Abstract
This article offers a comprehensive account of effective departmental management within a university theatre program, emphasizing practical organization, personnel selection, and administrative collaboration. Using the Department of Speech and Theatre Arts at Western Carolina University as a model, the discussion details the chair’s responsibility for building a cohesive administrative environment through the strategic hiring of qualified secretarial staff, faculty cooperation, and student commitment. The paper underscores the importance of accurate bookkeeping, courteous communication, and efficient operations as extensions of the department’s public image. It also addresses recruitment and retention practices, faculty evaluation procedures, and cross-departmental cooperation in theatre, music, and broadcasting programs. The analysis integrates principles of management with theatre-specific concerns, arguing that departmental success depends on a balance of professionalism, community outreach, and collaboration across academic and artistic units. The essay concludes that administrative efficiency and interpersonal harmony are as vital to a theatre program’s success as creative excellence.
Recommended Citation
Loeffler, Donald L.
(1987)
"Ideas, Comments, and Suggestions on Theatre Administration,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 59, Article 12.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol59/iss1/12
