Undergraduate Catalog

College of Fine Arts and Communication

Dean: Mr. William “Billy” T. Clow
Associate Dean: Dr. Richard M. Kurasz
Office: Browne Hall 115
Telephone: (309) 298-1618
Fax: (309) 298-2695
Email: COFAC@wiu.edu
Website: wiu.edu/cofac

The College of Fine Arts and Communication provides high quality educational programs to a diverse student population. The primary focus is to prepare artists, professionals, and scholars of the 21st century. Students will comprehend the complexity of visual and performing arts, communicative arts and sciences, and media through the study of their aesthetics, creativity, history, theories, and applications.

From the time of entry to graduation, students are continually made aware of their progress through assessment strategies. Internships are available in some of the programs. The college believes that a quality education denotes its graduates will achieve the ability to think clearly and logically, draw meaningful conclusions from various languages, symbols, and texts, make informed decisions, develop selfdiscipline, acquire a thirst to achieve a high standard of scholarly and technical artistry or knowledge in their subject field, and critically examine the process of thinking intelligently so they can nourish the mind, foster integrity, refine character, and stimulate imaginative sensibilities.

Departments and Programs

Students in the College of Fine Arts and Communication may pursue studies in the following departments/schools and programs:

Department of Art and Design
  • B.A. in Art with options in:
    • Art Studio
    • Graphic Design
  • B.F.A. in Art with options in:
    • Art Studio
    • Graphic Design
    • Teacher Education
School of Communication and Media
  • B.A. in Broadcasting and Journalism with options in:
    • Broadcast Production
    • Journalism and Strategic Media
    • Sports Broadcasting
  • B.A. in Communication
  • B.A. in Public Relations
School of Music
  • Bachelor of Music (B.M.) with options in:
    • Applied Music (Composition, Jazz, Piano, Strings, Vocal, Wind/Percussion)
    • Music Business
    • Music Therapy
    • Teacher Education
Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology
  • B.S. in Speech Pathology and Audiology
Department of Theatre and Dance
  • B.A. in Theatre with options in:
    • Performance
    • Production/Design
  • B.F.A. in Musical Theatre

The College of Fine Arts and Communication offers minor programs in the same fields as the major programs and options listed above (except Musical Theatre and Speech Pathology and Audiology). In addition, the college offers the following minor programs that have no corresponding majors: American Sign Language, Art History, Dance, Health Communication, Jazz Studies, Social Media, and Stage Combat.

Majors and Minors

Course requirements for Fine Arts and Communication majors and minors are given under the department headings. The departments of the College of Fine Arts and Communication are authorized to grant a baccalaureate degree to students completing the following groups of courses:

  1. University General Education Curriculum.
  2. A department core of courses.
  3. One of the options offered by the student’s major department. Art and Theatre majors must meet specific grade point average requirements in the departmental core to enroll in the comprehensive program. Admission to all programs in Music and the B.F.A. Musical Theatre program in the Department of Theatre and Dance are contingent upon satisfactory performance in audition. Major programs with a conventional minor continue to be available.

Academic Advising

Each academic program in the College of Fine Arts and Communication has its own approach to advising, and students should acquaint themselves with the advising in their major. Advising is an important and integral part of an academic program. Advisors help students with registration, academic planning, and meeting graduation
requirements.

The advisor can succeed in this task only if the student maintains contact. The advisor should be consulted regarding all courses taken and dropped in order to ensure that the requirements of the program are being followed and will be properly fulfilled.

Communication students who are pursuing the major at the WIU—Quad Cities campus may contact the Communication Advisor at the Western Illinois University—Quad Cities campus.

College Graduation Requirements

In addition to fulfilling University graduation requirements, students in the College of Fine Arts and Communication must:

  1. Complete the appropriate total of semester hours needed for graduation in the specific curriculum pursued, including the major, the minor if needed, and electives. At least 42 s.h. must be in courses numbered 300 or above.
  2. Complete at least 12 s.h. in courses numbered 300 or above in the major.

Licensure to Teach

Students enrolled in the College of Fine Arts and Communication who wish to obtain a teaching license must meet all criteria for admission to the Teacher Education Program, complete the Teacher Education curriculum, and complete the major or minor requirements for Teacher Education students as described under the various department offerings in Fine Arts. See Teacher Education for additional information and specific requirements.

Bureau of Cultural Affairs

The college advises the Bureau of Cultural Affairs (BCA), an arts presenting student organization comprised of WIU students, faculty, staff, and community members. Affordable and diverse performances each year include national Broadway tours, theatre, dance, symphonies, headline musical artists, chamber music, young artists, comedy, and youth programming. BCA performances are free to WIU students.

Tri States Public Radio

The college operates WIUM 91.3 FM/WIUW 89.5 FM/WVKC 90.7 FM/K292GR 106.3 FM, a 24-hour-a-day National Public Radio member station, offering in-depth news, public affairs, and cultural programming, including classical, jazz, and folk music. The stations also offer two reading services to assist blind and print-disabled persons in the region, the Audio Information Service and the Personal Reader Service, which operate free of charge to clients.