Annual Meeting Sessions and Events

This workshop has been designed to address several of the most important areas of concern for new and aspiring administrators. Each segment will involve a basic briefing on a designated topic, followed by ample opportunity for interaction and discussion. The content will focus on principles and approaches applicable to all types of institutions.

Participants are invited to attend the Reception for Pre-Meeting Workshop Attendees to be held from 5:15 p.m.–6:15 p.m.

The responsibilities of the theatre administrator are diverse and multifaceted. Each day brings new challenges and opportunities. Over time, the roles and responsibilities of an administrator may expand, change, and evolve. This pre-meeting workshop, especially designed for seasoned administrators, will facilitate discussions related to various issues affecting the work of theatre administrators. Topics will be established by the workshop leaders and will include, but not be limited to: working with faculty, students, and other administrators within and across disciplines; communicating with upper administrators; establishing, maintaining, and nurturing welcoming cultures; issues of promotion and tenure; financial management of the theatre unit; marketing the theatre unit to prospective students and the public; strategies for dealing with difficult situations; and succession planning. Topics of interest to attendees will be considered as well. Attendees from all types of institutions and from all levels of administration are welcome.

Participants are invited to attend the Reception for Pre-Meeting Workshop Attendees to be held from 5:15 p.m.–6:15 p.m.

This session will provide an orientation to the resources and operations of NAST, with special attention to the benefits and responsibilities of accredited institutional Membership. Discussion will emphasize how the Association and its work can assist administrators to fulfill the many and varied aspects of their local responsibilities. Following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to pose questions and engage in dialogue.

All pre-meeting workshop attendees, presenters, and facilitators are invited to this informal reception, which will provide an opportunity for individuals to meet, greet, advance conversations, establish mentor/mentee connections, and cultivate valuable professional relationships with other theatre administrators. Attendees are welcome and encouraged to continue the conversations begun during the day’s sessions.

This workshop will provide information and guidance pertaining to the NAST comprehensive review process, including discussion of the self-study and visitation processes for members whose institutions are to be visited in the next two years, institutions planning to begin the NAST evaluation process, and those formally engaged in the process. A step-by-step walk-through of the accreditation process will be provided, including confirmation of timelines and deadlines, and information regarding accreditation procedures, Self-Study formats, on-site reviews, the Visitors’ Report, the Optional Response, and Commission action. Questions will be addressed during this nuts-and-bolts session. This session will be particularly helpful to those administrators conducting accreditation reviews during the 2025–2026 and 2026–2027 academic years. However, all interested individuals are welcome.

This annual workshop will provide training to theatre administrators interested in becoming visiting evaluators for NAST. Fundamentals of the accreditation process will be described in detail. Participants will discuss expectations with regard to the NAST peer review initiative, including the invitation process, how to schedule a visit, how to prepare for and conduct an effective visit, the important role the Self-Study plays in the evaluative process, how to craft a Visitors’ Report, and good practices as they pertain to the activities and responsibilities of evaluative team members. A detailed overview of the Handbook and its constituent parts will be presented, including a discussion of standards and guidelines and their application to applicant institutions. Attendees will have the opportunity, using case study materials, to consider various scenarios that may arise during on-site reviews.

(Please note: This is a joint luncheon for participants in the Workshop for Visiting Evaluators and Workshop for Experienced Evaluators. All participants are asked to attend.)

This briefing will offer instructions, expectations, and helpful hints to individuals who have agreed to serve as session facilitators, moderators, and recorders. All facilitators, moderators, and recorders should plan to attend this briefing. An opportunity for questions and discussion will be provided.

Call to Order
Determination of Quorum
Welcome to Members and Guests
Minutes
Agenda
Report of the Committee on Ethics
Report of the Commission on Accreditation
Introduction of New Accredited Institutional Members
Report of the Treasurer
Report of the Executive Director
Action on Proposed Handbook Revisions
Election
Report of the President
Appreciation
New Business
Adjournment

At the conclusion of the roundtable sessions, attendees are asked to return to the main session room, during which time, each roundtable recorder will give a brief and distilled summary of issues explored during both roundtable conversations.

This reception offers an opportunity for attendees to gather in community, establish connections with individuals new to theatre administration, and rekindle and advance existing professional relationships. The President of the Association will offer a greeting and introduce the members of the NAST Board of Directors.

Attention to the educational mission of a theatre unit is usually couched in terms of theatre majors. Yet the applicability and value of acting and improvisation training for students in a variety of undergraduate majors and professional programs is well documented. Students across our institutions are served well by training in oral expressiveness, physical communication, and effective presentation. They benefit from the intellectual experience of understanding a character and analyzing the motivations of someone other than themselves. Improvisation courses provide valuable practice in listening, responding, and saying “yes and” to collaborators. The applicability of acting and improvisation for students pursuing pathways in education, law, health professions, and business are especially clear, though the benefits extend to research scientists, social scientists, engineers, and more. During this session, attendees will explore ways in which a theatre unit might effectively convey the value of and provide access to such opportunities to the broader university community. Consideration of how such course offerings can advance the efforts of the theatre unit to promote interest in the discipline, and to more actively align with and support the overall mission of the institution, a feature which may be compelling to upper administration, will be explored.

The benefits of using swings and understudies in the production process for educational theatre are numerous. Swings and understudies provide valuable backup should illness or injury occur, a practice which helps sustain student well-being. Such practices can result in benefits to students, as examples, learning to: follow multiple tracks for student performers, organize rehearsals with swing and understudy needs in mind for student stage managers, and consider implications associated with multiple performers in a single track for student designers. Used thoughtfully, swings and understudies can enhance the ensemble experience while preparing students for professional theatre practices post-graduation. Given these various aspects, how do administrators successfully manage swings and understudies within an educational setting? What casting policies and procedures are most useful? What changes to the rehearsal and production calendar become necessary once swings and understudies are introduced? How are student expectations and morale managed when students are cast as swings and understudies? This session will provide theatre executives with the opportunity to share practical ideas as they pertain to the introduction of swings and understudies into a theatre program production season, successfully organizing swings and understudies, and addressing the unforeseen consequences—both positive and negative—that result from employing these positions in an educational environment.

It would be fair to suggest that, due to challenges faced by institutions today, some have begun to question the value of, and in some cases, to phase out degree programs in theatre at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Common reasons include class enrollment levels or graduation rates that are below thresholds set by institutions, or possibly a perception that theatre degrees do not ensure employment opportunities for graduates. This session will provide both short- and long-term strategies intended to assist theatre administrators to bolster the stability of institutional theatre programs, integrate theatre programs more fully into the larger mission of multi-purpose institutions, and advocate to upper administrators the value and cost-benefit of theatre degrees.

Theatre education and training can prepare students for a wide array of careers beyond those associated with theatrical production. For example, skills acquired in acting, design, playwriting, directing, and stage management are directly applicable to patient and client simulation (a core part of medical, veterinary, social work training); video game voice-over, motion capture, and design; theme entertainment design, museum installation, and historical reenactment, among others. This session will provide to attendees an opportunity to consider insights shared by theatre executives offering programs that have successfully incorporated non-theatrical applications of theatre skills into their curricular and extra-curricular programming, both to provide students with additional career options and/or supplement their work in theatre.

During the past two years, the capabilities of artificial intelligence have expanded rapidly. Powerful AI tools that once seemed the stuff of science fiction are now readily available to every student and faculty member. Many institutions have made assessing the risks and opportunities associated with these tools a top priority. While AI offers to theatre programs many of the same challenges and opportunities faced by other academic units, it also has revealed some unique implications for the discipline. For example, students can use AI to write scenes or plays that emulate the style of any playwright or to generate scenic and costume renderings from written prompts. This session will examine the implications of AI technology for theatre education and production, focusing on specific examples of successes and obstacles encountered by early adopters of this technology.

Play selection in a theatre unit extends well beyond the mainstage season. Faculty and administrators regularly make decisions about which plays will be used for acting classes, directing scenes, script analysis work, theoretical design projects, and the like. Many units maintain required or recommended playreading lists directing students to the plays with which they are expected to be familiar. Giving consideration to the above and as well to student feedback, attendees will consider the following questions: How are decisions regarding play selection being made in an academic landscape that has moved beyond the idea of a traditional canon of dramatic literature? How much knowledge of historical works and context do students need to acquire in order to succeed in the field? Can students succeed in the field post-graduation without having gained familiarity with classical and standard works? How do we now develop a list of texts on which to build curricular discussion and artistic understanding? How do we balance a collective understanding of the limitations of voice and representation in the old canon with a desire for historical knowledge and literacy in the field?

This open discussion serves as a forum for individuals from institutions organized geographically by region to discuss and advance concepts and issues raised throughout the NAST Annual Meeting. Participants are asked to think deeply about and discuss in detail the issues and ideas presented. Rather than exploring a multitude of topics in brief, attendees may wish to delve extensively into a selection of the most salient.

These individually assigned and pre-scheduled appointments are intended to provide to interested Annual Meeting attendees who indicated interest in advance an opportunity to meet with experienced administrators to discuss topics related to the work of theatre executives.

These individually assigned and pre-scheduled appointments are intended to provide to interested Annual Meeting attendees who indicated interest in advance an opportunity to meet with staff to discuss topics of an accreditation nature.

During the summer of 2023, NAST released for use the newly designed HEADS Navigational Dashboards, which enable representatives of member institutions to access data collected through the use of the HEADS Data Survey tool from 2016 through 2021. The Navigational Dashboards provide to members the ability to sort, organize, and compare data points; and to create customized report views in data tables and graph/chart formats. During this session, attendees will explore the structure and use of the Navigational Dashboards system and learn how to find and extract information pertaining to areas such as theatre enrollment by degree and major, theatre faculty and administrators, sources and uses of theatre unit income and expenses, demographic and ethnic characteristics of theatre faculty and students, and renovation and construction. With general knowledge in hand, attendees will consider through the use of case studies how the Navigational Dashboards may be used to capture data and use this data to support the work of the theatre unit. Ample time for questions and dialogue will be provided.

(Please note: This briefing is by invitation only. Individuals interested in becoming NAST evaluators are encouraged to contact the National Office staff in consideration for training in 2026.)

This annual briefing is offered for individuals currently trained and serving as NAST visiting evaluators. It will provide an opportunity for evaluators to refresh their knowledge of NAST procedures, protocols, and standards, with particular focus on the Procedures and the Handbook. Helpful reminders regarding the format, preparation, and required content of Visitors’ Reports will be shared. The potential impact of the activities of external constituencies, such as the federal government, states, and other review bodies—which may affect the accreditation process—will be discussed. Documentation required of institutions and evaluators will be highlighted, as well as sources and uses of helpful and informative publications aimed to assist institutions in the preparation of Self-Studies and evaluators in the preparation of Visitors’ Reports.

Whether developing and preparing comprehensive applications for accreditation and reaccreditation, Responses, Progress Reports, applications for Plan Approval, Final Approval for Listing, or Substantive Change, clear and cogent material, which articulate activities at the institution and address standards compliance, is necessary in order to conduct a successful conversation with the Commission on Accreditation. This session will offer an overview of the Handbook and the use of its contents in preparing Commission correspondence. Helpful ideas and suggestions will be provided for attendees in the process of, or planning to, develop materials for Commission review.

Under the law, the federal government does not control higher education. However, the federal government does play a major role in developing conditions for the work of higher education, primarily through laws and regulations defining conditions for institutional participation in grant and student loan programs, and tax policies that influence economic conditions affecting education and the arts. Following a brief introduction to the higher education and policy landscapes, this session will address the current political climate; various pressures on institutions; and current and prospective federal policies, laws, and regulations affecting higher education and the arts. This briefing will take a non-partisan policy analysis approach, looking at the ramifications and costs of various options and probabilities. Time for questions and discussion will be provided.

From time to time, and for a variety of reasons, theatre units may decide to undertake the complex task of designing new undergraduate degree programs. There are many issues that must be considered, such as the existing mission of the institution and theatre unit, how the degree will dovetail with and support these missions, the students to be served, the coursework necessary to develop desired competencies, the availability of applicable faculty expertise, and the market into which students will enter. As well, resources must be considered, and consensus must be built. Only with these understandings in hand, can the architecture of a degree begin to take shape.

This session will focus on the structure of undergraduate degree programs. Differences between liberal arts and professional baccalaureate degrees will be addressed, as will differences between majors, minors, and areas of emphasis. Issues that arise regarding title and content consistency will be discussed. As well, the effective use of the standards to promote and embrace creative and innovative curricular programming will be explored. A review of the NAST Handbook and discussion of the Council of Arts Accrediting Associations’ Achievement and Quality resources available on the NAST website will be offered.

NAST has a number of resources available for institutions to assist in the formulation of local proposals and policies. Areas covered include faculty work, promotion, and tenure; the duties of administrators; planning and futures analysis; assessment; communicating with others; and explaining the principles, aspirations, and suggested considerations for the development of effective programs in theatre. These resources are available on the NAST website, as is detailed and extensive information helpful to the general public, students, administrators, theatre administrators new to NAST, and those embarking upon accreditation and reaccreditation applications. A brief look at the website, highlighting its resources and use, will be offered. In addition to the above, member institutions are served by the information provided in reports required to be submitted to NAST on an annual basis. This session will outline specific reporting requirements, timelines, deadlines, and helpful suggestions aimed to ensure complete and accurate submission of the Accreditation Audit, Affirmation Statement, Supplemental Annual Report, and the HEADS Data Survey. A section-by-section overview of the HEADS Data Survey will explain in detail the Survey submission process, types of data collected, collection mechanisms, and presentation of collected data. Information regarding statistics available from the HEADS Project, the HEADS data navigable dashboards, and potential uses for HEADS data in local policy discussions and administrative planning, will also be provided.

This session is designed to provide a forum where ideas and concerns of particular relevance to historically Black institutions may be discussed. Attendance is open to all interested individuals. Participants may wish to give thought in advance to topics of interest they wish to explore.

This session will provide attendees with an opportunity to pose specific issues and questions for consideration by the entire group. Attendance is open to all interested individuals. Participants may wish to give thought in advance to topics of interest they wish to explore.

This session will provide attendees with an opportunity to pose specific issues and questions for consideration by the entire group. Attendance is open to all interested individuals. Participants may wish to give thought in advance to topics of interest they wish to explore.

This session will provide attendees with an opportunity to pose specific issues and questions for consideration by the entire group. Attendance is open to all interested individuals. Participants may wish to give thought in advance to topics of interest they wish to explore.