Thomas Merrill

Director, School of Arts and innovation
Xavier University

Project Title:

The Incorporation of Magis into the School of Arts and Innovation.

Overview:

In August of 2015, Xavier University launched a new school in its College of Arts and Sciences: The School of Arts and Innovation. The school has the following component departments and programs: Art;Digitial Innovation, Film and Television (DIFT); HumanCentered Making; Music; Theatre; and a minor in Innovation. One of the founding principles of the school is magis. The ICP capstone project provided an ideal behicle to articulate the methods by which magis will work in this new school.

Rational:

The School of Arts and Innovation was founded with magis as one of its four principle pillars. It is logical and benefical to use the Ignatian Colleagues capstone project to give the fourth pillar, magis, clear meaning and measurable outcomes.

Project Details:

1. Educational materials regarding magis and the arts will be created for students, faculty, and the community.
2. Assessment instruments will be developed to determine the efficacy of the application of magis in teaching, performance, and audience awareness.
3. Analysis of assessment instruments will lead to refinements, changes, and improvments on magis-based implementation strategies.

Indications of Success:

1. Student measurements will demonstrate and an understanding and application of magis in their creative work.
2. Faculty wll understand how to apply magis as a part of their teaching. This will be reflected in the student assessment instruments.
3. The Xavier community will begin to notice a magis-influenced difference in the public presentations made by the School of Arts and Innovation.

Challenges:

1. Some faculty will choose not to participate. Others who are less familiar with Ignatian spirituality be need to be guided.
2. The same concern as cites above, perhaps even broader in scop, applies to the understanding and practice of magis in student work.