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Policies & Regulations

Department Academic Standards

All theatre majors must complete all theatre courses with a grade of C or better.  Students earning a D or F must repeat the course in order for it to count towards graduation.  Theatre Majors must maintain a minimum department grade point average of 2.50.   Failure to maintain this standard will result in the student being placed on academic probation. If after one semester, the student on probation fails to achieve this standard, the student will be dismissed from the program.  If dismissed from the program, the student may seek readmission under university guidelines specified in the Bulletin.   

Statute of Limitations

The student must complete the degree requirements specified in the Bulletin in effect at the time of regular admission to the university.  If the student fails to complete all degree requirements within seven years from the date of admission, the department faculty may impose additional current requirement to ensure that the student be professionally competitive with other members of the graduating class.

Senior Performance Project

During their final year all Theatre Majors will register for THTR 499, Senior Performance Project, which will serve as the curricular capstone to the program. The primary purpose of this course is to allow students to demonstrate an understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of their chosen discipline and emphasis in a realized production related project. Students will prepare a public performance or presentation and document and support their interpretation of the work completed. This project is meant to serve as a professional culmination of all the student’s work in the department.

Class Attendance

The faculty of the Department of Theatre believes that attendance and discipline are vital to the success of each student. Therefore, all Theatre classes will follow the following attendance policy:

  1. Each student is allowed 3 absences during the course of the semester. Each absence in excess of three will result in lowering the final grade, one letter grade per absence.
  2. Tardiness will not be tolerated and may result in the lowering of your grade.

Please note: For classes meeting within a non-traditional schedule (e.g. summer classes, one class meeting per week, etc) it is at the instructor’s discretion to set the attendance policy appropriately.

Scholarships

The Department of Theatre offers a variety of scholarships for new and returning theatre majors.  Monetary values of individual scholarships will vary from year to year. To be eligible, returning students must meet these requirements:

  • Must be full time students (It is possible to apply for only one semester)
  • Good academic standing with a GPA of at least 2.75
  • Have fulfilled the basic requirements and responsibilities to the program, including:
    • Audition requirements
    • Required attendance at student meetings and production talk backs
    • Performance requirements
    • Required load-in and strike attendance
    • Crew responsibilities/tech requirements

Academic Honesty

Student responsibilities: Academic honesty is expected of all students. Students are responsible for knowing how to maintain academic honesty and for abstaining from cheating, the appearance of cheating, and permitting or assisting in another’s cheating.

Instructor’s Responsibilities: the instructor is responsible for fostering the intellectual honesty as well as the intellectual development of students and for applying methods of teaching and examination that encourage honesty. If necessary, the instructor should explain clearly any specialized meanings of cheating and plagiarism as they apply to a specific course. The instructor must thoroughly investigate signs of academic dishonesty, take appropriate actions, and report such actions properly to prevent repeated offenses and ensure equity.

Department Anti-Harassment and Non-Discrimination Policy

It is the policy of Purdue University to maintain the campus as a place of work and study for faculty, staff, and students free from all forms of harassment and discrimination. In providing an educational and work climate that is positive and harassment free, faculty, staff, and students should be aware that harassment and discrimination in the workplace or educational environment is unacceptable conduct and will not be tolerated.

Questions and concerns regarding university policy and practice or protection against harassment and discrimination should be directed to the affirmative action officer of the university.

Production Participation Requirement

Effective fall semester 2004, ALL Theatre Majors will be responsible for completing the technical production requirement.

For students matriculating fall 2004 or later:The production requirement is built into the department’s core curriculum through course THTR168, Theatre Production I.  All majors are required to complete six (6) semesters of THTR 168.  This course fulfills the production requirement.  Specific requirements will be stated in the course syllabus provided by the instructor each semester of enrollment in the course.

For students matriculating prior to fall 2004: The number of required hours will be based on the number of credit hours the student is enrolled.

  • 9 credits or more = 30 hours
  • 4 – 8 credits = 15 hours
  • 1 – 3 credits = 8 hours

Strike

All Theatre Majors enrolled in at least 9 credit hours and all production personnel are REQUIRED to participate in strike for all main stage productions.

Typically, strike will take place on the Sunday following a Saturday night closing or immediately following the final Sunday performance (subject to change depending on the needs of the department). All production elements (sets, lights, props, costumes, and make-up) must be taken down, cleaned up, and put away. These items are the assets of the department. If all department personnel do not collectively work to protect them, they will be destroyed. (It is the Stage Manager’s responsibility to make sure that the booth is cleaned out and left in good order for the next production.)

It is the student’s responsibility to sign in with the Technical Director, receive a specific job assignment, stay through the entire strike, and sign out when excused to do so. The technical director takes attendance at the conclusion of strike.  If one leaves without being excused for good cause, that student will be subject to possible disciplinary action, including exclusion from future IPFW Department of Theatre productions.

Missed requirements may not be made up during the summer months.

Casting Policies

To provide an understanding of the guidelines and criteria used for casting by directors of productions at IPFW Department of Theatre, the faculty has outlined the following:

  1. IPFW Department of Theatre practices nontraditional casting, which is the casting of actors without regard to ethnicity, gender, or physical capability when those elements are not necessary to the characters’ or play’s development.
  2. Ratio of students/non-students in any one cast:
    IPFW Department of Theatre follows the guidelines of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, which call for 50% of the entire company (including crew) to be students. IPFW Department of Theatre asks that no less than 55% of the acting company be IPFW students.
    Every effort is made to give students priority. (Note: The nomenclature of “student” refers to anyone enrolled in class or classes in any of the schools or departments of IPFW.) Any director, of course, wants the best person for the role. If the director feels it is a choice between a student and a non-student and the student is capable, from what is seen at auditions and displayed in the classroom, then the student will receive the role. It should be noted that not all actors/actresses are capable of understanding what roles they are ready or competent to play. It should also be understood that casting in the IPFW Department of Theatre is not capricious. A great deal of time and thought are put into the choices made by the directors. Students are encouraged to talk to directors after auditions to receive feed back.
  3. Pre-casting: There are instances when a role will be pre-cast. When this occurs, it is always announced prior to auditions that the role is cast. This occurs mostly when a role is used as a senior project or a guest artist is hired. Please note, however, that because one is asked to audition for a role, it does not mean that that actor will be cast in that role.
  4. Theatre majors will be given the opportunity to audition for a specific role whenever possible, but must accept any role as cast.

Studio Showcases

The department provides opportunities for students to produce works of theatre as part of its Studio Showcase offerings.  These projects are individually driven and receive minimal  department technical and financial support.  The project leader is responsible for the coordination of all production elements and for assembling the appropriate personnel.  Typical types of projects might include presentations of a collection of scenes, songs and/or monologues, a one-act play or a cutting from a full-length play, the reading of an original work, etc.  Students are encouraged to select material that does not rely on technical support or require extensive rehearsals for successful presentation.  The focus should be placed on the work being done by the students involved. 

Applications for Studio Showcase projects are available through the Studio Theatre Coordinator and are generally accepted each semester for presentation in the following semester.  A detailed explanation of the project, its expected personnel needs, rehearsal demands and specific technical needs must be included in the application.  Students are required to solicit a faculty member to serve as advisor for all Studio Showcase projects.  Approval of all proposals is at the discretion of the faculty.  Please Note: Studio Showcases are secondary to the demands of the main stage season.  Students are expected to place priority on the main stage season and to participate fully in its activities.

Mainstage Rehearsals

Main stage productions typically rehearse in the evenings, five days a week, three hours per day, (7:00 – 10:00 / 7:30 – 10:30).  Some productions may require additional rehearsals due to the demands of the project, which will be announced prior to auditions for that production.  It is the department’s policy that rehearsals will not be scheduled to end after 10:30 pm; excepting the week of technical rehearsals, when rehearsals will end no later than 11:30.  Most main stage productions rehearse for a period of 5 – 6 weeks prior to technical rehearsals.  A detailed rehearsal schedule will be provided at the beginning of the rehearsal process of each production.  Please note that rehearsal schedules may need to be adjusted to accommodate the needs of any production.  It is the student’s responsibility to follow the schedule, be punctual and prepared for the evening’s work.  It is the Director’s responsibility to clearly state rehearsal expectations and procedures.  Failure to follow the stated expectations and procedures may result in the actor being removed from the production.

Technical rehearsals typically begin the Saturday prior to a Friday opening.  Specific call times will be announced prior to the beginning of tech week, but typical calls for cast and crew is 1 ½ hours prior to curtain.