Abstract
The tenure and promotion status of theatre artist-teachers is examined through a survey of South Carolina college and university theatre units. The article identifies several challenges in applying traditional academic evaluation criteria to theatre faculty, including limited recognition of creative work as scholarship, inconsistent acceptance of the MFA as a terminal degree, and the absence of discipline-specific tenure and promotion documents. It recommends that theatre administrators develop formal policies that recognize artistic activity as equivalent to scholarly research and publication, establish the MFA as an appropriate terminal degree for theatre artists, and require systematic evaluation of production work. The article also emphasizes the need for peer review by departmental colleagues, related academic units, and external evaluators, as well as recognition of professional artistic activity beyond the home institution. Clear criteria established before review are presented as essential for fair evaluation of theatre faculty.
Recommended Citation
Patterson, James A.
(1984)
"A Strategy for Securing Tenure and Promotion for the Theatre Artist/Teacher,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 50, Article 13.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol50/iss1/13
