Nature and Roles of Arts Degrees in Contemporary Society: A report of the national scoping project of Bachelor of Arts programs across Australia

Abstract

The BA Scoping project was developed under the auspices of The Australasian Council of Deans of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (DASSH). The project proposal was endorsed by the group of Deans at the DASSH 2007 annual conference and its progress monitored by a steering committee comprising of members of the DASSH executive and DASSH membership body. This scoping exercise was funded via a Discipline‐Based Initiative Grant, a grant scheme of The Carrick Institute of Teaching and Learning (since renamed the Australian Learning and Teaching Council Ltd.) 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. The project gathered evidence to be used by decision makers across the sector to optimize future curriculum development in the light of the potential value of the BA. It aimed to provide options and guidance to the sector for other crucial projects and for further work in implementation and response to future demands.