Non-Departmental Activity Policy

Download: Non-Departmental Activity Policy

NON-DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITY POLICY

(FOR GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS)

Faculty and staff should be aware of and assist in enforcing the following School policy: Students wishing to participate in "non-Departmental” productions will only be permitted to do so if they have first met their programmatic requirements (such as maintaining good academic standing, participation in required School auditions, or other responsibilities, such as crew assignments) and have received permission from the Theatre and Dance faculty of their respective area. BFA Acting, Dance, and Musical Theatre and MFA Performance & Pedagogy students are required to participate in School auditions, unless they have received permission from their Area or Program Head, through consultation with respective faculty, to be excused.

STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN NON-DEPARTMENTAL PRODUCTIONS

1. The School of Theatre & Dance aims to provide its students with the best theatre and dance education available, including frequent opportunities to participate in a variety of theatrical productions under faculty leadership and supervision. The School realizes that students may occasionally wish to broaden their educational experience by participating in non-departmental productions. The following policy is intended to regulate this participation for the good of the students, the school, and local producing agencies. To that end, the purposes of this policy are: 
   1. to ensure a valid educational experience for majors in the school 
   2. to ensure full student participation in school productions 
   3. to facilitate good relations with off-campus producing agencies in the community 
2. Full-time students majoring in Theatre Arts or Dance must receive permission before participating in nondepartmental theatrical or dance productions during the two long semesters of the academic year.
3. “Non-departmental productions” include, among others, community theatre and dance productions, semiprofessional and professional theatre, film, television, radio, and video productions, and productions produced by TTU entities other than Theatre and Dance. 
4. Students need not obtain permission to participate in one-time, non-rehearsed events that occupy no more than a day (e.g., TV commercials, load-in/load-out for touring theatre events, etc.). However, the school recognizes such activities as unexcused absences from classes, rehearsals, or other academic or production responsibilities. 
5. “Participating” includes, among other activities, the following: dancing or performing an acting role, designing (sets, costumes, lights, or sound), directing, choreographing, playwriting, dramaturgy, vocal coaching, house managing, stage managing, producing and business managing, and working on production crews. 
6. If students are uncertain whether a given activity falls under this policy, they should seek advice from the appropriate Area or Program Head. 
7. Students need not request or receive permission to participate in non-departmental productions during the summer terms and winter break unless rehearsal or performance schedules overlap into the long semesters. 
8. Students request permission for participation in non-departmental productions by filing a “External Production Request” (also on the websiteSharepoint) form with the Area or Program Head. The Area or Program Head will discuss the application with area faculty and make a recommendation to the Director of the School for a final decision. The Area or Program Head will communicate the decision to the applicant and also to all pertinent full-time members of the faculty and staff.
9. Since the Area or Program Head will need time to consult with other faculty and staff and the Director of the School, applications should be presented at least a week prior to auditions or other response deadlines of the nondepartmental producing organization. We encourage you to contact us before you audition, but in the case you receive an offer of an external project before you submit a request, please contact your Area Head immediately.