Roundtable Presentations 2014
as part of our 51^st Annual Conference
The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center in
Kansas City, Missouri

Thursday, October 23, 2014
3:30 – 5:15 p.m.

Roundtable presentations are proudly sponsored by:

Theatre Consultants Collaborative is a team of industry veterans and creative thinkers that share a passion for designing spaces that nurture and celebrate the performing arts. TCC helps guide universities, colleges and architects through the complexities of programming, planning and design, as well as the design and integration of specialized performance technologies.

Partner Dancing: Maximizing the Thrills and Minimizing the Spills of Interdisciplinary Collaboration
When artists and scientists share the space, the result can be an exhilarating encounter that enlivens both worlds. But the challenge of truly integrating the diversity of voices can be overwhelming. This session will offer a few questions useful in creating dynamic bridges, with examples drawn from integrative dance and healthcare projects at James Madison University.

Dr. Sharon Babcock, Associate Professor of Biology and Associate Director of the Institute for Innovation in Health & Human Services and Coordinator of Pre-Professional Health Programs
(540) 568-2669
[email protected]

and

Kate Trammell, Professor of Dance
James Madison University
(540) 568-3925
[email protected]

University-Community Partnerships in the Arts
Viterbo University and the La Crosse Community Theatre recently formed a collaborative partnership to build the Weber Center for the Performing Arts. The facility, located on the riverfront in downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin, includes a 450-seat theatre and a black box used for performing arts productions, university functions, and community events. Is your institution involved in a similar partnership with a community arts organization? If so, what are the benefits? What are the challenges?

Timothy Schorr, D.M.A.
Dean of Fine Arts
Viterbo University
(608) 796-3774
[email protected]

The College of Fine Arts at Arkansas State University has been actively involved in arts advocacy in our regional community. This has included numerous presentations at civic organizations, and will be followed by a public forum this fall on “Creativity in the Arts.”

Through this program, we are not focusing on the value of arts education (increased test scores, lower dropout rates, etc.), nor on what we do in our college (concerts, plays, exhibits). Instead, we are asking questions about the bigger picture of why the arts are important to society:

• Why did prehistoric man paint on walls and create musical instruments out of bones?
• Is there something about The Human Condition that compels us to be creative?
• What would life be like without the Arts?

If we as arts leaders do not advocate for the arts, who will?

Don Bowyer, Dean
College of Fine Arts
Arkansas State University
(870) 972-3053
[email protected]

Academic Analytics and the Fine Arts
Many colleges and universities are turning to Academic Analytics to make decisions about issues such as budget, faculty appointments, and faculty promotions. Though Academic Analytics does not measure creative research, nor is a comparable dataset for the Fine Arts currently available, a2ru research shows that as much as 82% of its member institutions would find a similar tool for the Arts useful. This roundtable will present some of the work a2ru is doing in this area, as well as some of the strategies used at the University of Utah. It will also provide time for discussion of any strategies attendees have developed to respond to their college/university's approach to benchmarking, as well as any arguments attendees are making to address the absence of relevant data regarding Fine Arts research.

Sarah Projansky
Associate Dean for Faculty & Academic Affairs and Professor, Film & Media Arts and Gender Studies
College of Fine Arts
University of Utah
(801) 587-9811
[email protected]

and

Anthony J. Kolenic, Ph.D.
Interim Executive Director
ArtsEngine/Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities
University of Michigan
(734) 763.8932
[email protected]

Proposing a College of the Arts at Metropolitan State University of Denver
We have recently completed a proposal to our institution’s Transitions Task Force, Provost, President, and Board of Trustees that would establish a new College of the Arts at Metropolitan State University of Denver.  To align with the institution’s vision and that of our President, we have aligned our proposed structure with the economic workforce needs of Colorado.  The creative sector is Colorado’s fifth largest employment cluster, almost as large as the state’s biotechnology, biomedical and IT/telecommunication sectors.  In addition, Colorado’s creative work force, more than 122,000 strong, makes it the fifth largest in the nation.

The College of the Arts would be the fifth College at our institution.  Our proposal for a new College of the Arts has gained significant momentum, and we expect final approval in June.  We believe that this restructuring is positive for student success and the visibility of our arts programs, and would like to share our process with members of ICFAD.  Included in our roundtable discussion will be examples of presentations and significant highlights of our proposal.

Michael J. Kornelsen D.M.A.
Associate Dean of the Arts
School of Letters, Arts, and Sciences
Metropolitan State University of Denver
(303) 556-6437
[email protected]

Collaboration: The Key to Delivering a Successful Project from A-Z
This roundtable discussion will focus on the importance of collaboration between the owner, contractor, and design team in delivering a successful construction project.  From project team selection to planning and preconstruction to actual construction, teamwork and communication amongst all key stakeholders is paramount.  Kyle will lead a discussion on how strong collaboration drives the budget, schedule, safety and overall project success.

Kyle McQuiston, VP/Construction Executive, JE Dunn Construction
(816) 426-8860
[email protected]

The Arts in Higher Education and Controversy: Can you have one without the other?
The Arts are often employed to address difficult, challenging, and controversial subjects; especially on university campuses. We embrace the power of the Arts to express the human condition; warts and all. Issues of censorship, time and place, freedom of expression, academic freedom, and academic responsibility are integral to the Arts.  But what happens when public outcry and dissension take center stage?  How do you lead through a controversy as it plays out in public?

Patricia Poulter, Dean, Kennesaw State University
(770) 423-6742
[email protected]

As vital centers for the integration of arts, learning and community, fine arts facilities across the country are consistently stretched to their limits serving their varied constituencies. Compounding the problem, many institutions have witnessed a deferral of funding to update aged buildings. How do deans begin (or continue) to make the case for their facilities’ needs? This roundtable will focus on conducting Feasibility Studies for Arts Facilities - one of the early tools used in planning for renovation, new construction, and fundraising.

No two feasibility studies are the same, as each process must be customized to address complex issues unique to the arts on a particular campus. However, there are many common steps that can be undertaken to maximize success. This discussion will identify successful approaches to arts feasibility study components including: planning, accreditation, site selection, programming and conceptual design, budgeting and fundraising, demographic studies, operational models, public/private partnerships and more. Using examples from higher education arts programs and facilities, including its recent study for the University of Missouri – Kansas City Downtown Arts District, HGA architects and faculty from UM-KC will lead the discussion on how to plan your feasibility study and handle key decisions.

Peter Witte
Dean, Conservatory of Music and Dance, University of Missouri - Kansas City
[email protected]
816-235-2731

and

Tim Carl, AIA, LEED AP
Design Principal
HGA Architects and Engineers
[email protected]
612-758-4595

Americans for the Arts and its support of Higher Education Initiatives
Americans for the Arts works to advance the arts and arts education k-16 across the country. Advocacy for the arts and arts education has become more prevalent among the arts community at the local state and federal levels to secure funding and the focus of research projects.  Thus, Americans for the Arts is developing tools and resources to better equip emerging artists and arts educators for this advocacy. Join with Americans for the Arts staff to discuss strategies for promoting the arts and arts education as an additional skills for the future.

Jeff M. Poulin, Arts Education Program Coordinator
Americans for the Arts
(202) 371-2830 x2041
[email protected]

The Apollonian and the Dionysian: Collaborations between STEM and the Arts
At SUNY New Paltz, a strong partnership between the Schools of Fine and Performing Arts and Science and Engineering has developed. Several years ago, faculty and administrators began to discuss ways the two Schools might collaborate. A number of ideas developed, but finally coalesced around Advanced Manufacturing and 3-D printing. In the last year, the College received gifts and state awards totaling $1.5 million to create first a certificate program and a minor in Digital Design and Fabrication, and approval was given for three new hires that report or directly collaborate with faculty and students in both Schools and across the College.

Join us for this informative Roundtable Presentation to learn more about how it started, how it is going, and where it might lead.  Lessons learned in the process will be shared as well as suggestions as to how this kind of collaboration might be duplicated on other campuses. Additionally, your own collaborations with the STEM areas will be collected by the facilitator, and made available to ICFAD members after the conference. If there is interest in starting an on-going discussion and sharing of these collaborations, our facilitator will make it happen.

Paul Kassel, Interim Dean
School of Fine and Performing Arts
SUNY New Paltz
(845) 257-3860
[email protected]

X Men: Building an Arts Research Culture in Higher Education
Many arts and design faculty have the capacity to connect their research practice to benefit humanity and develop new knowledge. However, unless they can translate their research goals to wide audiences, they will not access existing funding streams. We need more X men: faculty who can cross boundaries, communicating beyond their single discipline to link to a variety of philanthropic opportunities for the benefit of humanity. This roundtable will offer strategies about how to improve faculty research culture to expand funding opportunities. This session will also challenge participants to reflect on the development of institution-wide research strategies.

Dr. Sarah Bainter Cunningham, Executive Director of Research
School of the Arts
Virginia Commonwealth University
(804) 828-6875
[email protected]

Will it Make A Theatre?  Using Found Spaces as Performance Venues
This roundtable discussion will focus on the opportunities presented by existing spaces.  Whether it is an old auto dealership, an abandoned elementary school auditorium, or a disused industrial facility, our country has a wide variety of existing space that can be converted into unique and exciting performance venues.   Curtis will lead a discussion on how you can look at surplus space available to you and see a vibrant performance and teaching environment that is more affordable and environmentally friendly.

Curtis Kasefang, Principal Consultant
Theatre Consultants Collaborative
(919) 546-0288
[email protected]

Arts, Medicine and the Mind - Part II
As a follow up to the session earlier today, Professor Edward Roth will continue discussing his research regarding Music Therapy, brain function and creativity. This roundtable will provide further detail regarding the establishment of an interdisciplinary research team within a university setting as well as the inclusion of off-site members from hospitals, medical centers, and so on. Further elaboration will be provided regarding the reciprocal relationship among art, science, and medicine and ample time will be dedicated to discussion with roundtable attendees.

Edward A. Roth, Professor of Music Therapy, Coordinator of Clinical Experiences, and Co-Founder and Director of the Laboratory for Brain Research and Interdisciplinary Neurosciences (BRAIN)
College of Fine Arts, Western Michigan University
(269) 387-5415
[email protected]

The Future of SNAAP
After six years, the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP) has worked with 300 institutions and surveyed more than 100,000 arts graduates. In 2014, SNAAP is collecting and analyzing information not from alumni but from administrators of arts schools to determine its future direction. In this roundtable, Sally Gaskill, SNAAP Director, will update ICFAD members on “SNAAP 2.0.”

Sally Gaskill, Director
Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP)
Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research
(812) 856.0735
[email protected]