Del Mar’s Drama Program Accredited

College’s program receives “thumbs up” from NAST’s Commission on Accreditation

Seeking accreditation takes time according to Del Mar College’s Kim Frederick, an associate professor of drama with the Department of Art and Drama. “Our self-study took about one-and-a-half years to write before a visiting team examined our program this past February,” he says.

The efforts of the College’s drama faculty paid off.

Del Mar’s drama program is now an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST). NAST establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees and other credentials for schools, conservatories, colleges and universities across the country.

“The whole process is interesting and makes you examine your program and institution from a different perspective,” notes Frederick. “We’re always focusing on our program from the inside and not looking at ourselves from an outside viewpoint.”

The association’s accreditation process included a self-evaluative description (self-study) of the drama program and the institution, an on-site review by a team of evaluators and judgment by the NAST Commission on Accreditation. Official approval reviews focused on educational quality, institutional integrity and educational improvements.

“We continually strive to put the student in a setting where he or she can learn from the integral parts of our productions,” Frederick says. “Faculty believe that theatre is a rewarding undergraduate major, even for those who do not plan a career in the field.”

But that’s not to say some students who took drama courses while attending Del Mar didn’t go on to careers in theatre–among them, Barbara Barrie, Dabney Coleman, Lou Diamond Phillips and Pepe Serna. These four former students have made their marks on Broadway, film and television and contributed significantly to the theatre arts. For a link to more information about these four former Del Mar College students, go to www.delmar.edu/famstu.html and click on their names.

“Studying theatre enriches the lives of men and women because they get to know themselves better and learn to interact with one another more effectively,” notes Frederick.

This spring over 200 students enrolled in drama courses. The program averages instructing between 30 and 40 drama majors each year.

The drama program offers an associate in arts degree as well as provides performance opportunities to students during the academic year, including two to three major productions during the fall and spring semesters, along with productions that highlight the directing talents of sophomore students and the skills learned by those taking Acting II courses and Mime and Movement courses.

Additionally, the program opens participation to community volunteers during its annual summer Shakespeare productions. Now in its fourteenth year, “Summer Shakespeare” will feature one of the bard’s history plays, “Julius Caesar,” in July.

“Through the art of theatre, we experience works by some of the greatest writers, thinkers and artists our civilization has ever known,” adds Frederick. “As students and community volunteers learn more about theatre, they understand more about themselves and develop a stronger respect for the human spirit.”

Currently, three faculty members provide instruction–ranging from acting, makeup and stage movement to set design (or fundamental stagecraft), voice for theatre and theatrical history. Adding a costumer to the faculty is among NAST’s recommendations as part of the program’s accreditation. The College has advertised and hopes to fill the new position soon.

Among the program’s initiatives, Del Mar Drama faculty have produced and performed several comedies to raise funds for scholarships. Past offerings have raised over $20,000 combined and included The Mystery of Irma Vep, The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (abridged), and The Complete History of America. Additionally, the program has established and collaborated with other academic departments and Fine and Performing Arts organizations, including the University of Texas at Austin, to bring theatrical productions for children to the College’s Bartlett Theatre.

Where does the program go from here?

“We hope, based on the recommendations of NAST’s Commission on Accreditation, that we can add an associate in applied science degree in theater technology in the next five years,” Frederick says, “as well as expand our facility to include a proscenium theater.”

But for now, Frederick says, “Our accreditation means that we, as a drama program, meet or exceed the high standards set by this national theater organization.”

Founded in 1969, the National Association of Schools of Theatre is an organization of schools, conservatories, colleges and universities. It has approximately 140 accredited institutional members and establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees and other credentials.