The Arts Engagement Project at the University of Michigan - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Arts Engagement Project

at the University of Michigan

Identifying and understanding the impacts of co-curricular arts engagement on student development at the University level

Deb Mexicotte Gabriel Harp Veronica Stanich a2ru Annual Conference November 7, 2019

Background

Many years working with student organizations and advocating for their role on campus in student development and in the vibrancy of U-M. Arts at Michigan's mission is to integrate the visual, performing, and literary arts into the undergraduate experience at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor campus. Arts at Michigan programs actively engage students in the arts as a meaningful way to build connections between academic and co- curricular experiences, and to support students in their diverse roles as creators, audience members, and leaders in the university's vibrant arts community.

What do student

• rganizations

doing the arts need and how do we know?

– Facilities/Equipment – Funding – Advertising/Marketing – Organizational Development – Technical Expertise – Ticketing – Alumni Development – Community Visibility – Advising Network

Where’s the data?

There was no comprehensive data around arts impacts in the college years – either at U-M or elsewhere. Most available data was focused on K-12 experiences and impacts.

Student Focus Groups 2009-2010

– Student arts leaders identified the expected list of needs – Participation in arts organizations also had unique benefits and challenges – Arts organizations were the first dropped due to inability to articulate career/resume value – Important experience for graduate school and career portfolio development – Role in the job/school interview process – Desire for university recognition/support (faculty, funding, facilities, storage) – Importance for connection to the university – Student philanthropy efforts – Expectation vs. reality in access to arts participation at U-M

Why the Arts Engagement Project

– Validate the importance and impact of co-curricular arts experiences for students at U-M to faculty, staff, and administration. – Make a case for expanded arts opportunities, facilities, and funding for student arts engagement at U-M – Understand student expectations/experience at U-M – Identify barriers to student arts access and participation at U-M – Better support U-M students’ academic and career goals – Create stronger donor and alumni connections – Create knowledge about the impact of the arts on college age students – Development, wellness, career, learning objectives, skills, barriers – Create a database for other researchers/questions

What is the Arts Engagement Project

– Data Collection 2010-2015 – U-M Undergraduate Student Subjects (<18 yrs) – Longitudinal – Self-Reported – Registrar data – Multi-modal

– Multiple choice, open-ended questions, short answer, listings

– 1 One-Time and 4 Annual Online Surveys – Senior Exit Interviews – IRB approved (Exempt ) – Funding – Office of the Sr. Vice Provost/Office of New Student Programs/Arts at Michigan, UM ArtsEngine, UM Exploring Learning Analytics Grant, NEA ArtWorks Research Grant

Study Statistics

– Subjects – ~4000 individual undergraduate student respondents – ~350 undergraduate students who completed all 5 surveys (2 cohorts) – ~65 of those completed a Senior Exit Survey Research/Support Team – 1 PI (Arts at Michigan/ArtsEngine) – 1 Research Director (ArtsEngine/a2ru) – 1 Research Program Manager – 15 student researcher assistants – 4 Administrators (Logistics, Financial, Funding)

Survey Design

– Randomly generated invitation to ~3000 first-year students (>age 18) every year (2010-2014) – $10 subject payment per survey – Two first-year surveys (October & March) – One annual survey second, third, and fourth year (March) – Optional Senior Exit Survey – Personal attributes/skills sections based on Arts at Michigan Learning Objectives/Competencies – Surveys initially modeled on those for Community Service impacts

Survey Design F1 – October 2010 F2 – March 2011 SO – March 2012 JR – March 2013 SR – March 2014 SR Exit Interview – Mar/Apr 2014 and 2015

Descriptive Analyses

– Demographic Data – Access to Registrar data (Sex, Race/Ethnicity, Major, GPA, etc.) – Financial aid data less accessible – Household Income – Parent Education – HS Information (location, type, size) – High School and College Arts Involvement (type, frequency, level. motivation) – U-M Arts Accessibility and Climate – Personal Characteristics (Arts at Michigan Learning Objectives) – 4 point scale – personal attributes (Appreciation of arts and culture , Open minded, Organized, etc.) – 4 point scale/reflection – agreement to statements (I am comfortable comparing and understanding critical differences in arts and culture) – I-Statements – Arts Identity (I am a musician; I am a visual artist, etc.) – Childhood Experiences in the Arts – Past and Expected Arts Engagement in College – Expected Arts Engagement or Career After College

Research Questions

– What do students expect of their arts experiences at college? – Do students identify themselves as artists? – Do students engage with the arts to a greater or lesser degree at college vs. high school? – Are students engaging in the arts, and if so, which arts, how, where and how often? – What levels of arts participation have what kinds of outcomes (audience vs. art-making, type of arts interest?)? – What characteristics differentiate students engaging in the arts from those not engaging? – How do students feel about their arts engagement and what do they get out of it? – What skills or knowledge do students gain at college through co- curricular arts engagement? – How does engagement in the arts influence career choices or arts participation after college? – How does participation in the arts contribute to student learning and developmental outcomes?

10 20 30 40 50 60 Yes No Missing

High School Student Expectation of College Arts Involvement

First Year All Years

Self-reported “artist” identities/activities for all surveyed first-year students entering the University of Michigan.

High School College

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Weekly Monthly Yearly Weekly Monthly Yearly Weekly Monthly Yearly Weekly Monthly Yearly

Percentage Comparison of Frequency of Student Arts Participation at College No Arts Identity/Some Arts Identity

No Arts Identity Some Arts Identity

Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Weekly Monthly Yearly Weekly Monthly Yearly Weekly Monthly Yearly Weekly Monthly Yearly

Percentage Comparison of Frequency of Student Arts Participation at College

No Arts Identity/Some Arts Identity

No Arts Identity Some Arts Identity

Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Weekly Monthly Yearly Weekly Monthly Yearly Weekly Monthly Yearly Weekly Monthly Yearly

Percentage Comparison of Frequency of Student Arts Participation at College

No Arts Identity/Some Arts Identity

No Arts Identity Some Arts Identity

Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior

Identity Probability of Arts Identity Loss Probability of Arts Identity Gain Musician 25.6% 17.9% Visual Artist 34.9% 10.96% Dancer 40% 7.27% Creative Writer 28.9% 6.41% Filmmaker 40% 0.95% Graphic Designer 55.6% 10.% Architect 57.1% 3.7% Designer 47.1% 13.% Actor 72% 3.0%

A freshman with a musician identity has a 25.6% chance of losing their musician identity by senior year. A freshman with no musician identity has a 17.9% chance of gaining a musician identity by senior year.

Probability of Gains/Losses of Arts Identity between Freshman and Senior Year

• Cr. Writer

• Gr. Designer

Relative Percentage Comparison of Arts Identity Gain/Loss from FR to SR Loss Gain

0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8

Musician Visual Artist Dancer

• Cr. Writer

Filmmaker

• Gr. Designer

Architect Designer Actor

Trends in Percentage Arts Identity Gain/Loss from FR to SR

Loss Gain Net

Childhood Arts Engagement

– Sophomore Survey only 84% were involved in the arts during their childhood. (N= 2339) 68% were signed up for art classes by their parents. (N= 2343) 53% talked with parents about the arts during their childhood. (N= 2340)

Do you think the arts will be a part of your life after college? (Senior respondents only) Yes: 89% No: 11% Sample Size: 1048

Do you feel you are currently involved in the arts as much as you would like to be? Do you feel that the overall climate of U-M encourages involvement in the arts? What is your anticipated future involvement in the arts during college? Are you involved in student organizations in the arts? Have you held a leadership position in a UM student organization in the arts?

Visual

Musician

Actor

Performer

Significant Differences in Reported Personal Attributes for Freshmen with Arts Identity vs. No Arts Identity

Significant Differences in Reported Personal Attributes for Seniors with Arts Identity vs. No Arts Identity

Visual

Musician

Actor

Performer

Reported

• utcomes for

types of arts activities, and level of engagement

• vs. those who

indicated an engagement level of “Never”.

Topic Modeling: The Open- Ended Questions

Student Development – How did your behavior or thinking change (as a result of engaging in the arts)? – In what ways do you think you can grow (through arts engagement)? – What role did the arts play in your development as a person, friend, colleague, and student during college? – Please describe any transformative or meaningful arts experience you had during college. UM Experience/Policy – What do you see as the barriers preventing you from being involved in the arts at the University of Michigan (if you experienced any)? – What role did the arts play in your college experience, both positive and negative? – What is the reason behind your anticipated change in arts involvement?

Topic Modeling -The Open-Ended Questions

Foundation – How do you define “the arts”? – What role do you see the arts playing in society? Wellness – How did being involved in the arts as a child make you feel? – How did your involvement in the arts in college make you feel? Career/After College – If the arts had any impact on your career choice, please describe. – In what other ways do you see yourself being involved in the arts after college?

Unwelcoming Environment

“The great and sad part of UM is the wealth of talented individuals who go here– makes it hard for me, a moderately talented individual in a number of fields, to try out for a play or musical group and actually make it because I’m competing with, for example, percussion majors for Groove and theatre majors for a part in a play.” Top Words/Stems: peopl, want, like, club, experienc, real, feel, passion, fun, type, intimid, good, aren’t In the Unwelcoming Environment category, students report on the social barriers in place and the judgement they perceived from those already involved with an arts activity. Those who were already skilled and passionate were seen as unwelcoming to those who were new, less skilled, less committed, or non-arts majors. Students reported feeling awkward or intimidated about interjecting themselves into an established “clique” or into arts “territory.” Finally, the expected level of engagement in arts activities was often too high for a more casual participant looking to experiment or just have fun. ********************************************************

Time constraints; i feel that if I commit to an arts organization, I may not be able to contribute or attend regularly due to my busy schedule that is fjlled with unexpected and late-notice/last-minute events.”,”I am not interested in the arts.”,”Limited Time”,”Many of the musical groups require auditions, and if they don’t believe you are good enough, it prevents you from participating in the group, especially the a cappella groups.”,”Major choice.”,”I feel that to be involved in collaborative art groups is diffjcult because I have no experience.”,”lack of knowledge about clubs/events”,”Class confmicts”,”Not a very ar tistic community. People often are here to get degrees, but are not true artists.”,”Focusing on other priorities (i.e. academics, student organizations not involved with the arts, etc.)”,”I would love to see more jazz bands!”,”Because I’m not particularly skilled in or inclined to participate in one particular ar

• f the arts, I fjnd it hard to join a club just for enjoyment, out a fear of not being as serious about the arts as other members might be.”,”None”,”I am too

busy with sports. I’m on the Varsity Field Hockey Team so I have practice everyday which makes it hard to be involved in the arts.”,”No barriers”,”I do not, personally, enjoy participating in art.”,”Cost, time confmicts”,”Time”,”Not enough time, not enough experience”,”Scheduling, schoolwork”,”Living on North Campus”,”The arts classes that available for non majors are very small and it’s extremely diffjcult for freshmen/ sophomores to get a seat in classes like photography or clay for non majors.”,”I wanted to take the \”Graphic Design for Non-Majors\” class here, but the class fjlled up so fast during registration that I wasn’t able to. Hopefully more non-major classes can be ofgered sometime soon.”,”Not a lot of time to dedicate outside of class.”,”none”,”Between class requirements and work I don’t have a lot of extra time.”,”I have absolutely no creativity!”,”Time commitment and lack of aesthetic ability.”,”None,

• ther than personal time barriers.”,”None really. Maybe diffjculty getting started for the fjrst time, but other than that I feel its really enjoyable to be involved

in art”,”None”,”Time more than anything. Having participated in musical theater and glee club in high school, I know I wouldn’t be able to feel comfortable setting aside that kind of time.”,”The only barrier is having enough time to fjt everything in my daily schedule.”,”Time”,”Time constraints between studying for classes and rehearsal schedule”,”Time confmicts with academic obligations.”,”Currently, the academic course load has prevented me from dedicating

• ptimal time towards the arts. It is sometimes diffjcult to explore art activities during the week when I have exams and papers to focus on. I enjoy being

involved with the arts at the U but I hold myself to high academic standards so involvement is sometimes minimal.”,”Lack of time and amount of school work”,”Lack of experience”,”I am not very artistic and I am not as creative and artistic”,”A barrier for me is that arts aren’t my main focus. I would rather choose a sporting event over the arts.”,”The time I have to commit to being a student and maintaining my grades is a barrier.”,”Time constraints”,”Not enough time”,”Time”,”nope”,”I dont enjoy most arts”,”Right now, I’m very busy with Nursing and work two jobs. I like art, but don’t see it as a future ca reer, so I don’t take anymore extra time out for it, when I could be studying for my future career.”,”Time commitments”,”Finding new clubs/organizations to get involved with that I don’t know anyone in, learning about all the difgerent ways to get involved”,”Time and not wanting to go to events alone/con vincing my friends to go to events with me”,”Time is the biggest barrier. In between the clubs I am already in along with class and my job, I don’t have the time to add more activities to my schedule.”,”Time”,”Time”,”I think time constraints and having a busy schedule prevent getting involved for myself and many others.”,”I’m not good at or interested in any of the divisions of the arts. I’m very left-brain”,”My only barrier preventing me from being involved

BARRIERS

What do you see as the barriers preventing you from being involved in the arts at the University of Michigan? 3857 STUDENT RESPONSES 24 TOPICS

University Context Publicity University Structure Social Climate Exclusiveness Apprehension Lack of Familiarity Low Confidence Unwelcoming Environment Competitive Auditions Departmental Segregation University Priorities Academic Program Requireme… Accessibility Awareness

Priorities & Tradeoffs Not Engaged Logistics Time Academic Priorities Course Load Fit With Major and Course … Friend/Cost Ecosystem Cost Distance Between Campuses Ennui No Barriers Lack of Personal Interest No Barriers, Except...

TOPIC MODELS (stm R package; Roberts et al., 2014)

a text-mining tool for discovery of hidden semantic structures (topics) in a text or a corpus of texts

CLOSE READING AND INTERPRETATION

reading individual responses and interpreting the results and

• verall relationships — individually and through group discussion

DICTIONARIES

• rganized collections of terms and phrases used to help classify,

categorize, and calculate the frequency of words in text

DEMOGRAPHICS

characteristics of a population based on factors such as sex, grade point average, high school locale, ethnic group, income, etc.

DICTIONARIES

LINGUISTIC INQUIRY AND WORD COUNT (LINGUISTIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL) calculates the degree to which linguistic, cognitive, and afgective categories of words are used in a text (Tausczik and Pennebaker, 2010; Pennebaker et al., 2015) DOCUSCOPE LANGUAGE ACTION TYPES (RHETORICAL PATTERNS) analyzes rhetorical features such as persuasiveness or fjrst-person reporting; covers 40 million linguistic patterns of English classifjed into over 100 categories

• f rhetorical efgects (Kaufer et al., 2004; Ishizaki and Kaufer, 2012)

AUTOMATED INTEGRATIVE COMPLEXITY (COGNITIVE STRUCTURE) measures the cognitive structure implied in a speaker’s verbal content including how well they identify difgerent dimensions of an issue and integrate difgerent ideas (Conway et al., 2014; Houck et al., 2014)

topic..Competitive_Auditions topic..University_Priorities topic..Accessibility topic..Departmental_Segregation topic..Unwelcoming_Environment topic..No_Barriers,_Except topic..No_Barriers topic..Ennui topic..Course_Load LIWC..Analytic LIWC..Clout LIWC..function LIWC..relativ topic..Time topic..Unw topic..Unw topic..Competitiv topic..Competitiv topic..Accessibility topic..Unw topic..Competitiv topic..Competitiv topic..Competitiv topic..Accessibility topic..Unw topic..Unw topic..Competitiv topic..Competitiv topic..Competitiv topic..Competitiv topic..Competitiv topic..Univ topic..Univ topic..Accessibility topic..Accessibility topic..Univ topic..Univ topic..Unwelcoming_En topic..Unw topic..Unwelcoming_En topic..Unwelcoming_En elcoming_En topic..No_Barriers,_Except topic..No_Barriers topic..No_Barr topic..Accessibility topic..Depar LIWC..Clout topic..Accessibility topic..Accessibility topic..Depar LIWC..Clout LIWC..Clout topic..Accessibility LIWC..relativ LIWC..relativ LIWC..relativ

−1.0 −0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 −1.0 −0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0

Dim1 (18%) Dim2 (10.8%) cos2

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7

cos2

Variables − PCA

Principal Components Analysis (PCA) of topic prevalence, LIWC, DocuScope LAT, and AIC

• variables. (n=3852)

Five components explained 51% of the variation among responses about barriers. We focus on and describe these fj ve.

*Then, PC X Demographics analysis: ANOVA w/Tukey post- hoc test for difg erences among factor means.

Personal Capacity Climate of Exclusion Clear Barriers: Time, Location, Money, Major Other Interests Dialectical Complexity / Competing Themes Distance + Awareness Lack of Personal Interest, Confjdence, and/or Familiarity Course Availability Access: Location and Awareness

Personal Capacity Climate of Exclusion

LIWC..relativ topic..Course_Load topic..Time topic..Unwelcoming_Environment topic..Competitive_Auditions topic..University_Priorities topic..No_Barriers topic..Accessibility topic..Departmental_Segregation topic..Ennui

explains about 18% of the variation among responses

Personal Capacity Climate of Exclusion

“Time schedule confmicting with class or other extracurriculars” “Not enough time in my schedule to be in a club or group for pure enjoyment.” “Large time commitment. Very intense competition”

Personal Capacity Climate of Exclusion

“Might be time consuming, not really socially acceptable compared to volunteering or being in an interest group” “I tried to join campus band, but as a freshman it was very far from where I

• lived. I went to the fjrst practice and I didn’t fjnd it as fun because the fjrst

day the people in my section were very competitive and it made me not want to join because I experienced enough competition in classes.”

Personal Capacity Climate of Exclusion

“The art department doesn’t let you use the studios unless you are taking a class in that studio.” “I wanted to be in an acapella group and had tried out for 4-5 my sophomore and freshman year. I got called back from two difgerent groups but didn’t make it from there. It was hard because I really wanted to be in an acapella group and not in a choir, so therefore I haven’t gotten to sing here, which makes me sad.” “The great and sad part of UM is the wealth of talented individuals who go here-- makes it hard for me, a moderately talented individual in a number

• f fjelds, to try out for a play or musical group and actually make it because

I’m competing with, for example, percussion majors for Groove and theatre majors for a part in a play.”

Personal Capacity Climate of Exclusion

“As an engineer, I feel there could be more opportunities to get involved in the arts. I feel too intimidated by art majors or minors to take an art class for fun, which I otherwise would do.” “Skill Requirements and inner departmental circles. It is hard to get involved as an engineer” “Fear of judgement” “Kind of intimidating, somewhat a culture of arrogance at times” “Stigma against artistic pursuits as fmaky or not productive.”

Personal Capacity Climate of Exclusion

demographic: income

comparison: More than $150,000 -and- $50,000-$100,000 estimate: 0.26160219 tukey adj.p.value: 0.00642735

Personal Capacity Climate of Exclusion

demographic: school

comparison: Engineering -and- Literature, Science & the Arts estimate: -0.344558809 tukey adj.p.value: 0.00769074

Clear Barriers: Time, Major, Location, Cost Other Interests

explains about 11% of the variation among responses

LIWC..Analytic LIWC..Clout LIWC..relativ topic..Ennui topic..No_Barriers,_Except LIWC..function

Clear Barriers: Time, Major, Location, Cost Other Interests “Cost, time” “Science requirements for science majors make it diffjcult to take classes in the arts, and sometimes to experience extra art activities.” “Diffjcult to sign up for ARTDES courses, since no contact info for professors whose permission is needed.”

Clear Barriers: Time, Major, Location, Cost Other Interests “Do not have the time and I have other interests” “No barriers. Just my other interests are higher than my desire to be involved in the arts most of the time” “The only barriers I see is the impracticality of being involved in the arts as a pre-medical mathematics major.”

Clear Barriers: Time, Major, Location, Cost Other Interests

demographic: sex

comparison: Female-Male estimate: -0.1517617 tukey adj.p.value: 0.00262935

Clear Barriers: Time, Major, Location, Cost Other Interests

demographic: parent education level

comparison: Ph.D or professional degree-Bachelor’s estimate: -0.284336 tukey adj.p.value: 0.00016848

Clear Barriers: Time, Major, Location, Cost Other Interests

demographic: arts in college

comparison: Yes-No estimate: -0.3963766 tukey adj.p.value: 3.26E-09

Clear Barriers: Time, Major, Location, Cost Other Interests

demographic: hs type

comparison: Private religious-Traditional public estimate: 0.23587691 tukey adj.p.value: 0.02203453 comparison: Private non-religious-Private religious estimate: -0.5174393 tukey adj.p.value: 0.00075395

Clear Barriers: Time, Major, Location, Cost Other Interests

demographic: hs arts frequency

comparison: Occasionally-Never, estimate: -0.6056542, tukey adj.p.value: 2.65E-08 Frequently-Never, estimate: -0.9226483, tukey adj.p.value: 3.39E-09 Frequently-Occasionally, estimate: -0.3169941, tukey adj.p.value: 3.45E-09

BARRIERS

Personal Capacity, Priorities, and Preferences Competition & Selectivity w/in Majors and Clubs Access: Time & Timing, Location, Cost, Major Personal Interest, Confjdence, and/or Familiarity Course Availability for Non-Majors Distance & Location Awareness, Marketing, & Communication

IMPLICATIONS

Familiarity, comfort and interest drive engagement to

• vercome barriers.

For some, the barriers are straightforward. For others, there are multiple challenges. Structural barriers such as disciplines/major/culture and location are real and not evenly experienced. Interest in arts and thus experience of barriers may be moderated by environments and exposure to the arts.

time, I am amazed by the talented students at UM.”,”Mixed feelings, happy while involved, depressed when not involved”,”Free and happy”,”helped shape future career goals in music promotion”,”Great.”,”It opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities that I didn’t know existed. I found a renewed ap preciation for the arts.”,”I felt more cultured and happy.”,”Well rounded and happy. I love working with other people who make music, and it’s great to get the chance to do so so often.”,”Happy, creative, passionate, and meaningful.”,”Involved and a part of something bigger than myself.”,”Cultured and awar involved,”,”It was a release and allowed for me to relieve my stress and tension from being in engineering classes only doing math and science problems all

• day. The arts allowed for me to add personality to my work.”, ”It makes me feel good about myself and interested in life in general”,”cultured”,”Happy”,”I was

glad to be able to learn about the work of others, and gain a better appreciation of the arts.”,”I loved every minute of it. I wish I had time to do mor involved in my creative side”,”Open-minded.”,”Good.”,”Great. They are some of my favorite memories/time spent in college”,”Great! Better connected with the creative world.”,”I love it - it’s fun, and I like continuing my education in the arts - it makes me feel more cultured (which I think is good!)”,”I like the arts!”,”personally expressed”, ”A sense of belonging””It was solely for enjoyment.”,”i wish i could do it more but i need to set priorities”,”the lack of involve ment in the arts during college makes me feel upset and inspired at the same time to pick up a paint brush and make something creative”,”Good, enjoy able”,”I always feel good when I’m involved in the arts. There’s always something positive to take away, with any form of art.”,”Happy and creative, but also stressed out at times”,”Happy, fulfjlled”,”Happy”,”Appreciative of the talents of others.”,”I really enjoyed my involvement in the arts. When I was variety chair it was sometimes stressful, but defjnitely worth all of the work at the end!”,”creative!”,”It helped me keep myself spirited and motivated.”,”worldly”,”Involve ment in the arts is a good way to take a break from studying and socialize with friends.”,”I am IN THE MUSIC SCHOOL, so, everything ranging from abso lutely fantastic and full of joy to completely miserable, depending largely on my performance.”,”a part of something”,”Happy, relaxed, excited, and at peace.”,”Happy, optimistic about the world”,”It made me feel as though I was part of the arts even though I never seen myself as creative”,”My lack of in volvement has actually saddened me, but galvanized me to try and learn more in the future.”,”Stressed at times but overall it made the University seem a lot more personal and made me really feel like I was a part of something. Also, the performances were amazing and reminded me how much I love dance.”,”I haven’t been involved much, but when I am involved in arts, it’s fun and I usually like the end product.”,”Much better, cultured, relaxed”,”I always enjoy art, it is expressive and emotionally charged.”,”Entertained, engaged. Like it was a more worthwhile and isolated experience than going to an athletic event”, rounded, educated, important.”,”It’s been a relief, a place to let everything out”,”part of a community, passionate, inspired, electric”,”It made me feel mor knowledgeable about the world and better able to relate to others”,”Fine. It’s not a big deal. I like it when people listen to my music and like it but I do it for me fjrst. Also photography is really fun to me and it’s nice when people appreciate my photos but again, I do it because it’s fun not for praise.”,”Being in volved in the arts has been great for me in that it helped me to form many meaningful friendships and put me in contact with an incredibly diverse range of people from all backgrounds and experiences.”,”Like I was enriching myself and becoming more worldly.”,”I felt that I became more expressive as a r participating in the arts during college”,”Great!”,”Connected to the arts world. Inspiring and soothing.”,”I wasn’t involved in arts very much”,”I have not partic

FEEL

Uninvolved Entertained Enlightened Fulfilled Connected and Empowered Empowered Connected to Others throug… Successful Less Stressed and More Exp… Accomplished & Creative Proud Gratitude Meaningful Connected Well Rounded Gained Perspective and App… Part of Something Bigger Gratified Balanced Refreshed Culturally Aware Happy Grateful Wishful Regretful

How did your involvement in the arts during college make you feel? 14 TOPICS 1207 STUDENT RESPONSES

topic..Entertained topic..Regretful topic..Wishful topic..Part_of_Something_Bigger topic..Proud topic..Gained_Perspective_and_Appreciation LIWC..Analytic LIWC..Clout LIWC..Authentic LIWC..Tone LIWC..function LIWC..affect LIWC..posemo AIC..IC AIC..DIAL AIC..ELAB topic..Wishful topic..Wishful topic..Wishful e_and_Appreciation AIC..DIAL AIC..DIAL AIC..DIAL AIC..DIAL AIC..DIAL erspective_and_Appreciation e_and_Appreciation e_and_Appreciation LIWC..Tone LIWC..T LIWC..Clout LIWC..Tone LIWC..Tone LIWC..T LIWC..T LIWC..affect LIWC..posemo LIWC..posemo LIWC..affect LIWC..posemo AIC..ELAB AIC..DIAL AIC..DIAL AIC..DIAL AIC..DIAL AIC..DIAL AIC..DIAL AIC..ELAB AIC..ELAB AIC..ELAB

−1.0 −0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 −1.0 −0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0

Dim1 (18.5%) Dim2 (14.4%) cos2

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7

cos2

Variables − PCA

Principal Components Analysis (PCA) of topic prevalence, LIWC, DocuScope LAT, and AIC

• variables. (n=654)

Five components explained 56% of the variation among responses about how the arts made students feel. We focus on and describe these fj ve.

*Then, PC X Demographics analysis: ANOVA w/Tukey post- hoc test for difg erences among factor means.

Very Positive Ambivalent (positive) Connected and Fulfjlled Enjoyment and Regret Empowered Elaborative Cultured Accomplished Meaningfully Gratifjed

Very Positive Ambivalent (positive)

LIWC..Analytic LIWC..Clout LIWC..posemo LIWC..afgect LIWC..function LIWC..Authentic AIC..IC

explains about 19% of the variation among responses

Very Positive Ambivalent (positive)

“Good knowing I have a special creativity and others had their own too; a great supportive system” “My involvement made me feel more connected to the university and helped me expressive my creative desires” “I enjoy drawing and photography. It is a stress reliever and I like having a tangible product representing my work” “Great. It helped me make friends, and it also helped me grow while staying connected to my past.” “I feel now that I am contributing to the world in a very important, positive way that can afgect everyone, not only local audiences.”

Very Positive Ambivalent (positive) “I felt that I was a part of something and that I had something to contribute to a group and a vision and to making that vision a reality.” “Creative, independent, and fulfjlled.” “More creative and open-minded.” “All kinds of things. Blessed, excited, inadequate, encouraged, stressed.” “Empowered. Creative. Talented. Relieved. Calm. Powerful.

• Beautiful. Strong. Emotional. Loving.”

Very Positive Ambivalent (positive)

“I was not as involved in the arts during college as I would have liked...I also wish I could have taken more classes in the arts, like fjlm and photography, and maybe creative writing. I was unable to do so due to fjnancial constraints; I only took classes for which I could get credit towards my major (and as an engineering major, few, if any, arts classes are applicable). There are a lot of things I wish I could go back and change in terms of my arts and culture experience at Michigan. Sadly, there is no going back, but I am lucky that I’ll be living in the greatest city in the world next year (New York), where artistic and cultural opportunities abound.” “The arts make me think of a difgerent view on life. I don’t get a chance to experience them a lot, but when I do its very refreshing” “I wish that I could actually participate rather than just attend”

Connected and Fulfjlled Enjoyment and Regret

explains about 14% of the variation among responses

AIC..ELAB topic..Connected_to_Others_through_the_Arts AIC..DIAL topic..Gained_Perspective_and_Appreciation topic..Part_of_Something_Bigger topic..Proud AIC..IC topic..Regretful topic..Wishful topic..Entertained

Connected and Fulfjlled Enjoyment and Regret “Connected to those around me in a “bigger than myself” kind

• f way.”

“Involved and a part of something bigger than myself.” “Good, like I’m a part of something bigger than myself and bigger than this university.” “It makes me feel like I’m part of a community and more connected to the University”

Connected and Fulfjlled Enjoyment and Regret “I feel very accomplished after I fjnish a creative project. I feel more connected to a creative project than I do when I study for an objective exam or fjnish some memorization homework. I feel like it uses more critical thinking, and I feel more connected to the project and I learn the material better.” “It made me feel competent, accomplished, gave me an

• pportunity to express myself as well as gain a greater

appreciation of the arts.”

Connected and Fulfjlled Enjoyment and Regret

“GREAT! Without the arts involvement I had I would probably not be sane, and am utterly grateful for programs like Arts at Michigan that make my involvement possible. The arts are a great way for me to meet and collaborate people studying entirely difgerent things, and to also bring the arts into what I am studying (neuroscience/pre-med). At times, the arts also provide a good way to get away from all my daily stresses and clear my mind too.” “I’m a civil engineer and often spend the majority of my time thinking analytically and technically. My exposure to the arts has been a nice contrast, opening up my mind to a whole new way of thinking/ expression.”

Connected and Fulfjlled Enjoyment and Regret

“I wish I was involved in the arts more in college. It makes me sad.” “I really enjoyed the performances I have gone to and they make me wish I had been a part of something like them.” “I consistently enjoy my involvement with the arts.” “I really enjoyed participating in the arts and it made the college feel a little smaller and more intimate” “Some regret that I was not able to participate more.” “I wish I would have attended more performances.”

Connected and Fulfj lled Enjoyment and Regret

demographic: participated

comparison: Yes-No estimate: 0.95809224 tukey adj.p.value: 2.11E-05

Connected and Fulfj lled Enjoyment and Regret

demographic: arts in college

comparison: Yes-No estimate: 0.59292171 tukey adj.p.value: 9.14E-05

Connected and Fulfj lled Enjoyment and Regret

demographic: hs arts frequency

comparison: Occasionally-Never, estimate: 1.02622441, tukey adj.p.value: 0.02692079 Frequently-Never, estimate: 1.10764544, tukey adj.p.value: 0.01396947

ARTS’ AFFECT: IMPLICATIONS

Overwhelmingly positive. Connected, Fulfjlled, Empowered, Grateful, Meaningful, Cultured, Accomplished, Successful, Well-Rounded, Balanced, Entertained The arts make people feel connected and part of something larger. Where there was ambivalence: expressions of regret. High school participation may be strongly infmuential.

“I can become more open minded”,”Ways to express my feelings and thoughts. I’ll have more time to explore such outlets after college.”,”Creativity fulness, presence”,”Diversify views. Get worldly views. Associate with a difgerent type of people. Have better/enriching conversations (most important).”,”Yes: I can become more open-minded about difgerent creative thought processes, as well as the values of other cultures.”,”Becoming more creative, better at self expression”,”Be inspired to get involved in other things”,”I think the arts allows for creative expression not only in the artists performing or creating the work, but also in an audience member because they are able to take that experience and make whatever they want out of it. They have may have a renewed out lok on the world or they may be able to see a difgerent perspective on a particular issue through the arts.”,”I think the arts really challenge you to look at things in unique ways and to appreciate other people’s creativity. That’s something that I think will stick with me for the rest of my life and help me to have a unique outlook at life.”,”I think that being involved in art can provide individuals with a more well rounded perspective”,”it expands your consciousness, it makes you grow as a person emotionally. it expands your horizons culturally.”,”I think if you fjnd passion in the arts, then it is very easy to discover yourself and expand upon those interests.”,”Time management skills, people skills”,”it increases your powers of observation allowing you see things in life that you may pass over normally”,”learn to appreciate jobs and career very difgerent from my own. learn more about other cultures”,”Become more open-minded, and learn more about your own abilities and talents”,”Become more open minded”,”As a person you fjnd an expressive form and possible career path.”,”The arts ofger a new lens with which to view difgerent people’s experiences and perspectives, and getting a glimpse through that lens can only ofger more knowl edge about the world and all the people in it.”,”I can become more confjdent.”,”Arts teach you values and responsibility and develop your personal identi ty.”,”I think that it will make me a more interesting, well-rounded, and fmexible person.”,”Through personal beliefs, creativity, awareness, and acceptance of new things and ideas.”,”more understanding and knowledgable”,”Learning more about other ways of thinking, and also fjnding new ways to express my self.”,”It allows for expression in a personal manner and I think it allows for personal growth”,”I think the arts could make me more open-minded and be more creative. The arts are enjoyable when I fjnd time for them.”,”I think it helps you to connect to your thoughts.”,”I think you can learn to work with others and learn difgerent ways of thinking and looking at things”,”It can open your mind to new experiences”,”see the world in a new light”,”learn to expr thoughts and ideas better”,”Increase in calmness.”,”greater appreciation of other things”,”It expands my mind in unmeasurable ways. It lets expr to the world.”,”grow in your open-mindedness”,”Just learn to appreciate beautiful works”,”Develop an open mind and become culturally present”,”Playing music has given me challenges that I overcame which helped my grow in my problem solving skills. Also, participating in a lot of music activities made me be a better time manager and have better organizational skills.”,”In terms of bettering self-image, being more knowledgeable about the world around me, and also in terms of career goals.”,”Become more open-minded and feeling more connected to others.”,”More responsible, more accepting, more cr

• pen minded”,”It can get me to think outside the box, and to express myslef. It seems like art is all about expression so it is a way to get our some str

and anger.”,”Using more creativity in some aspect of my life. being a better communicator.”,”culturally, emotionally, socially”,”I believe I can be mor and begin to come up with new, fresh ideas that have not been thought of before.”,”Learning how to express what is in my head on a piece of paper lyzing your reactions to difgerent forms of art, and considering what that says about you”,”I think the arts will help me grow as a person by appreciating what

• ther people can produce and also by understanding the ways in which people are difgerent.”,”I think they have the ability to teach discipline and have the

ability to grow your mind in difgerent ways. It helps someone to express themselves (emotions/personality) when that might not otherwise be possible.”,”Cre atively, improving my ability as a writer and in crafts”,”You can learn to express yourself and harness creativity and beauty.”,”The arts allow one to express

GROWTH

“In what ways do you think you can grow (through the arts)?”

11 TOPICS 971 STUDENT RESPONSES

LIWC..Analytic LIWC..function LIWC..verb LIWC..focuspresent AIC..IC AIC..DIAL AIC..ELAB topic..Self_Exploration topic..Connect_with_People_in_New_Ways topic..Exposure_to_New_Experiences topic..Cultural_Appreciation topic..More_Self_Aware topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Communication topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm LIWC..function LIWC..function topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm LIWC..function LIWC..verb topic..Self_Explor topic..More_Self_A topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm LIWC..v LIWC..v topic..Self_Explor topic..More_Self_A topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm LIWC..v topic..Self_Explor topic..More_Self_A topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm LIWC..v LIWC..v topic..Connect_with_People_in_Ne eople_in_Ne topic..Connect_with_People_in_Ne eople_in_Ne iences topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Self_Explor topic..More_Self_Aw topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Self_Explor topic..Connect_with_People_in_Ne topic..Connect_with_People_in_Ne topic..Connect_with_People_in_Ne iences topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm iences topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Connect_with_People_in_Ne topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm eople_in_New_W eople_in_New_W topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..More_Self_A topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..More_Self_A topic..More_Self_A topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Communication topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Communication topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Comm topic..Creativity_Expression_and_Communication unication unication unication

−1.0 −0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 −1.0 −0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0

Dim1 (15.7%) Dim2 (10.9%) cos2

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6

cos2

Variables − PCA

Principal Components Analysis (PCA) of topic prevalence, LIWC, DocuScope LAT, and AIC

• variables. (n=971)

Four components explained 44% of the variation among responses in the ways students think they can grow (through the arts). We focus on and describe these four.

*Then, PC X Demographics analysis: ANOVA w/Tukey post- hoc test for difg erences among factor means.

Receptive to New People, Perspectives, and Experiences Creativity, Self-Expression, and Communication Self-Awareness and Exploration Awareness and Exploration of Others Cultural Maturity Personal Skills More Open-Minded Social Maturity

Receptive to New Experiences People, and Perspectives Creativity, Self- Expression, and Communication Skills

LIWC..Authentic LIWC..verb LIWC..focuspresent topic..Connect_with_People_in_New_Ways topic..Exposure_to_New_Experiences AIC..ELAB AIC..DIAL LIWC..function topic..Creativity_Expression _and_Communication

explains about 16% of the variation among responses

Receptive to New Experiences People, and Perspectives Creativity, Self- Expression, and Communication Skills

“Through interactions with other people, actively stretching my boundaries, and constant exposure to new ideas and perspectives.” “I believe that exposure to the arts will open my mind and allow me to see perspectives and connections that I otherwise wouldn’t. This is true, perhaps, because exposure and involvement in the arts activate areas of the brain outside of the logic/memory regions primarily used in my premed academic work.” “Open-mindedness. Art allows me to learn things that I would not have learned otherwise and I can’t unlearn those things and some of those things can be applied to problem solving.”

Receptive to New Experiences People, and Perspectives Creativity, Self- Expression, and Communication Skills

“I think I can become more creative. I also think the arts allow me to be more at peace, which allows me to grow in all other areas of life. The arts also allow me to connect with other people and other cultures.” “In confjdence, creativity, problem solving, gaining a larger perspective, seeing from other points of view, learning about other people and their thoughts” “I think arts can help build a person’s creativity, which is important in all aspects of life. Furthermore, art expands the range of experiences you can have, making you more open-minded.”

Receptive to New Experiences People, and Perspectives Creativity, Self- Expression, and Communication Skills

“It really improves one’s self confjdence, I think. I think it also makes one more open to new experiences.” “I think that diversity of experience can help everyone, and that the arts provide an emotional outlet for many people. These can help anyone grow in a way that allows them to understand their own creativity and the creativity of others with difgerent opinions and emotions than their own.” “Intellectually you can expand your horizons and creativity, you can learn to appreciate others and see things from difgerent perspectives, emotionally it can help you cope with difgerent things”

Receptive to New Experiences People, and Perspectives Creativity, Self- Expression, and Communication Skills

“Enhance your sense of self, creativity, expression, and respect for the work of others.” “I will continue to grow in creativity and the ability to express myself” “I think the arts teach you expression, which can extend into all other areas

• f your life.”

“Become a more efgective communicator.”

Self-Awareness and Exploration Awareness and Exploration of Others

explains about 11% of the variation among responses

topic..More_Self_Aware topic..Self_Exploration LIWC..verb LIWC..focuspresent topic..Cultural_Appreciation LIWC..Analytic AIC..IC AIC..ELAB AIC..DIAL topic..Expanded_Worldview

Self-Awareness and Exploration Awareness and Exploration of Others

“Creativity, emotions, expression, learn about yourself, hone your thoughts and feelings.” “Art requires constant self-refmection that may lead to understanding oneself

• better. Art requires risks and is challenging which can help people grow and

either learn from mistakes or gain confjdence in their abilities.” “I think that involvement in the arts allows people to tap into emotions that are normally kept hidden, and understanding all parts of yourself is

• important. This can be done through performing/participating, or from just
• bserving the arts.”

“I think it helps your emotional and mental development. It allows for personal expression as well as brain development.”

Self-Awareness and Exploration Awareness and Exploration of Others

“Continuing to expand my worldview and fjnd inspiration for choices in my

• wn life.”

“Personal, cultural, social understanding, physical activity, mental health” “Problem-solving, resilience, self-esteem, appreciation of others, happiness and fulfjllment.” “I think involvement in the arts can promote open mindedness, self- discovery, appreciation of beauty, improved self-esteem, and other personal developments” “Boosts your self-esteem and self-expression, makes you more confjdent, helps creatively think and problem solve, makes you a good communicator.”

Self-Awareness and Exploration Awareness and Exploration of Others

“By expanding your worldview and your personal aesthetic. Also by sharing the experience of art with other people, you learn a great deal about difgerent cultures and human perception.” “Expand your cultural viewpoints. Learn about others points of view” “Understanding the ideas/feelings of others. Efgective expressive

• communication. Teamwork. Learning to work under diverse leadership.

Attention to detail. Self-directed and motivated work.” “Ability to understand the diversity of methods of expression and have a greater understanding of other cultures through their arts”

Self-Awareness and Exploration Awareness and Exploration of Others

“You can grow in cultural understanding and acceptance of those difgerent from you.” “Broadened horizons, meeting difgerent types of people.” “You can broaden your horizons and come to appreciate people with difgerent talents and interests, as well as the lives people live in other cultures (even within the same country).” “Can gain creativity, will also be able to meet new people that are difgerent from the traditional business people I always hang out with and they can give me a difgerent perspective on things”

Self-Awareness and Exploration Awareness and Exploration of Others

demographic: high school location

comparison: Rural-Suburban estimate: -0.3874909 tukey adj.p.value: 0.03574811

Self-Awareness and Exploration Awareness and Exploration of Others

demographic: hs arts frequency

comparison: Frequently-Occasionally estimate: -0.2977901 tukey adj.p.value: 0.02392838

ARTS’ IMPACT ON GROWTH: IMPLICATIONS

Personal development and orientation towards others. Openness and exploration of new perspectives and practices. Cultural fmuency and social maturity. Skills, knowledges, and dispositions of creativity, communication, awareness, leadership, and expression. Complementarity to other domains of study, work, experience, and socialization. Integrative thinking is rooted in “receptiveness to new perspectives” and “exploration of others’ points of view.”

ARTS’ IMPACT ON GROWTH: IMPLICATIONS

Integrative thinking is rooted in “receptiveness to new perspectives” and “exploration of others’ points of view.”

”I think that people are able to grow through the arts because it provides a needed outlet not only for personal expression of identity, values, and beliefs, but for connecting with one another. Arts are something that require no common language, experiencs, or backgrounds, and people across communities can coexist and learn from one another through the arts.”

ARTS’ IMPACT ON GROWTH: IMPLICATIONS

Integrative thinking is rooted in “receptiveness to new perspectives” and “exploration of others’ points of view.”

”By understanding deeper cognitive functions, connecting with others across and because of difgerence, its connection with newness and yet familiarity. Art performs communicative functions that words cannot. Art goes beyond words.” “Step outside your own interests to appreciate the passions

• f others. It helps to relate to people you otherwise would

not understand.”

ARTS’ IMPACT ON GROWTH: IMPLICATIONS

Integrative thinking is rooted in “receptiveness to new perspectives” and “exploration of others’ points of view.”

“The arts help you grow individually but also as an individual within a community, culture, and nation. They connect you to others outside of your comfort zone and also inside of your group, and the more one is able to connect with others, the more one can grow individually and grow the larger group.”

The Arts and Design in Research Universities: Interdisciplinary Impacts and Practices

Mellon-funded study: SPARC (Supporting Practice in the Arts, Research and Curricula) Data set: interviews with upper-level administration, faculty, stafg and students at 38 research universities, 2012-2015

SPARC Question 25: What impact did you hope to see? What impact did you actually see and how did you measure it? SPARC Question 26: How have these programs afgected your teaching and research? What about your colleagues’ teaching and research? [and varia- tions of this wording] 212 responses to these questions 273 impacts identifjed

Arts Engagement data set: “In what ways do you think you can grow through the arts? n=971 “How did your involvement in the arts during college make you feel?” n=1207 “What role did the arts play in your development as a person, friend, colleague, and student during college?” n=840 What do you see as the barriers preventing you from being involved in the arts at the University of Michigan (if you experienced any)?) n=3857

PROMOTES NEW PERSPECTIVE, AWARENESS, AND UNDERSTANDING

PROMOTES NEW PERSPECTIVE, AWARENESS, AND UNDERSTANDING

Engagement with the arts 1 Appreciation for the arts 2 Broader perspective 3 Open mind 4 Beyond disciplinary boundaries 5 New understanding 6 New experience 7 Thinking differently 8 Refreshed thinking 9 Appreciation for the physical world 10 Connections to other people and other resources 11 Promotes cross-cultural awareness and tolerance 12 Challenge habits and certitude 13 Frame familiar problems in new ways 14 Confusion, cognitive dissonance 15 Upset worldview and knowledge structure 16 Upset values 17 Offense 18 Threat to identity 19 Non-comprehension 20

PROMOTES NEW PERSPECTIVE, AWARENESS, AND UNDERSTANDING

ENHANCES STUDENT EXPERIENCE

impact on students impact on student future

DEVELOPS POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES

impact on students impact on student future

Creativity 1 Tolerance for ambiguity 2 Abstract thinking 3 Critical thinking 4 Spatial reasoning 5 Problem-solving 6 Personal expression 7 Envisioning and imagining 8 Stretch, explore, take risks 9 Refmection, contemplation 10 Observation, attention to detail 11 Empathy 12 Resilience 13 Patience 14 Persistence, sustained engagement 15 Communication skills 16 Leadership skills 17 Self-confjdence 18 Organization and time management 19 Responsibility, discipline, work ethic 20 Respect 21 Technical art skills 22 Transference of skills STUDENT FUTURES Holistic growth and development Transformation Improved social bonds and social skills Increased civic engagement Stronger sense of self, identity Intrinsic impacts of the Arts Positive experience Finding balance in life Purpose and meaning Feelings of apprehension and anxiety Feelings of exclusion and intimidation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Improved attitude/motivation to learn Increased risk-taking Connect domains and ideas Show knowledge in multiple ways Improved long-term retention Various positive cognitive effects Provide practical experience Confmict between arts and academics

Context/ Implications

– Barriers – UM Experience and Access – Policy – Curricular Flexibility and Access – Monorail (Distance between Campuses) – Feel – Wellness – Social Connections – Sense of Belonging and Contributing – Stress Relief – Accomplishment – Growth – Student Development – Growth in and Transfer of Skills – Career connections – Open-mindedness and cultural competencies – Teamwork and leadership

Project Limitations/ Challenges

– Size of database/Huge amount of data – Survey questions and structure (i.e. positive framing, lack of specificity) – Time – U-M focus (though findings may reflect similar institutions) – Multiple research assistants – Multiyear approach with older results – Demographic subject distribution – Small and short longitudinal dataset – Missing data/survey fatigue

Next Steps

– Results promulgation (website, articles, monograph, infographic “snapshots”) – Longitudinal analysis – Subject grouping/analysis – Open data access – Follow-up studies at U-M, other colleges/universities (cohort comparison, addition analyses) – Quantitative scoring/analysis of open-ended questions – Additional UM database queries – Interpretations to help the arts inform policy, development, admissions, funding, facilities, curriculum, health/wellness, access, diversity, equity, and inclusion

Questions –Discussion

Acknowledgements

Arts at Michigan/ArtsEngine/a2ru

Deb Mexicotte, Primary Investigator a2ru/ArtsEngine Research Team Gabriel Harp, Research Director Veronica Stanich, Research Program Manager Jack Bowman, Research Assistant MengdanYuan, Research Assistant UM Administration Lester Monts, Fmr. Sr. Vice Provost Anne Hower, Director, Office of New Student Programs Joe Levickas, Program Director, Arts at Michigan Laurie Baefsky, Fmr. Executive Director, ArtsEngine/a2ru Grant Support UM - Exploring Learning Analytics grant (2015) NEA ArtWorks Research grant (2018) Graduate Student Contributors Marco Benedetti Lauren Ziemba Sarah Abraham Tom McGuinness Justin Meyer Danielle Kohl Madeleine DeBot Tian Gu Undergraduate/UROP Contributors Nicole Antin Laura Hines Meredith Bury Jillian Neill Karli Johnson

Thank you!

The Arts Engagement Project

at the University of Michigan

Identifying and understanding the impacts of co-curricular arts engagement on student development at the University level

Deb Mexicotte Gabriel Harp Veronica Stanich a2ru Annual Conference November 7, 2019