Bachelor of Craft and Design Executive Summary

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1 Bachelor of Craft and Design Executive Summary The proposed Bachelor of Craft and Design degree program will prepare graduates for success in a variety of fields as they design and create objects that perform a range of functions in contemporary society. Every single object that one encounters in daily life has been designed, prototyped, and in many cases fabricated, by an individual or team that is responsible for the function, material choice and aesthetic sensibility of the final result. Graduates of the Bachelor of Craft and Design program will be uniquely prepared to capitalize on the developing synergies among the fields of art, design and craft. The current Craft & Design program has a long and illustrious history within Sheridan. It was identified as the foundational core program for Sheridan s Design division based on the fact that Ontario was seeking to develop a local crafts industry where craft products would be locally produced by Ontariotrained artisans. The artisanal guild representing craftspeople at that time was the Ontario Craft Foundation. It was their training arm that was eventually absorbed by Sheridan College to become the Crafts and Design program, and encompassed ceramics, textiles, metal, jewellery and furniture. To quote from the document entitled The Educational Aims and Proposed Development of Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology submitted to the Council of Regents on May 1968: It is important to point out that the School of Design [at Sheridan College] is unique in Canada; it is attempting (and determined) not only to embody the best of European and American design schools, but to create its own Canadian character. Its purpose is to educate and train truly professional people in the fields of craft and design. Its program is exacting and demands high standards of achievement. Whereas most College programs are preparing skilled and skillful people to work with, and usually under, more highly trained or experienced professionals, the graduates of the School of Design must be the best in their field. They shall become the experts the professionals. Today the Craft and Design program continues to be the preeminent program of its kind in Canada. In 2009, the Executive Director of the Alberta Craft Council stated 1 that Sheridan had the best facilities in Canada of its sister institutions. No other college or university in Canada has the professional or physical capacity to deliver this interdisciplinary materials-based program. The program will provide in-depth, hands-on education in five areas of studio concentration (ceramics, furniture, glass, industrial design and textiles), while fostering considerable overlap and opportunities for collaboration. Students will work closely with their peers in three levels of interdisciplinary courses, and will have access to a variety of electives in other media. This focus on interdisciplinary practice, entrepreneurism and expertise in a variety of materials, design processes and objects of daily use is unique in Canada; only Sheridan has this concentration of facilities for all media, staffed by expert technologists and overseen by faculty who are respected professionals in their fields. The curriculum will offer a strong theoretical framework for conceptual and creative enquiry, a firm grounding in traditional craft and design approaches, and will be responsive to changing industry patterns, international design trends and rapidly developing digital production techniques. Because this program is so centred on materials, applied research is embedded in the creative process and students apply their research to solve complex problems. Depending on their area of specialization and career goals, graduates will be involved in the creation of multiple production products for industry, one-of-a-kind functional objects and unique art pieces. They may choose positions in design and manufacturing industries, arts service organizations, galleries and 1 T. McFall, in conversation with Heather Whitton

2 retail operations that specialize in craft and design, or pursue graduate education at a variety of universities throughout North America and abroad. Pathways have been identified for further education, with many institutions that offer Masters degrees in craft and industrial design providing letters of support that support our plan and laud its interdisciplinary, materials and process-based curriculum. Economic Need A portion of those currently working in the craft and design field are entrepreneurs or self-employed designers and makers, and others hold positions in small to medium sized companies. A degree is particularly relevant for graduates working for employers who will reward this credential with a higher salary (approximately $15,000 per year higher than without a degree 2 ). Design consultancies fully appreciate the value of a degree in this field; manufacturers, on the other hand, suggest that a degree may provide leverage for a more complex career 3. The variety of interdisciplinary experience offered by the proposed program will broaden their employable skills and provide valuable collaborative working experience prior to embarking on a career. Collaboration between designers, craftspeople and manufacturers is a growing trend in industry. (For example, see The Bachelor of Craft and Design degree may also open pathways for graduates to enter teaching as a career, which may be seen as a more stable and economically viable option than self-employment; for others, self-employment is considered as the best option in a changing economic landscape. Graduates of the degree program will enrich the social, cultural and economic fabric through the realization of their creative efforts and the innovative objects that they produce. Applied research is a foundation of the program, involving students in hands on, materials-focused design challenges. Combined with our reputation in the field and our extensive facilities, this applied research dimension to the program can attract premiere research partners (such as Sheridan s recent work with renowned practitioner Philip Beasley) who are exploring and testing new materials and manufacturing processes. This kind of new knowledge is facilitated by the degree, and contributes directly to the economy. All other major craft programs in Canada (e.g., ECUAD, NSCAD) now offer degrees and Sheridan's lack of a degree program has created a challenge in attracting students, despite the excellent reputation of the advanced diploma program and the success of its graduates. Competition Given Sheridan s exceptional facilities and breadth of studio offerings, and the interdisciplinary nature of the proposed degree program, there is little comparison possible within the Ontario College system. The three traditional industrial design undergraduate degree programs in Ontario (Carleton University, Humber College, and OCAD University) offer education in the design of a broad range of consumer and commercial products, focusing on virtual digital design with little access to real prototype production facilities. Prototypes must be produced using stand-in materials for the intended product. Consequently, the student does not gain any firm understanding of the physical properties or the inherent potential of the intended material. Advances in software for digital design can provide visually convincing, threedimensional models that cannot be tested for viability, structural strength or durability in use. These issues were clearly noted by the Ad Hoc Program Advisory Committee as problematic for the employment of graduates of programs with little hands-on experience in materials and processes. 2 BAA Craft and Design Viability Report, September , (Petra Bennett) 3 Ibid. Generated from discussions with industry representatives

3 OCAD University continues to expand its focus on conceptual and environmental issues, increasingly presenting design as a service to business management rather than a methodology for the production of better products. While OCAD has studio facilities for wood, metal, plastics, ceramics and textiles, they exist as unrelated facilities with no common curriculum or interdisciplinary framework. Carleton University focuses primarily on the engineering and mechanical side of industrial design, using computeraided design as the primary means of concept development and presentation with little hands-on prototyping. Humber College, the only community college in Ontario to offer an industrial design degree, has a more general focus, with specializations in transportation design and sporting goods. None of these programs can offer the breadth of material-based experience, nor present the opportunity to collaborate on interdisciplinary projects that will be at the core of the proposed Bachelor of Craft and Design degree program. Farther afield, NSCAD in Halifax offers an undergraduate degree in Craft, providing specialization in ceramics, jewellery and textiles, while their undergraduate degree in Design focuses solely on two dimensional graphic design and design methodology. ACAD in Calgary offers a BFA with specialization in glass, jewellery or textiles, but offers no industrial design courses, while the University of Alberta in Edmonton offers an Industrial Design degree program with prototyping facilities, but no opportunity to specialize in a single medium. ECUAD in Vancouver offers a BFA in Ceramics only, and an unrelated Bachelor of Industrial Design. Student Interest and Potential Applicants Close to 80% of the Sheridan Craft and Design students and alumni that were surveyed recently said that they preferred a bachelor degree over Sheridan s existing Craft and Design advanced diploma program 4. Industry representatives view the timing of Sheridan s proposed degree program as appropriate since it coincides with an emerging opportunity involving the re-integration of craft and design skills. The current Craft and Design advanced diploma program attracts many mature students seeking a second, more satisfying career, as well as students from other institutions who are unfulfilled with their current studies who recognize the superiority of the facilities and instruction at Sheridan. Many potential applicants would prefer to study at Sheridan, but are drawn to other institutions such as NSCAD, OCAD and Emily Carr because they offer the potential of earning a degree. This can often be a deciding factor in the minds of parents, as well as those students intending to go on to graduate studies, who would logically choose to study at Sheridan should they be able to earn an undergraduate degree. When Humber College introduced its Industrial Design Degree program in 2004, it received 391 applicants, compared to 139 applicants in 2003, the last year its Industrial Design diploma program was offered 5 ; while a 229% increase is significant, we may expect a similar response. We also expect that a cohort of Craft and Design diploma graduates will choose to continue their studies, obtaining a degree by entering mid-third year of the degree in Program Standards and Credential Requirements The program does not need to be certified, licensed or granted any sort of official recognition by an Ontario regulatory body in order for graduates to work in the occupation in Ontario or use an occupational title. Nonetheless, the program worked closely with pertinent professional associations during its development and will continue to do so once launched; the ad Hoc PAC includes directors of the main professional associations. 4 Archbold Leclerc Consulting Inc. (2007) Report on Factors Affecting Future Curriculum Options 5 OCAS statistics, BAA Craft and Design Viability Report, September , (Petra Bennett)

4 Internal/External Consultations Extensive internal and external consultations have been a regular and diligent activity since the inception of this degree proposal. Externally, the ad hoc PAC has been invaluable. Starting in September, 2009, the members (representing all 5 disciplines ceramics, furniture, glass, industrial design and textiles) began a lively and informative discussion of transforming the current advanced diploma to a degree, adding industrial design to the mix, and creating a unique interdisciplinary focus. In November, 2009, a subgroup of the ad hoc PAC worked informally with the draft program map and learning outcomes to give feedback. In January, 2010, the entire ad hoc PAC discussed the draft program map, and the proposed pathways and choices each student could make within and outside their studio concentration, fully endorsing the plan. In the spring and summer of 2010, a small consulting group (with both ad hoc members and Sheridan members) formed to develop the curriculum for the industrial design stream, discussing the philosophical framework and identifying critical learning outcomes to meet professional standards. When the program map was finalized and curriculum (over 100 course outlines) was written, a final PAC meeting was held in April, 2011 where the ad hoc PAC voted unanimously to endorse the proposal. Canadian and international universities were also invited to comment on the proposed degree. At this time seven universities have provided letters of support for the degree, welcoming graduates of the proposed Sheridan degree program to apply for graduate school at their institution. Internally, the program plan evolved through the work of a dedicated design team composed of studio heads, acting studio heads, the Associate Dean and a curriculum consultant from the Network for Innovation and Leadership in Education at Sheridan (NILES). The team met regularly to refine the curriculum and tackling challenges regarding maintaining the current studio strengths while infusing inter-disciplinarity into the mix, breadth courses, sequencing, and pathways to graduate studies. Consultation with other college stakeholders ensured that all perspectives of this proposed degree were considered and represented (e.g., process/timing for managing internships, marketing strategies, potential for hybrid and online learning, renovations to workspace). The Local Academic Council (LAC) fully supported the plan. Enrolment Projections and Staffing Implications Initial enrolment for the proposed program is projected at 110 students for Fall 2014, the first year of the program. Cumulatively, the number of students will increase to 207 by Fall 2015, 295 by Fall 2016, 395 by Fall 2017 and 395 by Fall 2018, taking into account potential attrition. Opportunities for Craft and Design advanced diploma graduates will be provided that will allow them to enter mid-third-year of the degree, which increases enrolment by 20 students in Current full-time staffing levels will be maintained through the first two years of the new program, and any additional teaching contact hours not filled by full-time faculty will be contracted to part-time faculty. In the fourth year, one full-time faculty hire is projected. By the fifth year of the program with two more full-time hires, the ratio of full-time to part-time instructors in the program will be 1:1. Faculty Credential Requirements All full-time faculty in the current Craft and Design program have Master s degrees (the terminal degree for the field). Due to the specialized nature of many of the skills and concepts presented in the proposed degree program, part-time faculty will be hired based on their relevant industry and teaching experience. Those without a Master s degree will be supervised by credentialed faculty.

5 Space and Resource Requirements The existing Craft and Design studios represent a tailor-made structure within which to build the new degree program. All facilities and equipment are already in place to deliver the curriculum of four of the five proposed studio concentration areas: ceramics, furniture, glass and textiles. The industrial design curriculum will make significant use of the furniture studio for woodworking and plastics forming, while the Skills Training Centre will provide access to metalworking and welding facilities. Some additional classroom space will be required in AA wing for the industrial design concentration, which will be made available as the Interior Design degree program moves their programming into G wing. A separate model and prototyping lab will also be required with small spray booth, workbenches, power drops and localized ventilation; AA18 currently meets these requirements without renovation. Note that students are streamed immediately into their studio concentrations and each of those studios has capped numbers (22 to 24, depending on studio) in line with current capacity. Curriculum The four-year Bachelor of Craft and Design degree program is composed of a blend of hands-on studio courses, supporting courses in drawing and technology, lecture based theory courses, academic breadth courses, and professional practice/entrepreneurial courses, with a focus on interdisciplinary projects and collaborative learning. Students entering the proposed program will elect to focus on one of the five areas of studio specialization: ceramics, furniture, glass, industrial design or textiles. Studio courses in each specialization will form the nucleus of their studies, and represent approximately 40% of their total credits. The balance of their credits will be taken in support courses, which students of all specializations take together. These courses present content that is relevant to all students regardless of specialization, in areas such as drawing, design theory, art and design history, and business and professional practices, and lend economy of scale to the delivery of content. In addition to courses in their own area of specialization, students in the first year of the program will take short introductory classes in every other specialization of the program in order to enlarge their knowledge and skill base. In the second year, students have the opportunity to take more advanced classes in a studio outside their field of specialization as an elective. Also, in the second year and continuing into the third and fourth years, students take three levels of interdisciplinary courses in which they will work in collaborative teams, one from each area of specialization, to solve problems of common concern. This interdisciplinary, collaborative framework will give each student a thorough understanding of the different disciplines within Craft and Design in addition to the high level skills that they acquire within their own studio as they progress through the program. The final year of the program prepares students for their imminent professional roles or for graduate study. Applied research skills developed throughout the program are now applied to their thesis project in related courses: Thesis Seminar 1 and 2, and Thesis Execution 1 and 2, as a capstone to their formal education. In creating a personal body of work to be exhibited publicly, students will be required to think creatively and critically, undertake appropriate research and solve significant design and fabrication problems. In Business Models and Marketing and Promotion courses, students develop business plans, promotional material and marketing strategies, emphasizing the importance of entrepreneurial activity. Over a two-year period, we have conducted extensive consultation with industry partners, advisors, and our ad hoc PAC, as well as receiving feedback from academic institutions offering graduate degrees; all have supported the interdisciplinary and collaborative learning approaches that we have developed. This innovative, team-led approach, that encourages entrepreneurship and exploration in all materials, mirrors

6 the contemporary concerns of manufacturers, designers and consumers, positioning Sheridan at the forefront of this evolution of design education. The following quotes are examples of the positive feedback received about the proposed program: As I read through the proposed curriculum, my first response was one of enthusiasm, thinking that graduates of this course could become terrific applicants for our Masters Program (MFA) in Furniture Design at the Rhode Island School of Design. I am directly involved in reviewing every applicant folder for our Masters program, and I can say that over the years there are fewer and fewer strong applicants who demonstrate experience with craft practice, design theory and aesthetics, professional practice, technology and context. These are all important aspects of practising in our field, yet very few undergraduate programs have both the rigor and the depth that is the basis of your proposed curriculum (Professor Rosanne Somerson, Department Head, Rhode Island School of Design) Of particular interest to our graduate program would be the focus on interdisciplinary approaches to material. Interdisciplinarity is central to the ethos of our MAA program and as such we actively seek candidates who have undergraduate experience across disciplines. Industrial Design and Textiles are also areas of particular interest to our graduate program so the development of an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree in those specific disciplines would also support the potential of undergraduates from this degree program being attractive candidates for our MAA program. (Dr. Cameron Cartiere, Dean of Graduate Studies, Emily Carr) I welcome Sheridan s innovation and dedication to education in developing this program. Looking over the proposed curricular structure and draft learning outcomes for the program I can see that the program will be developing both depth and breadth in design practice and will train graduates to be both interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial in their approach. I am particularly interested in the inclusion of Industrial Design along with the four more traditionally accepted craft disciplines of furniture, glass, ceramics and textiles. I can see from the proposed curriculum that this approach isn t just a bureaucratic convenience but a fundamental pedagogical orientation It is clear here in the U.S., and in Australia where I continue to work and teach, that the borderline between craft and design is increasingly porous and that the most intriguing work occupies exactly that edge where the various disciplines overlap. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this fresh approach in students who might apply to CCA for their MFA! (Professor Donald Fortescue, California College of the Arts) Craft and Design Program Abstract The Bachelor of Craft and Design program will provide in-depth, hands-on education in five areas of studio concentration: ceramics, furniture, glass, industrial design and textiles. The focus on collaborative, interdisciplinary art, design and craft practice, entrepreneurism and expertise in a variety of materials and manufacturing processes is unique in Canada. It also responds to a rapidly changing landscape of object production and consumption as the boundaries between design, art and craft are blurred by advances in digital means of production, cultural cross-fertilization and the immediacy of the Internet. Students entering the proposed program will elect to focus on one of the five studios with the balance of their credits taken in support courses. Depending on their choice of specialization and career goals, graduates will variously be involved in the creation of products for industry, one-of-a-kind functional objects and unique art pieces. They may choose positions in design and manufacturing industries, arts

7 service organizations, galleries and retail operations that specialize in craft and design, or pursue graduate education at a variety of universities throughout North America and abroad.