Office of the Provost

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1 Office of the Provost Change to an Existing Degree Program Form Proposed Change to an Existing Degree: Academic Components Please answer all relevant questions below. Consultation with the appropriate Associate Provost on a draft of the proposal is recommended. Title of Degree (e.g., Bachelor of Arts in History): Master of Arts in Preservation Studies 1. Please provide the name, title, address, and phone number of the primary contact person for this academic program: Daniel Bluestone Director, Preservation Studies Program Professor, History of Art & Architecture Professor, American & New England Studies dblues@bu.edu Please describe briefly the proposed change to the existing degree: The proposed change establishes six distinct curricular concentrations within the program that underscore, and take advantage of, diverse faculty and courses related to historic preservation and heritage in several departments at Boston University. This proposal also updates the set of common core courses. 3. Please provide a rationale for the proposed change to the existing degree: The creation of concentrations represents an effort to clarify what Boston University does best in its training of students in historic preservation. Boston University does not have an architecture school and thus does not train students to become architects and landscape architects who will work as designers in historic preservation. Boston University does not have 1

2 a conservation laboratory and thus does not provide training for students to become conservators capable of developing and applying treatments that address the failure of building materials. What Boston University has done historically, and will continue to do, is to train people who will work as historians, planners, researchers, administrators, and outreach coordinators in public and not-for-profit agencies and organizations and private firms involved in the preservation and interpretation of historic buildings, communities, and places. In this area, Boston University is particularly well situated: it occupies a region with a vibrant preservation culture; and the University has diverse faculty and course offerings that, when combined with a core preservation curriculum, can provide rigorous, focused, useful graduate training in preservation and allied fields. At the moment we can draw upon existing faculty and courses to train people in preservation with concentrations in architectural history, history, American and New England studies, archaeology, and planning. It is conceivable that we might be able, in the future, to provide additional concentrations, for example in real estate, in association with the School of Management. Preservation Studies students will benefit from gathering around seminar tables and in lecture halls with other students from this diverse but related series of disciplines who will contribute their own skills and perspectives to the education of their colleagues. The proposed changes to the set of core courses bring the curriculum into accordance with what the Boston University program can provide in the way of courses on a regular basis consistent with rigorous training in preservation. The required core curriculum has not been revised a many years, and the existing curriculum has, in practice, involved numerous ad hoc arrangements to deliver the content in the core. This has particularly been the case with AM 759 (Financing Historic Preservation Development) that has not been offered for years and AM 747 (Historic Building Conservation) that is not particularly central to the training in the program. We are adding AH 585 (Twentieth-Century Architecture and Urbanism) or a comparable architectural history survey to the curriculum because students studying historic preservation need to experience the way in which architectural historians approach architectural and built form. There are modest title changes of existing courses to better reflect the content provided by new teaching faculty. The changes to one course, AM 553, Documenting Historic Buildings and Landscapes, are such that it will be also given a new number, AM555, as well as a new title: Community Architectural and Urban History Workshop. There is also a proposed number change in the Preservation Planning course, from 700 to 500, to better reflect its availability to undergraduates. 2

3 4. Please describe how the proposed change(s) advances the Strategic Plans of the department, of the school/college, and of the University: The revision of the core and the establishment of concentrations within Preservation Studies advances the goals of the Strategic Plan for American & New England Studies, the academic home for Preservation Studies. Written in February 2010 the Strategic Plan explicitly sought to create synergies with other BU programs (heritage management, archaeology, preservation law, architectural history, technology, historic sites and museums, and urban planning). This same aspiration was echoed in January 2012 in the Report on the Preservation Program Review Process; that committee reported, We want to examine ways to integrate these offerings more effectively, both in terms of sequence and in relation to content. We will also continue to explore possible integrations of the interests and talents of the Preservation Studies Program with related departments and programs, especially in the areas of heritage, public history, planning, and museum studies. The concentrations and the updating of the core will create a curriculum that integrates the students and faculty in the Preservation Studies Program with allied students and faculty in other departments in the University. This integration and clarity will engage potential applicants and enrolled students in the richness and depth of coursework available at Boston University while also accommodating students in allied programs in the courses available in Preservation Studies. These proposed changes are also fully consistent with goals 4, and 5 of the Strategic Plan of the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: 4 We will offer leading doctoral, postdoctoral, and masters programs within and across traditional disciplinary boundaries. 5 We will promote pioneering research and scholarship within and across traditional disciplinary boundaries. and particularly the bulleted point in item 6 of that plan that reads Restore and enhance the New England focus of the Program in American and New England Studies creating strong linkages with local arts and cultural institutions. 3

4 5. Please list all the program requirements for the current and revised programs so that review committees can easily see the changes: (expand the table as needed and denote new courses in bold print) (All courses or GRS or CAS unless otherwise indicated.) Current program 6 required 4-credit courses, total 24 credits 3 elective 4-credit courses on built environment 3 other elective 4-credit courses AM 546: Historic Preservation AM 553: Documenting Historic Buildings and Landscapes AM 754: Planning and Preservation AM 759: Financing Historic Preservation Development Proposed Program 5 required 4-credit core courses, total 20 credits One 5-course, 20-credit Concentration 2 elective 4-credit courses AM 546: Place of Memory: Historic Preservation Theory and Practice AM 555: Community Architectural and Urban History Workshop AM 554: Preservation Planning AH 585: Twentieth Century Architecture and Urbanism [or a comparable architectural history survey] AM 755: Preservation Planning Colloquium or a AM 775: Independent Research Project directed study Colloquium [major paper capstone project] AM 747: Historic Building Conservation 3 courses addressing the Built Environment 3 additional preservation related courses Two courses approved by Preservation Studies Director, in preservation, heritage, architectural history, urban history, material culture, planning, or related discipline. Satisfy the requirements of one of the following six concentrations CONCENTRATION IN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY AH 892 Approaches to Architectural History One course on Vernacular Architecture/Material Culture course such as AM 501 or 502 when taught on an appropriate topic. One survey course in Architectural, Landscape, or Urban history beyond the survey course in the Preservation Studies Core. Two graduate seminars in architectural history, urban history, material culture, or related discipline. CONCENTRATION IN AMERICAN AND NEW ENGLAND STUDIES AM 736 Literature of American Studies AM 735 Studies in American Culture AH 584 Greater Boston Architecture & Planning [or comparable New England-based course] 4

5 One course on Vernacular Architecture/Material Culture course such as AM 501 or 502 when taught on an appropriate topic. One seminar course in American and New England Studies or related discipline. CONCENTRATION IN HISTORY HI 800, 870, 0r 850 Historiography HI 801 The Historian s Craft Three additional graduate level survey and/or seminar courses CONCENTRATION IN ARCHAEOLOGY AR 503 Archaeological Field Methods: Survey and Excavation (field school) OR 4 credit hours of directed archaeological field/lab work AR 892 Archaeological Ethics and Law AR 805 U.S. Archaeological Heritage Management AR 810 International Heritage Management One additional graduate level survey and/or seminar course CONCENTRATION IN PLANNING UA 515 History and Theory of Urban Planning UA 521 Environmental Law UA 654 Geographical Information Systems for Planners UA 805 The Boston Urban Symposium One additional graduate level survey and/or seminar course CONCENTRATION IN MUSEUM PRACTICE CAS AH 520 Museums and Historical Agencies CAS AH 521 Curatorship CAS AH 582 Historic House Museums Two graduate survey or seminar courses in art history, conservation, architectural history, material culture, arts administration, or related discipline. TOTAL 12 Courses, 48 Credits TOTAL 12 Courses, 48 Credits 5

6 6. Is this change a result of program learning outcomes assessment and/or academic program review? If yes, please describe: Yes The proposed changes are in line with ideas addressed in the academic program review of the American & New England Studies Program in 2012 and the internal review of the Preservation Studies Program also undertaken in Both reports called for greater integration of the Preservation Studies courses and program with other departments and programs at Boston University. The concentrations are intended to achieve this integration. The academic program review also recommended hiring a full-time senior faculty member to direct and revitalize the Preservation Studies Program. The proposed curricular changes have been laid out by the newly hired director of the Preservation Studies Program and vetted with colleagues in the program and in the allied disciplines (see accompanying letters of support). 7. Please list learning outcomes for the revised program: Students who complete the MA in Preservation Studies will have the: 1. Ability to work competently, rigorously, and professionally in the various settings where historic preservation is practiced. 2. Ability to critically analyze and write at a level consistent with master s degree training in the departments and programs that provide the concentrations in the Preservation Studies curriculum. 3. Ability to successfully frame and complete a master s level independent research project that demonstrates mastery of the material both in the Preservation Core and in the area of allied specialized curriculum. 8. How does the change place your program in the context of programs at peer institutions? As outlined above the program s place among peer institutions will be improved because of the clarity with which potential applicants and enrolled students will be able to see the unique features and strengths of Boston University Preservation Studies Program, which stem from its connection to the history and heritage side of historic preservation. There are approximately 60 graduate programs in historic preservation in the United States. Leading programs include those at Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Virginia, Cornell University, and University of Texas at Austin. The programs at Columbia, Penn, UVA, and Texas are all housed in architecture schools. They emphasize design issues related to historic preservation and adaptive re-use of buildings. Columbia and Penn have major programs in conservation, including laboratory instruction. The Cornell Program is located in the Department of City and Regional Planning and emphasizes preservation planning. The UVA 6

7 program has worked with students pursuing a master s degree in architectural history but their program and courses are located within the architecture school. Boston University is unusual among well-regarded programs in emphasizing the history and heritage aspects of historic preservation and in being housed within an American Studies Program and allied primarily with history, heritage, and planning. The change in the program underscores the reality, as well as the unique strength, of what Boston University has to offer students training in historic preservation. 9. How does the change affect other academic units and existing programs at the University? The proposed changes will revitalize Preservation Studies, while at the same time enhancing the curriculum and academic offerings in allied departments. 10. How will you notify current students of the proposed changes and implement the requirements? How will you assure that current students are able to complete their programs under the requirements that were in place at the time of their matriculation? The Director of the Preservation Studies Program has already had advising meetings with the students in the program to apprise them of the proposed changes. Upon administrative approval, the students will have to option to continue with the existing program structure or to take on the new curriculum. With the number of electives in the current program, it is very unlikely that there will be any problems with transition or implementation. 11. Please document any implications that the change has on professional accreditation or licensure at the program or school/college level: Not applicable. 12. If the change includes a new course or courses, please indicate who will teach the course and how the rest of that faculty member s course load will be affected (redistributed, absorbed, etc.): The proposed changes in the core curriculum and the creation of concentrations are built primarily upon existing courses that are offered with sufficient frequency for timelt progress to degree. There will be no impact on faculty course loads beyond the usual your-to-year rotation of faculty through some required courses. The increase in the size of existing classes will be modest, and the classes can easily absorb the numbers of new students. 13. Please list the resources needed including IT, new faculty, new staff, reassignment of faculty from existing courses to new ones (especially if the existing course(s) is not being removed from the bulletin), technology enhanced classrooms, office space, and other 7

8 facilities. (Using the relevant template, please submit a budget even if no additional resources are needed): Not applicable. 14. Please describe the budgetary impact that the proposed change will have: No budgetary impact. 15. Please provide the bulletin copy related to the proposed academic change, listing ALL program requirements as you wish them to appear in the Bulletin: MA in Preservation Studies The Preservation Studies Program trains students for productive careers working in historic preservation and the stewardship of cultural resources and heritage. Boston and New England have historically stood out as leaders of the national historic preservation movement. Drawing upon the traditions of its vibrant preservation locality, Boston University itself has a long history of inventively recycling historic buildings to house its students and faculty. The University was founded in 1869 in two adaptively reused Beacon Hill townhouses adjacent to the Boston Athenaeum and Charles Bulfinch s Massachusetts State Capitol. In 1883 Boston University moved its College of Liberal Studies into an adaptively reused Baptist Church on Somerset Street. The University subsequently adapted for its own uses the Copley Square building of the Harvard Medical School, key commercial buildings along Commonwealth Avenue s Automobile Row, the Boston Braves Baseball field, row houses and apartments along Bay State Road, and mansions in the Cottage Farm neighborhood; more recently, the University has undertaken a major renovation of the University Law Tower, a landmark of Boston modernism designed in 1962 by Spanish architect Jose Luis Sert. Successful, environmentally minded, stewardship of historic buildings is part of the institutional DNA of Boston University; the Preservation Studies Program draws inspiration and vitality from this rich context. Students in the program learn preservation in the classroom and through hand s-on preservation planning, historical research, and exploration. They study the built environment and cultural landscape through courses taught by leading experts who teach in departments across the University and numerous professionals who do amazing work in regional and national preservation field. Class projects take advantage of the tremendous scope of preservation activity in the region, from large-scale regional initiatives to grassroots neighborhood efforts in cities and towns. Applicants should have a BA and demonstrated interest in the fields that contribute to historic preservation. Course Requirements Students complete 12 courses (48 credits) at the 500 level or above; the MA can be completed in three full-time semesters or can be pursued on a part-time basis. The curriculum combines a Preservation Core (5 courses) with work in one of the Concentrations (5-courses), and Preservation Electives, (2-courses). Course requirements are as follows: Preservation Core (5 Courses), taken by all Preservation Studies MA candidates: 8

9 o CAS AM 546: Place of Memory: Historic Preservation Theory and Practice o CAS AM 553: Community Architectural and Urban History Workshop o CAS AM 554: Preservation Planning o CAS AH 585: Twentieth Century Architecture and Urbanism [or comparable architectural history survey] o GRS AM 775: Independent Research Project Colloquium [capstone project] Electives (2 Courses) o Two Elective Courses, approved by Director of Preservation Studies, in preservation, heritage, architectural history, urban history, material culture, planning, or related discipline. One of the specialized curricular tracks listed below: Concentration in Architectural History (5 Courses): (make a drop down) o GRS AH 892: Approaches to Architectural History o CAS AM 502 American Cultural Landscape [Or comparable Vernacular architecture/material Culture course] o Additional Survey Course in Architectural, Landscape, or Urban History, beyond the survey course in the Preservation Core. o Two graduate seminars in architectural history, urban history, material culture or related field. Concentration in American and New England Studies (5 Courses): (make a drop down) o GRS AM 736 Literature of American Studies o GRS AM 735 Studies in American Culture o CAS AM 584 Greater Boston Architecture & Planning [or comparable New England-based course] o CAS AM 502 American Cultural Landscape [or comparable Vernacular architecture/material culture course] o One elective seminar course in American and New England Studies or related discipline Concentration in History (5 Courses): (make a drop down) o GRS HI 800 or 870, or 850 Historiography [in field most relevant for the student s interest] o GRS HI 801 The Historian s Craft o Three additional graduate level survey and/or seminar courses Concentration in Archaeology (5 Courses): (make a drop down) o CAS AR 503 Archaeological Field Methods: Survey and Excavation or 4-credits of directed archaeological field/laboratory work o GRS AR 892 Archaeological Ethics and Law o GRS AR 805 U.S. Archaeological Heritage Management o GRS AR 810 International Heritage Management o One additional graduate level survey and/or seminar course Concentration in Planning (5 Courses): (make a drop down) 9

10 o o o o o MET UA 515 History and Theory of Urban Planning MET UA 521 Environmental Law MET UA 654 Geographical Information Systems for Planners MET UA 805 The Boston Urban Symposium One additional graduate level survey and/or seminar course Language Requirement There is no foreign language requirement for this degree. Major Project Students will also complete a major project, generally undertaken as a capstone in the final semester of the program. The project is tailored to complement the student s coursework and career goals and provide evidence to prospective employers of the student s interests and competence. The project can include survey and National Register listing, historic structure reports, preservation plans, design guidelines, economic feasibility studies, or community development reports. Most projects build upon work begun in earlier coursework, directed studies, or internships. Internship An integral part of the program is a paid internship in an appropriate public or private agency, firm, or historical commission. Numerous local and national organizations are anxious to host interns and to provide a close-up look at particular work within the preservation field. Placement is approved by the program director. Internships are available with preservation agencies such as the Boston Landmarks Commission, the National Park Service, the Massachusetts Historical Commission, and private organizations, including the Boston Preservation Alliance, Preservation Massachusetts, Historic New England, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In certain cases, prior experience in the historic preservation field may be considered as equivalent to the internship, with the internship requirement being waived. 10