Photographs by Eric Haley, graduate student in the MLA program at CalPoly Pomona

Transcription

1 Self-Evaluation Report for the MASTERS IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE California Polytechnic University, Pomona Submitted to the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board - December 2010 DRAFT

2 Images: Student work by graduate students in the MLA program at CalPoly Pomona Santa Clara River - Patrick Johnston, Sam Jenniches, JP Lee and Kai Craig Photographs by Eric Haley, graduate student in the MLA program at CalPoly Pomona

3 REQUEST FOR REVIEW - MLA DEGREE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL ACCREDITATION BOARD September 3, 2010 Invitation to review is extended by: The Department of Landscape Architecture, CalPoly Pomona Identify the program in Landscape Architecture to be reviewed and the name of the institution. Master of Landscape Architecture Department of Landscape Architecture California Polytechnic University, Pomona This landscape architectural program certifies that it has been in operation since 1970 and is legally entitled to confer the following first professional degree: Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

4 Preferred Dates for Review: Indicate first, second, and third preferences. 1. January 30, February 1-2, January 19-22, February 27, March 1-2, 2010 Please give complete address for the program requesting review. Include the name, phone number, and address for the program administrator. Lee-Anne S. Milburn, Ph.D., ASLA, LEED-AP Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Landscape Architecture California Polytechnic University Pomona 3801 W. Temple Avenue, Pomona, CA Work Phone: / Fax: / lsmilburn@csupomona.edu

5 PROGRAM SELF-EVALUATION REPORT For the Academic Year 2010 Institution Program Degree Title / Degree Length California Polytechnic University Pomona (CalPoly Pomona) Master of Landscape Architecture MLA / 3 year Chief Administrative Official of the Institution Chief Administrative Official of the College Michael Ortiz, President 98-R West Temple Avenue California Polytechnic University Pomona Pomona, CA jmo@csupomona.edu / Michael Woo, Dean West Temple Avenue California Polytechnic University Pomona Pomona, CA mwoo@csupomona.edu /

6 Chief Administrative Official of the Division / Department / Program Lee-Anne Milburn, Associate Professor and Chair West Temple Avenue California Polytechnic University Pomona Pomona, CA lsmilburn@csupomona.edu / Report Submitted by Lee-Anne Milburn / November 11, 2010

7 MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS For Achieving And Maintaining Accredited Status 1. The program title and degree description incorporate the term Landscape Architecture. 2. An undergraduate first-professional program is a baccalaureate of at least four academic years duration. 3. A graduate first-professional program is a master s equivalent to three academic years duration. 4. Faculty instructional full-time equivalence (FTE) shall be as follows: a. An academic unit that offers a single first-professional program has at least three FTE instructional faculty who hold professional degrees in landscape architecture, at least one of whom is full-time. b. An academic unit that offers first-professional programs at both bachelor s and master s levels, has at least six instructional FTE, at least five of whom hold professional degrees in landscape architecture, and at least two of whom are full-time. 5. The parent institution is accredited by a recognized institutional accrediting agency. 6. There is a designated program administrator responsible for the leadership and management functions for the program under review. 7. A program accredited by LAAB shall: a. Continuously comply with accreditation standards; b. Pay the annual sustaining and other fees as required; and c. Regularly file complete annual and other requested reports. The program administrator shall inform LAAB if any of these factors fails to apply during an accreditation period. The California Polytechnic University Pomona Bachelor of Landscape Architecture program meets the minimum conditions to apply for LAAB accreditation. Lee-Anne Milburn, Associate Professor and Chair Program Administrator Signature 1 December 12, 2010 Date

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9 INTRODUCTION 1. History of the Program In chronological form provide a brief history of the program being reviewed, concentrating on events since the last review. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTION 1938 The 157-acre Voorhis School for Boys near San Dimas becomes the Southern campus of California State Polytechnic School of San Luis Obispo, after being donated by Charles B. Voorhis and his son, Congressman Jerry Voorhis. Enrollment is approximately all male. Dr. Julian A. McPhee served as president of the joint campuses until his retirement in The parent institution is renamed California State Polytechnic College The cereal magnate, W. K. Kellogg, deeds his 813-acre Arabian Horse Ranch near Pomona to the State The former Kellogg Ranch becomes the second campus of the California State Polytechnic College s southern facility. Formal classes begin with an all male enrollment of 550 students with the college offering six programs in agriculture leading to four Bachelor of Science degrees The curriculum of the college now includes six degree programs in the arts and sciences and four in engineering. 3

10 1961 The implementation of the State Master Plan for Higher Education establishes the California State University and College system under the direction of its own Board of Trustees The college enrollment has now become co-educational and the Voorhis Campus is converted to use as a continuing education center and a laboratory for students in agriculture and natural science The Kellogg campus becomes California State Polytechnic College, Kellogg - Voorhis, Pomona, an independent State College within the State University and College system. The independent status is accompanied by the appointment of Dr. Robert C. Kramer as president Cal Poly, Pomona receives accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Kellogg West, the center for Continuing Education, a complex made possible by a $3 million grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, opens and becomes the first such facility within a state-wide system of higher education On June 1, 1972, Cal Poly, Pomona is elevated to university status as testimony to its contributions to the academic and professional world Dr. Hugh O. La Bounty, Jr. is inaugurated as University President on October 31, The Kellogg Foundation provides a $1.5 million grant to establish the Center for Regenerative Studies based on the work of John T. Lyle and others from the Department of Landscape Architecture and the University. On the basis of this grant, the University was able to obtain the rest of the funds to build the first phases of the Center Since 1956, the educational programs have grown from six undergraduate programs enrolling 550 men to 56 undergraduate and 15 graduate programs and nine teaching credential programs, enrolling close to 20,000 men and women. The number of degrees granted increased from 54 in June 1957 to over 2,750 in June Dr. La Bounty resigns and Dr. Bob H. Suzuki assumes the office of President Dr. Bob H. Suzuki is formally inaugurated as the new University President on April 29,

11 1993 The Center for Regenerative Studies opens, establishing demonstrations of renewable energy systems, intensive agriculture and aquaculture, as well as offices, classrooms, a commons, and living accommodations for 30 resident students Dr. Peter Dual is appointed Academic Vice President on July The Center for Regenerative Studies is renamed the John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies in honor of Professor Lyle. Dr. Peter Dual resigns as Academic Vice President, and Dr. Richard Santillan is named Interim Academic Vice President Dr. Jane Ollenburger is appointed as Academic Vice President Dr. Ollenburger resigns, and Dr. Tomas Morales is appointed as Interim Provost and Academic Vice President. Dr. Suzuki resigns and Dr. Michael Ortiz is appointed as new University President Dr. Tomas Morales is appointed as Provost and Academic Vice President Dr. Tomas Morales resigns as Provost and Academic Vice President Dr. Marten Den Boer is appointed as Provost and Academic Vice President CalPoly Pomona receives Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) full accreditation. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE/DEPARTMENT: 1953 The first courses in landscape architecture at Cal Poly, Pomona are offered under the direction of the Ornamental Horticulture Department The major of Landscape Architecture is established in the School of Agriculture with Professor Howard Owen Boltz as coordinator and a full-time faculty of three Recognition of the program is granted by the California Board of Landscape Architects The program in Landscape Architecture is elevated to departmental status with Professor Boltz as chairman. 5

12 1963 Professional accreditation is granted by the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Department of Landscape Architecture is renamed the Department of Environmental Design (with the addition of a major in Urban Planning) The department is elevated to the status of Division of Environmental Design with programs in Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning under the direction of Howard Owen Boltz. Jere Stuart French is appointed coordinator of the Landscape Architecture program. Professional accreditation is renewed and following the death of Professor Boltz in 1968, Professor French becomes director of the Division of Environmental Design with Professor Chester Volski appointed to coordinator of the Landscape Architecture program The School of Environmental Design is established with departments of Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning, and a new Department of Architecture. William Dale is appointed Dean with Professor French appointed as chairman of the Department of Landscape Architecture. MLA: The chair of Landscape Architecture appoints a committee composed of Professors John Lyle, Rodney Tapp and Chester Volski to study the possibilities of initiating a graduate program. This committee recommended that such a program be established, and in 1970 submitted a proposal to the University for a Master of Landscape Architecture degree. According to this proposal, two emphasis areas were to be developed: one in ecological land planning, and one in the behavioral basis for design The Environmental Design building is occupied, doubling the existing classroom and studio space. MLA: The graduate program in Landscape Architecture, with a strong orientation toward ecosystematic design, is initiated under the direction of Professor John T. Lyle Dr. H. Frederick Koeper is appointed Dean of the School of Environmental Design with Cameron R. J. Man succeeding Professor French as chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture. MLA: The first graduate courses are offered with eight entering students selected from the graduating class of the Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture Program. The initial case study for this group is funded by the Ford Foundation. 6

13 1972 MLA: Students with degrees in disciplines other than landscape architecture are admitted to the MLA for the first time, and course offerings are expanded MLA: To concentrate and better use available resources, the behavioral option of the MLA is dropped, and the major emphasis is redefined as ecosystematic planning and design. The MLA course sequence is re-organized to include six quarters of study for students with design degrees and eight to ten quarters for non-design students The department is reaccredited by the American Society of Landscape Architects. Professor Jere Stuart French becomes chair of the department. Between 1957 and 1975 the department faculty grows from three to thirteen and a number of specialties and innovations are introduced, taking advantage of various faculty expertise and interests. The Resource Collection, which was originally established in 1971, is enlarged to include a slide collection, periodicals, scholarly reports and theses, and professional publications. BSLA: Special concern for graphic communication and construction techniques are devised, and a new method for teaching landscape history is developed. Specific directions in fourth year design are developed in order to recognize differing areas of professional development. MLA: After admitting a class of 24 MLA students, which created many problems, the graduate faculty made a careful study of its goals and resources and determined the optimum number of students in each class to be MLA: The curriculum is again revised to include one full year of preparatory undergraduate courses for students with non-design degrees. Eleven quarters of course work in landscape architecture are required for these students. The ecosystem emphasis is maintained but expanded to include more work at the project scale, and some smaller scale design. The curriculum has maintained this configuration with some minor adjustments since that date, and the major emphasis has remained the same. Most research efforts have continued to be in the area of ecosystematic design. 7

14 1979 Chair Jere French is appointed Dean of the School of Environmental Design and Professor John T. Lyle is appointed chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture. Professor Jeffrey K. Olson is appointed coordinator of the graduate program. MLA: Lyle and Olson, along with Professors Robert Perry, Takeo Uesugi and Mark von Wodtke form the Graduate Studies Committee, which is also charged with selecting new students The undergraduate program is reaccredited and the graduate program receives its first provisional accreditation from the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board. MLA: The introductory courses in construction and planting design of the MLA are incorporated into the academic year sequence and the second summer quarter is eliminated. The program for students with non-design degrees now requires ten academic quarters. Concurrent with the development of an introductory year curriculum, the Graduate Studies Committee reviewed the enrollment level for the program and determined the target levels to be 12 students in the first year and 18 students in each of the subsequent years of the program Dean French resigns, and Professor Marvin Malecha is appointed Dean of the School of Environmental Design. MLA: The program is again reviewed by the LAAB and is provisionally accredited to Professors Lyle and Olson participate in the planning of LandLab, the university s new laboratory for education and research in the sustainable use of resources. This will be an important resource for the department MLA: Curricular revisions are implemented. The core area of study, ecosystematic design, is concentrated to allow for more elective options and three professional elective concentrations (Landscape Design, Landscape Planning and Landscape Research) are offered. The length of study required by the program remains unchanged The BSLA program is reaccredited and the MLA program is granted full accreditation by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board Plans are completed for the Institute for Regenerative Studies that will offer additional support for the department s programs. 8

15 1988 The School of Environmental Design becomes the College of Environmental Design. Landscape Architecture faculty participate with interdisciplinary teams in teaching experimental classes in regenerative studies under the CPU designation Professor John Lyle steps down as Department Chair and Professor Kenneth Nakaba is appointed Acting Chair. MLA: Professor Jeffrey Olson continues as the graduate coordinator and chair of the graduate studies committee The undergraduate and graduate programs are reaccredited by the LAAB. Professor Kenneth Nakaba is appointed Chair. With Professor Takeo Uesugi, Ph.D. as coordinator, Cal Poly Pomona and the Kyushu Institute of Design enter into a Faculty and Student Exchange Agreement MLA: Associate Professor Joan Safford is appointed Graduate Coordinator and Chair of the Graduate Studies committee when Professor Jeffrey Olson steps down The Department of Art joins the College of Environmental Design, offering additional opportunities for closer collaboration and use of facilities. Associate Professor Joan Safford is appointed Graduate Program Coordinator Professor John Lyle serves as Acting Director for the Center for Regenerative Studies until a full time Director is assigned in 1994 and welcomes the first group of students to the newly opened facilities after two years of construction. The Center for Regenerative Studies has a minor curriculum approved and takes full time residents for the first time. BSLA: The first group of senior students, led by Lecturer Phil Pregill, spends Fall Quarter at the Santa Chiara Study Center at Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy. In collaboration with the four departments, the College of Environmental Design initiates the ENV core, a jointly taught interdisciplinary series of courses for all first year Environmental Design students. The courses are ENV 101 and 102 (Introduction to Environmental Design); ENV 115 and 116 (History of Environmental Design); and ENV 120 (Introduction to Computers). MLA: An interdisciplinary summer graduate program is implemented. Students from Landscape Architecture, Architecture, and Urban and Regional Planning participate in an introductory summer program taught by instructors from the three disciplines. 9

16 1994 Dean Malecha resigns, and Professor Spryos Amourgis is appointed Interim Dean of the College of Environmental Design. MLA: Second year course sequencing reorganization is proposed The undergraduate and graduate programs are reaccredited by the LAAB to Linda Sanders is appointed Dean of the College of Environmental Design. The Department hosts an International Symposium on Regenerative Design and Sustainable Development at the Center for Regenerative Studies. Philip Pregill is appointed to a tenure-track Associate Professor position and joins the Graduate Studies Committee Professors John T. Lyle and Robert Perry retire. Professor Lyle continues to teach one quarter per year through the Faculty Retirement Program The College of Environmental Design reassumes management and control of the Center for Regenerative Studies. Professor Joan Safford is named Acting Director of the Center for Regenerative Studies. Associate Professor Joan Woodward is appointed Graduate Program Coordinator. Kyle Brown is appointed to a tenure-track Assistant Professor position and joins the Graduate Studies Committee. Associate Professor Sharon Stine retires and returns one quarter through the Faculty Retirement Program. Professor John Lyle passes away and the John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies is dedicated in his honor. Comprehensive review of graduate curriculum and the Graduate Student Recruitment and Alumni Relations Strategic Plan are initiated MLA: Curriculum change proposals are submitted. Mentoring program for graduate students is initiated The undergraduate and graduate programs are reaccredited by the LAAB to Professor Kenneth Nakaba, FASLA steps down from Department Chair position and Associate Professor Philip N. Pregill is appointed to serve as Department Chair. Dr. Takeo Uesugi retires from the Department faculty, but continues to teach one quarter per year through the University s early retirement program. 10

17 2001 Assistant Professor Jerry Taylor joins the tenure-track faculty. Professor Jeff Olson retires from the Department faculty. Professor Mark von Wodtke retires from the Department faculty, but continues to teach one quarter per year through the University s early retirement program. Professor Joan Safford resigns as Director of the John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies, and rejoins the Department faculty. The department adopts a Vision, Mission, and Values statement as part of a new strategic plan, focusing on five broad strategies. Department holds first annual Modules Week in the spring to allow for vertical integration of students at all academic levels in intensive, one-week courses on specialized topics within the discipline Dean Sanders resigns, and Dr. Richard Willson is appointed Interim Dean of the College of Environmental Design. Assistant Professor Ken McCown joins the tenure-track faculty. Objectives in support of the strategic plan are adopted and a faculty teaching interest survey is conducted to help determine teaching gaps relevant to future faculty hiring. Department focus on Regenerating Los Angeles is articulated and explored for curricular, hiring, and research implications. Professor Mark von Wodtke retires from the Department faculty, but continues to teach one quarter per year through the University s early retirement program Karen Hanna is appointed Dean of the College of Environmental Design. Assistant Professor Jeff Juarez joins the tenure-track faculty Dr. Kyle Brown is appointed Director of the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies. Professor Joan Safford rejoins the faculty and the Graduate Studies Committee The undergraduate and graduate programs are reaccredited by the LAAB until Dr. Jenny Yang joins the tenure-track faculty as Assistant Professor. Andrew Wilcox joins the tenure-track faculty as Assistant Professor. Professor D. Rodney Tapp retires and enters the FERP program. Professor Kenneth Nakaba retires and enters the FERP program. Professor Robert Perry retires Assistant Professor Jeff Juarez resigns from the faculty. Dr. Jenny Yang resigns from the faculty. Professor Joan Safford resigns from the faculty. Department Coordinator Cathy Demarzie retires after 25 years. Lauren Corona appointed as Interim Department Administrative Coordinator. MLA: The decision is made to increase graduate enrollment to 20 students per year.

18 2007 Dr. Susan Mulley joins the tenure-track faculty as Assistant Professor. Assistant Professor Ken McCown resigns from the tenure-track faculty. The department celebrates its 50 th Anniversary Karen Hanna resigns as Dean of the College of Environmental Design. Dr. Kyle Brown appointed as Interim Dean of the College of Environmental Design. Professor Phil Pregill steps down as Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture. Associate Professor Gerald O. Taylor is appointed Interim Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture. Professor Joan Hirschman Woodward takes leave from the Department of Landscape Architecture. Dr. Weimin Li joins the tenuretrack faculty as Assistant Professor. Christopher Artemus Aykanian joins the tenure-track faculty as Assistant Professor. Jerry Taylor is granted tenure and becomes Associate Professor. Kyle Brown becomes Full Professor. A chair search is initiated but is cancelled due to State budget cuts to education Michael Woo appointed as Dean of the College of Environmental Design. Professor Karen Hanna rejoins the full-time faculty in landscape architecture. Professor Noel Vernon resigns the position of Associate Dean and rejoins the full-time faculty in landscape architecture Dr. Lee-Anne Milburn begins appointment as Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture. Professor Noel Vernon is appointed Assistant Dean for the College of Environmental Design. Professor Joan Hirschman Woodward resigns from the Department. Professor D. Rodney Tapp completes the FERP program and retires. Administrative Coordinator Lauren Corona takes a promotion and joins Career Services as an Event Coordinator; Kris Penrose from Institutional Services and the Department of Architecture accepts the job of Administrative Coordinator. 2. Response to Previous LAAB Review. Describe the progress that has been made on the Recommendation Affecting Accreditation from the previous accreditation visit (not applicable to those seeking initial accreditation). List each prior Recommendation verbatim and provide an updated recap of responses made on annual interim reports. List each Suggestion for Improvement and provide an update. The Department has responded positively to the recommendations and suggestions of the previous review team. Their input has been incorporated into the program to the extent possible given the state budget crisis, cutbacks to education and especially the CSU system in California, and an evolving faculty profile. 12

19 Recommendations Affecting Accreditation 1. Review organization of computer technology support and develop a technology system that allows for the effective utilization of existing technology, the expansion/updating of hardware and software, and the successful integration of student owned resources into the educational setting (Standard 9). This recommendation emerged from the visiting team report which stressed concerns about adequate support for technology, primarily in the studio environment. Specifically, the visiting team reported a lack of clarity concerning plans for campuswide networking, minimal computer resources and less than dependable network access in studios, and a lack of technical support. 13 While adequate computing resources continue to be an issue, many changes have occurred since the previous LAAB review. The most significant upgrades to report have been related to the network serving the graduate studios and surrounding environments. A new hard wire network was installed in all graduate studios, as well as lecture spaces serving the graduate program. The upgrade includes the installation of multiple jacks in each classroom environment, allowing all students who wish to be connected to the hard wire network to do so. This represents a significant upgrade from the state of the hard wire network during the last LAAB review, when a limited number of ports were available in each of the studios, in limited locations within each studio. In addition, the University has substantially improved wireless network access throughout the University, including in the graduate studios and surrounding environments. Strong signals on both the CPP secure network and the Guest network are consistently reported in the graduate studios. Students report few problems with wireless access, though some are perhaps not well-educated on how to connect to the CPP secure network, and tend to use the unsecured Guest network as a result. The University s Division of Instructional and Informational Technology (I & IT) provides network support, including configuration of student computers to access the wireless networks. A change in the organizational structure related to IT support is the second significant change since the last LAAB review. As of September, 2010, IT support became centralized under the Division of I & IT. Prior to this reorganization, the College employed an IT technician dedicated to serving College resources. While the previous arrangement held some advantages in terms of providing an in-house technician familiar with the unique needs of the College, there are a number of logistical advantages to the new centralized model. The College is still largely served by the same technician, meaning that the institutional knowledge of College needs is retained. However I & IT offers a broader range of expertise, additional technicians to serve the College during periods of high demand or unavailability of our primary technician, and a sophisticated help desk system to service students, faculty and staff

20 through a common portal. Under the previous arrangement, support for studentowned computers was provided through the I & IT Helpdesk, while Department and Faculty resources were managed by the College. While this new organizational structure has only been in place a limited time, it appears to be operating efficiently in terms of servicing student and faculty needs. The University has also continued to upgrade online learning and collaboration environments including Blackboard and MS Exchange. Student and Employee records continue to be maintained through the online student interface, BroncoDirect, which handles registration, holds, advising and admissions resources. While far from being flawless programs, all of these online environments have undergone substantial improvements since the last review, and are adequately supported by the University. Since the last review period, the College has a requirement for laptop purchase by students, and full integration of student-owned resources is commonplace in graduate studios. Students can network to department supplied printers and scanners in each classroom. Large format printing is available in Building 3, as well as smart classrooms. Although the graduate studios do not currently have smart classroom stations, this is being addressed this year. The University continues to provide a number of general computing labs on campus, as well as some specialized labs, such as the Center for GIS Research, which is available for teaching, as well as individual student and faculty work. The GIS Center provides support for GIS on campus and is well utilized by the department. Software is available for a substantial discount through the student software program at the bookstore. The College is in the process of downsizing the computer lab space it operates, as a result of the laptop purchase requirement. College computing resources have focused primarily on specialized output devices, including rapid prototype machines (3D printers), CNC Milling Machines, and plotters. These devices are now managed through I & IT and are available for use (for a fee) by students in the Building 3 service bureau. The College s Model Shop also provides some output devices such as laser cutters and milling machines. Finally, the Department continues to maintain a limited amount of hardware in graduate studios to support instruction. Each studio is equipped with a portable projection system, color laser printers and at least one desktop computing station. The program employs a graduate student to maintain the operation of this hardware. Ongoing maintenance and upgrades of this equipment continues to be a challenge for the program. In addition, the provision of dedicated server space for the sharing of project data is a challenge, particularly in the first and second year studios. It is hoped that the new support relationship with I & IT will generate some solutions to these ongoing problems. 14

21 Suggestions for Improvement Suggestion 1. Investigate ways to achieve the stated goal of interdisciplinary learning through the strategic use of resources. Modifications of some aspects of curriculum structure and content need to be investigated (Standard 1). 15 The Lyle Center continues to offer opportunities for students to take courses outside the discipline. Discussions have begun on the option of a dual (consecutive) graduate degree with Urban and Regional Planning and many graduate students are currently taking courses in URP in anticipation of this being in place by Students also take courses outside the department in Geography, Geology, Graphic Design, Agriculture, and History. In addition, the creation of the California Center for Land and Water Stewardship is projected to create learn-by-doing opportunities for students on projects, grants and contracts. Suggestion 2. Evaluate peer institutions to gain insight into alternative funding models, teaching loads, and support systems for graduate professional education (Standard 2). This issue is of primary concern at Cal Poly Pomona and the CSU system. The Cal Poly Pomona Teacher-Scholar Task Force has identified teaching loads at CPP as a primary barrier to scholarly productivity at CPP. The issue of teaching loads is currently under discussion as a result of the WASC review of Cal Poly Pomona, and CPP is expected to make a decision on semester conversion in the next year. The new digital AIS will provide statistics that can be used to compare CalPoly

22 educational and research resources to those of other universities. It is hoped that a larger number of programs will participate in the database over the next few years to provide credibility to comparative data. Suggestion 3. Develop funding strategies to insure the long-term support of graduate program initiatives / activities (Standard 2). Funding for the graduate program has historically been derived from 606 Studio. However, in the past two years this has been expanded to funded studios for graduate students and graduate studios with other clients. For example, in 2009, the graduate section of the studio LA303/303L engaged in a funded project for the Big Sur Land Trust on the Marks Ranch property which supported two teaching assistants, travel and printing, in addition to further employment for graduate students to complete the project. In several municipal and corporate entities began negotiations to fund graduate thesis research. Creation of the California Center for Land and Water Stewardship has provided further support for contract research in the graduate program and opportunities for funded projects. The department is planning the creation of an alumni / professional advisory board as a future resource for expertise, feedback, and donor support for the program. The chair is currently developing a long-term financial strategy for the department. Faculty are currently discussing the current focus on 606 funding as the primary resource for the department, and the associated expectations related to student theses and 606 projects. Suggestion 4. Develop strategies to recognize, support and reward faculty achievements in scholarship and graduate education (Standard 2). There are substantial institutional opportunities for recognition of faculty scholarship and teaching. Two faculty (Dr. Susan Mulley and Dr. Weimin Li) have been awarded the Provost s Teacher Scholar Award in 2009/10 and 2010/11. Dr. Mulley received a Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities grant in Faculty have had the opportunity to participate in the Provost s Symposiums on Teaching and Scholarship since 2009, and several faculty have done so. The Faculty Center for Professional Development offers mini-grants to support teaching and Dr. Mulley was awarded several of these grants in 2009 and In addition, the department created teaching awards in 2009, and helped to develop College-level teaching awards. The university has created recognition awards for Teaching and Scholarship that should be in place in Suggestion 5. Continue to pursue opportunities for interdisciplinary education consistent with the goals of the college and program: broaden and enrich opportunities for graduate students to shape their curriculum (Standard 3). 16

23 The Lyle Center continues to offer opportunities for students to take courses outside the discipline. At the request of students, discussions began and agreement in principal was reached in 2009 on the option of a dual (consecutive) graduate degree with Urban and Regional Planning and many graduate students are currently taking courses in URP in anticipation of this being in place by Students also take courses outside the department in Geography, Geology, Graphic Design, Agriculture, and History. In addition, the creation of the California Center for Land and Water Stewardship is projected to create learn-by-doing opportunities for students with projects, grants and contracts. Graduate students have the ability to enrich their curriculum through electives, participation in undergraduate field trips, study abroad, and many related opportunities. Suggestion 6. Explore curriculum enrichment opportunities that could result from more effective collaboration with other departments in the College (Standard 3). Faculty and students have identified opportunities for interdisciplinary partnerships within the college and beyond. The dual degree option will help support collaboration, as does the California Center for Land and Water Stewardship. In addition, opportunities under programs such as Imagining America, which Cal Poly Pomona joined in 2009, provide opportunities to involve students in interdisciplinary partnerships working on publicly engaged scholarship in our community. Research partnerships with URP, the Collins College, the College of Science and Geography have been especially fruitful in creating opportunities for graduate students. Suggestion 7. Identify mechanisms to improve intra-departmental communication and collaboration in teaching and research (Standard 3). 17 Efforts have been made in the past three years to enhance both teaching and research collaboration between faculty in the department. Co-taught courses and combined sections of courses have become more common. Research partnerships exist between faculty with common goals. Suggestion 8. Develop strategies to establish appropriate teaching loads that will promote scholarship consistent with the expectations and development of a graduate program (Standard 4). Teaching loads are set by the CSU system and by Cal Poly Pomona. Until the WASC accreditation process of 2010 there has been little willingness on the part of administration at CPP to consider alternative options for teaching loads. In 2010 the Teacher Scholar Task Force began an investigation of alternative weighting models which included units in the formula for scholarship, consistent with a growing number of CSU campuses. In addition, CPP is actively examining the issue of conversion to semesters that many faculty believe will result in an improved ability

24 to engage in scholarship. Funding for reducing teaching loads is difficult, if not impossible, for departments in the CSU system to obtain and must be generated at the College or Institutional level. While individual faculty can create buyouts from their research funding, efforts at the College and University level are required to solve this long-standing issue at CPP. Growth of the thesis option in the department with the introduction of new faculty has resulted in an increase in high quality graduate research and will generate peer-reviewed articles. The curriculum is currently under review to identify strategies to address teaching loads within the current faculty assignment structure. The department is examining course weighting (1, 2, 3), categories (lab versus activity classes), and delivery categories (lecture vs. lab) in an attempt to restructure the curriculum to assign greater value to existing efforts, and consolidate efforts where possible to reduce duplication. At a minimum, some of these strategies should result in reduced teacher-student contact hours; ideally, it will reduce course preparation burdens. Suggestion 9. Review peer institutions to develop benchmarks for teaching loads, cost of living/salary relationships and research support (Standard 4). The budget crisis of the past few years has resulted in significant hardships in this area. However, the university has made strides in support for new hires in terms of start-up funds and release time for scholarship. There are institutional programs for support of scholarship such as the Provost s Teacher-Scholar Awards and RSCA, in addition to Faculty Center for Professional Development minigrants for the scholarship of teaching. Salaries continue to lag behind other institutions and need to more adequately reflect the cost of living of the local area, however the university has developed housing support programs to aid faculty in home purchasing in order to mitigate the extraordinary cost of real estate in the area. Addressing this issue is best handled at the university level, and concerns over faculty retention and scholarly expectations are creating a willingness to begin this dialogue. Suggestion 10. Initiate efforts to more uniformly expand and improve the digital skills of the student body (Standard 5). Students receive dedicated instruction in digital technologies in several classes in the curriculum. Digital graphics, layout and GIS have been incorporated throughout the graduate curriculum. The GIS Center provides significant institutional support for GIS programming on campus and is utilized by our graduate program. 18

25 Suggestion 11. Explore strategies to further develop the advisory board to allow for more systematic involvement and support of fund raising activities (Standard 6). Sadly, the departmental advisory board lost momentum since the last accreditation visit. Key alumni are serving on the college Partner s Circle, and are proposed as members of the new advisory board (name yet to be determined). A new advisory board is needed, and preliminary meetings between the chair and selected alumni and professionals have occurred in Fall A viable and effective board will take some time to form and implement. Suggestion 12. Develop additional strategies to inform alumni about program activities, develop programs and special initiatives in order to broaden the department s alumni support base (Standard 6). The new chair has initiated preliminary strategies to provide short-term solutions to communicating with alumni, practitioners, and potential students. The two primary tools that have been created to date are an updated website with new correct content, and a facebook page. Currently the facebook page is used as a warehouse for current alumni information, in anticipation of broader alumni communications and interactions in the future. A vacant position in the Dean s office has been identified as needing to be oriented to alumni communication and tracking. Suggestion 13. Consider organizing events that build on the LAMP program and facilitate initial student and mentor contacts (Standard 7). A new mentoring program has been proposed by the Southern California chapter of the ASLA. The program will be a significant partner in this initiative. We anticipate the first group of mentors will be identified in the Spring

26 Suggestion 14. Explore strategies for building on student generated outreach projects to develop a more significant research culture in the program (Standard 8). The addition of new faculty, hired for their research focus, has resulted in a significantly improved research culture. The department now has a critical mass of experienced research faculty, with four faculty with doctorates, and a significant record of publication, grant-writing, and awards. The work produced in graduate courses (such as LA 601) has resulted in refereed presentations of student work and a collaborative research culture with faculty. Consequently, more students are inspired by the thesis option to engage in research. Grant-writing by some faculty to support research has resulted in opportunities for graduate involvement in research programs. Suggestion 15. Continue to identify and develop internal university connections and collaborative research opportunities through dual degree, minor, and other curriculumbased efforts (Standard 8). New opportunities for collaborative research opportunities have been developed over the past three years. The Lyle Center continues to support interdisciplinary research, and the California Center for Land and Water Stewardship is specifically designed to create these opportunities across campus. The Imagining America initiative brings together artists and scholars in publically engaged scholarship and some of our faculty are members of this group. The proposed dual degree (consecutive) with URP grew out of collaborative efforts between faculty in URP and LA. Suggestion 16. Continue to develop the Center for Regenerative Studies as both an outreach to the community and as a point of convergence for university educational and research programs (Standard 8). While the Center for Regenerative Studies is a separate unit within the College of ENV, the department continues to engage in collaborative work with CRS. Dr. Kyle Brown is both director and a member of the landscape architecture department, and as such, cross-disciplinary opportunities are easily communicated and promoted. Dr. Susan Mulley is the Faculty-in-Residence at the CRS. New opportunities exist for interdisciplinary and community collaboration with the California Center for Land and Water Stewardship. Suggestion 17. Explore avenues to increase graduate studio space to allow for expansion and growth (Standard 9). The California budget crisis in education and CSU restrictions on classroom space make this recommendation a challenge. However, steps have been taken to create new studio spaces in Building 3 that are used by both graduate students and undergraduates. New spaces in Building 1 are being explored. The increase in enrollment and increasing demand for graduate education make this issue a priority. 20

27 The space committee of the College has been reinstituted to examine the issue of space allocation, with one of the primary issues being space allocated to the landscape architecture graduate program. A proposal to significantly reorganize the graduate studios has been made and is being discussed. Suggestion 18. Develop a strategy for supporting available and affordable digital input and output consistent with the needs of studio-based instruction and the integration of a variety of media (Standard 9). Graduate studios now have department supplied printers and scanners. Most studios also have tabloid printers in addition to letter-sized printers. Large format scanners that been donated by alumni and firms are available to students. In addition, the College of ENV has created a printing facility in Building 3 that is available to all students. Students are increasingly dealing with this issue in an entrepreneurial manner by purchasing large format printers and charging their classmates for printing in order to offset the purchase price. As digital technology and student approaches to education change, we are finding that there is a decreasing demand for output facilities - much student work is prepared and reviewed digitally. Alternative forms of communication such as video and projections are increasingly popular. 3. Current strengths and opportunities Location. The surrounding landscape includes significant seacoast, mountain and desert environments. The southern California metropolitan region is one of the most complex and diverse urban regions in the world with a population of over sixteen million people. The location offers a challenging variety of ecological and social issues for study by students and faculty. The proximity of several major libraries, museums, botanical gardens, recreation areas, and many executed works of landscape architecture is also an important asset for the program. This context has been an important catalyst in the development of the Department s vision statement, Regenerating Los Angeles, which challenges faculty and students to address issues facing human kind in the 21 st century. 2. Students. The program benefits from an energetic, active, and diverse student body, which is a reflection of the university s mission as part of the California State University system, as well as the cultural diversity of the Los Angeles region. In addition, we regularly have exchange students from other programs and/or countries participate in our curriculum. This provides tremendous opportunities for interaction and exchange of experiences and backgrounds. The program attracts out-of-state students drawn to the program s emphasis and reputation. The hybridizing of high-caliber students from varied backgrounds and locations at Cal Poly Pomona creates a particularly stimulating teaching and learning environment that often

28 breaks new ground in practice and research. The work of our dedicated and hard-working students has been recognized by national awards, referred presentations and publications and by our community partners. Interaction between students in the two programs is strong, due to joint courses and the proximity of studio spaces. 3. Faculty. The faculty, including full and part-time members, has a diverse range of interests, knowledge, experience and expertise to offer to the program. Despite teaching loads that are greater than most other teaching and research institutions, the faculty has maintained vibrant scholarly and creative careers, involving notable book and article publications, participation in competitions, exhibitions, conferences, and professional practice. The California State University system places a clear emphasis on teaching through a student-centered approach; faculty members at Cal Poly reflect this emphasis in their availability to students as well as their awareness and concern for individual students progress. Since the last accreditation review, there have been significant changes in faculty personnel, with three fulltime faculty members retiring, three full-time tenure-track faculty moving on, three tenure-track faculty members being hired (with another search currently in progress), as well as two former administrators moving back to the department to assume full-time teaching. In addition several new parttime instructors have been added to the faculty. While this kind of turnover presents a challenge, it has also prompted an examination of the mission of the Department and the undergraduate curriculum, and presents an exciting opportunity for further evolution of the program. In 2010 Cal Poly Pomona adopted the Teacher-Scholar Vision statement, which emphasizes the integration of teaching and scholarship. The MLA program has been a leader in this integration and serves as a model for the rest of the campus. Cal Poly Pomona also emphasizes its Learn-By-Doing philosophy, evident in the work of our faculty and graduate students on real projects, with real implications for the future. Since the last accreditation review, there have been significant changes in faculty personnel that have increased the emphasis on research in the graduate program. 4. Community Service. The program has a tradition of emphasizing community service projects as case studies for studio inquiry and other courses. In the tradition of Cal Poly s Learn-By-Doing philosophy, students frequently engage real-world problems in studio, often in the context of serving communities in need. The University has an official designation for service-learning courses through the Center for Community Service- Learning. A number of the program s courses are routinely designated as service-learning courses. In addition to officially designated service-learning projects, a number of informal community engagement projects are pursued in core and elective courses within the program. Evidence of this can be 22