February 11, Submitted by the Faculty Members of the Department of Art and Design

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1 Proposal to Establish a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree Programs For; Integrated Studio Arts, Interior Design, Industrial Design, Visual Arts Teaching, and Visual Communications Design in the Department of Art and Design Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Visual Arts and Design College of Liberal Arts Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN February 11, 2014 Submitted by the Faculty Members of the Department of Art and Design

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3 Overview The primary goal of this proposal to establish Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree Programs in the Department of Art and Design is to ensure that our majors are well prepared to seek careers in the arts and arts-related fields. Due to the increased demand by the professions that the undergraduate majors in the Department of Art and Design will enter upon graduation, it has become imperative for the Department s major programs to establish professional programs awarding a professional degree, the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). Currently the Department of Art and Design at Purdue offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA) with credit for the major ranging from 45 to 75 credit. The National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD), the nationally recognized accrediting agency for programs in art and design, stipulates 78 credit in the major and a total of 120 credit to complete a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program. What is the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree? The BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) is an undergraduate college degree offered in all areas of the fine and applied arts. Since World War II, the BFA has become the acknowledged standard degree for students seeking a professional education in art and design. The National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD) delineates between two types of undergraduate art and design degree programs: "professional" programs, usually granting the BFA, and "liberal arts" programs, usually granting the BA. These two types of programs differ noticeably in their goals and objectives. In the NASAD Handbook, the two types of undergraduate degrees in art and design are differentiated as follows. The professional degree focuses on intensive work in the visual arts supported by a program of general studies. Normally, the intent is to prepare for professional practice. The liberal arts degree focuses on art and design in the context of a broad program of general studies. ALL undergraduate college degrees, the BFA included, must have a general studies (liberal arts) component. The difference between a BFA and a BA is in the ratio between art and design and general studies. In a BFA, approximately two-thirds of the course work is in the creation and study of the visual arts, with the remainder in general studies. In a BA, approximately two-thirds of the course work is in general studies, with the remainder in visual arts. 3

4 Comparison of BA and BFA Ratios of Visual Arts to General Studies Coursework in a 120-hr undergraduate degree program The Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design describes the BFA as the most appropriate degree for serious, motivated students seeking to become professional artists and designers. With its specialized focus, a BFA degree program will tend to attract highly talented students and faculty, and to generate great intensity and commitment among its students and faculty. The basic structure of a BFA degree (one-third general studies, two-thirds visual arts) does not change from one type of college to another. The ratio between these two curricular components in a BFA is the same anywhere, whether at a large university, at a comprehensive four-year college, or at a professional art college. A student does not get more general studies coursework if the BFA is taken at a university versus an art college. It is the type of degree, not the type of college that determines the number of credits dedicated to visual arts coursework and the number in general studies. Indiana Universities and Colleges offering the BFA Degree NASAD-accredited BFA degree programs in Indiana Ball State University BFA: Glass; Studio Art (Electronic Art and Animation) Herron School of Art and Design BFA: Ceramics, Drawing, Graphic Design, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture Indiana State University BFA: Studio Arts (Ceramics, Fine Arts, Furniture Design, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture), Visual Communication Indiana University BFA: Studio Arts Saint Mary s College BFA: Ceramics, Fibers, Painting, Printmaking, Photo-Media, Sculpture, New Media University of Indianapolis BFA: Studio Arts (Ceramics, Painting, Photography), Visual Communication Design University of Notre Dame BFA: Industrial Design BFA Programs in Indiana that are not NASAD-accredited Indiana University-Purdue University Purdue Fort Wayne 4

5 BFA: Graphic Design, Imaging and Photography, Modeling and Animation University of Evansville BFA: Studio Arts Indiana University Southeast BFA: Ceramics, Drawing, Graphic Design, Painting, Printmaking Indiana University Kokomo BFA: painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, metalsmithing, ceramics, graphic design, digital media, animation (120 credit, 84 of which are in art and design) Indiana University South Bend BFA: electronic media, graphic design, painting/drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture, visual interpretations and practice Professional Program History in the Department of Art and Design at Purdue In 1999, the Interior Design and Industrial Design programs proposed and received approval from the College of Liberal Arts to increase the credit in these majors from 45 to 75 credit and to be designated as professional programs. Industrial Design Professional Program The Industrial Design program followed NASAD guidelines in the design of their professional program in The program has been very successful at preparing students to enter the profession of Industrial Design. Currently the program has over 90% placement of undergraduates into design jobs and/or graduate programs within a year of graduation. Prior to instituting the 75-hour professional curriculum, the program maintained about 50% job placement in the design profession. Interior Design Professional Program The accrediting entity for Interior Design is the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). In 2009, the Interior Design Professional program received full accreditation for six years (depending on the strength of the program, CIDA awards 3- or 6-year accreditation). The professional program has a job placement rate for undergraduates above 90%. Integrated Studio Arts and Visual Communications Design On March 12, 2014 the College of Liberal Arts Education Policy Committee approved the waiver of 45-credit limit for both programs allowing for a Professional Program designation and the NASAD required 78 credit. College of Liberal Arts Curriculum Committee On March 27, 2014 the College of Liberal Arts Curriculum Committee approved the BFA Degree Plans of Study for Integrated Studio Arts, Interior Design, Industrial Design, Visual Arts Teaching, and Visual Communications Design. BFA Required Credit Allocations and the University, College of Liberal Arts and State Core: The State of Indiana and Purdue University has mandated degree programs have a total of 120 credit for graduation. The College of Liberal Arts and University required core is 49 credit. NASAD requires a minimum of 78 credit in the major. The 5

6 culmination of these requirements would result in a BFA degree totaling of 127 credit for Integrated Studio Arts, Interior Design, Industrial Design, Visual Communications Design and 131 credit for Visual Arts Teaching. Major BFA Plan of Study Hours Core Hours Integrated Studio Arts 78 credit 49 credit Interior Design 78 credit 49 credit Industrial Design 78 credit 49credit Visual Communications 78 credit 49 credit Design Visual Arts Teaching 94 credit 49 credit Total Credit Hours 127 credit 127 credit 127 credit 127 credit 143 credit In all of the BFA Plans of Study for the programs listed above there are required courses that overlap with the College of Liberal Arts and University required core courses. Subtracting these duplicated require courses from the total credit for the degree provides the following: Major BFA Plan of Study Hours Core Hours Integrated Studio Arts 78 credit 49 credit Interior Design 78 credit 49 credit Industrial Design 78 credit 49credit Visual Communications 78 credit 49 credit Design Visual Arts Teaching ***94 credit 49credit Duplicate Credit Hours *(3 credit ) *(3 credit ) *(3 credit ) *(3 credit ) ** (12credit ) Total Credit Hours 124 credit 124 credit 124 credit 124 credit 131 credit Courses duplicated on the BFA Plans of Study and the College of Liberal Arts and University 6

7 Core: * AD Basic Drawing Aesthetic = Awareness Core Requirement ** AD Basic Drawing Aesthetic = Awareness Core Requirement EDCI Multiculturalism and Education = Racial & Ethnic Diversity EDPS Learning and Motivation = Individual and Society EDPS The Inclusive Classroom = CLA, Individual and Society; Social Ethics; *** 12 Credit Supervised Teaching Currently a request has been presented to the College of Liberal Arts Education Policy Committee to relocate AD History of Art Since 1400 from Aesthetic Awareness to Western Heritage in the College of Liberal Arts Core. All the BFA Plans of Study require both AD Basic Drawing and AD History of Art Since Both courses are listed in Aesthetic Awareness. Currently with an allocation of 3 credits only available in Aesthetic Awareness in the CLA Core the number of credit available for duel credit would reduce the total credits to 124 and 125. By relocating AD to Western Heritage there would be an additional 3 credits of duel credit and reduce the total BFA credits to 121 and 125. A wavier request would be made to the Provost Office for approval to allow an increase to the required 120 of one credit for Integrated Studio Arts, Interior Design, Industrial Design, Visual Communications Design and 5 credit for Visual Arts Teaching. BA degree and MFA Graduate Studies: Many of art and design undergraduate students apply and accepted to top graduate programs throughout the United States. Most students accepted into top MFA degree programs have graduated from a BFA program. Undergraduates from Purdue s BA degree program in Visual Communications Design and Fine Arts accepted into top graduate programs such as the School of the Chicago Art Institute require our BA graduates to complete an additional year of study at the Art Institute as a condition for entering their MFA program. Our students have been successful at completing the required extra year as well as successfully earning a MFA degree but have had to acquire unnecessary and substantial costly increase to their graduate program. If our student graduate with a BFA this additional year will not be required. Phase Out the BA Degree: Current BA degree students in Integrated Studio Arts, Interior Design, Industrial Design, and Visual Communications Design would have the option of switching to the BFA program. Any student wishing to continue the BA degree would be accommodated under the programs BA plan of Study until graduation. Following the implementation of the BFA Plans of Study and graduation of all students who wish to continue the BA plan of study, the BA degree would not be offered and only the BFA degree would be available in Integrated Studio Arts, Interior Design, Industrial Design, and Visual Communications Design. 7

8 Visual Arts Teaching would continue to offer both the BA and BFA degree programs. The BA degree would also continue to be offered in Art History, and Studio Arts and Technology. The terminal degree for all the proposed studio BFA programs is the MFA. Both Art History and Visual Arts Teaching have a PhD as their terminal degree. Their degree track is BA, MA, PhD. Art History is not included the BFA proposal. Visual Arts Teaching is offering the BFA as an opportunity for art teachers to gain more studio experience. Additional Instructional Support: All of the programs can make the transition to the BFA degree without additional faculty support with the exception of the Visual Communications Design program (VCD). To reach the 78 credit in the major the VCD program has added required courses in Photography and Related Media as well as Electronic Time-Based Media. The addition of 2 to 4 sections of VCD students in each of these programs would require additional staffing. The Department would request funding to cover 2 to 4 sections in each in each of the two programs for both the fall and spring semesters. Visiting instructors, graduate teaching assistances or 2 full time continuing lectures teaching four courses per semester could cover the additional sections. Summary The 75-hour curricula of the Interior Design and the Industrial Design professional programs are but three credit shy of the 78-hour BFA stipulated by NASAD. The BFA is clearly the appropriate degree for these already-established professional programs, and guidelines can be easily met with the addition of one more course. Both Visual Communications Design and the areas comprising Integrated Studio Arts (Fine Arts, Photography, Electronic Time-Based Art) have been designated as professional programs by the college of Liberal Arts. The faculty members in these two areas have prepared plans of study that will meet the NASAD-required 78-hour curriculum for the BFA. Visual Arts Teaching very aggressive BFA with 94 credit in the major will be the only BFA program in Visual Arts Teaching offered in Indiana. Purdue University will also be the only institution of higher learning in Indiana offering a professional degree, the BFA, in the three major design programs: Interior Design, Industrial Design, Visual Communications Design. The faculty of the Department of Art and Design are confident that the intensive training of a BFA professional program will better prepare our students as they seek careers in the arts and arts-related fields, and that the BFA will have a positive impact on job placement rates. 8