COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS MISSION AND GOALS The mission of the College of Fine Arts is to provide the highest academic standards and professional training ...
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COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS MISSION AND GOALS The mission of the College of Fine Arts is to provide the highest academic standards and professional training for its undergraduate and graduate students. Located in Las Vegas, the country’s newest dynamic western urban area and center of popular culture, the College of Fine Arts serves as the primary artistic and cultural resource for the citizens of the state of Nevada. The academic experience provided by the College prepares students for professional employment in the fine and performing arts and design, provides them with the academic background necessary to pursue graduate study, and through involvement in their chosen artistic field, heightens their awareness of the physical, intellectual and cultural world around them. The College strives to provide an environment that facilitates the humanistic and artistic education of its students and nurtures the creative and professional growth of its faculty and staff. The strategic goals of the College include: • Increase focus on students • Continue development of present undergraduate programs • Continue development and support of graduate programs • Increase involvement of the college in the community • Develop new programs that address the future • Nurture faculty who are responsive to the future • Develop strong partnerships with various arts entities in Southern Nevada • Develop the College Design Center • Develop Entertainment Engineering Program DESCRIPTION The UNLV College of Fine Arts consists of the School of Architecture, the Departments of Art, Dance, Entertainment Engineering, Film, Gerontology, Music, and the Performing Arts Center. The Departments and Schools within the College have developed solid undergraduate and graduate programs. These programs range from professional undergraduate and graduate degree or concentration programs. Additionally, the College offers several liberal arts programs, which allow students to gain an overall appreciation of the subject. The College continues to be a major educator/trainer of students in the arts as well as a major presenter of arts and culture to the citizens of Southern Nevada and the region. The growing pool of students over the past eight years has seen an increase in quality of students, especially at the upper division level and at the graduate level. While the undergraduate programs, overall, are populated primarily by students from Nevada, the graduate programs have attracted mainly out-of-state/international students. Departments with graduate programs have enjoyed an ever-increasing positive national reputation. For example, the Jazz Dance program consistently receives applications from excellent students throughout the nation. Graduates of these programs are working professionally or teaching in all relevant areas. . Student throughout the College have received national recognition for their excellent work. For example, Architecture students won first place in the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA ) competition last year. A joint production of Theatre and Dance was one of five productions selected to play at the Kennedy Center’s prestigious “American College Theatre Festival” from a filing of over 1,000 entries. The newly created Downtown Design Center, which is located in the heart of Las Vegas historic area, presents strong growth potential for the College and School of Architecture in particular. The Center has close physical proximity to the professionals who are shaping the urban environments. Additionally, the Center creates a solid presence for the University in downtown Las Vegas where faculty and students, 1

from a variety of disciplines, engage in research and creative activities that benefit the community. As of Fall 2008, a small number of courses are offered in the Downtown Design Center. Courses from Art, Architecture and Landscape Architecture are taught there. In Fall 2009, an Honors Design Seminar will be added to our roster of courses offered downtown. The Downtown Design Center also hosts faculty and students from other institutions traveling to UNLV to study the architecture of Las Vegas. These educational exchanges provide a unique opportunity for faculty and students at UNLV to see how the rest of the worldviews views Las Vegas, and to share their work and ideas with visiting scholars from across the country and around the globe. The college is also privileged to be studying in the Fifth Street School, built in 1936, funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and recently renovated by the City of Las Vegas. In a town with a tenuous relationship to its past, this important piece of our heritage now hosts several tenants in what Mayor Oscar Goodman was described as "an intellectual marketplace" and "the cultural hub of Las Vegas." The faculty and students of the College of Fine Arts regularly collaborate in programs with other residents in the Fifth Street School: the American Institute of Architects, the Nevada School for the Arts, The Las Vegas Office of Cultural Affairs, and the Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency. During the College’s first year at the Fifth Street School, the College was involved in several cultural events including, musical concerts, theatrical productions, book festivals, film festivals, lecture series, art exhibitions, political events, and public debates. The College has enjoyed much success in establishing international opportunities for its students. Those programs are especially important for arts students. Department of Theatre has established a resident professional theatre company (Nevada Conservatory Theatre), which attracts and serves undergraduate and graduate students. The Nevada Conservatory Theatre gives students opportunities to interact with theatre professionals. NCT is the only professional theatre company in Las Vegas presenting classical, modern and contemporary work in a variety of genres. The Performing Arts Center (PAC) at UNLV is truly the cultural “hub” of Las Vegas presenting a Master Series that measures up to any performing arts series offered by similar entities in other metropolitan cities. The Department of Film works closely with CINEVEGAS, which sponsors an International Film Festival each year. UNLV students and faculty screen UNLV Films at the festival while working with internationally recognized filmmakers. The Composition Program in Music is an excellent program within the College. This program gained momentum in 1998 when Distinguished Professor Virko Baley was asked to develop the program. It started with composition classes and soon afterwards, added private composition lessons. In Spring 2001, the Composition Program formed a new music ensemble named NEXTET. Its opening concert featured works by two UNLV's undergraduate student composers, Tyler Williams and Michael Wineski. Beginning with the academic year 2001-02, NEXTET performed five concerts each year. The program began to invite nationally and internationally recognized composers and performers as 3-4 day artists-inresidence to give master classes and private lessons and to supervise the performance of their works together with works by student composers. Stakeholders The College has built strong relationships with public officials, private developers, and design professionals working on redeveloping the urban environments in Las Vegas. The educational environment is truly a public space, and students have the opportunities everyday to exchange ideas about the design of our urban environments with those living and working in these environments. By its very nature, a College of Fine Arts benefits all stakeholders. Members of the University, local, and regional communities all benefit from the many performances and exhibitions presented by the College. Nevada Conservatory Theatre boasts the largest subscription audience of any theatre company in Las 2

Vegas and is the only theatre group that consistently offers plays by many celebrated playwrights, as well as new musicals and musical classics. Individual Departments/Schools also work with and benefit stakeholders. Music faculty, for example, work with local schools to advance the musicianship of student musicians. Faculty and student ensembles perform in the local schools enhancing the appreciation of music. Local and state parks and recreation units as well as the National Forest Service have benefitted from the involvement of the School of Architecture’s Landscape Program. ANALYSIS AND APPRAISAL Planning All Chairs and Directors in the College prepare Strategic Plans for their individual units. These plans are developed with input from faculty, staff, and students. Faculty involvement in Academic Planning takes place within the College, primarily at the Department level. All Department faculty are involved in strategic planning (which includes Academic) for the Department. The College plan reflects the Department’s plans and is reviewed by the College Executive Committee. Curriculum development and review begins with the faculty, in a given Department/School based on the Department’s planning and priorities. All Departments have a Curriculum Committee, composed of Department faculty, that review and suggest all curriculum changes or additions. The Department recommendations are sent, through the Chair, to an elected faculty College Committee who forwards recommendations on to the Dean or back to the Department as appropriate. When students are not readily available to be part of the process, information from surveys such as Exit Surveys is used. The College’s stakeholders outside of the University such as Arts organizations are in frequent contact with the College. The Dean chairs a Cultural Links Task Force, which met several times to determine community needs. The “Conversation on Entertainment Engineering” event hosted in Spring provides needed industry input. The Performing Arts Center (PAC) is currently conducting a demographic survey of its audience that would assist in future planning exercises. Educational Programs The College of Fine Arts consists of the following departments and degrees: • School of Architecture o B.S. - Architecture o B.S. - Interior Architecture o B.L.A. - Landscape Architecture o M. Arch. • Department of Art o B. A. - Art History o B. A. - Studio Art o B. F. A. (Bachelor of Fine Arts) - Studio Art o M.F.A. (Master of Fine Arts) • Department of Dance o B.A. - Dance Production & Management o B.F.A. - Performance/Choreography • The Department of Film o B.A. - Film o M.F.A. - Screen Writing • The Department of Gerontology o Certificate in Gerontology • The Department of Music

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o B.A. – Music o B.M. (Bachelor of Music) – Music o M.M. (Master of Music) o D.M.A. (Doctor of Musical Arts) The Department of Theatre o B.A. – Theatre o B.A. – Senior Adult Theatre o M. A. – Theatre o M.F.A. – Theatre

A number of the programs in the College of Fine Arts are accredited, as shown in the table below. Although accreditation is not available for the Certificate in Gerontology, UNLV is an institutional member of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE). The Program follows AGHE standards for Academic Certificates in Gerontology. The Department of Dance is not accredited. Preliminary explorations with the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASDA) have been made. There is no national accrediting agency for Film major. This program offers a Liberal Arts type B.A. degree with students selecting electives to give the degree a more professional slant. Program

Architecture – M. Arch.

Interior Architecture & Design – B.S. Landscape Architecture – B.L.A. Art Department

Department of Music

Department of Theatre

Accrediting Agency (Complete Name and Abbreviation) National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)

Date of Most Recent Visit

Date of next Visit

2005

2011

2008

2013

2006

2010

2007

2017

2003

2013-14

1998

2008

Assessment The College reports on student learning outcomes and assessment plans. Semester reports can be found at: http://provost.unlv.edu/Assessment/reports_finearts.html. The results show that the programs continuously go through a process of adjustment to meet their educational outcomes. All programs are rigorous and executed with quality. While all programs/departments use traditional grading as part of assessment and retaining students in the program, all students in all programs present a performance or physical evidence to determine skill mastery and the level of talent development. This evidence is juried / judged by faculty. In the case of the School of Architecture, outside invited professional practitioners take part in the judging. Students must prove they grasp the fundamentals in a cumulative fashion, of what they have been taught in all classes. All students are evaluated individually, at least annually. As listed in the previous section, many of the offered degrees are accredited by various national 4

accrediting agencies. Those agencies require specific outcomes in regard to classes, knowledge, and training. All departments evaluate their successes by both short and long time indicators. Short-term evaluations are those noted while a student is progressing toward his/her degree. Performance-related and project based courses terminate with high level scrutiny by a jury. Evaluation of the aggregate performance is documented and used for a comparative year-to-year assessment. Long-term evaluations are those that follow the students’ careers. Many members of the faculty maintain contact with their alumni and follow their careers, artistic or other. Closing the Loop The School of Architecture Self-Assessment Committee and the visiting accreditation teams representing the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), and the Landscape Architecture Accrediting Board (LAAB) recommended that verbal and writing skills of the students be improved. Pursuant to their recommendations during the 2007-2008 academic year, the school implemented a Writing Across the Curriculum Initiative (WACI). Students were required to write weekly essays of increasing complexity and length. In addition, the school is in the process of reviewing the writing assignments in its lecture courses to coordinate the assignments so that each subsequent writing assignment builds upon the writing and research skills learned in earlier assignments. Theatre restructured the undergraduate performance curriculum based on the outcome of students needing to be trained in Acting for both stage and screen. The new Stage and Screen Acting curriculum combines acting for the stage and acting for the camera disciplines into one. Students now will be trained in both to create better opportunities after they graduate. Based on the self-study prepared for the most recent visit by the National Association of Schools of Music, the Department of Music has hired a second recording technician and the course offering in recording technology has expanded, to offer students interested in careers in music technology an opportunity for hands-on recording experience within a very active school of music. A minor in Recording Technology has been developed, to accommodate the number of students leaving the College of Southern Nevada with an associate’s degree in Music Technology. The College plans to expand the minor in Recording Technology into a major in Recording Arts at a later date. The Department of Art added a Graphic Design Emphasis in the B.A. Program. The results have been an increase in majors and accepted students in the B.F.A. program. This addition is a reflection of the department’s intent to increase the technological focus in our program. Another example in this area is the increased numbers of technological courses such as digital photography, new media, etc. When the department does national searches for new positions, the candidate’s experience in technology is heavily considered. The Art Department works closely with the OIT Department on campus on new software and hardware applications related to the visual arts. Students Undergraduate headcount has remained steady. Architecture has the largest number of undergraduates, followed by Art and Film. Graduate headcount has leveled off at the mid to low 170’s. The largest segment of the graduate population is in the Department of Music, followed by Theatre and Architecture. The doctoral enrollment in the Department of Music and the headcount has ranged from 14 in Fall 2004 to 19 in Fall 2008.

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Undergraduate Headcount Department

Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008

Architecture, School of

597

594

584

596

559

Art

278

305

331

378

410

College of Fine Arts

14

CRT

3

3

2

5

3

Dance

105

86

90

85

66

Film

327

320

306

310

332

Music

269

262

247

261

259

Theatre

158

175

172

171

176

1737

1745

1732

1806

1819

Undergraduate Total:

Master Headcount Department

Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008

Architecture, School of

40

42

40

36

39

Art

24

16

15

13

13

7

6

6

6

5

Music

77

69

70

81

73

Theatre

54

48

43

40

43

202

181

174

176

173

Film

Master Total:

Doctoral Headcount Department

Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008

Music

14

17

20

22

19

Doctoral Total:

14

17

20

22

19

In recent years, FTE for the College of Fine Arts have remained steady, as shown in the chart below. Annual Year

Annualized FTE

2004-05

1,769

2005-06

1,776

2006-07

1,681

2007-08

1,776

2008-09

1,767

The gender of undergraduate students is very evenly distributed in the College, with each at 50% of the population. The graduate gender distribution shows a slight increase in males over females. For the doctoral degree, there are about twice as many males as females. For the undergraduate population, about 50% of the population is Caucasian, with the next largest group being Latino, followed by Asian. The graduate ethnicity shows a trend similar to most other colleges where a large population of students are not identifying their ethnicity.

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Undergraduate Headcount by Ethnicity Ethnicity

Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008

African American

105

108

108

132

138

Asian

177

175

196

221

241

1005

931

913

927

956

34

33

31

32

26

206

233

251

273

285

16

20

21

22

13

24

25

44

47

194

221

187

155

113

1737

1745

1732

1806

1819

Caucasian Foreign National Latino Native American Not Disclosed Unknown Undergraduate Total:

Master Headcount by Ethnicity Ethnicity

Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008

African American

8

10

8

2

Asian

5

5

6

8

4

137

115

98

79

61

14

12

9

8

17

8

7

9

14

14

Caucasian Foreign National Latino Native American Unknown Master Total:

3

2

2

1

2

27

30

42

64

75

202

181

174

176

173

Doctoral Headcount by Ethnicity Ethnicity

Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008

African American

1

1

2

1

1

1

11

13

12

12

10

Foreign National

1

2

2

2

2

Latino

1

Asian Caucasian

Unknown Doctoral Total:

14

2

1

4

5

5

17

20

22

19

Retention of full-time, first-time freshmen shows slightly lower numbers than the UNLV average of 75.9%. The Department of Film has the highest retention ration at 81% while the Department of Music has the lowest retention rate at 57.6% as shown below.

Full-time, First-time Freshman-Three Year Trend Department

Fall 2007 Cohort

Retained in Fall 2008

Retention Rate

Architecture, School of

102

70

68.6 %

7

Art

38

28

73.7 %

Dance

20

14

70.0 %

Film

42

34

81.0 %

Music

59

34

57.6 %

Theatre

25

19

76.0 %

The College of Fine Arts graduation rates are not where they should be as shown in the charts below. The College experiences a significant number of “step-out” students who never complete all required coursework. Students, having honed their skills and developed their talent in their chosen art area, fail to complete several university “core” courses in many cases. If these students are skilled and talented, they are typically employable in the entertainment / art industries without the need for obtaining their degrees. Musicians, actors, dancers, designers, artists, etc. are rarely questioned on whether a degree was earned and few employers of artists require a degree of employees as they are “cast” or “hired” based on an audition process. In the case of musicians we are both fortunate and unfortunate to be located in a city where many students are employed prior to graduation. Many of these students attend UNLV for five to eight years without graduating. This observation is especially evident in the Department of Theatre where some students have already had successful careers while missing a few credit hours for graduation. To address this issue, in the past two years the College has begun, with assistance of the College Advising Center, to require all majors to complete the University core in the first 2 years of study. It is felt this will assist the continuing Fine Arts majors and prepare those students who change majors to more easily transition to a different major at UNLV. In Fall of 2009 the College will begin to contact students who do not graduate or re-enroll to determine what barriers are preventing graduation. The School of Architecture has a large first and second year class. The numbers of students dwindle in the final years of the undergraduate program, which is partly due to the increased rigor and higher studio expectations. Full-time, First-time Freshman Graduating within six years Cohort

Graduated

Term

Number

in College %

Fall 1998

148

29

19.6% 48

32.4%

Fall 1999

150

46

30.7% 56

37.3%

Fall 2000

220

55

25.0% 85

38.6%

Fall 2001

250

62

24.8% 101

40.4%

Fall 2002

227

57

25.1% 85

37.4%

249

25.0% 375

37.7%

Combined Cohort 995

any College %

The College of Fine Arts Advising Center is housed in the Central Desert Complex and currently serves the first and second year undergraduates, as well as the transfer student population within the college. A director, two advisors, and one administrative assistant make up the permanent staff of the Center and are aided by four graduate assistants who work alongside them during the academic year. Upon acceptance to the University, incoming students with declared majors in the Fine Arts are sent a welcome letter from the Center detailing the recommended courses for their first semester and strongly encouraging them to contact the Advising Center to schedule an appointment (this will change beginning with the Fall 2009 semester when advising becomes mandatory for all first year students). Once a student schedules an appointment, the student is encouraged to visit at least once each semester (or more frequently should the need arise). During an advising session, the student and advisor will discuss much or all of the following: the student’s background; his or her options within the college; the degree program; the general education requirements; tutoring needs and developmental courses. A semester plan (or perhaps a year or two year plan) of courses will also be mapped out. 8

Once a relationship with the advising center has been established, students will usually schedule appointments on an “as needed” basis: if they are running into difficulty with a course; want to change a major; submit a petition; need tutoring; or need additional campus services but are unsure where to find them. Often students will go to their advisors with personal issues and advisors will help to find the appropriate resources in those cases, as well. Once students in the College complete their second year within the major, they begin to see faculty mentors for advising. The advising center sends their files to the appropriate departments and the students who, theoretically, have completed all of the lower division and general education courses, work more closely with a faculty member within their chosen fields of study. This relationship develops over the next two or three years, depending upon the length of the student’s program, culminating with professional career advice, as most of the Fine Arts faculty are very active in their disciplines. Faculty and Staff The College is fortunate to have a diverse and professional faculty. The vast majority of the faculty has worked, and continues to work professionally. In all departments, the faculty has been able to capitalize upon the distinct talents and skills of the faculty to the benefit and accomplishment of the mission of the individual departments. Faculty has proven their ability to adjust to increases in student numbers without comparable increases in faculty numbers, while maintaining quality instruction. New programs have been developed in several areas due to the faculty’s ability and willingness to work together. The newly conceived Entertainment Engineering and Design program is an example. The College does not recruit faculty to teach only in the graduate or undergraduate program except in certain areas of Architecture. In the case of Architecture the position description, vacancy announcement, and advertisements were designed for specific areas of expertise and often at the rank of Associate Professor or higher. In other departments where faculty routinely teach at both levels the candidates ability to offer quality instruction is carefully scrutinized. The ratio of student-to-faculty to enrollment numbers is barely satisfactory. The ratios in the School of Architecture are the result of a large number of students in the first and second year classes. These numbers however decrease in the third and fourth years resulting in an acceptable ratio. Accrediting agencies have recognized that the ratios are satisfactory overall. The ratio in Film is very high but is, presently, manageable, as it is a B.A. program that can accommodate students in larger section classes. Upper division production courses (third year and higher) are demanding and limited to students who have fulfilled pre-production requirements reducing the ratios in those courses. The ratios in other programs are acceptable. Other factors involved in the high student to faculty rations are the popularity of certain programs and their ability to attract large numbers of students. Film, Graphic Design (Art), and Architecture are examples. Five years ago, Film and Architecture felt the effects of unprecedented growth without the institutions financial ability to increase full time faculty numbers. Thus, while growth has slowed in these areas, the effect of the growth several years ago is still apparent in the ratio of faculty/students. Student-to-Faculty Ratios

ARCHITECTURE ART DANCE FILM MUSIC THEATRE

Faculty

Students

15 14 8 7 31 13

598 423 66 337 351 219

Studentto-Faculty Ratio 40 - 1 30 - 1 8-1 48 - 1 11 - 1 17 - 1

The College has been very aggressive in seeking women and minorities to fill open faculty positions. Several African American faculty were added in the past five years as a result of targeted hiring. 9

Restructuring curriculum that used these individual’s specific expertise served to strengthen programs and attract minority students. This is evident in the Department of Theatre’s performance area. The College requires, as does UNLV, that all Part-Time Instructors (PTIs) have the requisite terminal degree or equivalent professional experience for any courses taught or supervised and beyond that, departments set their own criteria for hiring PTI’s. The College’s Associate Dean reviews all relevant materials, as does the Provost’s office. The individual departments have generally reduced their use of PTIs and reserve them for special situations in which it makes sense to use them, such as Music where they provide a more rounded assortment of instrument instruction. PTIs have access to administrative support; duplicating; University e-mail account; receive College and Department Communications; and, an allocated office (shared) when possible. Various areas within the Departments/School are typically, very much “in touch” with PTIs. For example, in Jazz Studies adjunct faculty members are treated as part of the regular faculty. In addition to teaching, they perform in the Faculty Jazz Ensemble with full-time faculty, recruit, and conduct/lead various ensembles. Other staffing is very low when compared to peer institutions and colleges of similar size. The staff in the Dean’s office includes an associate dean, a business manager/executive assistant, a development director, a publicist, two administrative assistants, three student workers, and a computer technician. Each individual department has some administrative support staff and other staff that is unique to the department such as a carpenter in the School of Architecture, a piano technician in Department of Music and a costume designer in Department of Theatre. Research The faculty, for the most part, is up-to-date on developments in their respective fields. Faculty in Architecture, for example are involved in research and practical application of passive energy. Others in the same School are involved in dealing with the “real-time” problems of planning for land use in a fragile desert environment. Film faculty is versed in the latest technology. Theatre features faculty involved in various professional organizations. The College Workload Policy recognizes the individuality of each discipline (within both the Department/School and College). All policies reflect the institutions goals of becoming a studentorientated institution with an increased emphasis on research/creative activity. New faculty is selected based on several factors including future plans or trends, for the specific discipline. Architecture and Art are both cognizant of “sustainability” and design positions to fill those needs. All faculty are expected to make an impact through teaching and research/creative activity in the community, state, and region. The following are examples of the most significant artistic creations, scholarly activity, or research performed by faculty during the past five years: • In Spring 2005, faculty from Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) came to UNLV and held rehearsals and workshops with Dance and Theatre majors to generate materials and initial ideas for the work “Rigged”. Twelve students from UNLV (four dance majors, four theatre majors, and four film majors) flew to Liverpool, England in July and spent a month creating the show “Rigged” which also featured 12 students from LIPA. The show went on the road to Edinburgh, Scotland where it received several five-star reviews and much critical acclaim. This outstanding project enabled students to utilize and test the skills they learned in their degrees in a professional environment. Several faculty from the Department of Dance collaborated on various aspects of this performance. • The Co-curricular Project is unique to the Film Department. Its latest effort, Primo, a feature-length film written and directed by Professor Menendez, produced by Director of Production Operations Warren D. Cobb, and lensed by Professor Michel Hugo, A.S.C. is an accomplishment of UNLV, its Film Department, students, and the Las Vegas community. The Co-curricular Project brings together disciplines and resources across the entire community to enhance the film, the experience, and the educational opportunity for students. • Professor Fernández-González, as founding director of the Natural Energies Advanced Technologies Laboratory, has demonstrated sustained achievement in the advancement of architectural education

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in specialized areas of inquiry focused on building technology. This is evidenced by his diverse research endeavors in the interfacing of conventional and recently developed passive solar heating systems with day lighting and summer cooling strategies formulated to maximize the utilization of building energy resources. Because his research agenda is responsive to the demands of new contexts of professional practice and technology, he maintains a positive, stimulating, and nurturing influence upon students that inspires them to further their educational aspirations in building technologies. His forthcoming textbook will make a material contribution to the knowledge base that informs the Integration of architectural technologies. DISTINCT CHARACTERISTICS • A joint production of the Departments of Theatre and Dance was one of five productions selected to play at the Kennedy Center’s prestigious “American College Theatre Festival” from a filing of over 1,000 entries. • Dance Magazine listed the Department of Dance as one of the top 20 undergraduate programs in the U.S. • Music’s “Drumline” took second place in national competition. • The newly created Downtown Design Center is not only an opportunity for the College and School of Architecture but the Center creates a solid presence in downtown Las Vegas, for the entire University. Faculty and students from a variety of disciplines engage in research/creative activity that benefits the community. • The Composition Program in Music is an excellent, inexpensive program. Continued development of this program will enhance the Department of Music’s reputation nationally and internationally. This program has attracted Pulitzer Prize winners, Emmy and Grammy Award winners who regularly visit the program and interact with students. CHALLENGES Although the current budget situation has created a moratorium on new programs, there are several planned for the future, when the budget improves. Undergraduate enrollment in the College is projected to remain stable, however, areas with potential for rapid growth such as Film and Graphic Art will need to be watched and controlled due to staff and technological needs. Architecture is examining the possibility of increased focus on graduate education which could result in an increase in graduate students and a corresponding drop in undergraduates. This will need to be carefully managed. International programs will be continued and expanded. This will require seeking more “outside” resources in light of diminishing state funds. It should be noted this College lost over 20% of its full-time faculty for 2008-2009. It is not possible to predict a return of those positions. In spite of that, it is expected the output of creative activity by faculty artists will increase due to new faculty hires over the past two years who replaced faculty who had not been as active. New hires in Architecture, an increased focus on research, as well as a focus on sustainability should result in increased research activity. The replacement of Grant Hall remains a College and Institutional priority. In addition to state funding, public/private partnerships are being examined. Replacement of Grant Hall will have a positive effect on Art, Music, and Theatre. Given the financial situation, the outlook of the College is a bit ambiguous as this report is being written. However, selectivity in support of quality is where the College plans to move in the future.

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