New Arts Engagement certification available to undergraduates


Mon, 04/01/2013

author

Kristi Henderson

LAWRENCE – The University of Kansas School of the Arts is encouraging students’ involvement in the arts with a new certificate for arts engagement. According to the National Endowment for the Arts, arts engagement for students can lead to academic success, improved career opportunities and greater civic engagement.

The certificate is available to any undergraduate student, regardless of major, who completes the requirements.

The certificate promotes art involvement outside of the classroom to foster lifelong participation in the arts. In completing the requirements, students gain a greater insight into the opportunities of art culture at KU and beyond.

“Arts engagement certification helps students show their breadth of education,” said Liz Kowalchuk, associate dean for the School of the Arts in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “It’s a way for any student to act on their curiosity about the arts.”

Students do not need previous art experience to earn the certificate. Any KU undergraduate who completes the three components can receive arts engagement certification. The requirements include taking approved classes in different departments, attending qualifying arts events and completing a capstone paper to reflect on their experiences.

“As part of the College’s dedication to learning without boundaries, what we’re trying to do is not simply prepare students for a vocation, but rather to inspire them to step into their future life,” Kowalchuk said.

The program gives students educational experiences they may not have otherwise achieved, while recognizing their commitment and connection to the arts through certification on their official KU transcript. Beginning in fall 2012, the program has grown quickly, now enrolling 100 students.

Eight departments offer courses that count toward certification: the departments of Dance, Film and Media Studies, Theatre, and Visual Art in the School of the Arts; the Department of Art History in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; the departments of Architecture and Design in the School of Architecture, Design and Planning; and the School of Music.

For more information, visit the Arts Engagement Certification website.

The School of the Arts is part of KU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which encourages learning without boundaries in its more than 50 departments, programs and centers. Through innovative research and teaching, the College emphasizes interdisciplinary education, global awareness and experiential learning. It is the broadest and most diverse academic unit at KU.

Mon, 04/01/2013

author

Kristi Henderson

Media Contacts

Kristi Henderson

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

785-864-3663