USN is undertaking a schoolwide arts audit to examine the state of its visual and performing arts programs, making a formal effort to evaluate how creative offerings are structured, supported, and experienced by students.
The audit, led by external consultant Dr. Rick Seay, who visited USN on September 30 and October 1, 2025, focuses on curriculum, facilities, scheduling, and resource allocation, with the goal of identifying strengths while also outlining areas for growth.
For some students, news of the audit surfaced only after it was already underway.
“I didn’t know it was happening at first, but I think it’s definitely needed,” said Bridget Beem ‘27, a visual arts student and co-president of Art Cult. “It’s important to get feedback from both students and faculty.”
Performing Arts Department Chair Miranda Vargo sees the audit as an opportunity for reflection after several years of transitions for the school.
“We’re coming out of this storm of the past couple of years…and we want to look at what we are doing and what we can do better. Having some outside perspective is never a bad thing, and I am excited to see what our consultant says. The arts audit will be a great reflection tool for all of the arts programs we offer at USN,” Vargo said.
Vargo hopes the audit will help the arts department strengthen its role within the larger USN community.
“I’m hoping the audit reflects individual teachers’ feedback about their [own] programs, and also incorporates responses from parents and students to ensure each stakeholder involved is recognized,” she said.
Students across disciplines largely describe USN’s arts scene as a well-resourced and valued aspect of campus life.
“The arts studio has so many supplies, so you can do almost anything you want. I have resources for all kinds of materials, and teachers really trust students to explore,” Beem said.
Similarly, Maddie Womack ‘26, who serves as president of the Student Theater Guild, said the arts receive strong visibility through performances and schoolwide events.
“There are a lot of opportunities to showcase art, like at TAPstravaganza. USN does a good job of making the arts feel present in the community,” Womack said.
However, both students and faculty describe logistical challenges that limit arts participation and student growth. Scheduling, specifically, remains a concern, particularly for students wanting to take multiple arts classes.
“Some classes only happen during one period, which makes it hard to balance everything. You sometimes have to choose between an art you care about and an academic core class you must take because of scheduling,” Beem said.
Space limitations also emerged as a consistent struggle reported by students and faculty in both the visual and performing arts.
“I think the biggest [challenge] is facilities, which is something I really tried to highlight in my portion of the audit. We are doing some amazing things in the performing arts despite not having an updated auditorium. We also have a smaller theater classroom, and performing arts [teachers] have to do a lot of sharing and shuffling around. We’ll sometimes run theater classes in dance studios, etc. I’d love to see a performing arts space in my time at USN,” Vargo said. “I’ve talked to a lot of parents and faculty at USN who feel the same way. I don’t want to continue renting spaces for the middle school musical, for example. USN is a place where there is a lot happening all of the time.”
Beem also described space concerns, particularly regarding arts classrooms.
“Having more space in arts classrooms would be an improvement. A lot of the classes I’ve taken are very full physically; there’s a lot of students who want to be in the classes. Having more space in classrooms could be an improvement because sometimes it’s hard to do things like painting in a somewhat crammed environment,” Beem said.
Despite these challenges, students and faculty feel overwhelmingly positive about arts at USN and hope the audit can illuminate both positive attributes and areas of improvement for USN’s arts programs.
“My goal is always for students to feel supported trying new things and pushing their skills further. The arts should feel like a place where students can take a breath and express themselves freely,” Vargo said.
Students also hope the arts audit can improve USN’s offerings for generations of classes.
“I hope the audit helps keep the arts department strong for future classes. Arts is one of the reasons students love being at USN,” Beem said.
As USN awaits the audit’s findings which are expected to be released by the end of February or early March, students and faculty alike see the process as a chance to reaffirm the arts as a core component of student life and to ensure that creativity is encouraged alongside academic rigor.
