[SML] Aggregate hours for majors?

[Kristi R-C]

Measure it a semester at a time, so if something goes pear-shaped in a student's life, she has a hope of getting back on track. 


I've seen requirements ranging from 30 to 50 hours per credit depending on school and tasks included. Students either get credit or paid; no one works for free. If the experience is educational (and it should be) then credit should be offered and the time should be considered a lab component of a technical theatre class or a practicum experience.


Students pay for the credit if that's where they are with their credit load - some schools treat 12-18 credits as "full time" at a single price; others charge for every credit. Students may, at their option, volunteer, but forced "slave labor" isn't good for you or the student.


We're having good luck with a Monday evening session of hours as there are fewer class conflicts and the solid multi-hour block means a lot of work gets done without interruption.


Ask students what skills they want to learn and strive to give them tasks to match. Have more experienced students help supervise less experienced ones. 



Have food or snacks available. People get grumpy and no one works well when his blood sugar is low. My scene shop got a donation of candy and it's common to see people wander into the shop to grab a handful. You can bet our supervisor takes advantage of that. Say "Thank you" at the end of the day. Compliment good work and good effort. Insure their names are in the program. Show them how the things they are doing in the shop and on the show are skills that are useful in daily life. 


Hope this helps!	





Kristi R-C




I’m sitting in my office on the Sunday of load-in with no majors here (no students at all, actually) for the second day and so we’re looking at requiring all theater majors to do something like 400 hours over the course of their undergraduate career.  I am leery about this because I think it will mean that I have a lot of grasshoppers in the shop their senior year trying to complete 350 hours in a semester.  I’m sure other people have done this, what was the success rate?  What was the hour requirement?

Thanks,
John





 

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