Purpose

“Juries” is our term for the process in which you regularly meet with faculty to present your work for feedback. It is intended to:

• Help you prepare for finding employment.
• Support your step-by-step growth by providing continuing feedback, suggestions for next steps, and career guidance.
• Open a dialogue with you. We would like to hear from you about how we can best support you and your evolving needs and goals.
• Provide regular opportunities for you to prepare career-supporting materials (portfolios, monologues, songs, résumés, scripts, etc.) and practice presenting yourself and your materials in a professional setting.
• Assist the faculty in assessing the overall outcomes and effectiveness of the Bachelor of Arts degree.

After each jury, students will receive both aural and written feedback on the work they present, as well as on their interview preparation and professionalism. 

NAST Standards

Students admitted to Arkansas State University may declare Theatre as their intended major without a departmental audition or portfolio review. All Theatre majors are required to participate in the Department’s jury process. The first jury serves as the formal departmental evaluation of the student’s aptitude, preparation, artistic development, and progress within the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. Successful completion of the first jury confirms the student’s degree candidacy within the Department and, when applicable, provides guidance regarding the student’s selected emphasis.

Performance students complete a performance jury evaluated by the performance faculty, and students pursuing design and technology areas complete an evaluation conducted by the design faculty. Students receive written feedback through the appropriate jury rubric and are advised regarding continued progress in the program. Transfer students are required to complete the appropriate departmental jury following entry into the Theatre program. All Theatre majors continue to participate in juries throughout their program of study as scheduled by the Department.

Arkansas State University is an accredited institution member of the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST). Regarding the purpose of a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, NAST standards state:

“Auditions and Evaluations. At some point prior to confirmation of degree candidacy, member institutions must require auditions or other evaluations consistent with the purposes of the degree, as part of the admission decision. Member institutions are urged to require such auditions and evaluations prior to matriculation." (National Association of Schools of Theatre, Handbook 2025–2026, Standards for Accreditation, VII.D.2.a.(1)–(4) and VII.D.3.a.(1)–(3).

Evidence of these characteristics and of their potential for continued development is essential for the award of the Bachelor of Arts degree. The jury process is one way in which the Department of Theatre evaluates the program’s success in developing these characteristics in each student.

Upon completion of the Arkansas State University Bachelor of Arts Theatre degree, students must:

• Demonstrate achievement of professional, entry-level competence in the area of specialization, including significant technical mastery, the capability to produce work and solve professional problems independently, and a coherent set of artistic/intellectual goals that are evident in their work.
• Demonstrate their competence by developing a body of work for evaluation in the central area of study.
• Have the ability to communicate ideas, concepts, and requirements to theatre professionals and laypersons related to the practice of the major field. Such communication may involve oral, written, visual, and musical media.
  (The above competencies reference NAST Handbook 2025-26, Standards for Accreditation, VIII.C.1-3.)

Jury Scheduling

Students will be assessed annually.

• First-year and second-year students will complete juries at the end of the spring semester.
• Third-year students and above will complete juries at the end of the fall semester.

Self-Evaluation Form

When theatre students register for a Jury, they will also complete a self-evaluation form as part of the registration process. The form uses the Start-Stop-Continue method of self-evaluation. You will be asked to consider your past work and answer the following questions:

• What do you need to start doing to improve your work and process?
• What would your work/process benefit from you not doing anymore?
• What is working well in your work and process, so you should continue to include it in the process?