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The Rice Thresher
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by MEGHAN MILLER THRESHER STAFF Studio art and creative writing courses could no longer count for distribution credit next year unless the standing committee responsible for reviewing courses reconsiders its recommendations for distribution course designations. When the committee submitted its suggested distribution list, studio art and creative writing courses were not included. The list will be approved sometime in May by Dean of Humanities Judith Brown. "They were among courses that didn't seem to meet the specific requirements for a Group I distribution credit," Ira Gruber, committee chair and history professor, said. "The committee is sympathetic with creative courses as a part of distribution, but we thought that they were too focused on acquiring basic artistic skills." Some are upset about the decision, feeling that it was made without regard for student and faculty input. "The decision is not only a marginalization of our courses but it is not a wise thing to do," Art and Art History Professor Geoffrey Winningham said. "It never came before the faculty and that is very disturbing." Faculty voted last spring on criteria for all distribution courses. According to the text of the criteria, distribution courses must be accessible to non-majors and represent the "knowledge, intellectual skills and habits of thought that are most characteristic of a discipline or of inquiry across disciplines." Criteria for Group I distribution courses include developing students' understanding of texts and the arts and introducing students to the variety of approaches and methods with which different disciplines approach intellectual problems. Members of the Art and Art History Department, led by Department Chair Bill Camfield, will meet with the committee April 25 to discuss a reconsideration of the recommendations. Camfield said he feels some creative courses meet the criteria for distribution courses. "I think that the creative arts of all kinds are really absolutely basic means of knowledge, of experiencing this world, and for them not to be represented would be an impoverishment of the students." The Student Association formed a committee to investigate student demand for creative arts courses at the beginning of the semester. They have prepared petitions to gauge student interest. "These petitions are designed to bring up the issue to increase the availability of courses," committee chair Gwen Hoben said. "They offer some solutions but do not demand specific ones. We hope to have the issue put on the agenda of the [School] of Humanities." Petitions started at Hanszen College yesterday and today and will circulate during lunch to all colleges next week. The SA committee decided to focus on three high-demand introductory level courses for the petitions: drawing, photography and creative writing. The committee suggests offering courses both semesters rather than one semester and offering more sections, with the understanding that there will probably be a need for part-time faculty and more funding. The petitions also have two survey questions gauging both the number of students who have attempted unsuccessfully to enroll in such courses and students' interest in a creative arts course that is not offered for distribution credit. "Based on talking to other students, I really don't think that distribution will change the demand for these courses very much," Hoben said. "There's been so much enthusiasm it seems like this project is well supported." Many students have a difficult time getting into the classes, including some whose majors require them. Art history majors are required to take two studio art courses and architecture majors must take one, but only studio art majors are given enrollment preference. "I haven't been able to get into drawing because of the preferential enrollment," Will Rice freshman Erin McEntee, an art history major, said. "I've tried twice, and drawing is a prerequisite for the other studio art classes I should take." Camfield acknowledged he has received many complaints from students unable to enroll in studio classes, and the only way to accommodate the demand for the classes is to add sections. "One of the difficulties is unlike regular humanities courses, we can't just bring in more seats. We're limited to the number of easels that can be brought in, the cameras and darkrooms we have," Camfield said. - back -
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