Strategic National Arts Alumni Project Research Articles

Emerging Artist Resilience Needs: Transitional Education for a Post-COVID Creative Sector

This study investigated the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on recent arts graduates from three universities in the United States. We present evidence of shifting definitions of adaptability, resilience, transformation, excellence, and success in arts training. Based on surveys and interviews, it reinforces findings from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP). The of experiences of recent arts and arts administration graduates affirms some current pedagogies and suggests others. We synthesize these findings to amplify some models, propose new ones, rebalance traditional outcomes toward a social mission, and consider the need for an expanded notion of excellence in the arts.

Diversity in Leadership Among Arts Graduates: Aiming for an Inclusive Leadership

This research explores the multiplicity of diversity based on gender, ethnicity, and age, and how it is reflected among leaders with an arts degree. They include leaders who are managers, arts administrators, curators, arts educators, theatre producers, and stage directors. In this quantitative study, the aggregated data of arts alumni, nearly 65,000 respondents from three consecutive years (2015, 2016, and 2017) from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP), are analyzed using a descriptive method. The study shows that 45.7% of art alumni are in management positions, of whom 78.5% are white, and the remaining 21.5% are fairly evenly distributed among other ethnicities. Therefore, there is a lack of diversity in the positions of leadership. This paper suggests the need for inclusive leadership, in which diversity is encouraged.

Does creative coursework predict educational, career, and community engagement outcomes for arts alumni?

ABSTRACT This study explores how exposure to creative coursework during one’s education can influence a variety of educational, career, and community involvement outcomes for arts alumni. Data were drawn from over 40,000 undergraduate-level arts alumni from the 2015, 2016, and 2017 administrations of the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP). A series of ordinary least squares and binary logistic regression models (controlling for relevant demographic characteristics) suggest that exposure to creative coursework is a significant predictor of several desirable outcomes. Specifically, the analyses suggest significant effects for exposure to creative coursework on the following: creative skills gained during time at institution, sense of connection to one’s institution, time until first job after graduation, relevance of first job after graduation, relevance of training to current occupation, current income, current occupational field, and arts community involvement. However, the magnitude of these effects was often small, and limitations are discussed. Overall, these findings can help to support curricular changes that encourage the increased use of creative activities and assignments in higher education, as well as provide accountability evidence for the effectiveness of arts education across a variety of outcomes.

The Arts Alumni Have Spoken: The Impact of Training in Higher Education on Entrepreneurial Careers

Studies of alumni from arts-focused degree programs in American higher education have revealed the need for arts entrepreneurship training for self-reliant careers, resulting in the creation of at least 168 programs and course offerings for students in a range of arts disciplines. Using factor analysis of datasets from the 2015–2017 administrations of the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project, a multi-institution online alumni survey, this paper divides the skills most relevant to arts entrepreneurship training into four latent categories: critical thinking, leadership, business management, and artistic specialty. A logistic regression revealed statistically significant associations between the latent variables with alumni’s propensity for freelancing and new venture creation. We also identified that race interacts with both student loan amount and family social and cultural capital. Arts-focused higher education programs should consider how they can offer training in these skill groups and complementary opportunities for financially challenged college students and those with fewer familial connections to the arts without creating additional barriers to careers in the arts.

When Debt Deters: Student Loans as a Predictor of Education-Job Match Among Arts Bachelor’s Graduates

Education-job match is often associated with enhanced well-being and career satisfaction, although existing research suggests that arts college graduates are less likely to experience education-job match than graduates of other disciplines. As research also increasingly suggests that student loan debt may influence college graduates’ access to lower-paying industries and careers, this study uses a cross-sectional dataset from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project to investigate how student loan debt predicts education-job match (entry into an arts position) among arts bachelor’s graduates. Even when controlling for individual and institutional factors, results show that arts bachelor’s graduates with over US$10,000 in undergraduate student loan debt are less likely to enter arts careers than those with no loans. Findings suggest that arts careers may be less accessible for college graduates who are most dependent on student loans, with important implications for diversity and equity within the arts.

Social Exclusion in the Arts: The Dynamics of Social and Economic Mobility Across Three Decades of Undergraduate Arts Alumni in the United States

This chapter presents a broad interdisciplinary literature review linking artists’ economic precarity and need for but resistance to entrepreneurial skills, alongside colonial histories, structural racism, and hierarchies of taste in arts organizations. These themes are complemented empirically by engaging data from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP) to demonstrate indicators of attrition and privilege of arts alumni relative to their participation in the arts workforce. Meaningfully different associations across racial/ethnic groups are uncovered, showing structural exclusion of Black arts alumni in particular, in addition to other intersectional dynamics. This chapter underscores the importance of addressing student debt, the potential of creative pedagogies across the curriculum, and the need for imaginative approaches to renewed public funding of art and artists.

High-impact educational practices in the arts and post-college community engagement

ABSTRACT This study explores how the arts alumni’s high-impact educational practices (HIEPs) during college and the local arts infrastructure affect post-college community engagement outcomes. We hypothesized that arts alumni’s participation in the HIEPs such as service-learning and community arts resources is crucial for promoting arts alumni’s continued community engagement actions. The logistic regression analysis results combine data from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project data. The Local Arts Index highlights the significant positive effects of the HIEPs on post-college volunteering. Furthermore, the effect of HIEPs did not vary by the level of community arts resources. Thus, we conclude that arts alumni’s community engagement can be significantly increased through HIEPs, particularly from service-learning or work with a local artist during college.

What Comes Next? Graduate Education and Contingent Labor in Theatre and Performance Studies

What Comes Next?Graduate Education and Contingent Labor in Theatre and Performance Studies Jonathan Chambers (bio), Eero Laine (bio), K. Frances Lieder (bio), Diana Looser (bio), Heather S. Nathans (bio), Elizabeth A. Osborne (bio), Danielle Rosvally (bio), and Kristen Wright (bio) “What comes next?” This question haunts faculty and doctoral students alike when confronting an academic job market that has contracted dramatically since 2008. For the past decade, PhD programs in theatre and performance studies have wrestled with how to prepare students to make substantive contributions to new scholarship, and to enjoy rewarding careers in a fundamentally transformed academic landscape. Past models that envisioned the graduate-student-to-tenure-track-professor arc have given way to frustratingly long periods spent in contingent labor positions, significant student debt, and shrinking scholarly output from colleagues struggling to balance multiple part-time jobs without institutional support for their research. Beginning in 2016, a group of colleagues, both senior and emerging, from numerous institutions undertook an investigation of “what comes next?” in doctoral training: Jonathan Chambers (professor, Bowling Green State University), Eero Laine (assistant professor, University at Buffalo, State University of New York), K. Frances Lieder (assistant professor, College of Saint Rose), Diana Looser (assistant professor, Stanford University), Heather Nathans (professor, Tufts University), Elizabeth Osborne (associate professor, Florida State University), Danielle Rosvally (clinical assistant professor, University at Buffalo, State University of New York), and Kristen Wright (graduate student, Cornell University). Our goal was not only to document the current state of the field from the perspective of those colleagues enmeshed in the process of graduate programs and job hunts, but to solicit examples of best practices, examine what has changed over the past several years, and offer recommendations for the future based on the collective wisdom of those we surveyed. We began our research with the assumption that graduate faculty care deeply about their students and about their students’ success. We acknowledge that faculty members face increased demands for institutional and professional services these days, and that the one resource faculty are all lacking is the time to radically rethink curriculum and training structures, do new research on the job market, and implement new programs. However, we encourage all who have an interest in doctoral education in our fields to explore the feedback gathered below from hundreds of current and recent PhDs. Their thoughts reveal that there may often be a disconnect between faculty members’ perception of mentorship success and its impact on students. Ultimately, their insights remind all colleagues working in graduate education to ask what could be more important than making meaningful changes to programs that launch students toward successful and fulfilling careers, and in smoothing the path for those on the job market? As part of our process we circulated two surveys, which netted 548 responses.1 We used organization-wide listservs to solicit potential interviewees, and ultimately conducted over forty interviews (in person and via Skype, phone, and email) with current graduate students, recent graduates, and seasoned professionals.2 We reviewed doctoral program websites and data gathered [End Page 85] by the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP).3 We also turned to information collected in previous surveys by the New Paradigms Committee and the Working Conditions Task Force of the American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR), as well as the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE). We presented our initial findings at ATHE roundtables in 2017 and 2018, and incorporated audience feedback into our research as well. The results reflect both the challenging realities that so many of our colleagues face today, as well as possible directions for the future. We heard praise for graduate programs or organizations that have responded creatively to the tenure-stream job shortage. We heard frustration from those who perceive themselves as part of a “lost” generation of scholars, stranded in low-paying and/or part-time jobs. We spoke to colleagues whose hopes of pursuing an “alt-ac” career were hampered by fears that they would be disappointing their PhD programs if they moved beyond the academy. We also heard from students who found routes to alt-ac careers challenging because their PhD provided no clear path to opportunities beyond the academy...

Music Program Alumni’s Perceptions of Professional Skills, Abilities, and Job Satisfaction: A Secondary Analysis of the 2011, 2012, and 2013 Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP) Survey

The purpose of this study is to compare music studio teachers’ ( n = 622) and K–12 music teachers’ ( n = 976) perceptions of the extent to which their postsecondary education helped them develop selected professional skills and abilities, perceptions of how important those same selected skills and abilities are for teaching, and job satisfaction. Data are from the 2011, 2012, and 2013 administrations of the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project survey. Respondents indicated the following skills were very important to their work: relationship building (Studio: 81.3%; K–12: 75.7%), leadership skills (Studio: 71.6%; K–12: 89.3%), project management (Studio: 65.1%; K–12: 74.8%), persuasive speaking (Studio: 63.4%; K–12: 74.2%), clear writing (Studio: 51.5%; K–12: 63.4%), creative thinking (Studio: 88.7%; K–12: 91.4%), taking feedback (Studio: 78.8%; K–12: 81.2%), broad knowledge and education (Studio: 80.1%; K–12: 91.0%), and critical thinking (Studio: 64.3%; K–12: 76.4%). Fewer than 50% of respondents felt their institutions had helped them develop project management, persuasive speaking, clear writing, and critical thinking skills. The most substantial differences were financial, business, and entrepreneurial skills, indicating that studio teachers perceive these skills as important to their work. Studio teachers were less satisfied with job security but more satisfied with work-life balance than K–12 teachers.

Lost in Transition: College Resources and the Unequal Early-Career Trajectories of Arts Alumni

This article considers how college resources (academic abilities, social engagement, and career skills) affect the likelihood of a successful post-graduation job search. Using survey data from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project ( N = 16,659 alumni who graduated between 1976 and 2015), we find that arts graduates are increasingly likely to be lost in transition. Over recent decades, the likelihood of experiencing a prolonged job search after graduation or initial employment in an unrelated field has increased. Yet, we find that higher levels of social engagement and career skills, but not academic abilities gained through traditional instruction, are predictive of labor market success. Female and non-White alumni report lower levels of college resources, longer initial job searches, and are more likely to find work in an unrelated field. Furthermore, gender moderates the relationship between career skills and job search length such that career skill development is associated with stronger gains for men than for women.

“I Don’t Take My Tuba to Work at Microsoft”: Arts Graduates and the Portability of Creative Identity

Drawing on data from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project ( N = 13,581) and the Teagle Study of double majors ( N = 1,736), we examine how arts alumni and students view their creative skills as transferable across contexts. Based on these preliminary analyses, we find that people with similar training interpret the relationship between their creativity and their work differently. We postulate that variations in creative identity may be one compelling explanation for these differences, which are not attributable solely to job type or to workplace context. Our results suggest, furthermore, that creative identity has both “portable” and “salient” dimensions. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for future research on the identity dimensions of creativity.

The Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP)

The Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP)

Assessing alumni success: income is NOT the only outcome!

Institutions may be interested in using alumni career success as evidence of institutional effectiveness, but the current study suggests that using income as the sole outcome may not be entirely capturing the occupational experience of graduates. Utilising data from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis indicated that there are two distinct components of job satisfaction for arts graduates: intrinsic satisfaction and extrinsic satisfaction. The results of ordinary least squares regression analyses for these two factors provide some relationships concerning demographic and occupational characteristics with these two areas of satisfaction. In considering overall job satisfaction, intrinsic satisfaction may play a larger role in how alumni perceive their career outcomes and success.

Undergraduate Music Program Alumni's Career Path, Retrospective Institutional Satisfaction, and Financial Status

The purpose of this study was to examine undergraduate music education and performance alumni's career path, retrospective institutional satisfaction, and financial status. Data for this study were drawn from respondents from the 2010 administration of the nationwide, multi-institutional survey conducted by the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP). Regarding career path, nearly half of the music performance degree graduates reported performing as their current job, and slightly more than half of the music education degree graduates reported working in K–12 schools. Participants were generally satisfied with their institutional experiences, although relatively low levels of satisfaction were reported for networking and career advising services. The respondents reported being most satisfied with aspects of their current jobs that reflected the intrinsic benefits of contributing to a greater good, satisfying personal interests and values, and opportunities to be creative. The majority of the sample reported accruing student loan debt ranging between $10,000 and $30,000; however, no significant differences were found between groups, and 40 percent of the participants reported having accrued no debt at all. The reported annual income of the participants varied significantly, with music educators reporting higher earnings than performers.

The Influence of Institutional Experiences on the Development of Creative Thinking in Arts Alumn

Previous research has suggested that several different aspects of one’s environment can impact creativity. Using data from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP), this study explored whether satisfaction with aspects of the institutional experience contributed to the perceived development of creative thinking in arts alumni, and whether there are differences in these patterns between undergraduate and graduate alumni across a variety of academic majors. The results of several regression analyses indicated a greater number of significant predictors for creative thinking in undergraduate alumni when compared to graduate alumni. The two strongest, most consistent predictors across all models were satisfaction with their freedom and encouragement to take risks and instructors in classrooms, labs, and studios. Differences across majors are also discussed.

Living with Smartphones: Does Completion Device Affect Survey Responses?

With the growing reliance on tablets and smartphones for internet access, understanding the effects of completion device on online survey responses becomes increasing important. This study uses data from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project, a multi-institution online alumni survey designed to obtain knowledge of arts education, to explore the effects of what type of device (PC, Mac, tablet, or smartphone) a respondent uses has on his/her responses. Differences by device type in the characteristics of survey respondents, survey completion, time spent responding, willingness to answer complex and open-ended questions, and lengths of open-ended responses are discussed.

Open-Ended Survey Questions: Item Nonresponse Nightmare or Qualitative Data Dream?

The purpose of this research was to explore whether those with certain demographic and personal characteristics, including gender, age, cohort, number of children, marital status, citizenship, race, current employment status, income, and institutional satisfaction level, are more or less likely to respond to open-ended questions placed at the beginning, middle, and end of an online alumni survey. Using data from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP), a series of chi-squared and means comparisons analyses were done to compare whether or not respondents provided an answer to three different open-ended questions throughout the survey. Findings suggest that there are some group differences in likelihood of response, which could be explained by time burden, negativity bias, and self-identification as “other.”

Who is an artist? New data for an old question

Employment in the arts and creative industries is high and growing, yet scholars have not achieved consensus on who should be included in these professions. In this study, we explore the “professional artist” as the outcome of an identity process, rendering it the dependent rather than the independent variable. In their responses to the 2010 Strategic National Arts Alumni Project survey (N=13,581)—to our knowledge, the largest survey ever undertaken of individuals who have pursued arts degrees in the United States—substantial numbers of respondents gave seemingly contradictory answers to questions asking about their artistic labor. These individuals indicated that they simultaneously had been and had never been professional artists, placing them in what we have termed the “dissonance group.” An examination of these responses reveals meaningful differences and patterns in the interpretation of this social category. We find significant correlation between membership in this group and various markers of cultural capital and social integration into artistic communities. A qualitative analysis of survey comments reveals unique forms of dissonance over artistic membership within teaching and design careers.

What Happens to Artistic Aspirants Who Do Not "Succeed''? A Research Note From the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project

Scholars have often portrayed the arts as a winner-take-all market. However, data from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project suggest that many artistic aspirants who do not work within the arts still incorporate artistic elements within their diverse careers and often engage in art avocationally. Further, these individuals continue to mobilize the skills and human capital involved in arts training in diverse realms. There are compelling reasons to examine the careers of the high numbers of aspiring artists who do not earn money in this capacity, and to pay attention to their alternative ways of putting together creative careers.