Dana Groemminger on thu 1 feb 01
Hello-
To anyone teaching at a college or community college out there- I am =
asking for your help-
I'll try to make this concise-=20
I am in a relatively new teaching situation, though I am not entirely =
new to teaching. It is at a community college. The main focus of my =
department is not fine art, but commercial art. The exception is that =
the ceramics area has had high enrollment and a steady following of =
students. I came in this fall, at the same time the department was =
moved into a new facility (Poorly planed. The person in my situation =
passed away suddenly and there was no one in place for the transition). =
Currently I have between 35-40 beginning level students and about 24 =
int./advanced students in ceramics (total around 60) The powers that be =
have not, as of yet, installed the gas kiln from the old facility which =
I believe was a 16cu. ft. Alpine. They are dragging their feet. Right =
now I am running the program with TWO Skutt1027 size kilns ONLY. I =
can't believe I made it through last semester. (The head of the =
department does not have a clear understanding of the ceramic process at =
all.)
What I need is this:
Information on number of students taking ceramics per semester vs. the =
kiln capacity (relative sq. ft.) of your program. =20
I need to convince the powers that be that this program can't possibly =
run with 60 students (some dedicated and prolific) and two small =
electric kilns. I'm hoping that showing them some comparative numbers =
from other schools will help with my case. (The head of my department =
just informed me that he added AN EXTRA section of ceramics for next =
fall!) =20
Any eloquent arguments on the need of a gas kiln for educational =
purposes in a college level setting would also be greatly appreciated.=20
Thanks in advance-
Dana Groemminger
Dennis E. Tobin on thu 1 feb 01
Dana
I teach at Miami University in Oxford , Ohio and have a similar enrollment
number, my kiln facilities are:
1-updraft natural gas kiln-90 cubic feet*
1-updraft natural gas kiln-50cubic feet*
1-updraft natural gas kiln-35 cubic feet*
1-downdraft salt/soda natural gas kiln-48 cubic feet*
1- raku natural gas kiln-27 cubic feet*
1-raku natural gas kiln-12 cubic feet
4- 1027 skutt electric kilns-9 cubic feet each
1- oval cone art electric kiln-16 cubic feet
1-test electric kiln-1 cubic foot
1-two chamber wood kiln-80 cubic feet*
*-built with students to cut down cost and a good educational experience
for them.
Not all of these kilns are running all of the time, but they give us a good
diversity of firing environments. It took me a major renovation and several
years to build this up, it did not happen overnight.
Hope this helps in your effort to educate the administrators.
Good luck.
Let me know if I may help further.
Dennis Tobin
>Hello-
>To anyone teaching at a college or community college out there- I am
>asking for your help-
>I'll try to make this concise-
>I am in a relatively new teaching situation, though I am not entirely new
>to teaching. It is at a community college. The main focus of my
>department is not fine art, but commercial art. The exception is that the
>ceramics area has had high enrollment and a steady following of students.
>I came in this fall, at the same time the department was moved into a new
>facility (Poorly planed. The person in my situation passed away suddenly
>and there was no one in place for the transition). Currently I have
>between 35-40 beginning level students and about 24 int./advanced students
>in ceramics (total around 60) The powers that be have not, as of yet,
>installed the gas kiln from the old facility which I believe was a 16cu.
>ft. Alpine. They are dragging their feet. Right now I am running the
>program with TWO Skutt1027 size kilns ONLY. I can't believe I made it
>through last semester. (The head of the department does not have a clear
>understanding of the ceramic process at all.)
>
>What I need is this:
>
>Information on number of students taking ceramics per semester vs. the
>kiln capacity (relative sq. ft.) of your program.
>
>I need to convince the powers that be that this program can't possibly run
>with 60 students (some dedicated and prolific) and two small electric
>kilns. I'm hoping that showing them some comparative numbers from other
>schools will help with my case. (The head of my department just informed
>me that he added AN EXTRA section of ceramics for next fall!)
>
>Any eloquent arguments on the need of a gas kiln for educational purposes
>in a college level setting would also be greatly appreciated.
>
>Thanks in advance-
>Dana Groemminger
>
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>
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>melpots@pclink.com.
Dennis Tobin
Associate Professor
Art Department
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio 45056
(513) 529-1505
william schran on thu 1 feb 01
Dana - I also tech at a community college with about 50 - 60 students
per semester. We have 2 L&L 236's, 1 L&L 2927, 1 Axner Super kiln
(largest they sell) and 1 L&L JR18. I have never been able to keep up
with student production and ALWAYS have work unfinished at the end of
semester. I'm in process of raising funds to purchase a large (24 cu.
ft.) gas kiln.
Bill
Sarah House on fri 2 feb 01
My Community college program was a unique one where it was the focus to
turn out professional potters, but maybe these numbers will help your
fight. We had 17 full time students and around 5 part time. 5 electric
kilns all 1027's or that size. At least three if not four of those were
running every day. we had two gas kilns, built by students, each about 35
cubic feet of stacking space. and one commercial kiln also gas about 20
cubic feet.
Good Luck
Sarah House
graduate of Haywood Community College, NC
Jeffrey on thu 8 feb 01
OH MY GOD!!!
How have you survived you poor creature?
I am a ceramics lab technition (A crap worker) at San Diego State
University. We have Approximetely 110 students (60 beginning, 45 advanced
and 4 graduate level). We have the following kilns, and even they are not
enough from time to time.
1 thrity cu. ft. alpine
1 thirty cu. ft. geil
1 sixteen cu. ft. alpine
8 skutt kilns, various sizes (2 around 8 cu. ft)(4 around 12 cu. ft) and (2
around 16 cu. ft)
There is no way we could survive with as few kilns as you have available
even if we had only forty students. I hope you get your gas kiln up soon,
remind them that gas is cheaper than electricity.
-Jeff
Jeffrey on thu 8 feb 01
HI,
This is jeff from San Diego State again. I forgot the outdoor kilns.
one 30 cu ft. Soda fire kiln
one 16 cu. ft. saggar fire kiln
one 30 cu. ft wood fire kiln
one 25 cu ft. wood fire kiln
one gas run raku kiln, 9 cu ft.
one 90 cu. ft. alpine
good luck again
-Jeff
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