Academic Policies and Procedures
Academic Standards
Class Attendance and Absences
Regular and punctual attendance is required at all classes, laboratories, practice hours, and other activities for which the student is registered.
Absences from scheduled practice hours, rehearsals, and laboratories will be excused only for serious and substantiated reasons, and the final grade in the course may be lowered for unexcused absence. Absence from a theatre, dance, or music rehearsal, crew meeting, or performance may be deemed sufficient reason for giving the student a grade of F for the semester’s work in the course concerned.
If an instructor indicates that a student has fallen below a passing grade in a course because of excessive absences, the dean, upon written recommendation of the instructor, may drop the student from that course and assign a grade of F for the semester.
Special Regulations of the College
Personal Computing Devices
Undergraduate majors in the Department of Art and Art History and the Center for Arts and Entertainment Technologies must provide their own portable computing devices and software suitable for use in the classroom and for completing course assignments. Information about specific technical requirements is available from the departmental undergraduate advising office.
Studio and Design Courses
Students retain copyright to all two-dimensional, three-dimensional, time-based, and electronic artwork created in the Department of Art and Art History; they grant a nonexclusive license to exhibit, display, reproduce, perform, or adapt these works at the discretion of the faculty. Works left in any departmental facility at the end of any semester or summer session may be removed or destroyed at the discretion of the faculty.
Music Performances
A student majoring in the Butler School of Music must consult his or her faculty adviser before participating in any public performance.
Honors
University Honors
The designation University Honors, awarded at the end of each long-session semester, gives official recognition and commendation to students whose grades for the semester indicate distinguished academic accomplishment. Both the quality and the quantity of work done are considered. Criteria for University Honors are given in General Information .
Graduation with University Honors
Students who, upon graduation, have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement are eligible to graduate with University Honors. Criteria for graduation with University Honors are given in General Information .
Special Honors in Art History
The Honors Program in Art History gives outstanding art history majors an opportunity to undertake an advanced research and writing project under the supervision of a faculty member. The notation “Special Honors in Art History” appears on the transcript of each graduate who completes the program.
Admission to the Program
The honors program is available to qualified art history majors pursuing the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Art. At the beginning of the senior year (or second semester of the junior year), an interested art history major should apply to the honors adviser for admission to the program. The criteria for admission are
- Completion of at least 90 semester hours of college credit.
- A university grade point average of at least 3.00.
- A grade point average of at least 3.50 in all art history courses attempted, both at the University and elsewhere.
- Completion of at least 15 semester hours in art history. If the hours in art history were not earned at the University, admission is at the discretion of the honors adviser.
- Approval of the honors adviser, who is responsible for maintaining the high standards for admission to and completion of the program.
Graduation with Special Honors in Art History
To complete the program, students must meet the following requirements by the end of the semester in which they graduate.
- Graduation as an art history major.
- Completion in residence at the University of at least 60 semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree.
- A university grade point average of at least 3.00.
- A grade point average of at least 3.50 in all art history courses taken at the University.
- Completion of Art History 375 with a grade of at least B.
- Approval of the honors adviser.
- Completion of Art History 379H with a grade of A. This conference course, in which the student researches and writes a thesis, may not be counted toward the minimum number of hours of art history required for the degree.
To enroll in Art History 379H, the student must have the consent of the honors adviser. Consent is based on a written prospectus for the student’s honors thesis and notification of support from the art history faculty member who will supervise the thesis. The prospectus and the notification of support must be submitted to the honors adviser by the end of the semester preceding the semester in which the student plans to take Art History 379H.
The student may develop the honors project and prepare the prospectus either in Art History 376 or in another art history course:
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With the approval of the honors adviser, the student must complete the independent study course Art History 376 with an art history faculty member who agrees to supervise the student’s work. Art History 376 may be counted toward the degree as elective art history credit. The student must earn a grade of at least B in order to progress to Art History 379H.
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The student may also base the prospectus on a project undertaken in another art history course in which he or she earned a grade of at least B.
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- Submission of a departmental honors degree audit application to the Office of the Dean of the College of Fine Arts. This degree audit application may be submitted when the student is admitted to the honors program; it must be on file when the student applies for graduation. Failure to meet this requirement will preclude graduation with special honors in art history.
Special Honors in Theatre and Dance
The Honors Program in Theatre and Dance gives outstanding theatre and dance majors an opportunity to undertake an advanced research and writing project under the supervision of a faculty member. The notation "Special Honors in Theatre and Dance" appears on the transcript of each graduate who completes the program.
Admission to the Program
The honors program is available to qualified theatre and dance majors pursuing the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Dance. At the beginning of the junior year, an interested theatre and dance major should apply to the honors adviser for admission to the program. The criteria for admission are
- Completion of at least 60 semester hours of college credit.
- A university grade point average of at least 3.30.
- A grade point average of at least 3.60 in all theatre and dance courses attempted in residence.
- Completion of at least 15 semester hours in theatre and dance. If the hours in theatre and dance were not earned at the University, admission is at the discretion of the head of the Theatre and Dance Honors program or a designate.
- Approval of the head of the Theatre and Dance Honors program or a designate, who is responsible for maintaining the high standards for admission to and completion of the program.
Graduation with Special Honors in Theatre and Dance
To complete the program, students must meet the following requirements by the end of the semester in which they graduate.
- Graduation as a theatre and dance major.
- Completion in residence at the University of at least 60 semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree.
- A university grade point average of at least 3.30.
- A grade point average of at least 3.60 in all theatre and dance courses taken at the University.
- Completion of Theatre and Dance 375H with a grade of at least B.
- Approval of the head of the Theatre and Dance Honors program or a designate.
- Completion of Theatre and Dance 379H with a grade of A. This is a conference course, in which the student researches and produces a thesis. To enroll in Theatre and Dance 379H, the student must have the consent of the head of the Theatre and Dance Honors program or a designate. Consent is based on a written prospectus for the student's honors thesis and a letter of support from the theatre and dance faculty member who will supervise the thesis. The prospectus and the letter of support must be submitted to the head of the Theatre and Dance Honors program or a designate by the end of the semester preceding the semester in which the student plans to take Theatre and Dance 379H. The student may develop the honors project and prepare the prospectus either in Theatre and Dance 376H or in another theatre and dance course:
- With the approval of the head of the Theatre and Dance Honors program or a designate, the student must complete the independent study course Theatre and Dance 376H with a theatre and dance faculty member who agrees to supervise the student's work. Theatre and Dance 376H may be counted toward the degree as elective theatre and dance credit. The student must earn a grade of at least B in order to progress to Theatre and Dance 379H.
- The student may also base the prospectus on a project undertaken in another theatre and dance course in which he or she earned a grade of at least B.
- Submission of a departmental honors degree audit application to the Office of the Dean of the College of Fine Arts. This degree audit application may be submitted when the student is admitted to the honors program; it must be on file when the student applies for graduation. Failure to meet this requirement will preclude graduation with special honors in theatre and dance.
Recognition in Music Performance
This recognition is offered to encourage undergraduate music students who are not music performance majors to pursue the intensive study of their instrument beyond the minimum requirements for their degree.
Eligibility
To apply for a Recognition in Music Performance, a student must be enrolled as an undergraduate music major pursuing the Bachelor of Music degree or the Bachelor of Arts in Music degree. He or she must be enrolled in principal instrument course 260.
Procedure
A student who meets the eligibility criteria must submit a petition to the appropriate music performance jury for permission to audition before the Butler School of Music faculty—that is, to perform at a full faculty jury examination. This petition may be submitted during any semester in which the student is enrolled in principal instrument course 260. Ordinarily, the student may not audition for the full faculty before the conclusion of his or her second semester of principal instrument course 260. If the petition is approved, the student may audition at a full faculty jury examination.
If the student obtains approval at the full faculty jury examination, then he or she must present a recognition recital during the following academic year. The student may also enroll in Music 420R rather than principal instrument course 260 for the semester in which the recognition recital is to be given. A recognition recital must be equivalent to the junior recital required of a performance major and must offer a repertoire equivalent to that of an upper-division performance major. The recital is heard by the faculty of the student’s principal instrument, who vote to approve or disapprove the granting of Recognition in Music Performance. If approval is given by the division faculty, the recognition is issued by the Butler School and signed by both the student’s music performance instructor and the director of the school.