Undergraduate Studies Committee October 5, 2011 Minutes Present: Bem Cayco, Cary Feria, Deepika Goyal, Laura Ingraham, Dennis Jaehne, Ravisha Mathur (Chair), Lori Salazar, Weider Yu Guests: Stephen Branz (UGS), Gloria Edwards (UGS), Shannon Wright (Art and Art History) I. Review and approval of September 21, 2011 Minutes The September 21, 2011 minutes were approved with corrections. There were 2 abstentions. II. BFA, Concentration in Art, Technology and Media (Shannon Wright) The proposed merger between Spatial Art and Digital Media Art (DMA) is the result of almost three years of discussion by faculty about the overlap of these two areas and the demand that each area's students have for the knowledge the other area offers. Spatial faculty have served year after year on DMA graduate committees, just as DMA faculty have served on Spatial Art graduate committees. The two areas have made one another's classes requirements in their respective undergraduate majors. Spatial Art students have traditionally suffered a noticeable lack of contemporary skills involving computers and electronics–– how to build websites, how to make interactive or robotic projects, and how to use computer programs that would expand the range of their fabrication abilities with Computer Numerically Controlled equipment. And, DMA students have in recent years shown a real desire for acquiring 'making' skills. Many have been producing sculpture (much of it viewer-interactive or robotic) without access to the Spatial Art program's extensive fabrication facilities or the technical and design knowledge of Spatial Art instructors. Others have been producing digital projects whose physical presence could be improved with input from faculty who work in tangible materials. The merger represents an opportunity to establish a critical art practice informed by experimental methods and technologies, research and contemporary theory. Combining the core expertise, facilities and capacities of (DMA) and Spatial Art is an opportunity to be responsive to the ubiquity of computing technology in all aspects of contemporary life while focusing on emerging new art forms and functions. In addition to teaching digital skills, the program will hone students' manual skills and instill a respect for craftsmanship by introducing students to high-tech and traditional fabrication techniques. SJSU would be the first program in the US to create such a platform for students. The faculty have built into the program the ability for students to become experts in a given medium or to further expand on the interdisciplinary foundation with which they have been provided. That is, a student can still become an adept glassblower or coder. However, the glassblower will now understand what it means to work glass in the 21st century, and how to use glass to communicate to a contemporary audience with contemporary attention spans. Likewise, the programmer will be able to build a compelling physical environment for an interactive project inspired by video games, and will be able to better contextualize video-game art within modern art history. Finally, the student who wants to use a little of everything to realize specific ideas––as many of the studio art faculty already do–– will acquire the necessary skills to be fluent as a generalist. In informal discussions with students, they have expressed support for the merger. For those students who do not want the new degree, the program is not eliminating any classes and students will still be able to get a degree in either Digital Media or Spatial Art. Because this merger is more of a repackaging of the current offerings, the department does not expect there to be any resource issues. There was some discussion in the meeting about Art and Engineering collaborating on some coursework in the future. Discussion centered on the portfolio review process in the department and how the concentration fits in within the department. Unfortunately, the packet of materials sent to the Committee was an old version of the proposal that still had errors. Action Item: The Committee will receive the updated BFA, Art, concentration in Art, Technology and Media packet and continue the discussion at the next meeting, October 19, 2011. UGS will follow up with the department regarding the portfolio review process. III. Minor, Architectural Studies A minor in Architectural Studies would generally give students the space to explore the possibility of an architectural career without the stronger commitment and limitations imposed by the professional programs. More importantly, perhaps, such programs engage students who might never have thought about an architecture career. Since most universities, including San Jose State University, do not offer professional undergraduate degrees in architecture, the numerous pre-architecture programs become one of the most significant opportunities for undergraduates to encounter and explore the field. The minor in Architectural Studies would, effectively, prepare them for graduate studies in architecture. Since architecture is inherently interdisciplinary, it crosses into numerous areas of study. However, the disciplines that have most traditionally been combined with architecture are: Art History, Fine Arts, Design, Civil Engineering, and Urban Planning. Long before architecture became a modern licensed profession, it was considered one of the major fine arts alongside sculpture and painting. Architecture has frequently been viewed as a discipline that is taught from the building blocks other disciplines. The pre-architecture program at San José State University would have three major goals: 1. To prepare students for professional graduate study in architecture and to develop a strong record of placing students in the top-ranked programs. 2. To sufficiently expose students to the content and practice of architecture, such that they can make an informed decision as to whether or not to pursue architecture as a career. 3. To provide an intellectually coherent course of study of a topic in depth that will serve each student well, whether or not he or she ultimately decides to apply to professional schools of architecture. Hence, the program would be coordinated with already established majors at San Jose State University but also provide a common, pre-professional core. Based upon the proposal, the Committee had the following questions: The Minor gives students a choice of MATH 19 or MATH 30P. Since most Architectural programs require calculus, MATH 19 (3 units) is precalculus and MATH 30P (5 units) is Calculus with Precalculus, students may need to take a precalculus course to qualify for MATH 30P. The Minor also gives students the choice of PHYS 1 (3 units) or PHYS 2A (4 units). It is recommended that students complete the physics lab along with the course (PHYS 1L). There is a discrepancy in the units indicated in the proposal and the catalog copy. On page 8 there is a reference of ‘5 tracks.’ The Committee is not sure to what this refers. Because this degree requires Interior Design courses, the Committee would like to have a letter of support from the Department of Design before approving the Minor. Action Item: Steve Branz will work with Dr. Raynsford to resolve the course issues and the Minor will be discussed at the October 19th meeting. IV. Pending BFA, Art, concentration in Art, Technology, Media Minor, Architectural Studies BA, Humanities with various concentrations Grading schema for 180 (Individual Studies) courses (Dennis Jaehne) RSV policy Role of Undergraduate Studies in: General Education Assessment Program Planning Curricular development Academic Scheduling Student petitions Meeting adjourned: 1:00pm Gloria Edwards