Architectural Plans for Gen Ed--Get Creative!
At a recent General Education Committee meeting, one of our members suggested that as
we continue developing a new General Education Program, we might consider
envisioning architecture as opposed to structure. The metaphor of us joining together as
architects is a beautiful one as it encourages us to thoughtfully consider the totality of
what we build—not just our own rooms or facades, not just our own contexts but also the
education space of others in our campus community.
With that in mind, we invite our SCSU colleagues to become architects. The GEC will
offer a Faculty Forum session in which individuals or groups can come together to offer
architectural plans for General Education based on proposed goal areas. Your input will
help us as we continue with our final designs. The challenge: Can we build an edifice
that allows us not to sacrifice valued goal areas? Can we develop a plan that meets the
specifications suggested in the definition of architecture below?
We invite you as individuals or groups to send us your architectural plans for a new
General Education Program. If we have these in hard copy by April 1st, we will be able
to share and discuss these ideas at a Faculty Forum session on April 4th (given the fact
that our proposal is accepted, which I believe will happen). The attached material gives
you some items to consider in your designs. Let’s work within some sensible
parameters, but let’s dare to dream. We can be proud of what we build.
Email your plans to jlitterst@stcloudstate.edu by April 1, 2007. We look forward to
hearing from you.
Architecture: Art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the
skills associated with construction. The practice of architecture emphasizes spatial
relationships, orientation, the support of activities to be carried out within a designed
environment, and the arrangement and visual rhythm of structural elements, as opposed
to the design of structural systems themselves. Appropriateness, uniqueness, a sensitive
and innovative response to functional requirements, and a sense of place within its
surrounding physical and social context distinguish a built environment as representative
of a culture's architecture.
(From the Britannica Concise Encyclopedia)
Sent to SCSU-Announce 3/2/2007