All proposals should be sent to the Chair of the Faculty Senate who will forward them to
the APC.
1. A description of the new program, including the curriculum and its relationship to
other programs at UW-L and the rationale for the new program.
Description: The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Studio Art is only open to students earning
the B.F.A. degree in the College of Liberal Studies). The B.F.A. in Studio Art is a selective,
intensive studio art curriculum featuring seven emphasis areas: ceramics, digital media and
design, metalsmithing, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. Students choose
one area of emphasis as part of the B.F.A. degree. Courses in drawing complement all studio
areas. B. F. A. exhibition is required in the senior year.
Rationale: The B.F.A. is the degree program required for admission to most graduate studio
art programs. It also provides thorough training for students planning a career as
artist/entrepreneurs and other pursuits related to studio art. The degree is characterized by
intensive, advanced work in one or more studio areas, and demands a high level of motivation
and self-reliance in comparison to the B.A. or B.S. in Art. An Art major (B.A. or B.S.) has
existed at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for over half a century. The Department of
Art also offers an art minor, a photography minor, and an Art Education major. At present, 48
credits are required for the art major. The department offers courses in 8 distinct studio areas:
Ceramics, Drawing, Graphic Design, Jewelry/Metalsmithing, Painting, Photography,
Printmaking, and Sculpture. The B.F.A. would complement the B.A. and B.S. degree
programs, in that the rigor of the new program will elevate the quality of the overall program.
Highly motivated students in the current program already strive toward excellence, and
deserve a degree program opportunity that rewards their efforts appropriately. The program
also seeks to provide students with internship opportunities, such as leading workshops in
visual art at regional venues. The department has plans to place students at sites such as the
Pump House, where our Art Education students have already had an impact, gaining teaching
experience and sharing their knowledge and vision as artists with the community. Our
program has a high regard for quality research that connects with arts advocacy and
community engagement.
An external review conducted in March 2007 indicated that, with minor curricular revisions,
the department possesses the necessary structure and staffing to support a B.F.A. program.
The reviewer’s recommended curricular revisions included: some restructuring of
Foundations courses, establishing pre-requisite consistency, extension of new upper level
courses, and seeking inclusion of art history courses within General Education. In response to
this recommendation and the need to revise the curriculum in other respects, the department
restructured the Foundations courses in 2008-09. Pre-requisites are now consistent though
there does exist some flexibility in the program. This flexibility allows students to take
Foundations courses beyond the gate key course in any order, and provides students the
opportunity to have appropriate Foundations-level courses waived based on portfolio review
process (approved by UCC in 2010-11).
2. A description of how the program satisfies the above criteria.
The best description of how the program satisfies the above criteria would be the checklist for
the B.F.A. major (attached). Compared with the Art major checklist (also attached), it is clear
that the B.F.A. program allows a student the opportunity to deepen his or her knowledge and
experience in a studio area by taking 30-36 credits in that area. The student’s art history
background is enhanced by an additional 3 credits (9 credits in art history is required for the
B.A./B.S. degree). The overall
3. A 5-year plan that describes the following elements of the proposed program
a. The initial size of the program would be small. We would expect that some areas would
have 1-3 students in the program, others may not have any in a given year. We would not
expect the program to grow much beyond a total 20 students at one time over the next five
years.
Evaluative process (draft of 5 year plan):
Initiate program and reevaluate budget/space needs: Fall 2012
Evaluate faculty workload associated with the B.F.A.
1st department assessment of the B.F.A. (including student self-assessment): Spring 2014
Outside review of program: Spring 2015
2nd, 3rd, 4th departmental assessment of the B.F.A. (including student self-assessment): Spring
2015, 2016, 2017
b. The projected growth of the program including enrollment, administrative
positions, faculty and staff.
Within a five year period beginning in 2012, we would anticipate overall enrollment to range
from 5-20 B.F.A. students. It would be helpful to the department to increase the ADA position
from 92% to 100%, as other departments in the arts have been allowed to do, both to support
programmatic growth and to facilitate the overall needs of the department and University
Gallery. Our department has submitted proposals for GQA faculty and for replacement hires
to maintain and grow the quality of the program. Of particular interest is a faculty position in
Digital Media (this essential not only to the B.F.A, but also to the overall competitive need
within the existing curriculum). We are also in desperate need of assistance in the form of a
staff person to help oversee, in the interest of safety and efficiency, heavily used studio and lab
spaces that require maintenance and oversight beyond the expectations and expertise of
existing faculty.
c. Identification of start-up costs of the program.
Start-up costs would be relatively minimal, and would require space, chiefly. The initial
planning for the CFA 3rd floor spaces that took place in 2009-10 requested and identified studio
spaces for B.F.A. students as well as Foundation curriculum/instructional space, and a student
gallery. The student gallery is an essential component of the overall curriculum, and
especially the B.F.A., in that B.F.A. students would be expected to exhibit their work in solo
exhibitions on a regular basis, rather than the single capstone exhibition required of B.A./B.S.
students. The CFA 3rd floor space is now in transition, but the department recognizes the need
for these space use requirements to be met in order to fulfill programmatic requirement both
for the B.F.A. and for the overall curriculum.
d. Projection of costs to continue the program for the ensuing 5 years
(including administrative positions, faculty, staff, equipment replacement,
maintenance, supplies, services, physical plan modifications).
Costs for renovation of the 3rd floor of CFA would fall under the estimates prepared in the
space use plan developed with the Associate Dean of SAC and with the approval of Budget &
Finance. Additional improvements would be submitted as classroom/lab mods. Position
requests fall primarily under GQA. Supply(consumables) costs are borne by students in the
program via special course fees in a similar manner to the existing process. Students will be
encouraged to apply for Undergraduate Research Grants to support high quality research,
materials, and travel.
e. Entitlement losses or trade-offs.
No entitlement losses or trade-offs are expected in association with this program.
f. Other costs.
The department anticipates the initiation of a visiting artist program and is in the planning
stages of researching funding. Such a program would enhance the overall curriculum,
including General Education, but would provide B.F.A. students with access to visiting artists
for individual critiques and demonstrations, and possibly internship opportunities.
4. The source or sources of revenue for both start-up costs and projected costs to
continue the program for the 5-year period.
Included in item 3d, above.
5. A description of both the positive and negative impacts on:
a. Existing programs within the college.
The B.F.A. degree would have a positive impact on the college, in that it upholds high
standards for studio practice and advocacy. The program would enhance the mission of the
School of Arts and Communication and will also allow the department to better fulfill its
mission.
b. Existing programs outside the college.
Similar to the positive impact the degree would have on the College of Liberal Studies and the
School of Arts and Communication, the B.F.A. would create better visibility for studio art at
UW-L. Students in the program would be expected to contribute more extensively to the
exhibition offerings the university supports and sponsors, which enhances the university’s
outreach overall.
The department does not foresee any negative impacts associated with the program, other
than the possibility of workload concerns among the faculty. It is our intention to consider
workload factors at every stage of program implementation.
6. A letter of support from the Dean of the College that will house the new program.
22 November 2012
To:
Steve Senger, Chair
UW-L Faculty Senate
From:
Ruthann Benson, Dean
College of Liberal Studies
Re:
Proposal from the Department of Art to Offer a BFA in Studio Art
I am writing in support of the proposal from the Department of Art to offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts
(BFA) in Studio Art. I have consulted with faculty in the Department of Art for a number of years as
they have researched BFA in Studio Art degrees across the country, worked with a professional
consultant from the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD) on the creation of a
BFA in Studio Art degree at UW-L, and have developed the program proposal submitted here. (As a
side note, the UW-L Department of Art is not an accredited program at this time, but seeks to follow the
professional standards set forth by the NASAD accreditation organization. The department would like
to seek NASAD accreditation in the future.)
As described in the proposal, the BFA in Studio Art Degree with emphasis areas in Ceramics, Digital
Media and Design, Metalsmithing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking and Sculpture will provide a
strong foundation for UW-L graduates going on to graduate school or striving for an immediate career in
studio art. It was the opinion of the NASAD consultant that the department possesses the necessary
structure and staffing to support a BFA Degree. The department has already made a number of
necessary curriculum changes to support a BFA Degree, as recommended by the consultant.
With regards to the needs that the Department of Art has identified in the proposal for additional FTE
and space to support the growth in a BFA program, I cannot make a definite commitment at the present
time. This statement is in light of the recent $4.7 Million Budget Lapse projected for UW-L for this
biennium, which we have been told may become a base-budget reduction instead of a one-time budget
lapse. The GQA Program has allocated the final faculty and staff positions already. The Department of
Art’s request to convert the 1 FTE IAS position in Digital Media to a tenure-track position was not
funded. The CLS request to increase ADA positions across the college from 92% to 100%, including
that in the Art Department, was also not funded through GQA. It is my opinion that the BFA Degree
could go forward with the current staffing in the department since the BFA Degree does not require the
addition of courses limited to just BFA students. With regards to space issues, reallocation of space in
the Center for the Arts with the move of Communication Studies to Centennial Hall, will allow for
permanent reallocation of additional space to the three departments of Art, Music and Theatre Arts once
remodeling funds for the Center for the Arts are secured. It is not known at this time what the exact
distribution of this space will be to the three departments. The permanent plan for space distribution
will be made during Spring Semester 2012. According to Facilities Planning, remodeled spaces on the
3rd floor of the Center for the Arts will not be completed before Fall 2013 at the earliest. The
Department of Art has made clear that their priority for space would be for 1) a student art gallery, 2) an
additional Foundations classroom, and 3) studio space for BFA students.
Please let me know if you have additional questions.