| The document below follows the CSU format for program proposals. It is a rough draft, with some parts not filled in, some parts sketchy, and some parts highly tentative. It needs more specific detail throughout. The course list can still be debated. The program's name can still be debated. Any part of the proposal can still be modified, but most of all it needs more words.
Send any suggestions to dbsmith@calpoly.edu. Please specify a section you wish to fill in, comment about, or modify by its number and letter. I'll review all suggestions, synthesize them, and make changes in this web page. We'll continue to work this way until we have a finished proposal. Doug Smith |
Proposal for New Degree Major Program
1. Definition of the Proposed Degree Major Program
a. Name of the campus submitting the request, the full and exact designation (degree terminology) for the proposed degree major program, and academic year of intended implementation.
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Master of Arts in Interactive Digital Arts
Fall 2001
b. Name of the department, departments, division or other unit of the campus that would offer the proposed degree major program. Identify the unit that will have primary responsibility.
College of Liberal Arts
(This is an interdisciplinary program drawing from several departments, mostly in the College of Liberal Arts. It will report through the CLA Dean.)
c. Name, title, and rank of the individual(s) primarily responsible for drafting the proposed degree major program.
Douglas Smith, Professor, English Department
Hank Apfelberg, Professor, Graphic Communication Department
Sky Bergman, Assistant professor, Art and Design Department
d. Objectives of the proposed degree major program.
Educational Objectives
The purpose of the program will be first, to teach students how to create content for the new interactive digital media, and second, to teach students how to manage the new communication technology in institutional or business contexts. Matters of rhetoric and design will be paramount, but related subjects will include managing communication systems, repurposing information for different media, marketing, and legal and ethical issues.
The "interactive digital media" addressed by the program will includethe World Wide Web, intranets, computer-based multimedia, and digital forms of text, sound, and graphics, including their creation,interaction, publication, delivery, and administration. Interfaces between electronic media, print media, broadcast media, and other communication forms will be explored. Subjects covered will follow the rapidly evolving new media industry.
Institutional Objectives
New graduate programs in the field of "computer-assisted production and design, entertainment, and business services" were identified as "high priority" in the 1997 CSU Cornerstones report called "CSU & the Economy: The Need for Post-baccalaureate, Graduate amd Continuing Education." (http://www.calstate.edu/cornerstones/reports/TF4_Report.html). This program will meet needs identified in that report.
Also, this program will meet a goal established in the 1998 College of Liberal Arts Strategic Plan, which is to "Build new interdisciplinary, professional masters degree programs appropriate to Cal Poly and market demand," and, more specifically, "a professional master's degree program in media arts and technology."
This program will also meet a goal described in the 1998 report of Cal Poly's Instructional Development Study Group, called "Establishing A Culture of Innovation." In that report, an interdisciplinary university committee appointed by the Provost recommended that "the university establish an interdisciplinary masters program centering on the concepts of instructional and interactive design," so that the university's instructional development efforts might be benefit from integration with an academic program. The proposed program will meet that goal through internships and projects in which masters students use Cal Poly curriculum development projects as practical learning exercises.
e. Total number of units required for the major. List of all courses, by catalog number, title, and units of credit, to be specifically required for a major under the proposed degree program. Identify those new courses that are (1) needed to initiate the program and (2) needed during the first two years after implementation. Include proposed catalog descriptions of all new courses.
The completion of 45 units, including a project which would serve as the equivalent of a thesis, will be required for graduation. 25 units come from required core courses and the required thesis project, 20 from electives.
CORE COURSES:
THESIS COURSE
f. List of elective courses, by catalog number, title, and units of credit, that can be used to satisfy requirements for the major. Identify those new courses that are (1) needed to initiate the program and (2) needed during the first two years after implementation. Include proposed catalog descriptions of all new courses.
(Note: With regard to Sections 1.e and 1.f, a proposed program should take advantage of courses already offered in other departments when subject matter would otherwise overlap or duplicate existing course content.)
g. If any formal options, concentrations, or special emphases are planned under the proposed major, explain fully.
The program will follow a core of courses, but will allow enough flexibility in the electives so that different students could emphasize different areas: the new media in business and commerce, the new media in education and training, and the new media in the creative arts and entertainment.
h. Course prerequisites and other criteria for admission of students to the proposed degree major program, and for their continuation in it.
Because students may develop entry-level skills in interactive writing and design in many different ways, students will enter the program with bachelor's degrees from a variety of different disciplines. These disciplines might include art, English, computer science, graphic communication, education, or others, depending on a particular student’s background.
Applicants will be individually evaluated for admission to the programon the basis of a combination of the following factors:(a) records of previous academic work, normally a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the last 90 units of undergraduate work; (b) samples of completed work and projects reflecting applicant's talents and abilities (a portfolio); and (c) evidence of professional experience in related fields. Applicants will be selected by an admissions panel of the Interactive Digital Arts Committee.
i. Explanation of special characteristics of the proposed degree major program, e.g., in terminology, units of credit required, types of course work, etc.
As with all graduate study at Cal Poly, students will cope with more complex ideas, problems, techniques and materials than in undergraduate courses. Graduate study requires searching and exhaustive analysis, identification and investigation of theories and principles; application of theory to new ideas, problems, and materials, with emphasis on primary sources for data; and demonstration of competence in scholarly presentation of results in independent study.
A significant portion of this curriculum will be dedicated to the research and development of innovative, professional multimedia projects. The quality of projects will reflect the current standards in the multimedia industry.
A special characteristic of the program is that it will use the Cal Poly campus, and the Cal Poly curriculum, as a laboratory in which to test products and strategies. This is in keeping with the 1998 report of Cal Poly's Instructional Development Study Group, called "Establishing A Culture of Innovation." In that report, an interdisciplinary university committee appointed by the Provost recommended that "the university establish an interdisciplinary masters program centering on the concepts of instructional and interactive design," so that the university's instructional development efforts might be benefit from integration with an academic program.
j. For undergraduate programs, provisions for articulation of the proposed major with community college programs.
Not applicable. This is a Masters program.
k. Provision for meeting accreditation requirements, where applicable, and anticipated date of accreditation request.
(Note: Where applicable, establishment of a master's degree program should be preceded by national professional accreditation of the corresponding bachelor's degree major program.)
Not applicable. This is a Masters program in an interdisciplinary field which is too new to have a national accreditation body. It does not have a corresponding bachelors program.
2. Need for the Proposed Degree Major Program
a. List of other CSU campuses currently offering or projecting the proposed degree major program; list of neighboring institutions, public and private, currently offering the proposed degree major program.
CSU Hayward: Master of Arts in Multimedia.
UC Santa Barbara: Extended Education Webmaster Certificate.
b. Differences between the proposed program and programs listed in 2.a above.
c. List of other curricula currently offered by the campus that are closely related to the proposed program.
Cal Poly offers courses in a wide variety of disciplines that offer some piece of the curriculum we propose to teach, but there is no coherent program. The proposed program brings together many different existing courses from several departments, and adds a few new ones for focus.
The program's content will be inherently interdisciplinary, includingcurriculum that we envision as coming largely from Art & Design, Graphic Communication, and English, but potentially from almost any department in CLA, or even other colleges, such as Engineering or Business. A course on ethics, for example, might come from Philosophy or the Humanities Program. A course on educational uses of the new media might come from Psychology and Human Developmentor the UCTE.
d. Results of a formal survey in the geographical area to be served indicating demand for individuals who have earned the proposed degree and evidence of serious student interest in majoring in the proposed program. Justify any discrepancies between national/statewide/professional manpower surveys and local findings.
e. For graduate programs, the number of declared undergraduate majors and the degree production over the preceding three years for the corresponding baccalaureate program.
f. Professional uses of the proposed degree major program.
The program prepares students for careers in a variety of closely related interactive digital media fields. Professional fields include, for example, educational curriculum designer, business intranet manager, telecommunications manager, webmaster, information architect, interface designer, instructional designer, web engineer, electronic commerce manager, electronic art designer/director/producer, or technical writer.
g. The expected number of majors in the year of initiation and three years and five years -thereafter. The expected number of graduates in the year of initiation and three years and five years thereafter.
(Note: This degree major program will be subject to program review evaluation within five years after implementation.)
3. Existing Support Resources for Proposed Degree Major Program
(Note: Sections 3 and 4 and Table I should be prepared in consultation with the campus administrators responsible for faculty staffing and instructional facilities allocation and planning.)
a. Faculty members, with rank, appointment status, highest degree earned, date and field of highest degree, and professional experience (including publications if the proposal is for a graduate degree), who would teach in the program.
(Note: For proposed graduate degree programs, a minimum of five full-time faculty members with the terminal professional degree should be on the program staff.)
b. Space and facilities that would be used in support of the proposed program. Show how this space is currently used and what alternate arrangements, if any, will be made for the current occupants.
Most of the courses in this program require that some class meetings be in a computer-display classroom (such as 10-126), and some meetings be in a multimedia computer lab (such as 43-458). The program also requires that students have access to a multimedia lab during unstructured, non-class hours.
Since many of the courses in the program already exist, once the program began they would continue to use the same spaces and facilities that they had been using already. Nonetheless, this program will probably cause an increase in demand for display classrooms and multimedia labs, both for the use of the program and because the program will facilitate the greater use of such facilities throughout the Cal Poly curriculum.
In the end, this program needs a multimedia development laboratory /classroom of its own, both for class meetings and for shared workshop space. Ideally, the program lab will be contiguous with ITS instructional media development labs (currently in Building 2), making ITS expertise available to the program and simultaneously making student energy available to ITS, promoting synergy between ITS and the academic program.
c. Library resources to support the program, specified by subject areas, volume counts, periodical holdings, etc.
d. Equipment and other specialized materials currently available.
4. Additional Support Resources Required
(Note: If additional support resources will be needed to implement and maintain the program, a statement by the responsible administrators should be attached to the proposal assuring that such resources will be provided.)
a. Complete Table I. Enrollment and faculty positions should be shown for all discipline categories that will increase because of the new program and for all discipline categories that will decrease because of the new program. If faculty positions are to be transferred into the program from other areas, the reductions in faculty positions should be shown in the appropriate discipline category or categories.
b. Any special characteristics of the additional faculty or staff support positions needed to implement the proposed program.
c. The amount of additional lecture and/or laboratory space required to initiate and sustain the program over the next five years. Indicate any additional special facilities that will be required. If the space is under construction, what is the projected occupancy date? If the space is planned, indicate campuswide priority of the facility, capital outlay program priority, and projected date of occupancy.
In the end, this program needs a multimedia development laboratory /classroom of its own, both for class meetings and for shared workshop space. Ideally, the program lab will be contiguous with ITS instructional media development labs (currently in Building 2), making ITS expertise available to the program and simultaneously making student energy available to ITS, promoting synergy between ITS and the academic program.
d. Additional library resources needed. Indicate the commitment of the campus to purchase or borrow through interlibrary loan these additional resources.
e. Additional equipment or specialized materials that will be (1) needed to implement the program and (2) needed during the first two years after initiation. Indicate the source of funds and priority to secure these resource needs.
The credibility of a program of this sort depends on its technological currency. Unless equipment and software are up-to-date, students will not be able to work toward professional standards.
We expect to develop two different ways to keep up-to-date. One way is to forge a symbiotic liaison with ITS Media Development Services, sharing both expertise and workshop space and facilities. The second way is to cultivate relationships with high tech corporations that might perceive self-interest in helping our program keep current.
5. Abstract of the Proposal and Proposed Catalog Description
Attach an abstract of the proposal, not to exceed two pages, and a complete proposed catalog description, including admission and degree requirements.
| Send any suggestions to dbsmith@calpoly.edu. Please specify a section you wish to fill in, comment about, or modify by its number and letter. I'll review all suggestions, synthesize and incorporate them. We'll continue to work this way until we have a finished proposal.
Doug Smith |