Project team: Dr Deanne Gannaway, (Principal Investigator and Author), Professor Faith Trent (Project Director), Hayley Upton and Sarah Price (Research Assistants) 

Project Aims: 

The project focused specifically on the undergraduate award programs called Bachelor of Arts. It aimed to achieve the following:
  • To understand the nature and role of a Bachelor of Arts degree in contemporary Australia
  • To map the diverse Bachelor of Arts programs on offer in Australia between 2001 – 2008
  • To identify the major strengths, difficulties, capabilities and contributions of the program
  • To provide rich base‐line data on the nature and models of BAs to be accessible for future curriculum planning for Arts Faculties. 
Bachelor of Arts degrees (BAs) have proved most enduring and adaptable of University awards. They attempt to meet a range of needs - generalist, specialized with depth of disciplines and breadth of possibilities. This makes it imperative that an overall scoping study identifies the major strengths, difficulties, capabilities and contributions to the community and consider these in the light of emerging needs, opportunities both nationally and internationally. 
This project builds on the previous Australian Universities Teaching Committee (AUTC) funded project that produced the report “The Lettered Country” (Pascoe, McIntyre, Ainley & Williamson, 2003). The Lettered Country report offers a historical overview of Arts related programs from the beginnings of higher education in Australia to 2001. That 
report explored the resilience of the BA degree, one of the oldest degree programs in Australia. 

Key Outcomes of the Project: 

Creation of a Definition
of Arts Programs

The development of an
Arts programs database

​An outcome of the BA Scoping Project is a clearer definition for Arts programs. This definition has been used throughout the project data analysis processes to ensure consistency. As the project progressed, it became apparent that there is a lack of a  common, shared understanding of what is meant by the term “Arts”. The reference to “Arts” is frequently ill‐defined and often limited to the DEST/DEEWR definition of Society and Culture. This reliance is problematic as the DEST/DEEWR Society and Culture definition encompasses programs that include Law, Social Work and Police Studies. There is also confusion between Liberal Arts and Creative or Visual Arts. There is also evidence that the DEST/DEEWR definition has changed over time.

Identification of the
Key Features of an Arts Program


​The project maps and identifies the features that make the Bachelor of Arts distinct from other programs within the broader Arts definition. A clearer understanding of these features is a step towards the articulation of the value of the Bachelor of Arts award programs

Development of models to describe curriculum currently in use


​A series of models that describe the curriculum structures and educational philosophies as they are currently used in Arts programs has been postulated. These are not mutually exclusive but do give a typology.

​A crucial outcome of this project is a collection of centrally located accessible data that can be used across the sector for benchmarking and as a resource for future development. This can be used by institutions for quality assurance processes such as preparing for AUQA audits and institutional curriculum reviews. It takes the form of a database of program profiles, case studies, data sets and highlight or summary reports. All are available via the DASSH website
​ http://www.dassh.edu.au.

Testing of a national communication strategy across Arts programs


​The project facilitated a series of round table meetings as part of the engagement strategy. These meetings offered an opportunity for people engaged in the coordination of BA programs to meet with each other. Regional discussions afforded the opportunity to address the kinds of issues that particularly affect the sector in particular regions. They also offered an opportunity to disseminate findings across the sector.

Development of a methodology for further studies


​A series of further investigative projects are suggested in order to examine areas identified through this project as requiring further investigation and to examine the long term impact of the BA. A recommended approach is offered that proposes that areas identified by the sector will be led and researched by institutions working collaboratively, be conducted sector‐wide and facilitated through DASSH.