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Program Change:
P00986
Program Title: Visual Communication Design major, Art Department
Undergraduate
Describe the proposed degree program change(s) in terms of how the changes differ from the program as currently approved and published in the latest WOU catalog (specify the latest catalog date).
The Visual Communication Design major was approved by the WOU Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee and the Faculty Senate, but has not yet been published in the catalog. Until publication, students taking visual communication design coursework are doing so under the Art major.
The Art Department is proposing to change all studio courses taught in the department from three-credit to four-credit courses. This proposal is to revise the Visual Communication Design major to reflect this change in credit level throughout all of the Art Department programs.
The pragmatic reason for making the change to four credit studio art courses is to align our program with the rest of the public universities in Oregon: all of the other universities in Oregon, as well as two of our feeder community colleges (Chemeketa and Linn-Benton) have already increased the credit level of their studio art courses from three to four credits. Aligning our university¿s programs in these subjects will simplify transfer credit equivalencies, which will make transferring from these institutions less complicated and more time-efficient for such students.
The educational reason for this transition is to improve the art student¿s experience within the art major: more attention and time to focus on fewer classes, more streamlined advising, and fewer conflicts in the schedule of classes. Students will also benefit from an increase in instructors¿ time dedicated to preparation, maintaining studio spaces, and availability outside of class. The overall credits in the Art major and the Visual Communication Design major will remain the same as currently listed in the catalog. With this plan we anticipate that the total content, and the skill level that students can achieve in their chosen concentration areas, will increase.
Courses in the Visual Communication Design major has been taught for several years and are listed in the catalog. The plan has been to start offering the 300 level Time-Based Media courses beginning in Fall 2012, to insure that facilities, equipment, and faculty would be on campus, ready to begin. This plan is on track, as addressed below in comments for the Dean's review.
Justification for changing the course (e.g. alignment with other institutions, program revision, etc.):
This course change proposal is part of a larger reorganization process to shift all studio art courses from 3 credits to 4 credits. This change will enable students to complete programs efficiently in a four-year degree plan. As a result, the reduced course load will allow students to invest more time per course and increase the potential for greater progress in each subject. This change will also ease the department¿s scheduling grid, and permit increased student access to studio equipment and workspace as students prepare artwork between class sessions.
This change in credits will align our program with art programs in both the 4-year universities and 2-year community colleges in Oregon. Students transferring from quarter and/or semester academic programs will typically experience more accurate credit equivalencies with WOU art courses under this proposed system.
Students and programs affected:
BA/BS Art majors and art minors. BA/BS students wishing to focus specifically on Visual Communication Design topics in their major studies; these students will now be able to do so in a separate major. BFA: students who apply and are admitted to the BFA will be able to pursue that degree in Visual Communication Design concentrations.
Students will be able to choose from two majors in the art department. The studio Art Major remains, it is a program in which a student must study two focus areas from the following list - ceramics, drawing, printmaking, painting, and sculpture. Art majors will have the option to take one of their sequences in a Visual Communication Design concentration.
Describe the reasons for making this change:
Currently there is not a description for these programs printed in the catalog, please see:
Curriculum Request Archives, Program Change P00743 (Visual Communications Design major), which is included in the attachment.
Visual Communication Design Major:
Visual Communication Design Major prerequisites for studio concentrations:
All 200 level studio courses require A115, some require A115, A130, and A119.
All students taking the Visual Communication Design major must complete art history courses A204, A205, and A206.
All 300 level studio sequences must be taken in numerical order and require the appropriate 200 level introductory prerequisite courses.
All 300 level studio courses require A115, A116, A130, A119, A222, A260. Most require A220.
All 400 level studio courses require a completed 300 level studio sequence in the concentration and must be taken in numerical order.
Certain 300 level Visual Communication Design sequences may be used to fulfill concentration area studies in the Art Major. Students wishing to do so must speak with their Art advisor.
Visual Communication Design major: (84 credits)
Foundation Courses (16)
A115 Beginning Design: 2-D
A116 Beginning Design: 3-D
A119 Digital Presentation for Artists
A130 Beginning Drawing
200-level Introduction Courses (12)
A220 Intro to Typography
A222 Digital Images
A260 Basic Photography
Art History courses (12)
A 204 Art History: Prehistoric through Late Antiquity
A 205 Art History: Middle Ages through Renaissance
A 206 Art History: Baroque through Contemporary
Choose one of the following courses (4)
A315w Intermediate Design 2-D
A316w Intermediate Design 3-D
A406w Art History Special Topic: History of Graphic Design
Three Upper Division Sequences:
Required Upper Division Sequence (12)
A320 Graphic Design: Process & Theory
A321 Graphic Design: Form & Communication
A322 Graphic Design: Contemporary Issues
Two additional three-course sequences selected from the following (24)
A323 Interactive Design: Web Structure & Communication,
A324 Interactive Design: Applied,
A325 Interactive Design: Contemporary Issues.
A326 Time-Based Media: Video
A327 Time-Based Media: Animation,
A328 Time-Based Media: Contemporary Issues.
A420 Print Design: Systems & Techniques ,
A421 Print Design: Expressive & Structural Design,
A422 Print Design: Presentation & Contemporary Issues.
Capstone Course:
A429 Portfolio & Professional Practice
For Dean Review only:
How and when will the effectiveness of these changes be determined?
We will determine the effectiveness of these changes through our current assessment practices, which are reviewed every year during faculty retreats. Upon acceptance of this proposal, we will develop updated assessment pre-exams that reflect reorganized course content and expanded work in upper division courses.
It will take a four-year cycle to determine the effectiveness of the shift from three to four credits through pre- and post-test assessment. The faculty will also monitor changes and compare results in student proficiency scores evaluated during portfolio presentations required in A429 and A498.
We anticipate immediate improvement in ease of scheduling, both in departmental planning and student advising. Advising will be less complex; students will have an easier time understanding major and minor requirements and completing plans recommended during individual and group advising sessions.
Approval Queue
| Step |
Approver |
Decision |
Timestamp |
|
1 - Department |
Jodie Garrison |
Approved | February 17 2012 |
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2 - Division |
Scott Grim |
Approved | February 19 2012 |
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3 - Division Curriculum |
Jodie Garrison |
Approved | February 19 2012 |
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4 - Library Dean |
Jodie Garrison |
Approved | February 19 2012 |
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5 - Curriculum Committee |
Thaddeus Shannon |
Approved | April 18 2012 |
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6 - Faculty Senate |
Gavin Keulks |
Approved | May 08 2012 |
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7 - Dean |
Stephen Scheck |
Approved | May 09 2012 |
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8 - Provost |
Kent Neely |
Approved | May 10 2012 |
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9 - President |
Dianna Nickelson |
Approved | May 11 2012 |
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Attached Files:
