S.12-106
SFU
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT. ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
University Drive, BuriKibv. BC
Canada V5A 1S6
TEL: 778.782.3925
FAX: 778.782.5876
www.sfu.ca/vpacademic
MEMORANDUM
attention
Senate
date
June 18,2012
from
Jon Driver, Vice-President, Academic and
pages
1/1
Provost, and Chair, SCUP
External Reviewof the School for the Contemporary Arts (SCUP 12-18)
RE:
At itsJune 6, 2012 meeting SCUP reviewed and approved the Action Plan for the pchool for the
Contemporary Arts that resulted from its External Review.
Motion:
That Senate approve the Action Plan for the School for the Contemporary Arts that resulted from its
External Review.
encl.
c: O. Underhill
C. Geisler
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
engaging the world
SFU
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
University Drive, Burnaby, BC
Canada V5A 1S6
TEL: 778.782.6702
FAX: 778.782.5876
MEMORANDUM
attention Jon Driver, Chair, SCUP
FROM
Bill Kranc, Associate Vice-President,
Academic and Associate Provost
RE:
External Review of the School for the Contemporary Arts
date
May 30,2012
pages
1/1
SCUP 12-18
www.sfu.ca/vpacadcmi(
Attached are the External Review Report on the School for the Contemporary Arts and the Action
Plan endorsed by the School and the Dean.
Motion;
That SCUP approve and recommend to Senate the Action Plan for the School for the
Contemporary Arts that resulted from its External Review.
Following the site visit, the Report of the External Review Team* for the School for the
Contemporary Arts was submitted in March 2012.
After the Report was received, a meeting was held with the Dean, Faculty
of Communication, Art and
Technology, the Director of the School for the Contemporary Arts, and the Director of Academic
Planning and Budgeting (VPA) to consider the recommendations. The School then prepared an Action
Plan based on the Report and these discussions. The Action plan was then submitted to the Dean who
endorsed this Action Plan.
The Reviewers made 12 recommendations covering the agreed Terms of Reference.
SCUP recommends to Senate that the School for the Contemporary Arts be advised to pursue the
Action Plan.
Attachments:
1. External Review Report - March, 2012
2.
School for the Contemporary Arts - Action Plan
*
External Review Team:
Dr. Barbara Sellers-Young
(Chair), York University
Dr.
Mark Corwin,
Concordia University
Dr. Lisa Naugle,
University of California. Irvine
Dr. Alison Beale
(Internal), Simon Eraser University
CC
Cheryl Geisler, Dean, Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology
Owen Underbill, Director, School for the Contemporary Arts
SIMON PHASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
March 22, 2012
Memo to: Bill Krane, Associate VP Academic, Chair
Glynn Nicholls, Director Academic Planning
Norbert Haunerland, Associate VP Research
Wade Parkhouse, Dean, Graduate Studies
Cheryl Geisler, Dean, FCAT
From: Review Committee:
Barbara Sellers-Young, York University, Chair
Lisa Naugle, University
of California, Irvine
Mark Corwin, Concordia University
Alison Beale, Simon Fraser University
Subject: Review of School for the Contemporary Arts, Simon Fraser University
The review committee was asked to focus on the following questions with related
attention to programs, faculty, administration, connection with community—locally,
nationally and internationally:
a)
Assess the national and international distinctiveness of the School's progressive
approach to music, dance, theatre, film, visual art, and art and cultural studies.
b) Suggest new and emerging areas of teaching and research that could be pursued
by the School locally, nationally and globally.
c) Evaluate the management and deployment of resources within the School
considering the current financial constraints with respect to staffing levels (faculty
and administrators) TA and sessional lecturer positions, and other support
positions
d) Could efficiencies be achieved by combining some programs or by introducing a
common core program? Are there opportunities to offer courses appropriate for
students in Communication or SIAT? Are there other opportunities for cross-
disciplinary interaction?
e) Do the School's undergraduate and MFA curricula differentiate it from peer
programs regionally and nationally? What programmatic innovations and learning
experiences could be considered to enhance the student experience and
reputation of the School?
f) Evaluate the graduate program in terms of quality, achievements of tis graduates,
financial services to support students, and growth potential.
g) Evaluate
the School's planning processes and plans. Comment on the degree of
cohesiveness and the integration of these processes and plans.
The Review Team in answering these questions has divided this document into two
sections:
1) History, Context and General Observations
2) Specific responses to Questions
I. History, Context and General Observations
Founded in 1976 as a credit program, the School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA) has
as its Mission Statement:
We are an innovative program in a new state-of-the-art facility within a
comprehensive university. We specialize in creating a dynamic learning
environment for contemporary art. Our studio classes in dance, film, music,
theatre, and visual art are taught by practicing artists; our scholars engage
students with the historical, philosophical and political contexts of the arts. We
encourage collaboration with colleagues in adjacent disciplines and within our
many communities. Our goal is to equip students with the skills, the discipline,
the flexibility, the creativity, the understanding
and the acumen to excel in the
arts in Canada and around the world.
This mission statement is fulfilled by 28.5 faculty who are committed to exploring the
role and function of the arts to bring to attention a consideration of social issues through
an integration of critical analysis with an aesthetic framework; and, therefore ongoing
research between the arts and the social/political/cultural life of the local, national and
international community. This is a conversation that is enhanced by being an arts faculty
within a comprehensive university. Their teaching and research takes place through a
collaborative environment within the SCA both in the undergraduate and graduate
program and further
extends to the East Hastings neighborhood, in the city of
Vancouver, Canada and global community. This approach to collaboration and
integration of arts practices succeeds through a complex interplay between faculty and
students that is central to the curriculum, both within the courses and in the events
associated with courses such as performances, exhibits, installations, etc. The phrase
used in the self-study is a "School in continuous production situated in the new cultural
hub of the city which works to generate excellence in artistic, intellectual, cultural and
community events and programming." This approach also becomes central to the
community engagement that has been part of the SCA since its inception, but has taken
on increased significance with the possibilities presented by the move from Burnaby to
its new location in downtown Vancouver in 2010. Thus, the history and the mission of
the SCA matches the goals of Simon Fraser in being a student-centered community
engaged in a definitive research agenda.
As noted in the 2003 Review, the "Faculty enjoy a healthy collegiality, and collaboration
among members frequently extends beyond the School into independent artistic and
research projects. The undergraduate students are enormously articulate and mature,
with powerful self-definition as independent artists working toward professional
excellence, but open to innovation." This environment continues 9 years later and there
is a very real sense of faculty and students (graduate and undergraduate) working
together to consider the ongoing transformations in the arts as well as issues related to
moving from the Burnaby campus to the Woodward's building.
Despite the success of the faculty, students and alumni of the SCA, its public profile
both nationally and internationally is primarily by word of mouth as there is very little
publicity
about the program. The primary reason seems to be that there is insufficient
support to coordinate and support the publicity of events, the development of
recruitment materials, consistent updating of the web, etc. Thus, the review team would
recommend that there be an organizational structure put in place to support the creation
and dissemination of information about the SCA.
Recommendation 1: Put in place either through coordination in the Dean's
office or through the administrative staff in the SCA the necessary support
for the creation and dissemination of information regarding the SCA.
II. Specific Responses to Questions
A. Assess the national and international distinctiveness of the School's
progressive approach to music, dance, theatre, film, visual art, and art and
cultural studies.
The depth of commitment to collaboration and interdisciplinary
experimentation of the SCA's curricular organization is unique to arts schools
both in North America and globally. The majority of schools have a strong
emphasis in a disciplinary area with a 'nod'towards collaboration but without
integrating it
throughout all years of the curriculum; in fact, many cross-
disciplinary collaborations take place primarily on an informal basis. SCA has
incorporated a pedagogical approach that is closer to the interactive nature of
today's arts practices both from the commercial standpoint as in playwrights,
actors, and directors working across stage, television and film or the
integration of the arts through new modes of interactivity such as gaming; or,
from a standpoint of galleries and museums in which performing arts become
part of exhibits; or in the development of community projects in which the
gallery or stage space becomes the space for social/cultural collaboration and
dialogue. Graduates from the undergraduate and graduate program are
therefore prepared from their training to provide a leadership for the direction
that the arts will take in the future. The latter creates a distinctive profile for
the SCA that, as noted previously, is unique.
One of the reasons for the success of this program is the professional profiles
of the faculty that include extensive publications, performances and exhibits
both in Canada and globally. In conversations with graduate students, they
noted the opportunity to work with faculty whose work they had read or seen
on the screen, stage or gallery was the reason for application to the school.
This included students from France, Iran and the United States. Within this,
there is a real commitment to maintaining a research agenda even with the
teaching and service demands of a small program. This research has
extensive arts council support approximately one million dollars per annum
and currently two NSERC/SSHRC grants of $208,506. By comparison, the
122 faculty of the Faculty of Fine Arts at York University receive one million
per annum in arts council grants (a similar amount to SCA) but approximately
two million a
year in SSHRC grants, which is the highest in Canada among
Fine Arts programs. Thus, the total amount of grants received by the SCA
with only 28 faculty indicates a high rate of success.
There is a proposal to extend SCA interdisciplinary research framework to a
campus-wide collaboration to create an Arts Research Centre (ARC), which
would encompass researchers from the arts, humanities, sciences, and new
technology. Thus far, the Arts Research Centre has found support in SFU-
based grants and has been part of CFI-based proposals. There are also
models for projects in the interdisciplinary research projects of Martin Gotfrit,
Arne Eigenfeldt, Henry Daniel, Laura Marks, and others. The outline of the
proposal indicates this is an opportunity to intersect the new technologies with
the research coming out of cultural and performance studies with the
knowledge in collaborative and interdisciplinary formats that are rooted in the
cultural life of the SCA. As such, ARC would provide an opportunity to
integrate SFU'sgoals to increase research intensity and community
engagement by providing opportunities for interdisciplinary research in the
social/political/cultural life of the community via an integration of the arts,
humanities and sciences.
Recommendation 2: As the arts provide the narrative and related
images that become the expressive context for a community, they are
distinct from other knowledge areas of a university that have specific
communities, as in biologists who speak primarily to other scientists or
engineers who speak primarily to other engineers. For this reason, the
arts interact more broadly with a social/political/cultural life of a
community. A centre such as the one proposed would therefore act as
a means to integrate knowledge developed across SFU with projects
that would relate directly to Vancouver and therefore expand the
community engagement of the campus. For this reason, the review team
recommends that the Simon Fraser move forward with the Arts
Research Centre and its potential for fulfilling the advanced research
and community engagement goals of the University.
B. Suggest new and emerging areas of teaching and research that could be
pursued by the School locally, nationally and globally.
The 2003 Review suggested that SCA in terms of teaching consider the
differences amongst: "(1) requiring a student to learn intellectually about
another discipline; (2) requiring a student to learn, usually at an introductory
level, how to begin doing work in another discipline; (3) providing formal
opportunities for collaborations amongst people from different disciplines; (4)
providing informal opportunities for collaboration amongst people from
different disciplines; (5) working in hybrid art forms (installation, performance
or new media, for example) which incorporate aspects of at least two
disciplines." From conversations with faculty, undergraduate and graduate
students, it
appears that the faculty has addressed these concerns. In fact,
the academic profiles of the SCA faculty and the curricular strategies of the
degree programs engage the primary theoretical frameworks that have
influenced research in the arts, humanities and the social sciences. Two
areas which were not mentioned, or which the review panel did not discover,
were the methodological considerations of 'performance'and/or 'practice as
research' and any reference to sustainability, in particular when it comes to
issues of design for performance. It is possible that the collaborative and
interdisciplinary nature of the program has embedded 'performance'and/or
'practice as research'within the ethos of the SCA and therefore not
considered an emerging area. Ifthis is the case, the SCA within its outreach
to the academic arts community has an opportunity through conferences and
other venues to share how they incorporate this mode of research into the
project orientation of their curriculum.
In terms of sustainability, the current design curriculum and/or the creation of
productions do not seem to be taking into consideration new areas of design
that incorporate LED lighting and sustainable methods of set and costume
design. As set and costume design are not limited to dance, theatre, and film,
but methods engaged by all areas, and with the increased incorporation of
issues of sustainability in the city of Vancouver and elsewhere, an attention to
sustainability
and the arts in general but with specific reference to design is
important.
Recommendation 3: Share with external groups the specific curricular
organizations which can further develop the current methodology
regarding 'performance'and/or 'practice as research'.
Recommendation 4: Develop curricular offerings in the areas of
sustainability either as separate courses or integrated into current
courses specifically in the areas of design.
C. Evaluate the management and deployment of resources within the School
considering the current financial constraints with respect to staffing levels
(faculty and administrators) TA and sessional lecturer positions, and other
support positions.
The opening of any new building requires new infrastructure strategies and
adjustment to those strategies as the programs reveal themselves. This is
particularly the case in the issues regarding the use of space. The issues
which exist regarding the use of the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts building
seem to be related to the current organization of the infrastructure and
competing programs that are the result of the history of the project. These
programs are the School for the Contemporary Arts, the Woodward's Cultural
Unit (WCU), the Simon Fraser Community Presentation Society (SFCPS) and
Meeting, Events and Conference Services (MECS). Currently, the planning is
for each of these programs to operate as distinct entities which through
conversation arrange for the use of the building. (The complexity of the
schedule is demonstrated in its daily calendar, which includes 100 events for
the SCA.) Beyond issues related to use of space, there do not seem to be
clear
processes in place that make a distinction between the responsibilities
of the staff in the SCA and those in the Cultural Unit/Program. (As we only
had meetings on this topic with the SCA staff, we do not know what the
concerns would be from the standpoint of the Woodward's Cultural Unit.)
Some of the issues raised by the SCA staff were: financial management
(being asked to oversee bills created by Cultural Unit), technology oversight
and the role of the Cultural Unit/Program staff in supporting SCA
performances, publicity (under the organization of Cultural Unit/Program with
potential but no direct support for SCA which has 100 plus performances a
year). Consequently, there is a staff that desires to remain positive and is very
committed, but feeling overwhelmed and not necessarily working at their most
efficient. From an external viewpoint, there does not seem to be a clear joint
mission/vision regarding
the relationship between the increasing community
engagement initiatives of the SCA and the Cultural Unit/Program. Thus, an
opportunity is being lost for SCA and SFU to become a model of the
possibility of community engagement via the cultural life of Vancouver.
Right now, much of the coordination of the building's use and interpersonal
problems are resolved due to the fact that Owen Underhill is both the Director
of
the SCA and of the WCU. His long experience with Simon Fraser
University, including serving as interim Dean of FCAT, means he has the
necessary knowledge to resolve the majority of the day-to-day issues that
arise with this current organizational structure. However, he is planning to
return to his teaching and research at the end of this term as Director and it
will be necessary by that time to have a succession plan and related
organizational structure in place.
Recommendation 5: Initiate a process of consultation which brings
representatives from all four groups together to create a vision/mission
that intersects the goals of each. The new vision/mission statement
would be the basis for a review of current staff descriptions to
determine whether or not it would be better to create a joint staff or two
separate staff but with clearly delineated job descriptions and lines of
responsibility and reporting. The latter includes whether it is better to
continue current practice of one person heading both areas or if it is
better to have two separate people responsible. Beyond this, consider
focusing events associated with MECS on those organizations
specifically related to the arts in order to enhance the positioning of the
Woodward's building as a centre for community arts engagement.
The new building in downtown Vancouver and its laboratory spaces for music,
dance, theatre and film has provided a framework for a unique cultural and
community engagement that builds on the collaborative environment the SCA
had previously developed on the Burnaby Campus. The new space is
complemented by the Alexander Centre downtown, which houses the Visual
Art program and provides specific lab space for undergraduate and graduate
students in Visual Art. Each space contains sophisticated technical equipment
which allows for disciplinary training in new technologies related to the arts
and opportunities for projects that intersect between disciplines.
The challenge of technology is the speed at which it changes and thus the
necessity for ongoing renewal of technology and the related support and
training. (These issues were also noted in the 2003 review.) Currently, there
is one person in the Woodward's building who has the sufficient skill to
provide classroom and project support. The latter creates issues both for
courses and projects as the current individual is often asked to be in two
places at the same time. The assumption appears to be that IT based in
Harbourfront Building will provide
the additional support. However, this has
not been successful as IT's location seems to preclude them being readily
available or reliably responsive. There is also a need for integration between
technical support for performances in SCA and the SFU Woodward's Cultural
program.
Recommendation 6: One solution would be to relocate members of the
IT team to Woodward's building. Another solution would be to hire a
half-time person to supplement support for Woodward's. Another
solution would be to hire a technical director who over sees all the
technical needs for the facility and directs the support necessary for all
areas. Yet another recommendation would be to hold summer intensive
and train graduate students (and interested faculty and staff) in how to
use the equipment needed for classroom and related projects.
The secondary challenge of technology is the necessity to develop a budget
and/or other
means of staying abreast with the changes in technology. Other
institutions have combined university-based funding, with those from external
grants, industrial relationships/partnerships, and endowments. This might be a
potential opportunity to jointly leverage the strength of their individual profiles
for some shared initiatives with the School of Interactive Arts and Technology
(SIAT) on the Surrey Campus that would provide support that would not
necessarily come to individual schools.
Recommendation 7: Create a formal Faculty-wide approach between
SIAT and SCA to develop and maintain technology of their individual
laboratories; and the potential collaboration on specific research
projects and/or industry partnerships.
The current faculty complement of 28.5 with 475 undergraduate majors and
22 MFA students. Total 497. (This does not include minors.) This is then a
ratio of 17.4 students per faculty. This is does not include the students
incorporated into service classes. This student/faculty ratio is comparable to
institutions
that average 17 student/faculty ratios. The goal for the SCA is
some combination of undergraduate and graduate majors that would mean a
total of 545 students. With this number the student/faculty ratio would be 19.1,
a figure that is slightly higher than other institutions. The 28.5 faculty include a
joint appointment on reduced contract who only teaches one course every two
years for SCA, two laboratory instructors who do not have full responsibility for
courses, and some additional administrative releases which reduce the full
teaching loads of that faculty (e.g. Patricia Gruben for Praxis). With the latter
taken into consideration, the faculty/student ratio is bordering on 20.
A secondary issue for the SCA is to develop an enrolment plan for the next
five years that increases students at a time when one-half of the faculty will be
arriving at retirement age. This is further complicated by the fact that there is
no mandatory retirement and thus no specific time frame in which faculty will
actually retire. Another complication is limited funds for new hires until the
enrolment is increased. This is an intractable problem that has no easy
answer.
Recommendation 8: The SCA creates a graduated enrolment plan for the
next five years that would incorporate additional students and combine
it with an outline of which programs are likely to have retirements. These
plans would be tied to the strategic directions of the SCA. With the
successful development of this planning, the request to the Dean would
be for a full replacement of funds at an assistant professor level be
made available to the SCA instead of the 2/3rds normally returned to the
school.
D. Could efficiencies be achieved by combining some programs or by
introducing a common core program? Are there opportunities to offer courses
appropriate for students in Communication or SIAT? Are there other
opportunities for cross-disciplinary interaction?
This set of questions considers the internal dynamics of the current
curriculum in specific relationship to the School of Interactive Arts and
Technology and potentially other units within Simon Fraser. After an
extensive consultation process, the SCA has devised a new undergraduate
curriculum that has streamlined the schedule of classes, created new
foundational core classes for the BFA/BA, developed two BA programs-
Visual and Performance Studies (a revision of previous degree in Art and
Cultural Studies) and Cinema Studies as well as creating new internships in
community engagement. Each of these revisions suggests changes in the
program that in some cases create efficiencies through opening up time for
faculty to teach in expanded graduate program and provide more
opportunities for interaction with SIAT and other SFU units in courses offered
through
the expanded BA programs. The latter also implies an ability to add
additional students to the SCA in BA programs. Explicitly, the development of
the two BA courses that consider the primary theoretical frameworks used
throughout the arts and humanities—visual culture, cultural and performance
studies—provide an opportunity for students from SIAT. The other primary
opportunity is
the development of the Arts Research Centre discussed in
section A.
The only major concern expressed by students was the ability to get classes
as needed and in some case the impact on this of faculty sabbaticals. This
was also an issue in the 2003 review. This seems to have been addressed in
the current revision but in order to make certain students can complete their
degree in four years; the review committee is recommending the following.
Recommendation 9: Review each of the courses within the SCA to
determine the appropriate number of students for the course's content.
For example, a technique class in dance can accommodate 20 to 25
students, but a dance composition class can only accommodate 12. In
the enrolment planning exercise consider the intake of students in
relationship to individual class size and schedule classes accordingly.
The other suggestion is to create an integrated curricular/sabbatical
plan in which the courses are organized so that courses can be rotated
or taught by a sessional. A related suggestion is that they incorporate in
grant planning a method for covering their courses.
E. Do the School's undergraduate and MFA curricula differentiate it from peer
programs regionally and nationally? What programmatic innovations and
10
learning experiences could be considered to enhance the student experience and
reputation of the School?
The MFA degree in the SCA differentiates itself from other arts graduate
programs in North America and elsewhere by bringing students from
various disciplinary areas together in a two year process that is dominated
by an interactive, collaborative curriculum in which students are encouraged
to expand their understanding of the arts via seminars and projects.
Consequently, students with a strong disciplinary focus in one art form have
by graduation from the program developed an intellectual/expressive
framework
that is informed by sharing the theory and practice of distinct
disciplines. The major change within the program has been the increase in
number of students which the students and faculty believe has enhanced the
program as there is now a critical mass that impacts discussion and
exploration.
The 2003 review committee noted "the graduates are quickly integrated into
the local vital arts community as well as into collateral fields in which their
background and training is welcome. It is not farfetched to suggest, given
this
range of accomplishment, that graduates of the School are amongst the
best and most thoughtfully trained students in North America." The continued
success of the MFA program is in the recent SCA alumni who have gone on
to doctoral
programs, to teach in universities throughout North America, win
such international awards as the SOCAN for young composers or a Genie
for film, act as curator for such institutions as the Smithsonian American Art
Museum, exhibit in galleries and museums in North America and Europe,
work as technicians for companies such as Cirque du Soleil.
F. Evaluate the graduate program in terms of quality, achievements of its
graduates, financial services to support students, and growth potential.
The MFA program is currently planning to take between 12 to 14 students
each year. This would mean a total of 24 to 28 students in total. In terms of
funding, space and faculty supervision we believe this is as many students
the program can accommodate. The support for these students outside of
TAs, potential SSHRC grants is limited to $44,000 dollars a year. Thus,
packages to students are relatively small and this combines with other
issues, noted above, limits number of MFA students.
The area of potential growth within the graduate program is the proposed
MA in Comparative Media Arts. This program is conceived as appealing to
students interested in a transitional degree between BAand PhD programs
and bridge for students from MFAto PhD programs. In the current draft the
degree is five terms and includes content from visual culture, cinema
studies, new media studies, performance and documentary studies within
the SCA; and course work outside of the SCA in Communication Studies
11
English, and the Humanities. In its inclusion of courses both within and
without the SCA, it continues the dialogue suggested in the Arts Research
Centre proposal and in the interdisciplinary perspective of the SCA. There
are however two issues related to the proposal: 1) the financial support for
graduate students, 2) the number of MFA students who having finished a
two
year MFA would be interested in a two year MA prior to a four to five
year PhD.
Recommendation 10: The SCA Graduate Committee engages in
dialogues with the Graduate Dean and Dean of the FCAT to determine
the funding for additional graduate students.
Recommendation 11: The SCA Graduate Committee review other
similar programs across Canada to determine if they are duplicating
similar programs and consider revising the direction of the program to
either limit it to one year or revise to incorporate professional
component to focus students towards areas of professional arts
practice such as producing, curatorial practice, community arts
practice and arts education.
G. Evaluate the School's planning processes and plans. Comment on the
degree of cohesiveness and the integration of these processes and plans.
A comparison of the 2003 Review with the state of the SCA nine years later
demonstrates a clear commitment to the creation of action items that are
ultimately accomplished. Examples from previous review include the new
building to house the SCA, the reorganization of undergraduate curriculum
and attention to the expansion of the graduate program. The organization of
the three day site visit of the review team is also an example. The visit was
framed from the general to the specific, from the research of the faculty to its
incorporation of this
research into the undergraduate and graduate
curriculum. The areas of increased planning suggested by the review
committee related to the new spaces and associated programs are a natural
extension of discovery and problem solving that is part of inhabiting any new
space.
12
Recommendations
Recommendation
1: Put in place either through coordination in the Dean's office or
through the administrative staff in the SCA the necessary support for the creation and
dissemination of information regarding the SCA.
Recommendation
2: As the arts provide the narrative and related images that become
the expressive context for a community, they are distinct from other knowledge areas of
a university
that have specific communities, as in biologists who speak primarily to other
scientists or engineers who speak primarily to other engineers. For this reason, the arts
interact more broadly with a social/political/cultural life of a community. A centre such
as the one proposed would therefore act as a means to integrate knowledge developed
across SFU with projects that would relate directly to Vancouver and therefore expand
the community engagement of the campus. For this reason, the review team
recommends that the Simon Fraser move forward with the Arts Research Centre and its
potential for fulfilling the advanced research and community engagement goals of the
University.
Recommendation 3:
Share with external groups the specific curricular organizations
which can further develop the current methodology regarding 'performance'and/or
'practice as research'.
Recommendation 4:
Develop curricular offerings in the areas of sustainability either as
separate courses or integrated into current courses specifically in the areas of design.
Recommendation 5:
Initiate a process of consultation which brings representatives
from all four groups together to create a vision/mission that intersects the goals of each.
The new vision/mission statement would be the basis for a review of current staff
descriptions to determine whether or not itwould be better to create a joint staff or two
separate staff but with clearly delineated job descriptions and lines of responsibility and
reporting. The latter includes whether it is better to continue current practice of
one
person heading both areas or ifit is better to have two separate people responsible.
Beyond this, consider focusing events associated with MECS on
those organizations
specifically related to the arts in order to
enhance the positioning of the Woodward's
building as a centre for community arts engagement.
Recommendation
6: One solution would be to relocate members of the IT team to
Woodward's building. Another solution would be to hire a half-time person to
supplement support for Woodward's.Another solution would be to hire a technical
director who over sees all the technical needs for the facility and directs the support
necessary for all areas. Yet another recommendation would be to hold summer
13
intensive and train graduate students (and interested faculty and staff) in how to use the
equipment needed for classroom and related projects.
Recommendation 7:
Create a formal Faculty-wide approach between SIAT and SCA
to develop and maintain technology of their individual laboratories; and the potential
collaboration on specific research projects and/or industry partnerships.
Recommendation 8:
The SCA creates a graduated enrolment plan for the next five
years that would incorporate additional students and combine it with an outline of which
programs
are likelyto have retirements. These plans would be tied to the strategic
directions of the SCA. With the successful development of this planning, the request to
the Dean would be for a full replacement of funds at an assistant professor level be
made available to the SCA instead of the 2/3rds normally returned to the school.
Recommendation 9:
Review each of the courses within the SCA to determine the
appropriate number of students for the course's content. For example, a technique class
in dance can accommodate 20 to 25 students, but a dance composition class can only
accommodate 12. In the enrolment planning exercise consider the intake of students in
relationship to individual class size and schedule classes accordingly. The other
suggestion is to create an integrated curricular/sabbatical plan in which the courses are
organized so that courses can be rotated or taught by a sessional. A related suggestion
is that they incorporate in grant planning a method for covering their courses.
Recommendation 10:
The SCA Graduate Committee engages in dialogues with the
Graduate Dean and Dean of the FCAT to determine the funding for additional graduate
students.
Recommendation 11:
The SCA Graduate Committee review other similar programs
across Canada to determine if they are duplicating similar programs and consider
revising the direction of the program to either limit it to one year or revise to incorporate
professional component to focus students towards areas of professional arts practice
such as producing, curatorial practice, community arts practice and arts education.
EXTERNAL REVIEW - ACTION PLAN
Section 1 - To be completed by the Responsible Unit Person e.g. Chair or Director
Unit under review
School for the Contemporary Arts
(SCA)
Date of Review Site visit
March 7,8 & 9,2012
Responsible Unit person,
Owen Underhill, Director SCA
Faculty Dean
Cheryl Geisler
Note:
Itis
not
expected that everyrecommendation made by the Review Team be covered by thisAction Plan. The
major thrusts of the Report shouldbe identified and some consolidation of the recommendations may be possible while
other recommendations of lesser importance may be excluded.
Should an additional responsefrom be warranted it shouldbe attached as a separate document.
1, PROGRAMMING
1.1 Action/s (description what is going to be done):
1.1.1 Undergraduate:
* Comprehensive Review and New and Emerging Areas
The School is currently in the midst of a comprehensive review of its undergraduate curriculum with the aim of streamlining and
integrating the
BFA/BA structure, growing graduate programming, and positioningour curriculum distinctively for the future. Two
significant changes are the introduction of a new BA in Cinema Studies which will beginSeptember 2012, and a fundamental shift of our
current BA inArt and Culture Studies to
a
more broadly based BA in Visual and Performance Studies. Thesechanges are coordinatedand
supportive of the new MA in Comparative Media Arts being introduced (see below).
The terms of reference of the review included consideration of new and emerging areas of teaching and research that could be pursued
bythe School. With reference to the recommendations, the School is developingnew models for communityengagement through
partnerships focused on interdisciplinary collaboration, practice based research and contemporary performance and aesthetics. Am
Johal, inthe Community Engagement Office, has been developing community-based workshops, lectures and seminars that include
projects involving our students and faculty. Withthe help of a career advisor, we will buildon our unique location in the inner city,
creating a new modelfor community engagement for the artists, scholarsand students in the SCA. Anew internship at the fourth year
has already been introduced to support this initiative. We are also investigating a communityengagement course that would be
distinctive to the School for the Contemporary Arts and our Vancouver Inner City location.
*
Graduated Enrolment Plan
The School supports the recommendation that a five-year graduated enrolment plan be developed with the helpof the Dean. Initial
steps towardsthis plan are already underway. With suchan enrolment planin place, and withthe continued development of our new
SCA Academic Renewal Plan linked to curricular reform at the undergraduate and graduate level, it is expected that the School can have
reasonable assurances of support for new hires coinciding with retirements. It should also be noted that, in addition to the new BA,
changesto our recruitment process, admittance policy and academic continuancepolicy
are
being introducedwhich will increase
our
jr
N
enrolment and rate of acceptances into major programs. This will help towards meeting the graduated enrolment plan
1.1.2 Graduate:
* Current MFA degree
We were encouraged by the committee'sstrong confirmation of the uniqueness of our interdisciplinary MFA and the strength of our
students. We willcontinue to fortify
the reputation of the program by greater promotional efforts. The committee encouraged us to
keep the total of students in the two years to 28 maximum. It is our plan to continue with those numbers as they do represent a very
significant increase from a few years ago.
*
New MA degree
The SCA graduate chair and representatives from the MA working group and FCAT will meet with the Dean of Graduate Studies in
relation to the proposed MA. The review committee recommended that our MAin progress, a MAin Comparative Media Arts be
shortened, and we have accepted that recommendation and shortened the degree from taking place over a five semester period, to
taking place over a four semester period. We have also, as suggested, deemphasized students already holding MFA'sas central to
recruitment. The degree is better aimed at students holding BA'sand BFA's in a range of appropriate topics. Research is underway to
insure that the program is distinctive in the national context.
*
Funding for graduate students
On the table for discussion will be funding possibilities for our current MFAas well as the new MA students. Discussion with the FCAT
Advancement Officer has targeted graduate scholarships as one of the School's priorities. The School is also positioning itself to offer
more teaching assistantships and graduate assistantships.
1.2 Resource implications
((if
any):
The Academic Renewal Plan will be financed from the salaries of departing SCA faculty members.
1.3 Expected completion date/s:
The first phase of a comprehensive review of the undergraduate curriculum will be finished by the School by the end of calendar year
2012.
It is recommended that a three to five year coordinated enrolment plan and academic renewal plan be completed and supported by
the Dean in principle by the end of June 2013.
The MA in Comparative Media Arts will be introduced as a Cohort Special Arrangement with the first intake of students planned for
the Fall of 2013. The introduction of the MA is therefore in step with the changes happening in undergraduate curriculum, including
those which free up faculty resources for teaching in the MAprogram.
IT
2. RESEARCH
2.1 Action/s (what is goingto be done):
* Research Centre
The External Review Committee supportedthe initiative to develop an Arts Research Centre. The School hasset up a committeeto
further develop the Research Centre proposal initiated byDr. Henry Daniel. The latest research centre proposal hasa working title of
PERFORMANCE RESEARCH CENTRE. It is proposed that the Research Centrespecialize in arts and practice-basedresearch, and
research/creation,facilitating knowledge exchange and transfer between the humanities, health sciences, applied sciences, and
technology,
via the medium of performanceas applied across a rangeof fine arts disciplines. This Centre is also under discussion in FCAT
withdiscussions to date with Dean Geisler and Professor Thecia Schiphorst in the School of Interactive Artand Technology. Development
of the proposal so that it can be used for
fund raising is underway with FCAT Advancement Officer Nancy Cardozo.
•
Research Profile ofthe SCA
Theproposed performance research centre represents onlya portionof the research profile of the faculty of the School for the
ContemporaryArts. The committee was very supportive of the professional profilesof the faculty and the "high rate of success" of its
faculty with respectto arts council grants. Otheractions that would support the research agenda of the School include improving
technical support for faculty research projects (the proposed SCA Technical Directorwould go a long way to improving this situation).
2.2 Resource implications ((if any):
The Performance Research Centre would require additionalspace and other support. Abudget is being prepared. It is understood that
additional funding will have to be raised to support the Research Centre. Once established, it is believed the Performance Research
Centre will be able to leverage new resources through grants and donations.
2.3 Expected completion date/s:
Preparatory work at the School and FCAT level is underway in developingthe Performance ResearchCentre. The academic process of
support for the research centre will begin in the fall of 2013.
^
(<*
3. ADMINISTRATION
3.1 Action/s(what is going to be done):
•
Public Profile and Recruitment
The reviewers recommend that the necessary support for the creation and dissemination of information regarding the SCA be put in place.
In making thisrecommendation, the external reviewers commented onthe deeply collaborative and interdisciplinary pedagogical
approach to the arts that they thoughtto be unique. By focusing on publicity and recruitment the School forthe Contemporary Arts will be
positioned to recruit locally, nationally, and internationally. Given the distinctness of our program it is strategic that this be coordinated
within the School. Conventional publicity generated for the University at large and for FCAT does not serve us well. Our market is specific
and the publicity must be targeted for students interested in the arts.
Afirst phase of this work is already underway. In January 2011 we received a full-time Recruitment and Retention position followed in
December 2011 with a .5 Web Clerk. Since June 2011 we have been working with
PUBLIC Architecture + Communication
on a major
redesign of the School website which will be launched this May.
The second phase (i.e. actions that now need to be undertaken) includes development of a publicity strategy campaign. The School
believes this can be most effectively accomplished by building on the relationship we have established with
PUBLIC Architecture +
Communication.
They understand our unique collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to the arts and are well suited to produce a
template that can be usedto generate material for publicity.
3.2
Resource implications(if any):
Competition for fine arts students is increasing through new programs at colleges, new universities and in private institutions. Other
schools that targetthe same student pool draw upon larger resources than we currently have based on review of their materials and
publicity campaigns. We recommend surveying material from other institutions and costing out what is needed to successfully raise the
profile of the School within potential students in the local, national and international jurisdictions. There will need to be a proper costing
out of what would be required to maintain public exposure and successful recruiting on an annual basis.
3.3
Expected completion date/s:
We expect to complete Phase Two by January 2013. We would then plan to roll out the designed recruitment/public profile program for
the School in the recruitment campaign in early 2013, and in successive years.
n
4. TECHNICAL SUPPORT DEFICIENCIES
4.1 Action/s(what is going to be done):
*
Proposal to improve Technical Support
The review committeeidentified technological support in the new building as a situation that needs urgentattention. With respectto
their recommendation, the
School strongly feelsthat the best approach to improving technical supportfor SCA faculty and students isto
institute an SCA Technical Director position and a half-time CUPE assistant that would report to the .7 Computer/Media SupportAPSA
position. It is quite clear to all within the School that the complexityof the building and the special purpose needs of our more than 100
productions, exhibitions and showings require internal SCA staff to be effective. In order to address this problem as soon as possible, it is
proposed that these two positions be initiated as temporary one-year positions beginning September 1,2012. The
Dean and VPA Jon
Driver are working to help make this proposal operational.
*
Technical Director position
Job Description: TheTechnical Director (TD) School for the ContemporaryArts (SCA) coordinates and facilitatestechnical support for SCA
productions (public performances in a variety of disciplines, exhibitions, and film showings) produced bythe undergraduate and graduate
degree programs. Theywill work closely with faculty members in the SCA who teach production and design students, and as required
with the faculty of the SCA requiring technicalsupport for teaching and research. They will coordinate support for individual graduate
students of the MFA program preparing productions. Theywill provide additional mentorship and training to undergraduate and
graduate students working on productions or
using production equipment, insuring students understand and follow safe operating
procedure and are properly prepared to utilize a variety of technical equipment.
.5 Computer/Media Assistant
The Computer/New Media Support Administrator Stefan Smulovitz is a .7 APSA position. Since moving into the building, he has been
overrun with work, and it has become clear that this position on its own is insufficient to deal with the computer/media support
workload in SCA. After careful consideration, we have concluded that the proposed CUPE .5 assistant will be the most effective solution.
4.2
Resource implications!if
any):
Both the Technical Director and .5 Computer/Media Assistant are new positions. As mentioned, in order to address the technical support
deficiency as soon as possible, we would like to proceed withtemporary one-year positions beginning September 1, 2012. The need for
increased technicalsupport inSCA must be seen as a new need related to the move into a complex new multi-usebuilding with multiple
artistic venues and advanced technical equipment, and the increased numbers of students especially graduate students. As a result, the
positions proposed should be funded as a partnership involvingVPA and FCAT.
4.3
Expected completion date/s:
We are workingin combination with the Dean and VPA to secure funding for the temporary positions so that they can begin September
(S-
5.1 Action/s:
•
Mixed Use Interaction in the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
As the external reviewwas focused on the academic unit, the self-studyand site visitdid not permit a full briefing on the vision/mission
of the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts with attention to the processes in place related to the multi-use functions of the building. That being
said, the School agrees with the reviewers that the timing is rightto review especially the links between the SCA and the Woodward'sCultural
Unit(WCU). It is proposed that a joint working group (of SCA and WCU) be established chaired by Owen Underhill that can review the operation as it
has started up since the opening of the building in September 2010, and look at improvements and clarificationsin operation as well as confirm the
mandate and
vision of the building as a whole and the two units in particular. Please note that other groups are in place (e.g. GCA PlanningGroup)
that address the integration of SCA, WCU, MECS and SFU Vancouver Operations. In addition, the Simon Fraser Community Presentation Society
(SFCPS) has not yet presented any events. The timing and booking of these events when they begin to take place will be coordinated through the
Cultural Unit as the Director of Cultural Programs Michael Boucher is also the Artistic Director of SFCPS.
We se as an outcome of such a review strengthening links between the SCA pedagogy and Cultural Unitartistic production. The mandate of the WCU
artistic program is in fact already compatible with the focus of the School for the Contemporary Arts and it is felt that we can further develop and
improve the aesthetic and operational linkages. The Audain Gallery and its Visiting Artists program is a good model for bringing international visiting
artists into direct contact with SCA students.
An additional outcome will be to insure that the best possible succession plan is developed for September 2013 when Owen Underhill willcomplete
hisjoint term as Director of the Cultural Unitand Directorof the Schoolfor the Contemporary Arts.
5.2
Resource
implicationsfif any):
It is not expected that there are resource implications with respect to the School for the Contemporary Arts.
5.3 Expected completion date/s:
It is proposed that Recommendations from this working group could be reported to Dean Geisler and VP External Relations Philip
Steenkamp (to whom the Cultural Unit reports) by November/December 2012.
(1
fr-
The above action plan has been considered by the Unit under review and has been discussed and agreed to by the Dean.
Unit Leader (signed)
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Section 2 - Dean's comments and endorsement of the Action Plan :
1endorse the action plan put forward by the School of Contemporary Arts and provide my more specific comments below:
1.1.1 Istrongly
support the school'sefforts to integrate community outreach into its mission and programs.
I have
supported and encouraged the school'sefforts to increase enrolment and look forward to discussing their plans for faculty
renewal.
1.1.2 A new MA will be of intellectual benefit to the school and I will work with them to insure that it offers a distinctive program and is
viable in the context of no increases in overall graduate funding to the faculty. Starting with a Cohort Special Arrangement will give
us the time to make any necessary adjustments.
2
Ihave encouraged the development of the Performance Research Centre under the assumption that it will be funded with outside
resources.
3
As the action plan notes, considerable resources have already been allocated to publicity and recruitment for the school, which are
just starting to bear fruit. We next anticipate developing and acting on a targeted recruitment plan in fine and performing arts high
schools.
4
I have been in discussion with the VPA about jointly funding a Technical Director for 1 year. I have asked SCA to consider ways to
fund the .5 CUPE assistant internally.
5
I will work with the VPA and the VP External to consider the Mission/Vision for the Goldcorp Centre and to work with the school to put in place
an effective transition plan for the SCA directorship
Faculty Dean
.
Cheryl Geisler
(dty£ MjMm~>
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Date
May 10, 2012
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