TownHall Xerox Packet

8/6/2019 TownHall Xerox Packet

1/11

ParsonsUndergraduate

Curriculum


2/11

May 6, 2010

Dear Colleagues:

Parsons has a long tradition of developing innovative curricula and new programs. As stewards ofthis tradition, the responsibility to assess and improve on what we do is significant. Today, havingachieved unprecedented growth in full-time faculty, who are at the cutting edge of their respectivedisciplines, and maintaining our commitment to a diverse and engaged part-time faculty, we are in a

unique position to innovate again.

Throughout the past 113 years, Parsons has had the courage to innovate and evolve our curriculumto best meet the needs of educating our students, and preparing them to be designers, artists andscholars in a changing professional landscape. Undeniably, the landscape of art and designeducation and practice is shifting. And Parsons must change to anticipate and participate in thisnew context. One example of this is the five-school structure that was established under ProvostMarshall during his term as dean.

Our capacity to respond to change and anticipate it has kept us relevant and at the vanguard of artand design education throughout the past century.

As most of you know, for the past six years, Parsons has been engaged in a review of itsundergraduate curriculum. This review was motivated by a collective desire to redesign ourpedagogical approach to allow for both disciplinary depth and interdisciplinary breadth, tomoderate the workload of undergraduate students thereby enabling them to take advantage of NewYork Citys creative environment (which is, after all, one of the things that attracts them to Parsonsin the first place), and to allow for more flexible pathways of study to achieve their undergraduatedegree.

Many of you have participated in various committees and working groups that have gotten us towhere we are now. And there will be opportunities for all of you to give input and feedback alongthe rest of the way. For those of you that have not been as closely involved in the process, here is arecap of what faculty representatives and administrators, working in close collaboration, havedecided:

1. We have agreed that we will build a set of interlinked 120 credit curricula.2. We have agreed that there will be a first year that spans all programs and that affords the

possibility to inflect certain courses toward majors but that also offers students thepossibility to explore crossing over disciplinary boundaries if they want to construct morediverse paths through Parsons.

3. We have established a model that balances breadth and depth in our degree programs sothat students who want to pursue more disciplinary pathways can do so and do so earlier,

and those who want to pursue more cross disciplinary approaches to the same degrees cando so.

4. We have developed a first year curricular framework whereby students can matriculate intoany program without penalty regardless of how broadly they have explored other disciplineswithin the first year or how closely they have followed a particular disciplinary practice. Inessence, we want to support a broader array of pathways through Parsons.

5. In order to asses students capacity and knowledge throughout their four years and theirability to advance, we have agreed to explore the implementation of learning portfolios thatwill be based on learning outcomes and key literacies.


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4/11

First Year Programs External Review

First Year Programs Committee Report

Curricular Structure Working Group

Fine Arts Working Group Recommendations

UGR Programs Committee End of Year Report

BFA/BBA Review: Chairs Council Report

Designing the Design School Presentation

Deans Office discussion with Program Chairs

Created structural parameters for UGR

5 Schools Faculty Charrettes

UGR Task Force Retreats & Subcommittee ProposalsPEC Reviews Task Force proposals

PEC Policy Agreement on UGR First Year Curriculum

PCC/SCCs Charged to Develop Common Learning Outcomes &

preliminary 120-credit models

Town Halls

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

FA

CULTYINPUT

AT

EVERYSTAGE

5

Schools

ADHT

AMT

FASH

SDS

SCE

Parsons

Undergraduate

Curriculum

Timeline


5/11

NEWFIRSTYEARCURRICULARMODEL:

Credits/Hours Fall Spring

3creditsContextual

Studies

(9hourlearning

envelope:3hoursin

class,6hoursoutsideof

class)

LiberalArtselective(ADHTcourses

areofferedamongthoseelective

options)

LiberalArtselective(ADHTcoursesare

offeredamongthoseelectiveoptions)

6creditscoordinated

ADHTStudio(18hour

learningenvelope:

6 9hoursinclass,9

12hoursoutsideof

class)

CriticalStudio:

ADHT/TransdisciplinaryUrbanLab

(e.g.,Words&Works:Critical

Reading &Writing1&Laboratory)

*Onlinelearningcompetency

component(includinginitiationof

learningportfoliostrategies)

CriticalStudio:

ADHTorUniv/DisciplinaryUrbanLab

inflectedbydisciplinary

methodologiesfordoingfieldresearch

andmakinginNYC(e.g.,Critical

Reading&Writing2orothercritical

literacycourse+disciplinarystudio)

*Learningportfoliodevelopmentfor

useinmajorentry:(e.g.SDSsPortfolio

Strategies)

3credits

(9hourlearning

envelope:3 6hoursin

class,3 6hours

outsideofclass)

Studio:

studentchoosesoneofthefourofthe

followingcoursetypes(completing3

differenttypeswithinthefirstyear):

drawing/imaging space/materiality timebased systems/modeling/interactivity

Studio:





3credits

(9hourlearning

envelope:3 6hoursin

class,3 6hoursoutside

ofclass)

Studio:





Studio: DisciplinaryElective

Total: 15creditseachsemester


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Skills

LearningOutcomes

Content

First Year Undergraduate Curriculum


7/11

SDS FASH

Systems/Modeling/Interactivity

Disciplinary Elective

Drawing/Imaging

Space/Materiality

Time-based

AMTADHTUNIVERSITY/LIBERAL ARTS

SCE

Critical Studio

ADHT / Liberal Arts

(3+3) + (3+3

FALL

3

3 3

3 3

3 3

3 3

3 3

SPRINGCreate Learning Portfolio

Communication DesignFine ArtsPhotographyDesign & TechnologyIllustration

Design & ManagementEnvironmental StudiesIntegrated DesignUrban Design

Fashion DesignArchitectural DesignInterior DesignProduct Design


Student With Strong Disciplinary Focus


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SDS FASH



Drawing/Imaging

Space/Materiality

Time-based


SCE

Critical Studio

ADHT / Liberal Arts

(3+3) + (3+3

FALL

3

3 3

3 3

3 3

3 3

3 3






Student Exploring Multidisciplinary Options.

Same student could enter Interior Design or Fashion


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SDS FASH



Drawing/Imaging

Space/Materiality

Time-based


SCE

Critical Studio

ADHT / Liberal Arts

(3+3) + (3+3

FALL

3

3 3

3 3

3 3

3 3

3 3






Students Take Different Paths


10/11

1 2 3 4

Liberal Arts

Critical StudiesUrban Lab/ADHT

Transdisciplinary

Critical StudiesUrban Lab/ADHT

Univ./Disciplinary

First Year Studio

First Year Studio

Liberal Arts

First Year Studio

LA / ArtDesign Hist

Studio

Studio

Studio Elective Studio

LA / ArtDesign Hist

LA / ArtDesign Hist

Studio

Studio

LA / ArtDesign Hist

LA / ArtDesign Hist

Studio

Studio

LA / ArtDesign Hist

LA / ArtDesign Hist

Studio

Studio Studio

LA / ArtDesign Hist

Studio

Studio

LA / ArtDesign H

Studio

Studio

Senior Seminar

Four-Year Undergraduate Curriculum Structure


11/11

Town Halls

PCC/SCCs working sessions

Appoint Faculty Co-Directors of First Year Curriculum

Review content of current ADHT/Foundation Curriculum

PEC continues planning for implementation

PCC/SCCs refine 120 credit curricula models and

flag proposals that require re-accreditation through

NYSED and NASAD

Continue Developing/Piloting Critical Studio Courses

Form UGR Academic Planning Task Force to

address implementation

Evaluate documents for submission to Provosts Office

Academic Affairs Directors begin working with

FTF and PTF to develop First year course

proposals that satisfy new Learning Outcomes

Pedagogical/Curricula-building workshops offered to faculty

Parsons Recruitment and Retention Committee (PRAR)

propose recruitment/admissions strategies

Deans Office/PEC aligns with Admissions and

Provosts Office re: advertising new credit requirementand recruitment strategies

Roll Out New First Year Curriculum

Roll Out New Second Year Curriculum

Roll Out New Third Year Curriculum

Roll Out New Fourth Year Curriculum

First class Graduates

FALL 2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

F

ACULTYINPUT

AT

EVERYSTAGE

FALL 2010

SPRING2012

SUMMER2010

Documents

TownHall Xerox Packet