Since our summer renovation plans for the 4th floor of 2 W 13th Street have changed, we will be able to offer. printmaking courses on campus during the 2000-01 academic year, Parsons degree program faculty teaching courses for the undergraduate and graduate programs will be confirmed this week that their courses [Comment: Does this mean ALL their courses? ] will be continued next year. Students can expect to enroll in the print courses they anticipated as part of their BFA and AAS degree programs. [Comment: What about New School and CE? ]

Summer 2000

The late change in renovation plans has made it impossible to reinstate the full (though limited) range of course offerings this summer-.[Comment: Why? The teachers are available for the most part and printing a supplement to the Summer Catalog is a minor matter ] We will offer the printmaking course that is a part of the Bank Street MS program previously envisioned.

A detailed analysis of the shop's operation and budget [Comment: Why? It clearly "aint broke" so why try and fix it? ]will be completed during late spring/

earlv summer as well. The results of this analysis will be shared with the student and staff planning groups described below.

The Planning Process

I have charged an ad hoc. planning committee to work throughout April, May, and June. This committee is comprised academic leaders drawn from six of the art/,design departments at Parsons The committee will continue studying the printmaking curriculum, possible enhancements, and future directions; assessing out current access policies and program offerings; and addressing other issues that have arisen in the weeks since my previous correspondence. The committee will make a preliminary report to me at the end of June. .[ Comment: Perfect timing, there will be no one around to discuss or counter the report and by the Fall it will be cast in stone as a fait accompli. ]

Concurrently, I will convene a student advisory group to work with us in this important discussion during the coming weeks

I appreciate the Ietters and messages I have received from members and friends of the Parsons cornmunity and appreciate the deep concern many have expressed on this topic. I want to assure you stand firmly behind my previous message that we are not planning, and did not ever plan, to eliminate printmaking[Comment: That may well be true but what about radical changes in the offerings and location which could substantially have the same effect? ]from the Parsons curriculum. I look forward to the committee reports and to the analysis, research and planning that will go on throughout the coming year. As Dean, I will consider this information carefully and seriously in the context of Parsons' physical, financial, and academic resources and.plans and, will communicate regularly with you about our progress.

Best wishes for a productive end-of-semester and a pleasant summer break.

TOP