were varied.  The most prevalent comments were:

Size of art history core
The large number of credits required of a BFA candidate
How to get a job with an art degree
Lack of intermedia contact
Lack of electronic media courses

    Many of the comments in this area were interesting and enlightening as to the mood of the students.  We urge you to look through the surveys yourself to read this portion of them.
 
 

We would like to thank all the students and faculty that participated in this process.  We hope that this information will be helpful in the growth and evolution of the UH Art Department.
 
 
 

Cindy Jacks
 
 

Kaui Chun