San Jose State University has completed the WASC
(Western Association of Schools and Colleges) accreditation process.
Here is the department's submission:

Department of Television, Radio, Film and Theatre

By Chair Mike Adams

Historical Highlights : The Department of Television, Radio, Film and Theatre evolved out of a drama department model common to radio and television programs in the 1960s. We trace our beginnings to 1928 when a new department of "Speech and Stagecraft" was formed at what was then called San Jose State College. In 1937 we were the Speech Arts Department, and in 1942 the Department of Speech and Drama. In 1963, Speech and Drama split into two departments. Speech became Communication Studies. In 1975, Drama became Theatre Arts. In 2000, our name was changed to Television, Radio, Film and Theatre to better reflect our major numbers, 80% of whom are Radio-TV-Film.

In the mid-1990s the permanent faculty met on numerous occasions to look at how the then three separate degree programs (RTVF, Theatre, Dance) could better work together in a curricular way. Part of the impetus for this was the declining enrollment in traditional theatre, the high cost, small class size of dance, and the need for the larger radio-TV-film major to have a clearer focus. Under an agreement with the Dean of Humanities and Arts, the dance BA was transferred to Music. We decided to continue to provide separate degrees in theatre and RTVF, but we created a series of "crossover" courses taken by both groups, primarily acting and directing for the camera, technical film and theatre, and screen writing. This curricular shift has allowed our small department to excel in narrative film making; writing, acting, directing, and technical support.

Program Descriptions : The Department of Television, Radio, Film and Theatre is a degree-granting academic unit within the College of Humanities and Arts at San Jose State University. We offer a BA in Theatre Arts, a BA in Radio-TV-Film (RTVF), an MA in Theatre, Film and Television, with minors in RTVF and Theatre Arts. We broadcast 24 hours a day over KSJS 90.5 FM, programmed by students as part of the curriculum. We have positioned ourselves as a performance and production department based on scholarship and the critical study of the influence of the entertainment and information media on society. We are a modern program emphasizing both content and understanding of traditional stage, television, radio, film and the Internet.

Mission Statement from the catalogue:

"The mission of the Department of Television, Radio, Film and Theatre is to prepare students for successful careers in performance and electronic and broadcast media. We see this as indistinguishable from our parallel mission: to nurture ethical, thinking, and compassionate human beings. To this end, and given our location in the heart of Silicon Valley, both areas of the Department - Theatre Arts and Radio/Television/Film - are committed to the development of artists, educators and scholars of the highest possible caliber."   

Reflection : We have found that what our students want most - narrative film making - is very successful under an integrated program between two traditional programs - film production and theatre. Because we have carefully worked it out through cooperative curriculum innovation, the sum is greater than the parts. We are becoming known in the region. Our students and their creative output are getting attention.

A decade ago, the trend in RTVF programs was away from a theatre alliance and toward journalism and mass communications. And while the older theatre model remains in the minority, it appears to be making a comeback for several reasons: First, those radio, television and film programs under journalism have found that the print-dominated accrediting standards of the AEJ/MC (Association for Education in Journalism/Mass Communication) did not allow majors to take enough "application" classes like film and television production, and because of enrollment pressures the journalism/mass communication programs became heavily invested in advertising and public relations. In the past two years the California State University, Fullerton radio, television and film area, formerly under journalism, broke away and formed a separate department, under a school of communications, to solve these problems. Now students can take non-journalism classes in writing a screenplay, plus digital film making and editing.

Second, under journalism/communications the current largest student interest, narrative film-making, would not have either the technical or philosophical support found under a traditional film program like the UCLA School of Film and Theatre. In the past year the San Diego State University television and film program moved from journalism to a new department of theatre and film, although still under a college of communications.   

Finally, while there are very good stand-alone film and television programs, like San Francisco State and CSU Northridge, students in those programs do not get what film students at San Jose State seem to want: curricular access to acting and performance students, and technical resources for narrative film making, like set design and construction, costuming, makeup, directing actors.

Data : Enrollment is going up. While we are primarily major-driven, we offer five General Education classes: TA 5, Acting; TA 10, Theatre Appreciation, TA 127, World Theatre, RTVF 110, Mass Media and Society, RTVF 188, World Cinema.

TRFT Major/Minor Numbers April 2003

Current Majors = 337
Current Minors = 61
BA RTVF - 304
Minor RTVF - 26
BA Theatre Arts - 50
Minor Theatre - 35
MA Theatre Arts - 28

Total = 443

FTES (full time equivalent student) is the most common SJSU measure of enrollment. A full time equivalent student is an individual taking five 3-unit courses (15 units), a typical or average course load per semester.

Data: Anecdotal evidence of program success :

Feature Film Success: In early 2003 "Intentions" was screened at Cinequest for thousands of enthusiastic filmgoers, as was "Dude, Where's My Scooter?" and three other student shorts. Two features and a music video were shot last summer. We are now averaging several feature films and several dozen high quality shorts a year, most of these written in our screenwriting classes. Our emphasis on narrative film making using digital, 16 mm and 35 mm technology, is beginning to attract attention as a small but effective film making program in the Bay Area region. It is the purposeful connection between film and theatre faculty, staff and students that has made this a reality.

Student Successes: When 1999 RTVF grad Coby Bell appeared on "ER" three months after graduation and then went on to be a regular cast member in "Third Watch," we were impressed but not surprised. 2001 RTVF grad Omar Miller recently appeared on "West Wing," and had a major supporting role in the hit film "8-Mile," and acting majors Sandy Ziviani and Chris Cooper were accepted by the Actor's Studio for advanced study in New York. Our graduates are finding work in the entertainment industry in much greater numbers than in any time in the past decade.

Live Theatre: We have experienced a high demand for musical theatre, but we cannot easily afford to do it, plus most of those auditioning for singing and dancing roles are not our majors. Because the School of Music and Dance is not interested in supporting musical theatre, we have had to hire musicians, directors, and choreographers from outside the department. This season we are doing smaller, non-musical shows, ones that attract our majors and that our faculty and advanced graduate students can direct.

Radio: This year is the 40th year of broadcasting to the Bay Area by KSJS. Enrollments in this program within the department are going up. See the separate program description for KSJS-FM.

Graduate Scholarship: In the past ten years our MA students have won more than their numerical share of the annual San Jose State University "Outstanding Thesis Award." See the 2003 BA Theatre Arts Self Study for a list of winners and their thesis topics. We are planning to change the name of the MA degree from Theatre Arts to Television, Radio, Film and Theatre to better reflect the content of the program and student interest. In the early 1990s the department's MFA program was shelved for lack of resources.