Doudna

What is the program’s mission statement or statement of purpose? Why does the program exist?

The Doudna Fine Arts Center's Mission statement is:

The Doudna Fine Arts Center serves the central Illinois region as a creative driving force and educational resource by presenting quality performances of music, theatre, dance, and multi-disciplinary programs; working collaboratively with, and supporting, Eastern Illinois University's arts and humanities departments; providing educational impact to the university and community through diversity of experience and artist outreach; and, maintaining a world-class performance facility suitable for broadening the understanding and appreciation of both the arts and humanities

How does the program mission align with the university mission?

The Doudna Fine Arts Center is home to three departments in the College of Arts & Humanities: Art, Music, and Theatre. Combined, the three departments offer more than a half-dozen different degree programs with nearly two dozen concentrations, minors, and specialties. The Center operates to supply the departments with classroom, rehearsal, performance, and ancillary spaces to fulfill their undergraduate and graduate academic missions. The 450 students declared as majors, minors, or graduate students in the three areas are guided by three dozen expert faculty who are committed to an inclusive and diverse offering of classes, performances, and exhibitions. In addition to the regular schedule of classes, performances, and exhibitions offered in Art, Music, and Theatre, the Doudna Fine Arts Center also welcomes many visiting artists sponsored by the departments. These guests extend, expand, and deepen the knowledge in a particular field of artistic study through concentrated involvement with students and faculty.

The Center also hosts the offices for the EIU Center for the Humanities and its yearly schedule of speakers. as well as many humanities presentations organized by other departments on campus.

As a complementary component to the academic schedule, the Doudna programs a number of professional touring artists for performances or productions in the building. When possible, the artists not only provide a mainstage performance open to the university and the community, but also spend time with students in workshop or master class settings.

The result of all these endeavors means that students, faculty, and patrons of the Doudna are immersed in a highly creative environment where serious exploration of the arts and humanities is expected and encouraged. With the close proximity of the three departments and performance venues in the building, students in the arts are involved in collaborative, interdisciplinary projects which broaden their knowledge base and provide additional inquiry into the various art forms.

Whom does the program serve?

The Center is primarily designed to serve the needs of the University, the EIU student body, and EIU faculty as home to the Art, Music and Theatre Departments. It also serves the broader community as a regional Fine Arts Center offering performances, productions, and exhibitions to people in a nine-county region of east central Illinois.

What are the services provided? How do these services align with the university mission and program mission?

The Doudna Fine Arts Center is a regional fine arts building housed on the campus of EIU. As such, a majority of the services assist with the academic missions of the departments housed in the building, namely Art, Music, Theatre, and the Center for the Humanities. These services include providing classroom space, rehearsal spaces, performance/presentation venues, office and administrative spaces for the three departments, and a staff of professionals to oversee the building's operations and events. The Doudna is also available to the University community and community at-large as a facility to host various other events such as scholarly presentations, community recitals and concerts, fundraising and admissions events, weddings, receptions, and alumni gatherings, just to name a few.

The Doudna staff, specifically, assists the University in the operations of the building by covering the technical, programming, scheduling, marketing, ticketing, facilities management, and patron services of the Center.

The architecturally significant Doudna Fine Arts Center provides the launching point for creative activity in a myriad of forms across the disciplines of the arts and humanities. The availability of the building strengthens both undergraduate and graduate student educational pursuits, and fulfills the larger mission of working collaboratively with many constituents both inside and outside the University setting.

Describe the program’s origins (e.g. year established, purpose, expectations).

The Doudna Fine Arts Center was established in the late 1950's as Eastern's hub for scholarly creative activity in the arts. With an original size of about 65,000 square feet, the first Doudna suited the needs of that generation with classrooms, rehearsal, and performance spaces. In addition, a limited number of outside performances (both local and professional) were held in the building. The number of outside offerings during the first incarnation of the Doudna Fine Arts Center was limited because of the small amount of space available and the busy academic schedule which kept the calendar full.

How has the unit changed or adapted over time?

The second (or newest) incarnation of the Doudna Fine Arts Center opened in 2008, with a major renovation expanding the building to nearly 250,000 square feet. More classrooms, more rehearsal spaces, more office spaces, and more performance venues provide opportunities for all areas of academic and community involvement to be expanded.

Each department in the building --- Art, Music, and Theatre --- have adapted both curriculum and performances or exhibitions to the newer and larger spaces. The Doudna's programming calendar has become more complex and diversified as a result.

Also, the Doudna's roster of professional touring artists has more than doubled over what was offered in the old Doudna. The resulting programming expansion is significantly more multifaceted, bringing greater educational and entertainment opportunities to fine arts students and the region.

As the new home to the office of the EIU Center for the Humanities, the Doudna connects the two distinct yet  collaborative aspects of the College of Arts and Humanities. The outstanding venues inside the Doudna Fine Arts Center allow Eastern to showcase humanities presentations in a distinctive manner.

The new Doudna's influence and outreach has encouraged others in the arts and humanities to engage in long-range event planning. Since the Doudna schedule is, by necessity, formulated 12-18 months in advance, the Art, Music, Theatre, and Humanities departments have adapted their internal planning mechanisms to comply with the new format. The changes have yielded significant benefits in student recruitment and performance level, audience development, image marketing and awareness of both EIU and the Doudna, financial planning and fundraising, and other areas. 

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the program’s history and relevance to university mission.

Provide data, if available, on the numbers of students, faculty, staff, or others served by the program during the past four years. If no data are available, please estimate the numbers served annually.

The Doudna Fine Arts Center welcomes a diverse group of people into its building and for the various events. Each year, between 20,000 and 30,000 people attend over 250 formal events held in the building, not including classes and regularly scheduled academic activities. In addition, there are a number of informal events or small gatherings which use the building. There is no way to track accurately the total number of people who use the building for its varied purposes.

The numbers below are for the formal events -- those events which are scheduled or produced by the Doudna or one of its internal departments, and are held in one of our performance or presentation venues.

The numbers for the last four years are:

2009-2010 Season - 21,000

2010-2011 Season - 31,000

2011 - 2012 Season - 24,000

2012 - 2013 Season - 28,000

*See special note in the Comments field regarding

Does the program offer any co-curricular opportunities for students (e.g., internships, RSO support, service-learning activities)? Please describe.

The Doudna Fine Arts Center offers several co-curricular opportunities, including graduate assistantships for academic and program support, internships, and workshops from guest artists.

The Center employs two graduate assistants, currently drawing from the Art department, to assist in graphic design, box office and patron services, and crew technical support. A third graduate assistant funded by the Dean's budget is designed as a liaison between the Doudna Fine Arts Center and the Music Department.

In 2011 we were the host site for a new collaboration between the Doudna and the Recreation Administration program, welcoming a rec admin intern for the entire year in residence at the Doudna. The partnership allowed both the Rec Admin program and the Doudna to enhance individual programs while giving the selected intern the practical experience of event management from different perspectives.

Since the Doudna re-opened in 2008, a primary focus has been the inclusion of guest artists and presenters into the curricular structure of the arts and humanities. When a guest artist or presenter is engaged for a presentation at the Doudna, we ask about the possibility of providing a session directly with, and for, students, in the form of class visits, workshops, master classes, and guest performance opportunities with student groups, among other configurations. A few examples from the past two years showcase this involvement:

Harriet Washington, Medical Ethicist and Author presented by the EIU Center for the Humanities - Dr. Washington presented a session on medical ethics to a science class in addition to her main presentation at the Doudna.

Imani Winds, woodwind quintet, presented by the Doudna and the Music Department - the Imani Winds provided a master class designed for woodwind performers on the day of their mainstage performance in the Doudna

Jack Fry, actor & former school teacher, presented by the Doudna, the Theatre Arts Department, and the College of Education - Jack did two sessions in conjunction with his stage production "They Call Me Mr. Fry." One session was with a theatre class, the other as an open session on teaching which was attended by teacher education students and current public school teachers.

The cast of 'The Rivalry', presented by the Doudna and the Theatre Arts Department - The small cast of this stage production about the Lincoln/Douglas debates provided a workshop with theatre students discussing the acting industry

Another component is the Doudna's partnership with other on-campus organizations such as the Latin American Heritage Committee, Minority Affairs, the African American Heritage Committee, Women's History and Awareness, the College of Education, and the Communication Disorders and Sciences Department, just to name a few. Not only do we provide building space for many of their events yearly, but we also work closely with them in programming events which appeal to a variety of university and community constituents.

Does the program contribute to the delivery of academic programs (e.g., providing professional expertise, serving as adjunct faculty)? Please describe.

The Doudna Fine Arts Center facility and staff serve as complementary partners to the delivery of the academic programs administered within the building. Although the Doudna does not provide direct faculty support, we do provide significant professional expertise related to facilities operations, event programming and scheduling, technical event management, and other areas. Occasionally, a Doudna staff person is asked to teach a course in Journalism correlative to his marketing and publicity work with the Doudna and the College of Arts and Humanities.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the internal demand for the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., curriculum changes made by another program) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

Note: The numbers provided above do not differentiate between EIU internal (students, faculty, staff, etc.) and external (community patrons). There is no accurate way to separate the two categories.

Is the program accredited or approved by a recognized external agency or otherwise certified to meet established professional standards? Provide an executive summary of and link to the program’s most recent accreditation or certification report, if available.

This does not apply to the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

Is the program required to meet any regulatory or legal requirements? Is the program subject to any special auditing requirements?

This does not apply to the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

What are the most important outreach or public service activities supported by the program?

While there are many outreach and public service activities associated with the Doudna Fine Arts Center, the two most important ones can be summed up in the two broad categories as arts outreach and admissions recruitment.

Arts Outreach

All performances, presentations, and exhibitions supported by the Doudna which are held in the building or in the community are fulfilling the both the mission of the Center and the University as a place where rigorous scholarly activity is embarked upon and then disseminated broadly to the region.

The many events held in the building bring a wide variety of attendees into the Doudna, including students, faculty, and staff of EIU; community patrons from our nine-county service area; visitors beyond our service area from as far away as St. Louis, Chicago, and Indianapolis. Public outreach also extends to area schools and organizations when guest professional artists and/or EIU students go into area schools and community organizations to provide performances.

During the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 Seasons, the Doudna hosted performing ensembles from Israel, China, Pakistan, and Bali. The ensembles were part of Arts Midwest Worldfest, and the Doudna Fine Arts Center was the only Illinois location selected for the two-year partnership. Each ensemble was in the area for six days, providing school visits for five of those days followed by a final performance in the Doudna. Schools and organizations visited included Lakeland College, Lifespan Center, Oakland, Casey, Marshall, Mattoon, Robinson, EIU on campus, Rotary Club, and more. Each visit succeeded in reaching over 1,000 students and adults in the region, for a total of almost 5,000 people in direct contact with EIU, the Doudna, and the fine arts as a result of the two-year partnership.

Admissions Recruitment

The Doudna has become a key player in EIU recruitment efforts as host to showcases, open house events, and most recently a TailGreat pre-football game gathering. Exhibiting the new Doudna Fine Arts Center as a recruiting tool, the EIU Admissions Office uses the building as a gathering point for six recruiting events each year, bringing thousands of visitors to both the EIU campus and the Doudna.

How do the local community and the region benefit from the program?

While the Doudna's main mission is to provide a place for arts and cultural events, it has quickly become a focal point in the community because of its unique architecture. Both the building and the events within it are considerable influences in the region.

The local community gathers several direct benefits, including access to see professional and well-known performers and presenters in a world-class venue at either no cost or a reasonable ticket price. Doing so raises the cultural and artistic awareness in the region, often times with audiences enjoying events at the Doudna that they would ordinarily have to travel two hours or more to a larger city in order to experience

Having these professional guests in the region raises the exposure of EIU as an educational and cultural resource, available, accessible, and close to home.

The Center also provides direct benefit to the regional economy, pouring about $250,000 annually into the community through goods and services needed to run the various events.

Finally, having the building available as a community resource means that people can utilize the building for nearly any idea they can dream of, such as weddings, receptions, banquets, retirement gatherings, or any other event where beautiful surroundings highlight an event.

If needed, provide supplemental comments or data sources to help the reader understand the external demand for the program.

What are the two or three more important measureable outcomes tracked to assess program quality? Does the program conduct an outcomes assessment, and if so, what has been the impact?

Since our programs and programming centers around audiences attending events of various kinds, any measurable outcomes will also need to be audience focused. The most immediate and easily measured outcome is audience size. For student performances, productions, and exhibitions, we track audience numbers from season to season and semester to semester. If we see an increase or decrease in audience attendance for regularly recurring events, we can assess the reasons fairly easily. For professional guests visiting the campus, we assess the outcomes based on audience attendance in comparison to a season average (given a few variables). If it deviates slightly or markedly from what an average professional event draws, then we assess the possible explanations and make changes if necessary.

The other component in assessing outcome is direct audience feedback. As often as possible we invite audience feedback through providing a phone number or email address to contact us, or encouraging a one-on-one conversation. When a response is received the Doudna staff reviews it, shares it with others if deemed necessary, and implements changes or a return response if one is required. This is a very powerful method of sharing with our audiences. When they know that we will read and respond to even the smallest request, audience members are more willing to share. They also know that we are concerned about their overall experience, which fosters deeper and more personal relationships.

What are the two or three most effective best practices that the program has implemented? What benefits have been gained from implementing these best practices?

The Doudna staff has developed a few 'best practice' initiatives since reopening in 2008.

The first is a conscious decision to forge our own programming path and not be guided by what other Centers are doing. This has worked well for us for the most part. Audience feedback has been very positive, with patrons telling us that they appreciate the scrutiny with which we select events, and the impact it has had on them and the community.

Second, we added summer programming recently as a way to both provide summer events for people in the region and to bring awareness and a 'kick-off' to the regular season which begins at the start of classes in the fall. This has generally been a positive step, although after three years of summer programming and having a track record to assess success, we will be making some changes to summer programming in summer 2014 and beyond.

Third, we have deliberately developed a different pricing, ticketing, and discount structure than other Centers in or out of the region. In an effort to provide the quality events at the reasonable prices, we implemented ticket pricing and discounts that make our events the most affordable in the area.

The benefits of these practices are many. People who may not know of, or only occasionally come to, the Doudna are drawn by one these practices and quickly become a regular attender. As they continue to come back, we see them coming to a more diverse offering of events, crossing disciplines to enjoy something new or different. Also, audiences are strengthened by the programming we offer and will then spread the word to friends about events at the Doudna. Such word-of-mouth positive advertising translates into consistently strong, new, and enthusiastic audiences. At times, it has even translated into additional dollars in response to specific fundraising events.

What external recognitions (e.g., awards, accommodations, professional certifications, references in trade publications) have the program and its staff received in the past three years?

Recognition for the Doudna Fine Arts Center has come in some very unexpected ways. The new building, being an architectural work of art, draws its own focus. The building designers were presented with a Merit Award from American Institute of Architects in 2009, shortly after it opened. Even now, we have people from all over the region and the country (and a few from overseas) who come to see the building.

The individuality of the building influences what happens in the performance venues, and what artists carry with them when they leave. We know this from comments they send back after being with us. Here are a few recent comments:

"We are so appreciative of our partnership with EIU and the Doudna for the Arts Midwest WorldFest performances (from 2011-2013). We wish we had the same depth of leadership and care in all the communities we visit." Ken Carlson, Arts Midwest WorldFest, six months after our partnership concluded

"I wanted to thank you again for having us. I have found myself referring to my experience with Arts Midwest and with the staff/crew at the Doudna, when I'm asking myself "What should I do to host these people well." I find that I reflect on my time at Eastern and know you are the perfect example of how to facilitate a major intercultural/international exchange, how to treat artists well, how to make people feel at home and taken care of." Emiko Susilo of Cudamani (Bali, 2013)

"Dvorak Concert Hall (in the Doudna Fine Arts Center) rivals Disney Hall (Los Angeles) and Carnegie Hall (New York). The acoustics are amazing!” Molly Ringwald, actress, singer, and author (2013)

The Doudna received a special recognition lately when we discovered that a national agency was using our newspaper and video coverage of one of their events to promote the production nationally and internationally. We hosted the production as its only National Preview Tour stop as it readied for national rollout. The following links provide the pieces which the agency is now using to promote the show, one coming from the EIU Daily Eastern News newspaper, the other from footage shot at the performance by our on-campus tv station, WEIU-TV.

http://m.dennews.com/mobile/article_03de36a2-6b6e-11e2-beb5-0019bb30f31a.html

http://www.theartofunfolding.com/

Is the program active with any regional, national, or international professional organizations?

The Doudna Fine Arts Center regularly has representation by a couple of its staff at the Arts Midwest Conference. This is a gathering of artists and agencies from all over the country and North America, and is held on a rotating basis in one of Arts Midwests' nine state coverage area.

The Doudna has also provided professional development opportunities to another staff member in attending United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) workshops.

Note any presentations, publications, or offices held in the last three years.

This does not apply to the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

If needed, provide supplemental comments or data sources to help the reader understand the quality of program outcomes.

Note any special benefits (e.g., personnel support, equipment, permanent improvements) that the program has received in the past three years from its grants and other sponsored programs.

This does not apply to the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

How does the program benefit from donor gifts (e.g., scholarships, endowed chairs)? Does donor support provide a significant percentage of the program’s overall funding?

Part of the establishment of the new Doudna Fine Arts Center when it re-opened in 2008 was the formation of an endowment fund called the New and Emerging Artists Fund (NEAS). This fund gained initial large gifts from a few area philanthropists, and continues to benefit from individuals who give to the fund regularly. Currently, the NEAS fund has a corpus of $6,300,000 dollars. The NEAS provides an additional and significant portion of the Doudna's annual budget, allowing us to bring in high quality artists and presenters.

The Doudna also benefits from monies generated by the EIU Classical Music Series Endowment Fund. This smaller fund is supervised by the EIU Foundation and the Department of Music, and allows the Doudna to attract important artists to advance student and community knowledge and appreciation of classical music.

Recently, two Doudna supporters presented us a with a challenge. If we could raise $5,000 in donations from our audience, they would match it with $5,000.. By the time the deadline came, we had exceeded our portion of the $5,000 match and reaped the benefit from the generosity of the original donors as well. It was encouraging to see how many new patrons of the Doudna contributed to the challenge grant.

List two or three key relationships that the program maintains with external constituencies (e.g., community colleges, other universities, government bodies). How do these relationships advance the university mission or otherwise benefit the university?

The Doudna maintains an important relationship with the Illinois Arts Council. It was through this agency that we gained the two-year partnership with Arts Midwest Worldfest (described in an earlier section). With that partnership our outreach to the public schools and the impact on EIU students was much greater during that two-year endeavor. We know that it has yielded dividends long after the program ended.

The Doudna also benefits from the advice and oversight of our Evisory Board. This group of six to eight community and university people advises the Director of the Doudna in various aspects of the Center's operations and programming. The Board is called an Evisory Board since most of the work is done electronically; the group rarely meets face-to-face. This saves time and also gives the Director a chance to push out a thought, idea, or question in a more timely manner without having to wait for a formal board meeting. The group consists of several community supporters from business, EIU alumni, and public school settings, along with one EIU student and one EIU faculty. Coming from various walks of life, the members of the Evisory Board provide another flow of information both to and from the Center.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the resources generated by the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., revenue pass-throughs) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

Provide an executive summary of and link to any metrics or benchmarks that the program tracks to measure productivity.

This does not apply to the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

What initiatives has the program implemented to enhance staff productivity (e.g., access to training, workflow improvements)? Briefly describe the costs and benefits of these initiatives.

The Doudna staff maintains a streamlined approach to personnel and operations. In fact, for the size of Center that we operate and the number of events that we host, our staffing is well below that of comparable performance venues in academic settings. There are three full-time employees designated for the operations of the Doudna. The remainder of the staff is comprised of student employees, contracted employees, College of Arts and Humanities employees whose duties cross over with Doudna operations, graduate assistants, and other contracted people as needed. Full time staff have access to training methods in their respective disciplines, either through online modules or off-site workshops. Student employees and others are trained by full-time employees.

We continually evaluate efficiency and effectiveness of staff operations. Last season we began a program review which has resulted in some student staff duty changes this season. We believe the changes more adequately reflect the needs of the Doudna at this time and are a better use of the staff time. Also, the changes will result in cost savings from the personnel budget.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the productivity of the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., accreditation requirements, curricular changes, program restructuring) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the costs associated with the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., expenditures made centrally or externally, expenditures made on behalf of other units) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

The Doudna Fine Arts Center requires significant financial resources to provide the services and programming relative to the university and community. While the numbers above are mostly accurate, the year-to-year fluctuations are reflected in the manner in which we conduct business.

We make every effort to be as frugal as possible in every expenditure area, monitoring budgets regularly and making immediate corrections if necessary. However, given the size of our building, the events presented within it, and the amount and kind of technology needed to run it, the yearly costs are substantial. Given the complexity of the building, very few events can be run in the Doudna without Doudna staff on hand at all times, increasing staff costs as a result.

Even with that realization, the Doudna with the approval of the Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities assumes significant program costs each year to serve both internal EIU units using the building and anyone purchasing a ticket to Doudna events. The Doudna often absorbs most (if not all) the costs associated with an internal EIU unit using the building even though staff and resources are paid from our budget. This amounts to thousands of dollars each year that the Doudna absorbs as a willing partner in fulfilling the University's mission.

Also, in an effort to keep ticket costs reasonable so people will continue to come to Doudna events, the Dean has authorized that the Doudna absorb all ticketing fees associated with providing Box Office services. That means that a patron --- student, faculty/staff,  or community -- pays only the published ticket price for all tickets. There is never an added-on administrative fee, ticket surcharge, or the like. In the 2012-2013 season alone, the Doudna absorbed $14,000 in ticketing fees. This is a direct cost that we are charged, yet it's important to us to offer Doudna services a a reasonable cost.

Another way in which we provide substantial program support for other EIU areas is to use the Doudna to host a fundraising event. Although we do this on a very limited basis, the money we've contributed has been significant. For two year we've worked in partnership with the EIU Communication Disorders and Sciences Department (CDS) to host an autism event in the building. With two keynote speakers and a ticket cost associated with the event, we raised over $15,000 to benefit the establishment of an Autism Center on the EIU campus. Again, with the Dean's approval, the Doudna turned over all proceeds from ticket sales to the CDS area.

How does the program seek to distinguish itself from similar programs at other institutions?

The Doudna Fine Arts Center is set apart from other performance centers in several ways. First is the building itself. An architectural marvel, the Doudna sets its own standard for the programming within it. Any University would be fortunate to have such a facility, but the fact that it resides at EIU makes it a prime educational and recruiting tool for the university.

Second, our programming is unique in its diversity, quantity, and inclusion. We offer more programs, both locally produced and professional touring artists than any university of comparable size in the area. The diversity of our programming, covering music, theatre, dance, and mulit-disciplinary activities, is also broader than most centers will present.

Finally, we work hard at finding ways to partner with other internal EIU departments, areas, and organizations, believing that we are all strengthened by the results.

Note any unique and/or essential contributions that the program makes to the university.

The Doudna with the approval of the Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities assumes significant program costs each year to serve both internal EIU units using the building and anyone purchasing a ticket to Doudna events.

The Doudna often absorbs most (if not all) the costs associated with an internal EIU unit using the building even though staff and resources are paid from our budget. This amounts to thousands of dollars each year that the Doudna absorbs as a willing partner in fulfilling the University's mission.

Also, in an effort to keep ticket costs reasonable so people will continue to come to Doudna events, the Dean has authorized that the Doudna absorb all ticketing fees associated with providing Box Office services. That means that a patron --- student, faculty/staff,  or community -- pays only the published ticket price for all tickets. There is never an added-on administrative fee, ticket surcharge, or the like. In the 2012-2013 season alone, the Doudna absorbed $14,000 in ticketing fees. This is a direct cost that we are charged, yet it's important to us to offer Doudna services a a reasonable cost.

Another way in which we provide substantial program support for other EIU areas is to use the Doudna to host a fundraising event. Although we do this on a very limited basis, the money we've contributed has been significant. For two year we've worked in partnership with the EIU Communication Disorders and Sciences Department (CDS) to host an autism event in the building. With two keynote speakers and a ticket cost associated with the event, we raised over $15,000 to benefit the establishment of an Autism Center on the EIU campus. Again, with the Dean's approval, the Doudna turned over all proceeds from ticket sales to the CDS area.

Provide any program-specific metrics that help to document program contributions or program quality. Examples of some commonly used program-specific metrics may be found here.

This does not apply to the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the program impact on the university mission.

Provide a link to or listing of the program’s goals and/or strategic plan.

In 2009, the new Director of the Doudna was asked by the Dean of the College of Arts & Humanities to devise a 5-year plan. Since the building had just opened and the Director was new, no one knew at that time what the Doudna would look like five years down the road. But in order to begin the strategic planning process, we needed a starting point. Below is the initial Doudna Fine Arts Center 5-year plan. Beside each item is an update in (italics).

Doudna 5 – Year Plan

Submitted in 2009 to the Dean, College of Arts & Humanities

Facilities

1. Complete large purchases to outfit Doudna (mostly complete; ongoing)
2. Develop and implement a comprehensive upgrade and maintenance schedule for facilities and equipment (in progress)
3. Consider additional revenue streams through facility rental (accomplished and implemented)
4. Engage long-term ‘buy a seat’ campaign in coordination with all Dept. heads (see below under Opportunities)
5. Ensure Doudna is equipped with the latest technology and remains current with technological trends (ongoing)

Programming

1. Expand Doudna events into summer (accomplished and implemented)
2. Work with CAH and other College Departments to identify partnership opportunities, and promotion of programs to targeted student audiences (accomplished and ongoing)
3. Expand marketing to the several-county service region of the Doudna, promoting a “County Night” event or other marketing strategies (marketing expanded; theme nights have not materialized)
4. Expand audiences and drive traffic through the online ticketing portal (Audiences numbers have held steady to risen; online portal opened two years ago with approximately 25% of ticketing traffic done online)
5. Develop a complete Arts & Humanities brochure (accomplished and has become a highly anticipated document across campus and the region)
6. Work with Foundation and Administration to identify potential donors to supplement New & Emerging Artists, EIU Classical Music Series (accomplished and ongoing)
7. Ensure programming utilizes full range of multi-media technology available and fully realizes intent of New + Emerging Artists Series guidelines (accomplished beyond initial expectations)

Staff

1. Hire a full-time tech person to assist in planning and running events (staff reorganization created a different model to coveer the duties without hiring full-time)
2. Consider Doudna internships, graduate assistantships and other possibilities for multi-level staffing and to provide student experience (accomplished and explained in other parts of this narrative)

Academics and Integration

1. Work with Administration to formulate an M.A. in Arts Administration / Arts Management /Arts Technology (initial background work accomplished; recent analysis suspended work on the program until 2015)
2. Work with the Humanities Depts. to integrate new Humanities Center and events (accomplished)
3. Promote awareness of both Design and Dance as academic areas of study, integral to the Arts and Humanities (no action yet on Design; Dance is a regular and important part of Doudna programming)

What role will the program have in the implementation of the university’s strategic plan (provide link to strategic plan)?

This does not apply to the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

In the next two or three years, what best practices, improvements in operations, or other opportunities to advance the university’s mission are likely to be implemented?

The Doudna, as a new facility with highly regarded programming and outreach, has done its best to operate in an efficient manner. Discussions of specific best practices and operational improvements can be found in other parts of this narrative.

While we continue to be a solid university partner in utilizing the building to strengthen the arts and recruit students, we look forward to the adventurous programming that can come to life on Doudna stages. As performers and presenters utilize new technologies in sharing their message, it's good to know that we have a building which is capable of keeping pace with the direction of the industry. As we work together, the educational impact will be greater for students in the fine arts, and the entertainment and educational value will be more distinct for the community.

We continue to see the benefit of taking the arts into the areas public schools and organizations. Capitalizing on the Arts Midwest WorldFest partnership, we are looking at ways to engage visiting artists in more educational residencies in the public schools. Such a project requires additional planning time and financial resources, however the immediate and long-term benefits are enormous. Not only will such an organized effort lend much to enhancing public school arts education, it will also bring additional exposure to EIU and the Doudna as committed community partners in the educational process.

One area of future expansion which is already in the planning stages is being called a 'buy-a-seat' campaign. In the five main venues of the Doudna there is a combined total of over 1,300 seats. We are developing a plan for a fundraising effort where people can purchase seats in the venue(s) of their choice. Initially, the money will be funneled into the New and Emerging Artists Endowment Fund and then used to further support the academic missions of the Art, Music, Theatre, Humanities, and Doudna departments. Donors will be recognized through seat plaques and/or a larger donor board in each space. The campaign has the potential to raise in the vicinity of $1,000,000 to strengthen arts and humanities education and programming.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand future opportunities for the program.