NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

10/26/2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES-Northwestern State University's Bachelor of Fine Arts degree has received plan approval from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), according to Coordinator of Visual Art Dr. Roger A. Chandler.

"This approval is a major step for the visual arts program," said Chandler, who succeeded Dr. Bill Bryant as coordinator in August. "The B.F.A. degree is a professional degree in the way the B.A. in arts or the B.S. in graphic communications was not. This degree will position our students better to enter the job market or step into graduate school."

The Bachelor of Fine Arts at Northwestern requires an additional 30 hours of course work in the student's area emphasis which could be a studio area in painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture or in graphic communications.

"This program will allow students to have additional time to develop skills to a professional level they did not have before," said Chandler. "This will give our students a better start professionally and academically. In addition, graduate schools seem to look more favorably on students with a B.F.A. as opposed to those with a B.A."

Chandler said the visual arts program recently received additional space in the old Industrial Education Building on NSU's campus. Once renovation work is completed, teaching space will be nearly doubled for drawing and painting. Additionally, the visual arts program is completing work on a new art history/media classroom that should be completed by the end of spring semester.

"We believe the fruits of this program will be evident very soon," said Chandler. "This program has a bright future."

The visual arts program is one of three within the Mrs. H.D. Dear Sr. and Alice E. Dear School of Creative and Performing Arts. Programs in music and theatre are also within the School of Creative and Performing Arts.

NASAD, founded in 1944, is an organization of schools, colleges and universities. It has approximately 240 accredited institutional members. It establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees and other credentials.

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