ITEM 126-2851-R0305

 

CERTIFICATE IN CREATIVE ARTS ENTERPRISE -- PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

 

1.      Briefly describe the proposed new program. Please indicate if it is (a) an expansion of an existing program or a new program; (b) a cooperative effort with another institution, business, or industry; or (c) an on-campus or off-campus program. Attach any formal agreements established for cooperative efforts.

 

The Certificate in Creative Arts Enterprise is a follow-up to the highly successful pilot program Transforming Regional Artisans into Creative Entrepreneurs (TRACE).� This workforce development program, the result of a grant from the office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, began in fall 2004 with an initial cohort of 20 nontraditional students from across the state.� The program has evolved in a collaborative manner, tapping into the expertise of a number of mentors and museums in the region.� Both the entrepreneurial and creative arts portions of the program make use of the expertise of Montana�s many established artists, arts-based organizations, and the Montana Arts Council for content and for adjunct faculty.

 

The Certificate in Creative Arts Enterprise is designed to launch Montana�s promising artisans in sustainable arts careers in Montana by helping them develop a broader knowledge of business techniques, while enhancing their skills in their craft.� Students who complete the course of study will receive a Certificate in Creative Arts Enterprise from MSU-Great Falls College of Technology, which will provide them with training essential in developing sustainable careers in their craft.

 

The program targets students wanting a flexible, short-term educational experience that nurtures the discipline of their art while providing them with the entrepreneurial skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in creative enterprise.� In keeping with Montana�s pioneer �can do� heritage, this program is based on the idea that sustainable economic solutions for the state will develop through nurturing and developing its creative and entrepreneurial spirit.�� The program provides opportunities to both the first-time college student and the adult returning to the classroom to develop additional skills or a new career.

 

Specifically, the program helps students to:

1)�� establish themselves in a sustainable career doing what they love;

2)�� develop their skills through practice and peer input;

3)�� learn to price, package, and promote their work;

4)�� develop a business plan for success;

5)�� learn the language and logistics of selling;

6)�� connect with mentors and experts in the creative sector;

7)�� increase their knowledge of the Internet�s role in creative enterprise;

8)�� expand their markets.

 

The program is designed with four characteristics in mind:

1.       To be accessible to working adults from across the state, especially from rural areas, with learning occurring in the studio, at home, and on-line.

2.       To be flexible, allowing nontraditional learners to schedule their own studio time, the time they spend with mentors, and the time that they work online.

3.       To be experiential.� Since nontraditional students tend to respond more enthusiastically to situations in which they can learn experientially and are allowed self-direction, the program is grounded in the idea that creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit are best developed by learning through doing.� Mentorships and self-guided, studio-based work ensure that students develop in their discipline.

4.       To be affordable.� The program requires only one year for a student to complete, relying on a compressed format specifically related to the creative enterprise sector and the demands of the market, thereby cutting the costs to the student.� The program taps into the area museums and galleries, utilizing those programs and resources to enrich the students� educational experiences without adding the costs of program duplication.

5.       To be collaborative, capitalizing on existing community-based resources.� A unique feature of the program will be the partnerships between MSU�Great Falls and regional artisans, local museums and galleries.� As the students progress through the program, many of their learning experiences will occur in the community, in galleries and museums, and in the studios and shops of practicing artisans.� They can take advantage of the workshops and seminars offered in the region to learn about the heritage of Montana, the experience of the practicing artist, and the design and creation of arts and crafts.� They will be able to intern in galleries and museums as they learn how to promote, display, and sell high-quality handcraft.� They will study with master artisans in the region and ultimately develop a body of work for sale in a capstone exhibition.� Together, regional artisans, galleries, and the College will provide a rich learning experience for students, nurture new venues for creative enterprise in the region, and add another dimension to the contributions the arts make to quality of life and community pride.

 

This 30-credit certificate program is designed to be delivered in two semesters and a summer session, and features four curriculum strands � a Foundation Core, a Creative Arts Strand, an Entrepreneurship Strand, and a Heritage Strand.�� These strands of study are interwoven as the program progresses, culminating in the final semester�s capstone project, a show and sale of fine handcraft.

 

�         The Foundation Core (12 credits) will help students develop basic skills in writing, business-related math skills, effective oral communication, and web skills necessary for success.

�         The Creative Arts Strand (8 credits) helps students become more disciplined in their art, developing their ability to create and execute increasingly sophisticated pieces in their chosen craft.� Students work in their own studios, in addition to working with mentors in their field.� They learn about preparing work for show, sale, or shipment, all in preparation for moving into national venues.� The focus is on becoming �show ready.�

�         The Entrepreneurship Strand (7 credits) helps students to develop and sustain a successful creative enterprise.� Product development, pricing, promotion, and reaching customers are covered, in addition to how to build a business plan for a creative enterprise and how to use technology in the �art of sales.�

�         The Heritage Strand (3 credits) provides students with an appreciation of the culture, history, and the resources of Montana, providing them with a source for inspiration in their art and a basis for branding their creations in a larger market.

 

2.�� Summarize the needs assessment conducted to justify the proposal.

Reports and data from several sources document various needs that this certificate program will address:

�         A clusters study of Montana�s economic sections (Rosenfeld 2003) targets creative enterprise as a promising sector for development.� The study notes that 4% of Montana�s workforce is already engaged in �creative enterprise� and that increasing this percentage would add value to other sectors of the economy.� After publication of this needs assessment and at the request of the Governor�s Office of Economic Opportunity, MSU-Great Falls worked with Rosenfeld and CraftNet (an international network of community colleges) to explore creative enterprise programming.

�         MSU-Great Falls conducted a variety of formal and informal information-gathering sessions with the creative enterprise sectors in Great Falls and in Bozeman, with the Creative Enterprise Cluster Leadership Team created by the Governor�s Office of Economic Opportunity, with the Great Falls Museum Consortium, and with CraftNet to identify specific educational needs.� The TRACE certificate program has been designed to meet those needs.

�         In 2001 the Great Falls Community Economic Development Council identified the need for a stronger arts and culture emphasis in Great Falls as a part of its strategic planning process.� Fillings this need, according to the CEDC, would add to the quality of life in the region, enhance tourism activity, and help draw other businesses to Great Falls and the region.� The proposed program has been designed to make use of the community to enhance the learning experiences of students and to make use of the work of students and master artisans to add new cultural experiences to the community.

�         MSU-Great Falls seeks to balance its academic programming with programs for the creative entrepreneur.� Of approximately 20 workforce preparation programs at MSU-Great Falls, only 3 develop artistic proficiencies � interior design, design drafting, and web design.� Artistic proficiencies are not the major goal of any of the College�s current programs.� This certificate program will serve a type of student interest currently under-served at the College.

�         Since September and with funding from a Workforce Development grant, the College has developed a pilot TRACE program, tasked with testing the proposed curriculum.� 21 students signed up for the initial class, with 18 students still in attendance.� Since this pilot program�s inception, the TRACE Project Director has fielded and responded to over 100 inquiries from individuals pressing to gain access to the program.

 

3.       Explain how the program relates to Role and Scope of the institution as established by the Board of Regents.

 

Preparing students for entry into high-demand, developing fields is central to the mission of MSU-Great Falls College of Technology.�� The College, which delivers coursework designed to meet the needs of area individuals and business, along with their communities, is tasked to provide such educational benefits in a student-centered approach that helps students lead more productive lives and develop their potential.

The proposed certificate program will improve the area workforce by preparing artisans for creative enterprise, a sector of the economy identified as one with great potential for development.� In addition, discrete coursework in the degree will help develop the existing workforce in the arts by providing ongoing and relevant learning modules to help practicing artists succeed in their enterprises.

 

Students completing the proposed program will have gained the skills necessary to launch sustainable careers in their crafts.� Moreover, if they chose not to develop their own business, their training could lead to other job opportunities, such as in the museum world, galleries, education or as art representatives.

 

4.       State (a) what effect, if any, the proposed program will have on the administrative structure of the institution. Also indicate (b) the potential involvement of other departments, divisions, colleges, or schools.

 

(a)     Creative Arts Enterprise will join the programs organized in the College�s current Department of Business and Technology.� The Department will remain under the direction of the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, requiring no revision of the current administrative structure.

(b)     Although the College will rely on its Arts & Sciences Department, its Business and Technology Department, and its office of distance education to support the courses required by the degree, it hopes to enter into partnerships with other Montana colleges and universities to offer as wide a range of studio and mentoring experiences in different crafts as possible.� A particular emphasis will be on partnerships with tribal colleges.

 

5.       Describe the extent to which similar programs are offered in Montana, the Pacific Northwest, and states bordering Montana. How similar are these programs to the one proposed?

 

Very few classes in creative arts enterprise exist in Montana�s colleges and none combine craft proficiency with appreciation of regional heritage and entrepreneurial skills.� Flathead Valley Community College, which offers a professional gold-smithing program incorporating some business courses, is the most similar.� Other two-year art programs in Montana, as well as Wyoming and the Dakotas, are traditional fine arts programs with options in various studio arts in particular graphic arts and ceramics.� A few, like the Oregon School of Arts and Craft, add business practice components to several of their classes.� None include regional culture, although some include traditional art history classes.� Blackfeet Community College in Browning offers individual courses in native crafts, but none are organized into an independent program or combined with classes in business practices.� Fort Peck Community College also has a traditional arts program.

 

6.       Please name any accrediting agency (ies) or learned society (ies) that would be concerned with particular program herein proposed.� How has this program been developed in accordance with criteria developed by said accrediting body (ies) or learned society (ies)?

 

The proposed program has been designed to meet the standards for accreditation by the Northwest Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities.� It has the appropriate number of credits for a certificate program, as well as the required representation of general education course work.� Although individual guilds of the different crafts (for example, the Handweavers Guild of America which offers a Certificate of Excellence) provide a desirable external validation of quality of individual work, such validation is neither required nor universally accepted.

 

7.       Prepare an outline of the proposed curriculum showing course titles and credits. Please include any plans for expansion of the program during its first three years.

 

Proposed Curriculum Outline:� Certificate in Creative Arts Enterprise

 

The proposed certificate program consists of 30 credits distributed across the following curriculum segments and delivered in three semesters.� The four curriculum strands are interwoven as the course of study progresses and culminate in the final semester�s capstone project, a show and sale of fine handcraft.

 

The program has been designed for flexibility so that handcraft emphases (fiber or leather, for example) can be added as demand indicates without affecting the curriculum design.� When and if an emphasis is added, the only courses affected would be the studio courses.� These are also the courses targeted for further development through partnerships with other institutions.

 

In addition to working with a mentor and completing a gallery internship, the program is marked by a capstone experience.� This component allows the student to develop an awareness of the challenges and opportunities inherent in creative arts enterprise by requiring the application of knowledge and skills gains in each strand to the experience of a show and sale.

 

Foundation Core (12 credits):

 

Through the foundation core, students develop basic skills necessary for success � the ability to express their ideas and describe their art in writing, handle their business through business-related math skills, communicate effectively in both interpersonal and formal settings, and use the World Wide Web in their business.

 

Required courses:

COMM 140 Communication for Marketing��������������������������������� 3

MATH 104 Business Math������������������������������������������������������� 3

ENGL 228W Strategies of Business Communication����������������� 3

CCAE 101US Introduction to Artrepreneurship��������������������������� 3

 

Creative Arts Strand (8 credits):

 

The Creative Arts strand helps students become more disciplined in their art, developing their ability to create and execute increasingly sophisticated pieces in their chosen craft.� Students will work in their own studios, in addition to working with mentors in their field and fulfilling a gallery internship.� They will learn about preparing work for show, sale or shipment, all in preparation for moving into national venues.� The focus will be on becoming �show ready.�

 

Required courses:

CAE 110 Making It I Studio Experience������������������������������������� 3

CAE 120 Making It II� Studio Experience����������������������������������� 3

CAE 201 Capstone Project������������������������������������������������������ 2

 

Entrepreneurship Strand (7 credits):

 

In this sequence of courses, students learn how to develop and sustain a successful creative enterprise.� Product development, pricing, promoting, and reaching customers are covered, in addition to how to build a business plan for a creative enterprise and how to use technology in the �art of sales.�

 

Required courses:

BM 235 Arts Marketing������������������������������������������������������������ 3

BM 250 Creative Entrepreneurship�������������������������������������������� 2

CS 112� Creative Technology���������������������������������������������������� 2

 

Heritage Strand (3 credits):

 

This strand provides students with an appreciation of the culture, history, and the resources of Montana, providing them with a source both for inspiration in their art and a basis for branding their creations in a larger market.

 

Required course

HUM 290 Montana Ways��������������������������������������������������������� 3

 

Proposed Course Sequence

Fall Semester:

Introduction to Artrepreneurship������������������������������������������������ 3

Creative Technology���������������������������������������������������������������� 2

Montana Ways����������������������������������������������������������������������� 3

Making It I (studio course)�������������������������������������������������������� 3

Total������������������������� 11

 

Spring Semester:

Making It II (studio course)������������������������������������������������������� 3

Strategies of Business Communication������������������������������������� 3

Business Math������������������������������������������������������������������������ 3

Arts Marketing������������������������������������������������������������������������ 3

Total������������������������� 12

 

Summer Semester:

Capstone�������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2

Creative Entrepreneurship�������������������������������������������������������� 2

Communication for Marketing��������������������������������������������������� 3

Total�������������������������� 7

Certificate Total��������� 30

 

Module Approach to Certification

Practicing artisans who have already developed a high level of skill in the design and executive of their craft or artisans but who may not be able to attend the intensive, year-long certificate course can still access the program through a variety of modules, which will be provided through distance and on-line, on-campus, and hybrid formats either for credit or non-credit.� These modules correspond to components of a program course, allowing students to accrue workshop credits.� Such an approach would result in shortening the amount of time that a student would need to spend on campus, while providing students with a choice in how to manage their learning experience.

 

Classes that could be delivered in modules:

�         Introduction to Artrepreneurship can be divided into the following 15 modules varying in length from 2 and � to 5 hours. Creating an Artist Statement, Creating a Website Sitemap, Profiling the Crafts Customer, Creating a Budget, Creating a Customer Base, Surveying the Competition, Creating a Support Network, Creating a Work Space, Finding Time to Work, Defining Craft, Adding Value, Surviving a Trade Show, Entering the Gallery and Museum Scene, Finding Dollars, Talking about Your Craft.

�         Arts Marketing can be divided into the following 4 modules of 11 and � hours each. Product, Price, Promotion, Placing.

�         Montana Ways can be divided into the following 8 modules of 6 hours each.� Lenses for Viewing, Geography of the Uncommon Land, Pioneer Virtues I: Independence and Self-Reliance, Pioneer Virtues II: Community, Inclusion and Exclusion, Coping with Distance, The Land: Resource to Cherish or Exploit?, Natural Law, Rural and Urban Values, Bozeman or Plentywood: Montana�s Future.

 

FACULTY AND STAFF REQUIREMENTS

 

1.       Please indicate, by name and rank, current faculty who will be involved with the program proposed herein.

 

The following Faculty members from the College�s Arts & Sciences Department and its Business and Technology Department will deliver the courses required by the proposed program.

Mathematics program:� Rebecca Johnson, Mark Plante, Jill Keil, Mike O�Lear

Communications program: Larry Vaccaro

Composition program:� Jana Carter, Colleen Hazen, Deb Morey, Frederick Bridger

Computer Science: Tim Paul, Ken Wardinsky

Marketing: Marilyn Besich

TRACE Pilot Project:� Dr. Cindy Kittredge

 

All faculty teaching transfer courses have been hired in accordance with the professional requirements established by Board of Regents policy and the policies of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

 

2.       Please project the need and cost for new faculty over the first five years of the program. Include special qualifications or training. If present faculty is to conduct the new program, please explain how they will be relieved from present duties.

 

Because all but three of the courses in the proposed program are already part of the College�s offerings our present faculty will be able to offer them as a part of their regular duties.� The program will require the hiring of adjuncts to offer some of the new courses or relive current faculty who chose to develop them.� The program also requires the hiring of a Program Director to manage and provide instruction in the program, recruit adjunct faculty, establish partnerships with master artisans, galleries, and museums, and market the program.

 

Program Director � $40,000 annual salary

Adjunct Faculty - $10,800 annually in stipends and letters of appointment

 

3.       Please explain the need and cost for support personnel or other required personnel expenditures.

 

The specialized nature of the field and the considerable interest shown in providing expertise to the project call for a continuation of the mentor program begun with the pilot TRACE program.� Mentors are paid $350 per semester for 10 hours of contact with the students.

 

CAPITAL OUTLAY, OPERATING EXPENSES AND PHYSICAL FACILITIES

 

1.       Please summarize operating expenditure needs.

 

Expense�������������������������������� Year One��������� Year Two������� Year Three

 

Travel����������������������������������������� $2,000������������� $2,000������������� $2,000

 

Contracted Services�������������������� $4,000������������� $4,000������������� $4,000

 

Communications������������������������� $1,500������������� $1,500������������� $1,500

 

Materials and Supplies���������������� $6,000������������� $5,500������������� $5,500

 

Library��������������������������������������� $1,000������������� $1,000������������� $1,000

 

Repairs and Maintenance��������������� $500���������������� $500���������������� $500

 

Misc��������������������������������������������� $500���������������� $500���������������� $500

 

Total��������������������������������������� $15,500����������� $15,000����������� $15,000

 

2.       Please evaluate library resources. Are they adequate for operation of the proposed program? If not, how will the library need to be strengthened during the next three years?

 

The proposed program will draw upon the College�s library resources and the resources of library holdings of such groups as the Great Falls Spinners and Weavers Guild.� Through the sustainability funds proposal process initiated by Montana State University last year, the College secured $10,000 to make the initial enhancement to the library collection to support an Associate of Arts degree.� However, to serve the specialized needs of the students in the Creative Arts Enterprise program, the College will need to purchase new materials estimated at around $6,000 spread over the first three years of the program.

 

3.       Please indicate special clinical, laboratory, and/or computer equipment that will be needed. List those pieces of equipment or computer hardware presently available in the department.

 

Equipment needed for the program includes:

 

Need to purchase

Computer (1) $2,000

Laptop (1) $1,800

Printer (2) $600

 

Currently owned

Multi-media projector (1) $5,000

Furniture (shelving, closing cabinet) $2,000

Display cases (3) $3000

 

When and if specialized areas of craft education are added, specialized equipment for that particular area will need to be added.

 

4.       Please describe facilities and space required for the proposed program. Are current facilities adequate for the program? If not, how does the institution propose to provide new facilities?

 

The program requires several normally equipped classrooms for lecture style and discussion course delivery.� The College has utilized suitable space in its main building.� As the program matures and more options are added, additional space will be acquired in the community to meet studio and other program needs.