By Molly Burke and Madison Fessler / Jambar Contributors
Colleges across the United States are aiming to improve students’ career readiness in and outside the classroom, and Cliffe College of Creative Arts is making changes to follow the trends.
Cliffe College Dean Phyllis Paul said the college has updated its curriculum and collaborated with Youngstown State University’s Office of Career Exploration and Development.
“Our students are getting an outstanding education in the arts, whether that’s visual art, music or theatrical arts, but they’re also within their degree program really getting a great start on business — what a business portion of this looks like,” Paul said.
Curriculum changes apply to incoming Cliffe students as well as any existing students who decide to switch to the 2024-25 course path.
Students getting a Bachelor of Arts in music performance, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre or a BFA of musical theatre are now required to complete a minor.
Joe Carucci, director of Dana School of Music and University Theatre, said the minor requirements were added after the departments took a deep dive into graduates’ careers.
“They might get a minor in technology, they might get a minor in marketing, in business, in entrepreneurship, in accounting. This will make them more marketable when they graduate for those various income streams that a performer often uses,” Carucci said.
While theatre students were already required to take a career preparation course, music performance majors must now take one as well. Audio and music production majors are also required to complete an internship.
Additionally, the Dana School of Music introduced certificates in audio and music production as well as audio and music production pedagogy.
“We’re trying to build into our music educators a sense of audio and music production and a sense of technology master that they can bring into the classroom,” Carucci said.
Daniel Keown, associate professor of music education, said the department streamlined its music education degree.
“We had a degree that was about 134 credits, which is about 14 credits over,” Keown said. “We felt it was really important to make sure we set up a curriculum for students so they could actually graduate in four years.”
Joy Christiansen Erb, acting chair of the Department of Art, said students getting a BFA in studio art with a concentration in interdisciplinary studio art are required to choose one of five business minors: entrepreneurship, nonprofit leadership, social media, marketing or business for non-business majors.
“We also included some new courses in the curriculum that kind of bridge the gap between the studio art side and the minor in business,” Christiansen Erb said. “We have a professional practices class, we have a community engagement internship for students and we also have a writing for artist course.”
Outside the classroom, Lilli Horvat is CCCA’s resident coordinator of career exploration and development. She’s teaching free courses for the college’s Career and Professional Development Series throughout the fall.
“We offer resume and cover letter reviews, LinkedIn reviews and networking tips, career exploration,” Horvat said. “The goal is for all of the classes to be very hands-on. We don’t want them to just come in and feel like this is another lecture.”
The series kicked off with a Mock Art Reception at McDonough Museum of Art in September. Students could practice networking with professors, as the museum is running a faculty art show throughout the fall.
“They had the chance to practice and talk with us as artists,” Christiansen Erb said.“They got a little bit of a presentation from Lilli Horvat, who talked to us about ways to make small talk, things to do to prepare for a reception.”
The event also featured a Gallery Glam Fashion Show hosted by the Student Art Association.
“They gave us some great examples of ways that you can be expressive but still dressed up for an event,” Christiansen Erb said. “There was a large group of students at this event — freshmen to seniors. So, there was a chance for people to recognize that coming to receptions can be really great.”
Christiansen Erb said it’s important for students to feel supported while preparing for their careers.
“In my generation and a lot of the faculty — in school, we didn’t have that. It’s something that you had to learn on your own,” Christiansen Erb said. “We’re recognizing the importance of teaching the students early so they can practice those skills.”
Junior theatre and biology major Natalie Horvath said she feels supported by faculty and staff at CCCA.
“I was one of the people that didn’t think there weren’t many jobs for theater,” Horvath said. “Being here, I found that there’s so many more job opportunities that I can achieve, and all the things that my professors have given me is helping me find ways that I can continue my level of theater.”
A full schedule of the Career and Professional Development Series can be found by the elevator on the first floor of Bliss Hall.
