MEMORANDUM #1

To: Printmaking Faculty

From: H. Randolph Swearer, Dean

Date- March 16, 2000

I write to advise you about building plans that will affect Parsons' Printmaking program. As some of you may know, [Comment: At this point in time only about 6 , 1 only from printmaking out of 17! ]the University engaged Helpem Architects to develop a comprehensive facilities master plan for Parsons. The firm has been working throughout the 1999-00 academic year, and presented conceptual plans and recommendations to the University leadership and to most of the Parsons Department Chairs in January. The plan includes some extremely attractive features: more rational arrangements and adjacencies of departments and labs; more open floor plans allowing for easier interaction between classes' more natural light for studios- improved access to critique spaces for each department in the 13th Street building; the development of "smart" teaching [Comment: what is "smart" teaching? Computers? The smartest teaching is just that which exists in the printmaking community right now ]and working spaces on each floor; redesigned public spaces, including the 13th Street entrance and gallery, and much enhanced facilities for students.

The plan, if fully realized, will require the expenditure of approximately $30 million, for which a major capital campaign will be mounted. However, the University has committed $6 million of immediately available bond funds to begin initial work this summer.

The Helpern Plan, like most facilities plans, will require compromises, since the net gain in space available for Parsons will not increase dramatically. We will need to prioritize our needs and consider making changes to maximize the newly conceived space. We will have to consider doing slightly less, but doing it considerably better.

At the present time, our most compelling needs are for dedicated studio space in the departments, better circulation, and a larger and enhanced 4th floor Student Commons, which will include work and meeting space, exhibition areas, improved dining and social space, and the relocation of all student services offices. We are not,therefore, able to accommodate the print shop in the 13th Street building, beginning this summer. When this became evident[Comment: was this evident before or after the architects were told the print shop space was "available"] I assembled a group of department chairs[ Comment : apparently in secret, at this time the name of only one department chair in this group is definitively known ] whose students comprise most of the 150 degree students currently enrolled in printmaking classes. While there was general support for providing degree students with the option of elective courses in printmaking, there was not a clear sense that -relocating the printshop was a high enough priority to displace other elements of the degree curriculum. Given the need for us to make some decisions in time for the early summer construction schedule, I have taken the following steps-

In order to pursue alternative curricular options and thereby generate deeper and stronger support for printmaking[Comment: Nothing could have been stronger that the University wide support for the status quo], I appointed a faculty task force chaired by Johanne Woodcock (Associate Chair, AAS Program), with the following members: Michael Kirk (Printmaking), Tom Butter (Fine Arts/Sculpture), Earl Tai (Liberal Studies), and Sven Travis (Digital Design). Each of the members has had substantial experience with print media and with curriculum development. Their charge is to explore alternative curricular models and provide me with a preliminary, conceptual model for a fijture print program that supports the main degree curricula at Parsons, by the end of March.

We have determined that we will not be able to redefine and relocate the print facilities in time for the summer 2000 semester, or for the 2000-01 academic year. Summer course offerings in all programs are cancelled.

Over the summer we will develop a plan for storing the presses, other print equipment, and materials for the duration of the 2000-01 academic year, and will explore possibilities for offering a reduced number of courses for Parsons students with Parsons faculty at an off-site location. However, unless and until a viable alternative is identified, we cannot offer teaching contracts to part-time faculty members, We will arrange for part-time faculty to receive payment for their cancelled Fall '00 classes if they are not reassigned to other teaching assignments. [Comment: In fact at this point all part time faculty including those with up to 30 years service to the print shop were summarily fired ] The Dean's office staff will follow up with you individually to make these arrangements.

We have proposed that Michael Kirk and Bill Phipps continue as staff/faculty members for the 2000-01 academic year, and that they continue working with my office and the department chairs to flesh out a curriculum and facilities proposal for the future, to investigate the possibility of off-site course offerings, and to oversee the relocation of the printshop equipment. We hope that Michael and Bill will accept our offer to continue, and to work with us during this challenging transition,

I want to thank each and every one of you for your many years of service to Parsons and to Parsons students. I want to be clear that these changes are not a reflection on your work in the Parsons print curriculum, but are driven by our constant need to reevaluate curriculum in response to our pressing space needs, and changing technologies and academic and professional priorities within the school as a whole. I encourage you to share your thoughts about future directions that printmaking might take at Parsons with us.

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