Kelly Savino on sun 17 may 09
Wednesday morning, the two instructors for the local community college (mys=
elf, the new kid, and the woman who has been there for several years) are m=
eeting with our higher-ups to make the case that Ceramics courses are worth=
having. The current guy-in-charge (the only full timer in the art departme=
nt, a printmaker with an obvious 2D bias) has decided to eliminate pottery =
courses for non-majors (though they are popular) and allow Ceramics 1, 2, e=
tc. only to students who have taken arbitrary prereqs (including his drawin=
g class.) He also is refusing to offer any course for which students can re=
gister more than once. This would wipe out several "regulars" who have been=
in the other instructor's class for a long time.
Rumor has it that he wouldn't hate it if the ceramics program failed. He (o=
ops)didn't get the pottery class onto the summer schedule in time for summe=
r registration (thus I have no job right now) but we are meeting with him a=
nd the department head to talk about plans for fall.
My understanding is that for some colleges, pottery classes for non majors =
(as opposed to Ceramics 1,2, etc.) can be a cash cow. This ceramics program=
has been losing money, which is part of the justification for conversation=
s about shutting it down, but we can't get far with one shoe nailed to the =
floor.
We're just two underpaid part timers with a lot of ideas. We need ammo, how=
ever anecdotal. My gut feeling, however pointless to bean counters, is that=
the work we do requires a part of the brain that doesn't get used in most =
of academia, trains a coordination between eye and hand, practice, craftsma=
nship, the ability to consider design and describe what you see. The argume=
nt that there is no reason for mechanics, dental techs, nurses aides and co=
oks to take pottery misses the boat, and seems to be based on the assumptio=
n that the only reason to study art is the goal of some fabulous career as =
a rich, famous artist (like us, right?)
I would appreciate any ideas, links, articles, etc. to help in building the=
program, as well as reasons to defend a non-majors course... or just words=
of wisdom from the many wise and experienced part timers and community col=
lege teachers out there. (Including, I imagine, "run for your life".) I enj=
oyed my class last semester at this college and the students are mostly gre=
at, but the faculty/admin are just one big dysfunctional family and the dra=
ma never ends.
I am a good teacher, and there are students who want in, so this is frustra=
ting. I have to send back registrations to potential students some semester=
s at the potter's guild, since have to limit class offerings lest we inconv=
enience members. And to teach potential pottery students at the college, I =
spend my semester off battling admin to allow classes to run. It's makign m=
e nuts. If I had the nerve and the capital, I'd open my own clay space wher=
e I could be queen, and I wouldn't have to get permission to accomodate tho=
se who are trying to hand me money, and learn to make good pots!
Yours
Kelly in Ohio, off to bed... smiling at the thought of Joyce's puppy's eyeb=
rows...
http://www.primalpotter.com
William & Susan Schran User on mon 18 may 09
On 5/18/09 12:28 AM, "Kelly Savino" wrote:
> I would appreciate any ideas, links, articles, etc. to help in building t=
he
> program, as well as reasons to defend a non-majors course... or just word=
s of
> wisdom from the many wise and experienced part timers and community colle=
ge
> teachers out there. (Including, I imagine, "run for your life".) I enjoye=
d my
> class last semester at this college and the students are mostly great, bu=
t the
> faculty/admin are just one big dysfunctional family and the drama never e=
nds.
Kelly,
It's difficult to offer a single course of action without being there and
hearing the arguments being made by the individual's) who would like the se=
e
the ceramics program go away.
I can't know the reasons the full-time guy has for wanting ceramics gone,
but one guess would be printmaking isn't going all that well and he looks a=
t
ceramics taking potential students away from him. This based on the number
of colleges in my region that are dumping printmaking from their art
programs due to lack of student enrollments and issues with chemicals.
I think the best way to approach this as you deal with bean counters is to
point out the number of FTES (full time equivalent students) that are
generated with ceramics classes. FTES is usually what is counted for
figuring out funding. Here's how to figure out FTES for a class and an
entire program: Take the number of students (in a class or program) and
multiply that number by the course credits (Usually 3 or 4). Take that
number and divide by 15 (the usual full=3Dtime student load).
When FTES grow, administrators can argue for greater funding. By allowing a
greater population of students to take any given class, the potential for
growth in FTES is certain.
Having ceramics available for non-art majors, will grow the program, becaus=
e
they'll tell their peers the class about it - the best marketing tool for
any class. Find out if all students must take a fine arts class and if that
class can be a skill based class, not just an academic class like art
history.
Besides introducing non-art majors to an art class, most teachers in the
public K - 12 education system who will/are teaching art, must take a 3D ar=
t
studio class. Ceramics can fulfill that requirement.
The ceramics program can be grown into non-credit community education
classes, that will get more of the area community involved with the college
and potentially grow into other program areas. I often have students, many
older students, who come in to take one art class and end up years later
with a degree.
Taking a class more than once is usually a college policy- most allow
enrolling twice, but there are also special investigation courses that can
be repeated as often as the student wishes. For me, Art 299, Supervised
Study can be repeated over and over and over. I generally work with each
student to generate an individual syllabus.
Best thing to do is read over ALL policies and degree requirements for
students and find out how ceramics can fulfill those needs. Come armed with
knowledge. Ask the administrator (privately) about class/program
enrollments, about FTES and how ceramics can help support all that.
I would also contact NCECA for information about ceramics in higher
education.
Here are some links to investigate:
1
.html>
This link is for high school students, but it made me think about ceramics
classes and how important cooperative learning is in clay studios.
Another idea is to point out about the relationship and application of
information between ceramics and earth sciences, geology and chemistry.
Good Luck, Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
Shula on mon 18 may 09
Hi Kelly,
Is there any chance some of those non-ceramics majors could put in their ow=
n words why they take ceramics, what it means to them? Do all of the cerami=
cs majors start as ceramics majors or do some of them take the pottery for =
non-ceramics majors and get bitten leading to changing their majors? I must=
admit that in both of the community colleges where I have taken pottery cl=
asses in Southern California, there were no pottery for non majors courses.=
We all took ceramics 1, 2, and 3, etc. Of course, we didn't have pre-requi=
sites to take ceramics 1. In each college, the instructors had ways of gett=
ing around the "thou shalt take each course only once" issue. In one, the i=
nstructor had negotiated with the college that a student could take each le=
vel up to 3 times. In the other, the instructor had some sort of way that o=
nce a student when through all of the courses, they could come back as inde=
pendent studies and/or assistant status.
In both community colleges where I took classes, one of the positive aspect=
s of the ceramics classes was that there was more diversity than I have see=
n in other classes. The diversity was across ages - recent high school grad=
uates to retired folks. The cross pollination was great. Each learning from=
each other, respecting each other. Lots of learning not directly ceramics-=
related.
Also, why aren't the classes making money? I would ask what needs to be don=
e to make ceramics money making. Are more classes needed, more students or =
what? If it's all about the money, ask them about their expectations and se=
e what can be done to meet those.
Just a few ideas.
Shula
Desert Hot Springs, California USA
-----Original Message-----
>From: Kelly Savino
>
>Wednesday morning, the two instructors for the local community college (my=
self, the new kid, and the woman who has been there for several years) are =
meeting with our higher-ups to make the case that Ceramics courses are wort=
h having. The current guy-in-charge (the only full timer in the art departm=
ent, a printmaker with an obvious 2D bias) has decided to eliminate pottery=
courses for non-majors (though they are popular) and allow Ceramics 1, 2, =
etc. only to students who have taken arbitrary prereqs (including his drawi=
ng class.) He also is refusing to offer any course for which students can r=
egister more than once. This would wipe out several "regulars" who have bee=
n in the other instructor's class for a long time.
Stephani Stephenson on mon 18 may 09
Kelly,
Consider turning the tables:
Ask the administrators what benchmark would satisfy them?
in other words.Before you start trying to prove value and success
ask them... how do they qualify value and success?=3D20
what are the specific qualifiers they are using to say the program is 'lo=
=3D
sing money'?
can they show you those numbers?
are they student numbers , are they utility expense numbers?
are they faculty and wage expenditure numbers?
cutting out non majors actually cuts down the numbers of students utiliz=
=3D
ing the program=3D20
which would seem to reduce further the viability of the program. usually =
=3D
ceramics=3D20
programs have high facilities and maintenance expenses but can traditiona=
=3D
lly claim that=3D20
they are wildly popular, even though you can never cram the same number o=
=3D
f students=3D20
into a studio as you can a mega theater classroom.
My point is, don't get put on the defensive immediately.. ask him questio=
=3D
ns, make him=3D20
give you details, so that you can better understand his perspective and w=
=3D
hat he is after.
once you get a sense of wht the hard numbers are, then you can also addre=
=3D
ss the=3D20
added benefits...
artmaking is hands on problemsolving. this benefits everyone.
Read a copy of the schools mission statement. Dissect that mission stat=
=3D
ement.
appeal to the administrator from the perspective of the mission statement=
=3D
.
for example , if there is reference to serving the community ,emphasis =
=3D
that the arts=3D20
are part of this.. be specific. pick up some stats on crafting. recreatio=
=3D
n, the role of arts in=3D20
the community.=3D20
the presence of art classes and activities enhances the university in va=
=3D
luable if intangibe=3D20
ways, art fairs, exhibits: the old 'everyone LOVES to have artists around=
=3D
to make the=3D20
place look good and active"
pottery classes are FUN. many non majors specifically want to take potter=
=3D
y as a hobby=3D20
class. this brings them to the college where they may in fact , enroll fo=
=3D
r OTHER classes=3D20
as well. Fun classes bring in retired, leisure students who might not ot=
=3D
her wise sign up.
FUN attract people.
pottery classes serve as leisure and stress relief for non majors...get s=
=3D
ome testimonials=3D20
from non majors .
creative work and manual skills augment overall learning. got any data , =
=3D
especially for=3D20
kinetic learners? get someone from the art education department to testif=
=3D
y about the=3D20
necessity of maintaining kinetic learning approaches in education. this=
=3D
benefits non=3D20
majors as well. getting in to throw a pot after a calculus session may he=
=3D
lp the processing=3D20
of the calculus as well as the pottery.
challenge the administrator to take a class. (unless of course, that is a=
=3D
Baaaaaad idea.=3D20
)but , if people have participated in an activity, they will be more like=
=3D
ly to support it
even though i kind of hate this term, find statistics showing that people=
=3D
are turning to=3D20
'crafts' more than ever.=3D20
count how many people have actually taken classes to show how many have =
=3D
been=3D20
served...
then come start a school with me.
Steph
Snail Scott on mon 18 may 09
On May 17, 2009, at 11:28 PM, Kelly Savino wrote:
> My understanding is that for some colleges, pottery classes for non
> majors (as opposed to Ceramics 1,2, etc.) can be a cash cow...
Everywhere I have taught, all levels of ceramics are
available to both majors and non-majors, together in
the same class. Fully half our enrollment is non-majors,
which brings in money to our department. I don't know
how your funding structure is set up (ask someone in
the controller's office, or your department secretary),
but that's how it is in most places.
And, I see very little difference in the quality of the
work produced - can't tell the majors from the nons
without a scorecard (enrollment roster).
> This ceramics program has been losing money, which is part of the
> justification for conversations about shutting it down...
Ceramics IS expensive, and if it isn't paying its own way,
higher enrollment is a burden, not a blessing. So - can
the funding structure be changed? Can course fees be
increased to cover costs? (Some schools cap materials
fee surcharges.) Can students pick up the tab for some
materials - pay by the pug for clay, for instance, instead
of including it in the materials fee? Unless you can
make it a non-liability financially, you will have very little
traction to promote your program.
Another option - try for grants. Grants for arts education
are still out there. Work with your school's office for such
things. Even though you likely can't get a grant this year
(timelines are usually too far in the future), see if you can
get a reprieve for a year - long enough to see whether
or not you can rustle up such assistance.
Your director may be a jerk, but I have no doubt that he
is being leaned on from above to cut costs. Every program
director everywhere is feeling that pressure right now,
and some programs face 25% budget cuts and worse.
Help him cut costs in your area, and he may be more
receptive.
> ...argument that there is no reason for mechanics, dental techs,
> nurses aides and cooks to take pottery misses the boat, and seems to
> be based on the assumption that the only reason to study art is the
> goal of some fabulous career as a rich, famous artist (like us,
> right?)
I've actually had students who were told by their
academic advisors to take ceramics to improve
their hand-eye coordination. Dental students and
pre-meds with a surgical interest are often told to
acquire these skills by taking ceramics. (This was
at Washington University in St. Louis, one of the
more prestigious (and most expensive) colleges in
the country, with one of the highest ranked medical
and dental programs anywhere.) Lots of dental
students in my classes there, and having suffered
badly-fitted crowns myself, I'm a big fan of the idea.
Cooks also need to learn 3-D aesthetics for plating
and presentation - pastry and dessert folks especially,
but others too. Chemistry students often gain a lot
from ceramics as well - a chance to do empirical
hands-on work and get a vivid, visual result from
their experiments.
Art-education students also need this stuff. At the
college where I most often teach ceramics, the
ceramics and sculpture areas exist solely
because 3-D is a requirement for an accredited
Art Ed degree. Your college may not offer such
a degree, but if any of your 2-year degree students
plan to transfer to a four-year college for such a
program, they could use the ceramics course as
a transfer credit toward that requirement. And a
lot of students these days are looking at art-ed
as a stable career path in uncertain times for
artists.
Another demographic to consider: the disabled.
I don't know about your school, but my community
college is big on 'mainstreaming' the physically
and mentally disabled into regular classes, and
they see art (especially ceramics) as 'special ed
friendly' (my words, not theirs). I have issues with
this, as some of them have problems that I can't
address properly in my class, but my point is: Art
is a means of learning not just the course subject,
but life-improvement skills like interacting with others
and succeeding in a structured but forgiving
environment, skills which they can bring into their
academic classes later. It allows those with non-
standard learning modes to find their footing in
college, and so on. And it's great community PR.
Get hold of the disability office on campus, and
talk with them. Those folks often have leverage
over things other offices can't touch. And,
without turning your studio into a special ed
annex, they may be able to advocate for the
value of manual crafts and mainstreaming.
And you can probably guess my other
recommendation: de-emphasize pottery, and
reach out to the interdisciplinary potential of
clay - clay for printmaking, clay for murals (2-D
connection!), clay for sculpture, clay for public
art (another highly fundable and trendy area).
Offer a class (or at least the option) for ceramics
for public art! You may be able to get matching
funds from some public-art development board.
Point out to your director that public art is a
viable career area for arts graduates, and for
students in less-archival media (drawing and
printmaking, for example), learning to adapt
their skills to ceramics will open up many new
opportunities.
Anecdote:
A noted digital-media artist where I used to live
won a prestigious commission to do an outdoor
project at the airport. He decided to adapt his
digital imagery to a ceramic mural. Having no
experience with ceramics, he looked into non-
fired decals. (You can see where this is going...)
He believed the company that said their process
could withstand outdoor conditions, and made
his 150-foot-long mural out of pre-fired white tile
covered with these transfer decals. Within a year
it had started to fade badly. The airport sued
the artist, the artist sued the decal company,
and so on. And the disgraceful remains of the
mural remain at the main arrivals gate of the
airport (artist's signature still visible) for
everyone to see, looking worse every year,
because they can't afford to have it removed.
All for the lack of a ceramics class...
As for the 'can't take the course repeatedly'
stricture: Many colleges offer multiple sections
of course in the same time slot - Ceramics I,
Ceramics II, Ceramics III and so on, all at the
same time. Can you add new courses, like
a special topics course (Public Murals, for
example, or Functional Foodware, or Glaze
Development), or independent study, to allow
students to remain in the studio program
without repeating the same course?
All this hinges on resolving the budget issue,
however.
As for prerequisites: these are often imposed
as a way to make sure students have the
necessary skill set before moving on, but very
often, they are mainly a way to pump up the
enrollment of those pre-req courses. Most
pre-req's are cheap courses, requiring little
in the way of equipment or materials, so filling
them is profitable. I can only suggest an appeal
to reasonableness and relevance with regard
to these (largely unnecessary) requirements,
and reiterate the need to make your area more
financially self-sustaining, reducing the need
to pump up revenue with extraneous pre-req's.
-Snail
>
> I would appreciate any ideas, links, articles, etc. to help in
> building the program, as well as reasons to defend a non-majors
> course... or just words of wisdom from the many wise and experienced
> part timers and community college teachers out there. (Including, I
> imagine, "run for your life".) I enjoyed my class last semester at
> this college and the students are mostly great, but the faculty/admin
> are just one big dysfunctional family and the drama never ends.
>
> I am a good teacher, and there are students who want in, so this is
> frustrating. I have to send back registrations to potential students
> some semesters at the potter's guild, since have to limit class
> offerings lest we inconvenience members. And to teach potential
> pottery students at the college, I spend my semester off battling
> admin to allow classes to run. It's makign me nuts. If I had the nerve
> and the capital, I'd open my own clay space where I could be queen,
> and I wouldn't have to get permission to accomodate those who are
> trying to hand me money, and learn to make good pots!
>
> Yours
> Kelly in Ohio, off to bed... smiling at the thought of Joyce's puppy's
> eyebrows...
>
>
> http://www.primalpotter.com
>
Stephani Stephenson on mon 18 may 09
Kelly=3D20
you mention that there will be other 'higher ups' besides the printmaker/=
=3D
dept/ head.
If I was to stick around I would=3D20
get to know them.
especially. higher up......maybe the director of humanities.
bring them nice student or faculty (yours) pots to display in the humani=
=3D
ties office=3D20
or a nearbye display. make sure any publicity about student sales, etc. g=
=3D
ets in front of=3D20
them. be your friendly , positive self.
in other words, you need an ally, toots.
maybe , as Bill most excellently suggested, an education prof, who's educ=
=3D
ation majors=3D20
need those studio classes.=3D20
resources: contact the National Art Education Association..=3D20
Is your college a 4 year college? if it is a tranfer school, find out wh=
=3D
at the prerequisites=3D20
are for someone who wants to transfer into the fine arts or the art ed pr=
=3D
ogram..how=3D20
many studio credits will they need? with a scaled down dept. can you prov=
=3D
ide enough for=3D20
your transfers?
sometimes there is a limit as to how many times a student can take a clas=
=3D
s. often it is 3=3D20
times, then they must move on to special studies.often there is a limit t=
=3D
here as well. To=3D20
be honest, I think this is wise policy. Often time these fill up with 'li=
=3D
fer' students; people=3D20
who are taking the class over and over and using it as a personal studio.=
=3D
sometimes a=3D20
personal production studio, at the expense of other students and the lear=
=3D
ning process.
even though the good ones can be helpful studio assistants and mentor, qu=
=3D
ite often you=3D20
get some real selfish, obstinent folks who feel ownership of the place an=
=3D
d do whatever=3D20
they can to maintain dominance and territory. I have often felt this can =
=3D
be a detriment,=3D20
both to the new students who are crowded out, and to the lifers themselve=
=3D
s, who really=3D20
should be taking wing and moving on. whether it is to further studies, de=
=3D
gree or not, or=3D20
whether it is to a professional coop ,, residency, or home or business ba=
=3D
sed studio
.(.i know, i know , it is tough to set up a studio on ones own) ,so somet=
=3D
imes the privilege=3D20
is abused and school policy is the only thing that will nudge these folks=
=3D
on to bigger and=3D20
better things....=3D20=3D20
taking a class one time though, seems inadequate, as anyone who has taugh=
=3D
t or taken a=3D20
one quarter or semester class will know!
the problem i see is that you have possible opposition/competition from =
=3D
within the=3D20
department, and from the only full timer, who is ,rightly so, the one who=
=3D
heads the=3D20
department.....and in fact they probably have more administrative work th=
=3D
an they=3D20
want ...so their motives may be simply trying to reshape the department =
=3D
into=3D20
a manageable size, given what seems to be paltry staffing.
is the limit on staffing absolute or related to demand?
you'll have to explore the ally-making potential there and learn , again,=
=3D
i would suggest=3D20
getting to know the person from the ground up, rather than from rumor..go=
=3D
have coffee.
then you will know better how to assess the level, limit of your own invo=
=3D
lvement....
too bad you don't have a full time clay or sculpture person...or the opti=
=3D
on of creating that=3D20
position.
The only other thing i have to ask..is it indiscreet to discuss particula=
=3D
rs of department
politics online? will this come back to bite you or sabotage your efforts=
=3D
?
Stephani
Chris Leake on mon 18 may 09
Kelly,
Maybe along with your other arguments you could include a special workshop/=
class that combines his printmaking with a ceramics class with the object b=
eing a holiday sale to raise money for art department supplies etc.
Chris Leake
http://potterybychris.com
Lis Allison on mon 18 may 09
On Monday 18 May 2009 00:28, Kelly Savino wrote:
> Wednesday morning, the two instructors for the local community college
> (myself, the new kid, and the woman who has been there for several
> years) are meeting with our higher-ups to make the case that Ceramics
> courses are worth having.....
How about making the point that college is supposed to prepare students
for 'life', including teaching them how to balance work and play? Some
exposure to non-science should help them later create a well-balanced and
healthy life, I think. That 'well-rounded' idea, you know.
Good luck,
Lis
--
Elisabeth Allison
Pine Ridge Studio
Patty on mon 18 may 09
Kelly,
Don't just listen to the arguments against. The real reasons for oppositio=
n
may be hidden, unstated, nasty. What are they afraid of?
Patty Kaliher
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